MOPCA WORLDS BARCELONA,
JULY 27-30, 2012 |
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For you &
your family there is
no better place for your summer holiday than Barcelona |
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I don't know if you already
planned your summer holiday for 2012. But did you think on
Barcelona? Barcelona is where - in 2006 and last year - we organised the Model
Car World Championship. Those who were there in 2006 will certainly
remember how during the very last segment Kai Kivekäs (SF)
was leading, but also how, in the last minute of the race he
was passed by Nick de Wachter (NL) and how at the very
end ànd Kai ànd NDW were still passed by Dani "Giesse"
Gonzalez (E), who won the title. Others will remember how
Brian Saunders (GB) and Gustav Heymann (RSA) won in
Barcelona 2006 the European Sprint Championship, how Geert Mertens
(B) won € 500.00 by realising the fastest tyre change, how
at the Worlds none of the cars entered by Michael Niemas (D)
- having earlier dominated the Franco Gianotti races -
were functioning properly: not those for Ralph
Seif (D), of Philipp & Christoph Kremer (D), of
"Piki" & Youri van Rossem (B). Eventually Philipp and "Piki"
reached the main final, but there they could do nothing against
the faster cars of Kai, NDW and Dani. And of course we all
remember how Tamar Nelwan (NL) was disqualifying in 2006 half of
the racers field for obscure reasons; or how Gert Klinge (B)
was loudly complaining that his car didn't go, due to a bad race
controller - the same used by Dani Gonzalez to ... win the
Worlds. Among the amateurs Al Paterson (RSA) was on his
way to win the Amateurs Worlds when - he too - was victim of
Tamar's disqualification mania. So the title went to Antonio
Ortega (E) and Big Al received as compensation for Tamar's
temporarily madness the first prize at concourse. It was
also the last time we saw Juanma Torres (E), also
disqualified by Tamar. He swore doing better the following time.
Unfortunately there was no following time. Three months later he
passed away in a motor accident.
But
much more than the racing stories we remember the nights on the
beach with "Gugu" Bernardino (BR) and Benny Justice
(USA) where they learned everybody how to drink Spanish
tequila. |
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BARCELONA, DREAM CITY
We were all hosted at
Hotel
Hesperia del Mar, at short walking distance from the beach and the
nightly beach parties. Several racers showed with wife and kids and
after breakfast men jumped in their car driving along the Montjuich race
circuit to Les Franqueses where they found organiser Francesc Reyes (E)
and his track, whilst women and kids went to the beach or to
the old city for sight seeing. Indeed, Barcelona is a wonderful
city where so many marvellous places can be discovered.
Everybody knows the Sagrada Familia (picture above), the famous basilica
designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Guidi in 1882, and still
unachieved at our days.
Slot racers are tremendous bad
travellers and then they wonder that their wife or girl friend
detests slot-racing! It should be a pure shame that you show at
the 2011 Giganten Party without taking time to enjoy the unique
beauty of the capital of Catalonia. Of course you must have seen
the two water towers. There is the famous 144 metre high
Torre Agbar, owned by the water company Agbar,
constructed by the French architect Jean Nouvel between 1999 and
2005 (left picture). It counts 38 stories (including 4
underground levels), housing mainly offices and an oval
auditorium, and has a clear phallic character. In less than no
time it became - much more than the Sagrada Familia - the
icon of Barcelona . Then there is that other water tower - a
former one - the Torre Alta Mar. You can reach it with
the cable-lift, or simply by the elevator bringing you 74
metre high to a sublime restaurant where you have a wonderful
view over whole Barcelona. Here you can find an excellent lunch
at only € 50 per person (€ 200 per person for the top menu - the
same amount you pay for the newest NDW or Metris Mk4 chassis).
Slot
racers are not enough the bon vivant multiple
world champion Jan Limpach (USA) always was (and is).
They invest their savings always in slot-racing material, not
enough in fine living. The Giganten Party will be spread over
four days, starting on even days not earlier than at 2pm, and
ending on odd days no later than at 7pm. That gives racers and
their spouse enough time to take easily breakfast in the morning
and to visit the old city, or to enjoy one of the famous
Barcelona beach parties during the evening. Of course you are
invited to loaf about the narrow streets with their multitude of
little shops. You must have seen such typical shopping districts
as El Borne and Gotico with their narrow streets
in the heart of old-Barcelona; but also the fashionable district
Eixample where you can find, in the broad street
Passeig de Gracia, the famous couturiers. Or you can visit
the Gracia district, perhaps not directly for the
shopaholics under us, but with its typical streets as
Carrer de Gran Gracia, Carrer de Gracia,
Traversera de Gracia and Avinguda Diagonal (with its
covered shopping centre L'illa). Also worth to visit
is the Carrer de Pelai in district Raval where you
find the greater shopping centres.
In the evening one can
visit the Font Mágica down to the Monjuïc hill, in front
of the
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Here
you'll find each evening, from 9.30pm in the colourful filtered
light the dance of the fountains on the tones of sweet music.
The Font Mágica was built for the 1929 world fair and
innovated for the 1992 Olympic Games. Hotel
Hesperia del Mar, hosting the racers of the 2006 Barcelona Model Car
Worlds, is located at the border of the former Olympic village.
But there is so much more to visit in Barcelona. Here I think on
the city's monument to Cristobal Colon (Colombus), on the
Arco de Triunfo, on the soccer stadium Camp Nou, on
the several Gaudi Houses with their façades (without corners) reflecting the waves
of the Ocean, on the Plaza Real, on the 1.2 kilometre
long
La Ramblam, a tree-lined pedestrian mall and
the hub of Barcelona, also referred to as 'Les Rambles'
(Catalan) and 'Las Ramblas' (Spanish) because it is actually a
series of shorter streets. The mall is full of street theatre,
cafés and market stalls. It is both popular with tourists as
well as locals. |
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The 144 metre high
Torre Agbar, finished in 2005, and already now the new
icon of Barcelona. |
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BARCELONA, DREAM
BEACHES
Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Barcelona counts since the Olympic Games of 1992 seven beaches, spread
over 4 kilometres. Before there was only the beach of
Barceloneta.
In recent years the
Barcelona city council has improved services on the beaches
introducing a new website with beach webcams extra waste bins,
more cleaning and special beach police patrols. The goal is
offer visitors the finest city beaches in the world . A recent
addition to the beaches of Barcelona is the Barcelona Beach
Centre located on Barceloneta beach opposite the Hospital del
Mar. It offers many free activities and exhibitions and has a
book and newspaper loan service. Sant Sebastià and Barceloneta beaches
are the largest, oldest and the most frequented beaches in Barcelona.
At
the Vila Olimpica beach,
in front of
Hotel
Hesperia del Mar one can rent deck chairs and parasols. Here too one
finds stands with beverages and snacks. Such stands are called
chiringuitos and they are present at the seven Barcelona
beaches At Beach Barceloneta
we find the strange statue built by German artist Rebecca Horn, completely
alone in the mid of the sand. It is called Homentage a la
Barceloneta. It's the towering installation that
looks like 4 rusty shipping containers with windows stacked on
each other.
During the evening and the
night there are, during the complete summer, parties in Barcelona, mostly at the small
chiringuito
bars. DJ's, no neighbours and the unbeatable sensation
of dancing with sand between your toes and perhaps taking a
midnight dip in the Med are good reasons to join at least once a beach party
during your trip to the Giganten Party.
The Barcelona beaches are also a great place for fitness
activities. Barcelona has many small
parks and gardens, but not many big green areas, so the
beaches are a year-round favourite for jogging, skating,
rollerblading, walking,
biking and beach volleyball.
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Barcelona, Vila Olimpica beach, close to the slot-racer's
Hotel
Hesperia del Mar, where, at the 2006 Model Car Worlds, most racers
were hosted. |
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BARCELONA, DREAM
HOTEL
An avant-garde icon of
stunning architecture rising high above the
Mediterranean in Spain's most dynamic and stylish city,
Hotel W Barcelona is designed by world-famed architect Ricardo Bofill. Located along the famed boardwalk
La Barceloneta,
the launch of Hotel W Barcelona brings an
unprecedented sensory multiplex of entertainment,
recreation, culinary delights, nightlife, and
hospitality to one of the most exciting European
destinations. I feel no bon vivant can quit Barcelona without
having passed one night at this very exclusive hotel
which opened its doors in 2010.
The art of living requires that you make the experience. Why not
on July 25, the Sunday after the races? Try to live before you pass
away!!! Here a double room is perhaps expensive, but eventually
it costs you only two Metris Mk4 chassis. You have time
enough to buy later those chassis, but now you have to enjoy
your life!
Enjoy unparallel views over the Mediterranean
and Barcelona shoreline, while their Whatever/Whenever® service
makes your dreams come true. Unwind at Spain's first
Bliss® Spa,
indulge in their signature restaurant
BRAVO by Carles Abellan or cool off at
WET®.
Energize at
SWEAT®
before ascending into Ignite Group's
Eclipse
rooftop lounge and get caught up in the DJ's beats that pulse
into the blue horizon.
Sleep tight in 473
guest rooms
including 67 suites, featuring dramatic city and sea
views, celebrated comforts such as the signature W bed
with 350-thread count sheets, fully wired technology,
fabulous entertainment system, delightful Munchie Box
and Bliss® Spa sinkside six.
BARCELONA, DREAM
MODEL CAR RACING
2011 will be the very last year of JPVR as organiser
of international races. It has to stop somewhere. Having escaped
two times in five years from death, I wish that other continue
my task of promoting model car racing all over the world. So the
2011 Giganten Party (at the same time the 8th Franco Gianotti
Trophy) must be my definitive farewell to arms. For that event
I'll ask Mark Huys to bring over the IMCA MTT track to
Les Franqueses by truck.
If Francesc Reyes & Cie
succeed to bring 20 good racers at the start, they can keep the
track. Let's not forget that
Catalonia is the second largest country in model car racing,
nearly as big as Germany. So it's worth the effort. The results
of the seven races with 1973 Interserie cars are of course
unimportant. What counts is making fun among friends. I'll do a
special effort that at least 12 pros will show at the 1st
Giganten Party, among them Paul Gawronski (USA) - the
winner of the 7th Gianotti Trophy - Howie Ursaner (USA) -
the living slot-racing legend - and Chris Radisich (NZ) -
present at all IMCA world championships since 1989. Racing
against them is always a great honour! |
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Click on the pic to enjoy the beautiful Concierto da
Aranjuez, written by Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) |
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The Font Mágica down to the Monjuïc hill,
where every evening, up from 9.30pm one can admire in colourful filtered
light the dance of the fountains on the tones of popular classic music. |
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Barcelona counts seven beaches on the coast of the
Mediterranean See. Palm trees give the beaches an exotic appearance. As
Catalonia is not synonymous for the very catholic Spain, women with
naked boobies are not forbidden at the Barcelona beaches. |
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Nightly beach party at Vila Olimpica beach, close to the slot-racer's
Hotel
Hesperia del Mar. Here 'Gugu' Bernardino and Benny Justice learned
European racers in 2006 how to enjoy tequila. |
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Barcelona's monument to Cristobal Colon (Colombus)
in front of the harbor. Green lighted during the night is shows a
spectacular appearance. |
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Antoni Gaudi's Casa Milà
(La Predera) in the Eixample district was built between 1905 and 1907
for Rosario Segimon, a widow who made her fortune in the States. It's
located at 92, Passeig de Gracia.
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Detail of the exterior second floor of the
Casa Batlló (1905-1907) by Antoni Gaudi. There are no edges or
corners here; even the walls are rounded in undulations and have in
essence the feel of the smooth skin of a sea serpent about them. |
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Casa Vicens (1884-1885) by
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926). It was his first building. His very
specific style is called Modernism Català. One finds it
in the district Gracià, Carrer de les Carolines, 24. Should you
have some small hidden savings, there is good news for you.
Indeed it is for sale at the modest price of € 30,000,000. Don't
wait to buy. |
Casa Calvet (1899-1904),
located at Carrer de Gasp, 48, in the Eixample district.
Its symmetry,
balance and orderly rhythm are unusual for Gaudí's works.
However, the curves and double gable at the top, the projecting
oriel at the entrance are modernista elements. |
Casa Batlló (1905-1907) is a
building restored by Antoni Gaudi. It is located in the district
Eixample, part of the Illa de la Discòrdia, Pas-seig de
Gràcia 43. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of
a dragon or dinosaur. |
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Detail of the statues on the
roof of Antoni Gaudi's Casa Milà in typical art nouveau/
jugendstil. Over the course of his career,
Gaudi developed a sensuous, curving, almost surreal design style which
established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Nouveau
movement. With little regard for formal order, he juxtaposed unrelated
systems and altered established visual order. Gaudi's characteristically
warped form of Gothic architecture drew admiration from other
avant-garde artists. |
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In 1883 Antoni Gaudi started
the construction of the Finca Güell, at
the rural estate of the industrial tycoon. Except for two buildings
nothing is left from the original Finca Güell, where Gaudi made
new experiments with the so-called medéjar style. Between the two
buildings - without open windows - one still finds the wrought iron
fence with the dragon motives. Finca Güell can be reached via the
metro. Closest station is Palau Reijal. |
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| Park Güell (1900-1914) is
a garden complex which Antoni Gaudi designed for his Maecenas
Eusebi Guell. It is situated on the hill of El Carmel in the
Gracià district. Later it became the municipal park. Here two
buildings at the entrance of the park. The site was a rocky hill
with little vegetation and few trees, called Muntanya Pelada
(Bare Mountain). |
Park Güell is
skillfully designed and composed to bring the peace and
calm that one would expect from a park. The buildings
flanking the entrance, though very original and
remarkable with fantastically shaped roofs with unusual
pinnacles, fit in well with the use of the park as
pleasure gardens and seem relatively inconspicuous in
the landscape when one considers the flamboyance of
other buildings designed by Gaudí.
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La Ramblam, a 1.2 kilometre-long tree-lined pedestrian mall. |
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Strange sculpture by Rebecca Horn in the middle of
the Barceloneta beach. |
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Street in the typical shopping district
El Borne
here you can find a variety of small shops. If you are interested in
a-typical clothing, not found in the rest of Europe, this is the
place to be. |
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Walking up Las Ramblas
from the sea front, Placa Reial can be found
through an alleyway on your right hand side, about one
third of the way up Barcelona's most famous street.
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As Catalonia is not synonymous for the very
catholic Spain, women with naked boobies are not forbidden at the
Barcelona beaches. |
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The Font Mágica down to the Monjuïc hill, in front
of the
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. |
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El Borne art shop
jOanpAstor. |
El Borne Loisaida clothes shop. |
El Borne Doktor Paper shop. |
El Borne Loca shop. |
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El Borne
Hola eso es Cristo souvenir shop. |
Carrer de Pelai, in the not of
the Raval district where one finds the bigger store chains. |
El Borne Recdi8 souvenir
shop. |
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| Carrer de Gràcia Silk Way shop. |
Carrer de Gràcia L'Occitane en
Provence shop. |
Carrer de Gràcia Yambo clothes shop. |
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| Carrer de Gràcia Forn de Pa bakery. |
Carrer de Gràcia Natura store
chain. |
Carrer de Gràcia grocery shop. |
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| Carrer Gran
Gràcia, Lluch shoe shop. |
Passeig de Gracia: Which
fashionable woman can resist the Chanel store chain? |
Carrer Gran
Gràcia, La Estrella shoe shop. |
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Torre Alta Mar is an old
water tower, with 74 metres high an excellent restaurant. |
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At Torre Alta Mar one
has a splendid view over the complete city. |
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For any
bon vivant a candle light diner at Torre Alta Mar is an
absolute must. Prices are moderated, wines excellent. Here you find
already a lunch at € 48.50 per person. Cuisine française
guaranteed. |
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Camp Nou, since 1957 the stadium of soccer club F.C.
Barcelona, one of the best football clubs in the world. It seats 99,354,
making it, in terms of capacity, the largest stadium in Europe. |
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Hotel W Barcelona
makes words superfluous. |
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