europeanstrokeconference

Welcome Address

On behalf of the local organisers, I am very pleased to invite you to the 19th European Stroke Conference (ESC) that will take place in Barcelona from 25–28 May 2010. Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and has a metropolitan area of about 3,000,000 inhabitants. Being the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Barcelona is also the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean. Indeed, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths and Moorish have all left their marks on the city, its culture and customs. The climate of Barcelona is one of its important assets, and during late May the city is usually at its best. A non exhaustive list of the possibilities that the Ciudad de los Prodigios (The City of Wonders) may offer includes the Gothic Quarter, the best preserved in Europe, the unique modernistic architecture of Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, great collections of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and modern art, the view from the Tibidabo Hill and the indescribable flavors of both new and traditional Catalan cuisines. To watch a game in the Camp Nou Stadium may also be quite an experience even for those who do not like football. Those who still want to discover the city any further can go for a stroll in Las Ramblas, go for a swim on the beach of the Barceloneta, have some tapas at the wharfs of the harbour or do some shopping at La Boqueria, probably one of the best markets of the world (since 1217!). But Barcelona is also waiting to offer you a first class stroke programme that will fulfill your scientific objectives. The Scientific and Programme Committees will prepare during this year a programme that will cover important basic and clinical concepts, controversies in stroke diagnosis and management, mini-symposia and scientific symposia. As in previous years the progress of this programme can be monitored at www.eurostroke.eu While an old saying states that Barcelona és bona si la bossa sona (Barcelona is good if your pockets sound of coins), I hope that you will find the definitive excuse to attend this meeting and discover that Barcelona is bona no matter how noisy your pockets are.
See you soon!
Angel Chamorro
Chair