Use of English PRO

(0) BEFORE bustling Barcelona (1) ............ as one of Europe's hippest travel destinations, the sea and sangria resorts of the Costa Brava had long entered the (2) ............ of lore for sun-starved Northern Europeans. Since the 1992 Olympics, the metropolis to the Costa Brava's south has been discovered in all its vibrant richness. Barcelona has it all, from high culture (Gothic to Gaudi) to high (3) ............ (bars and beaches). Still awaiting discovery by the bulk of visitors who land in Barcelona or (4) ............ in the salty froth of the holiday coast resorts in the region of which Barcelona is capital: Catalunya. From the mountains to the sea, this compact corner north eastern Spain offers a rich and varied palette to rival even the (5) ............ of the much more fashionable Tuscany in Italy. The coast alone is full of surprises. Vast ribbons of fine sandy beaches unfold in seemingly endless succession (6) ............ much of the south coast and just to the northeast of Barcelona. But hidden away among the (7) ............ bluffs of the truly rugged Costa Brava are pristine coves and charming inlets untouched by the (8) ............ of the big resorts.