TRAVEL BY NUMBERS
| Top 10 Restaurants in Barcelona
The Top 10 restaurants in Barcelona ranked by food, according to the ZagatSurvey’s “Europe’s Top Restaurants 2007.”
1. Passadis del Pep, Placa de Palau 2, (011-34-93) 310-1021, passadis.com, Mediterranean/Seafood.
2. Drolma, Hotel Majestic, Passatge de Gràcia 68, (011-34-93) 496-7710, hotelmajestic
.com, Catalan.
3. Àbac, Indústria 79, (011-34-93) 207-6115, Catalan.
4. Gaig, Cram Hotel, Aragó 214, (011-34-93) 429-1017, www.restaurantgaig.com, Catalan.
5. Alkimia, Indústria 79, (011-34-93) 207-6115, Catalan.
6. (tie) Jean Luc Figueras, Santa Teresa 10, (011-34-93) 415-2877, French/Catalan.
Cinc Sentits, Aribau 58, (011-34-93) 323-9490, www.cincsentits.com, Catalan/Mediterranean.
8. Hofmann, Argentería 74-78, (011-34-93) 319-5889, hofmann-bcn.com, Mediterranean.
9. Caelis, Hotel Palace, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 668, (011-34-93) 510-1205, www.caelis.com, Catalan/French.
10. Comerc 24, Comerc 24, (011-34-93) 319-2102, comerc24.com, Spanish/Tapas.
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Airline crews are famous for knowing the travel scoop, and “Crew Guide 2007” and “Crew Guide Escapes” (11 euros, SAS Media) prove they know their stuff by being filled with great tips from around the world for places to eat, sleep, buy stuff and sightsee. Compact and with no frills, the guides are simple and easy to use, with brief entries and the basic info, including websites. Each entry is attributed, which gives them a sense of authority, and because this is produced by the crews of Scandinavian Airlines, Spanair, Blue 1 and Air Baltic, the contents are fabulously international. “Crew Guide 2007” is a well-rounded roster of everything, while “Escapes” offers unique getaways, beach resorts, hotels with views and boat excursions. The guides are available only at www.sasguides.com (3 euro handling charge), European bookstores or the Flight 001 stores in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
GEO QUIZ | Where arethese places?
1. Calico, a patterned, cotton fabric, originated in the city of Calicut, now known as Kozhikode. This city is in what major cotton- producing country in South Asia?
2. What Middle Eastern country has a port on the Mediterranean Sea, at Ashdod, and on the Red Sea, at Elat?
3. What Southeast Asian country, bordering Thailand and India, is the world’s largest exporter of teak logs?
4. Kiwi, a fruit popularly used in desserts, is one of the main agricultural exports of which island country southeast of Australia?
5. Years of rapid industrial growth around Kraków have left which Central European country with severe environmental problems?
6. Which Canadian province produces more than half of the country’s manufactured goods?
7. Oil located near the coast of the states of Tabasco and Veracruz is a valuable resource for which Latin American country?
8. A landlocked African country that lies on the southern shore of Lake Tanganyika receives more than 80 percent of its foreign exchange from copper exports. Name this country.
9. Most of the land in a country between Russia and China is used for raising livestock. Name this country.
10. The westernmost country on the mainland of Europe is the source of much of the world’s cork. Name this country.
ANSWERS: 1. India 2. Israel 3. Myanmar (also acceptable: Burma) 4. New Zealand 5. Poland 6. Ontario 7. Mexico 8. Zambia 9. Mongolia 10. Portugal
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
REAL DEALS
The week’s best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Divi Resorts, with eight Caribbean properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Barbados, Bonaire and Aruba, has a Spring for Summer deal, with discounts of about 35 percent on stays of three nights or longer. For example, the price at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino in Bonaire in early May is $99 a night plus about 10 percent tax and $7.50 per night energy surcharge; rate usually starts at $153. Deal is good for stays April 16-Aug. 31; book by March 30. Info: 800-367-3484, divire sorts.com.
Tuscan Way has last-minute discounts on several week-long cooking vacations in Italy. The March 19-25 and April 2-8 sessions at the 1,000-year-old Casa Innocenti on the slopes of Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany start at $2,466 per person double, a savings of $274 per person. The Saturday-March 30 session at Villa Poggiarello in the village of Roccastrada, 34 miles south of Siena, is $2,331 per person double, a savings of $259. Deal includes lodging, meals, wine, transfers, excursions, five cooking classes and taxes. Airfare is extra. Info: 800-766-2390, tuscanway.com.
– The Washington Post
—————————————-
CURRENCY EXCHANGE For the exchange rates of 164 currencies updated daily,
visit denverpost.com/business; click on
Currency Converter.
