Barcelona

Captivated by the beauty of Barcelona, Spain? You'll like the price: $755 round trip, including all taxes and fees on KLM from LAX. The fare is subject to availability; you must stay over a Saturday night and must not stay more than a month. Travel is Mondays to Thursdays, Oct. 31-Dec. 14 and Jan. 5-March 26. Info: KLM , (800) 225-2525 Source: Airfarewatchdog.com     

The Champions League final will feature two German teams for the first time after visiting Bayern Munich completed a surprising 7-0 rout of Barcelona. Playing with a big cushion after a 4-0 win in the first leg at home last week, Bayern beat Barcelona, 3-0, in the second leg Wednesday night on goals by Arjen Robben in the 48th minute and Thomas Mueller in the 76th around Gerard Pique's own goal in the 72nd. Bayern, which relaxed when it saw injured Lionel Messi wasn't in Barcelona's starting lineup, is in the final for the third time in four years and will play Borussia Dortmund at London's Wembley Stadium on May 25. "I think it is a terrific performance, it is a little bit of history," Robben said.

About 50 conscientious objectors clashed with supporters of Barcelona's Socialist Mayor Pasqual Maragall early today, just after the official start of campaigning for municipal elections, police said. There were no arrests and no one was seriously hurt.

Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open for the eighth time Sunday, defeating Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 6-3, in Spain for his fourth title of the year. This latest victory, with next month's French Open approaching, is a promising sign that Nadal is getting back to full strength from a knee injury that sidelined him since last summer "I am very happy," he said. "It has been an important week for me to win here again and a great source of joy after everything I have been through. " Nadal has made six straight finals since returning from his knee injury.

The best way to get to know the culture of any place is to eat your way through it. This is especially true in Barcelona, the epicenter of Catalonia. Perhaps it's because Catalan food is such a good reflection of the culture. Historically, Catalans have had their kitchens invaded by a diverse crowd, including the Visigoths and the French. The result is a cuisine that's both unpretentious and sophisticated, much like the Catalans themselves. And when you consider that the Catalans have contributed pan con tomate (bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil)

Canvases of various sizes crowded the walls and floor of Agustí Puig's studio. Arms folded across his chest, he stood in the middle of them. Behind him, his artwork exploded with color and bold lines. He seemed nervous in the unaccustomed role of model as I watched him through my camera's viewfinder. I had come to Barcelona, one of the world's great art centers, to tour and touch and taste the exuberance of a place known for sensory overload a century after Antoni Gaudí and the Modernistas turned this seaside Mediterranean city into one of Europe's most charming centers.

Lionel Messi will score at least 540 more goals and be named world soccer player of the year seven more times before his time with Barcelona comes to an end. Well, that's what will happen if he sticks to this year's record pace of 90 goals (and counting) and continues his streak of three -- undoubtedly soon to be an unprecedented four -- straight player-of-the year awards while playing out his newly extended contract with the Spanish powerhouse. Messi, 25, agreed to a new contract with Barcelona on Tuesday that will lasts until June 30, 2018, the club said in a statement.

An Islamic militant cell broken up over the weekend had planned a suicide attack targeting Barcelona's public transport network, a Spanish judge said. He ordered 10 suspects jailed pending further investigation and freed two. Judge Ismael Moreno of the National Court made the announcement after questioning the 12 suspects for seven hours. Police detained 14 people in Saturday's raids in Barcelona -- 12 Pakistanis and two Indians -- but authorities later released two without charge.

On a day when the quality of soccer refereeing at the highest level once again was brought into question, Barcelona of Spain and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine swept into the quarterfinals of the European Champions League. Barcelona, beaten, 2-1, by Arsenal in London in the first leg, returned the favor Tuesday with a 3-1 victory in Spain to win the round-of-16 series, 4-3 on aggregate. Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona, bringing his season total to a staggering 45 goals in 40 games in all competitions.

When you call Moncho's de Barcelona to make a reservation, there may be some confusion: "La Sca . . . I mean, Moncho's de Barcelona." It's an understandable mistake; a few weeks ago Moncho's was La Scala Malibu, and much of the staff remains. Other La Scala remnants: framed celebrity pen-and-ink drawings and the curious way that the restaurant's wine stock is scattered throughout the place under the dining room's harsh light. The menu, though, is new.

Maybe it was a passing of the torch. Or maybe it was just two ships passing in the night. Either way, you can be sure Cristiano Ronaldo is well aware of the turn his career has taken since he and Lionel Messi tangled in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final. Ronaldo, then the reigning world player of the year, came into the match having led Manchester United to three consecutive Premier League crowns and the previous year's Champions League title. Messi, meanwhile, was finishing his third season as a first-choice forward for Barcelona.

Lionel Messi said on Thursday when he signed a two-year contract extension that he envisions playing only for FC Barcelona while in Europe. Messi, 25, also believes he'll end his playing days in Argentina. "I have said before that as far as Europe goes I would like to end my career at Barcelona,” the club's all-time leading scorer said. “I don't think about playing for any other team on the continent. That said, I don't rule out ending my playing career in Argentina.” The four-time reigning FIFA world player of the year who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old and made his first appearance with the powerhouse at 17, is now under contract through 2018, when he will be 31 and at the end of his prime.

You have to check out this incredible bicycle kick goal by 9-year-old Iker Merino of FC Barcelona's youth academy. That's right. They start teaching them highlight-reel moves at a young age in Europe. Or maybe the youngsters across the Atlantic Ocean just emulate their favorite players at a young age. Merino not only scores with a bicycle kick, but he first controls the ball by fighting for position in the penalty box before juggling the ball on his foot to set up for the shot.

Lionel Messi will score at least 540 more goals and be named world soccer player of the year seven more times before his time with Barcelona comes to an end. Well, that's what will happen if he sticks to this year's record pace of 90 goals (and counting) and continues his streak of three -- undoubtedly soon to be an unprecedented four -- straight player-of-the year awards while playing out his newly extended contract with the Spanish powerhouse. Messi, 25, agreed to a new contract with Barcelona on Tuesday that will lasts until June 30, 2018, the club said in a statement.

Put Iker Casillas, goalkeeper of the world and European champion Spanish national team, on the growing list of international soccer stars who some day hope to play in Major League Soccer. And while MLS would clearly welcome someone of Casillas' talent, it might not appreciate his reasons for coming. "I would like to play out my soccer in the future in a more relaxed environment, and if I have to play somewhere else then it would be for a team that would not come into direct competition with Real Madrid,” Casillas, who plays for Real in Spain's La Liga, told Spanish television's La Sexta.

Lionel Messi broke German great Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a year Sunday by scoring for the 86th time in 2012. The Argentine forward scored twice to lead visting Barcelona to a 2-1 win over Real Betis in the Spanish league match in Barcelona, Spain. Messi's first goal was an individual effort in the 16th minute to equal Mueller's mark, and he eclipsed the 1972 milestone with a familiar left-footed finish nine minutes later. Messi has scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 times for Argentina this year, and he has three more games in which he can add to his tally before the end of the year.

Good morning. It's 8:45 a.m. You are about to read about another pop star throwing up on stage. It's not pretty. Thusly warned, let's dive in: Pop music is a competitive world rife with egos big enough to fill arenas and voices that can do miraculous things. Take Justin Bieber, who proved able to simultaneously "sing" and vomit during a recent concert. Not to be outdone, on Sunday night in Barcelona, Spain, Lady Gaga hurled on at least two different occasions -- while apparently lip-synching along to the chorus of her "The Edge of Glory.

When I saw the teaser on the front of the paper about Barcelona and Latin music ["Barcelona's New Beat," June 26], I had a hunch Agustin Gurza was behind it. Great article about Barcelona and the music scene. I also am enamored with Barcelona. I have been there at least three times. It is a beautiful, charming and exhilarating city with a nonstop cultural life. Jaime Soto Orange

Snoop Dogg used to be such a simple guy to figure out. One listen to any of his songs told you pretty much all you needed to know about the hip-hip star -- and pretty much all of which would be unprintable in this space. These days, though, the rapper born as Calvin Broadus is a much more complex figure. He records reggae under the name Snoop Lion and he's passionate about gardening, healthy eating and the grunge band Soundgarden. And he wants to own a soccer team. Well, not completely own a soccer team, but "enough of a percentage to get me on the board so I can be heard," he told the Daily Record.