European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above a pair of older building serve As a backdrop for Crews constructing the All new olympic Village. At left tourists and locals make themselves at Home at an outside cafe while at right Young boaters follow the directions of the statue of Christopher Columbus atop the column at rear left. Construction is covered by a wrap featuring the painted image of Cobi the Barcelona games Symbol. The playing Field by 33 feet. Next door to the classic old stadium sits the futuristic indoor Arena designed by a japanese architect which will be the site of handball volleyball and gymnastics. Called Palau Sant Jordi it seats 17,000. Nearby too is Barcelona s enormous new age Symbol of the 92 summer games a a White 400-foot communications Tower that seems at first glance to defy All Laws of physics. Visible from All Over the City the big weird thing sort of resembles a ballistic missile being launched through a giant Horseshoe atop a Sundial. The main olympic concourse is on the Side of a 570-foot Mountain month Pic overlooking the stately National Palace formerly an Art museum and now the olympic Headquarters. Downtown Barcelona will be closed to automobile traffic during the games so visitors Are being urged to use Public transportation. The nearest subway Stop is the Plaza d esp aha a major landmark and site of the City s bullfighting Arena. Visitors can walk past two striking twin towers and up a Long wide Boulevard leading to the magic Fountain and the Palace behind it. In the past according to pictures in old travel books the Boulevard was lined with a Tacky Industrial Fairgrounds that looked More like the strip outside a military base in the states. Now the Booths Are gone and walking toward the Palace is like approaching the Gates of a  greek Temple. Escalators will shuttle people up the Hillside at a rate of 27,000 per hour Franco said. More adventurous visitors an use the stairs. Also a Cable car near the port can carry 8,000 people an hour up toward the stadiums which Are located behind the Palace. The olympic Village where the 18,000 athletes will live used to be a rough and Tumble neighbourhood of Delapi daled factories and waterfront slums. These were torn Down to create 2,000 apartments a still under construction a which will become Uptown condos once All the winners and losers go Home. Also the murky Beach nearby is gradually being cleaned up. Quot i can hardly believe it Quot said Franco but every time i go the water is clearer crime in Barcelona is Down More than 30 percent Over last year and the police a who already seem to be everywhere a Are supposed to number 35,000 by opening Day. The officers tend to travel in pairs one wearing a bulletproof Vest while the other totes a pump Adion nil a mostly they bide their time helping lost tourists. But twit a while we were travelling for a few hours with an Amer u an television Crew roving Polar Emu shouted at the eleven i cameraman and fort de him to bar h away. At gunpoint her Unity our Lour guide explained sheepishly is tight tin highest Security where met it St it if the guards Art stationed is at the olympic Village and along the sit a pm sol month Pic overlooking the stadiums. I temporary Fern is and police barriers do their Best to intimidate visitors but tourists and locals still flock to the Mountainside and gae Down. It a the grandeur of the vacant stadium. The stadium was closed to tourists More than a month ago As a precaution against terrorism. But up until then about 1 5,000 people went inside every weekend just to see for themselves. They still go and stand atop month Pic with the City spread out in the Valley before them As though Jiro ving to themselves that this time it really is going to Haj Ipen. That alter three failed attempts Over three quarters of a t entry the olympics Are finally coming to Barcelona. June 18, 1w2 stripes Magazine