Postcards from... Booklet 2022

B arcelona has so much to tempt the senses. With a backdrop of both gothic and organic Gaudi architecture fronted by warm Mediterranean waters along 5 kilometres of beachfront, it is a city that is simultaneously brimming with modern shopping, nightlife, world-class dining and a sense of identity deeply rooted in Catalan culture. It all started going right again for Barcelona when it hosted the Olympics in 1992. This heralded a much-needed clean-up of the City. As Nelson Mandela once said, "Sport has the power to transform the world." In the case of Barcelona beaches were cleaned, new parks were built, public transport to all areas of the city was notably improved and a once ugly industrial zone on the seafront was demolished to house the new, Olympic Village. This area is now known as the Pobleneu district, a chic residential area right on the edge of the city centre. The regeneration of Barcelona has been so impressive that it re-established itself as the powerhouse of Spain, and you would be forgiven to believe that it is the real capital of the nation, and no doubt a reason that Catalans feel that they should be their own masters.