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Tourist buses to park away from the Sagrada Família due to congestion in the area

CNA

Barcelona’s City Council announced that tourist buses will not be able to access the adjacent streets of the famous Sagrada Família Basilica. The reason: in the last few months there have been too many buses and they have been congesting the church surroundings, creating problems. The church, designed by well-known Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, will welcome 900.000 more visitors this year compared to 2010, which means 3.2 million people will visit the Sagrada Família in 2011.

November 4, 2011 10:30 PM

Released turtles return to the Mediterranean Sea after several months recovering at Catalan NGO facilities

CNA / Bertran Cazorla

The beach at El Prat de Llobregat, next to Barcelona Airport, witnessed the return of a group of loggerhead turtles to the Mediterranean Sea. The release took place after their full recovering at CRAM's facilities, a Catalan foundation treating wounded marine animals. The release served as an example of a public awareness campaign on the turtle’s fragile ecosystem.

October 27, 2011 12:17 AM

PortAventura theme park is building the tallest rollercoaster in Europe

CNA / Núria Torres

The Catalan theme park, located on the Costa Daurada next to Tarragona, will invest 25 million euros building the new attraction, which will be 76 metres high and will emulate the Himalaya. In addition, users will reach a speed of 134 km/h. The new rollercoaster’s name and exact design are still a mystery, but it will cross the Dragon Khan four times. The Catalan President assisted in the ceremony of the laying of the first stone. The attraction will be ready in May 2012.

October 21, 2011 10:35 PM

Santi Santamaria’s daughter in charge of her father’s restaurants

CNA

The Catalan chef Santi Santamaria, whose restaurant ‘Can Fabes’ has been awarded three Michelin stars uninterruptedly since 1994, died last February in Singapore, when he was unveiling his new restaurant ‘Santi’. At the time, Santi Santamaria had 7 Michelin stars, being one of the most lauded chefs in the world. Regina Santamaria, aged 25, will follow in her father’s footsteps and take charge of the four restaurants the family has in Sant Celoni (half way between Barcelona and Girona), Barcelona, Madrid and Singapore.

September 19, 2011 02:31 PM

Priorat wines from 2011 will be scarcer but of greater quality

CNA / Núria Torres

The strong heat diminishes the production of grapes of the wine region Priorat, but their quality is better. Priorat’s Protected Geographical Indication, which brings together some 600 farmers, expects a fall in grape production of around 15%, but the surviving grapes will be of great quality. Priorat red wines, produced in South-West of Catalonia, are internationally appreciated and are famous for their strong character.

September 12, 2011 09:00 PM

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