Today is one of the most important dates on the Catalan calendar, Sant Jordi or Saint George to the English, is also the patron saint of Catalonia. Tradition dictates that men buy women a rose while we men get a better deal by receiving a book.
So today the Rambla in Girona, just like everywhere else here in Catalonia, was packed with people looking at the stalls for the perfect rose and book for their loved ones.
It is a beautiful tradition and one which seems to be getting stronger as many school kids use the sale of roses and books to raise money for their end of term outings as well as for charity.
Posted via email from Discover Girona
The last few days have been full of tension here in
Catalonia as long awaited events have been resolved, one via the ballot box and the other on the sports field.
The first important event were the elections for the Generalitat, the autonomous government of Catalonia, which saw a noticeable swing to the right which may well be reflected more generally in Spain over the next 6 months as other regions hold their own elections. This change was accompanied by a high turnout (60%) and emphasized peoples desire for change after 7 years of a Socialist coalition and a confused "head in the sand" approach to the general crisis which has swept Catalonia as well as the rest of Spain.
The second event was not political per se, but sporting, the football (soccer) league game between Barcelona and Madrid held at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona with over 90,000 fervent spectators cheering their respective teams. This particular game is far more than a football game, having been elevated to a status akin to a direct battle between the Catalan people and their oppressors, the central government as represented by the Madrid team who tax and control them excessively, so the general feeling goes. In actual fact the result was an absolute domination by Barcelona with a convincing 5-0 annihilation, and a show of skills which were spine tingling to watch and led to much celebration here for hours afterwards.
My feeling is that these two events could spark a feeling of renewed self confidence within Catalonia which might just help get them through the economic problems they have been engulfed in over the last few years, certainly they surprised everyone with the results of these two events, not least themselves!
Posted via email from Discover Girona
Another part of the festivities during the week long celebrations of
Girona's patron saint
Sant Narcis are various exhibitions of
castellers. These are teams from different towns of
Catalonia that "compete" in the building of human castles in the air. It all starts with a base of big beefy men dressed in their white canvas pants with a big black sash around their waists and usually coloured shirt and a scarf on their heads. From this solid base several more layers are added progressively and can get as high as 9 or 10 people with each layer perched on the shoulders of the one below. Usually as the castle gets higher the size of the people climbing gets smaller with only young children used in the final assault of the top where they have to stay still and raise one arm above their head to claim the completed castle and then come down again in reverse order without the whole edifice collapsing.
The skills are several; strength of the base and all the supporting layers, speed of completion to avoid undue stress and dexterity of climbing up the backs and shoulders of the various layers hooking their bare feet into the sashes to get footholds. Not all end in success and the crowd usually rushes in to catch any falling participants if one collapses.
It is a spectacular sight and accompanied with typical Catalan music at the same time raises the pulse every time.
Posted via email from Discover Girona
What a storm!
According to news reports Girona province was the worst affected in Catalonia and for the record books this was the most snow locally since records have been kept!
Today, day two, and so far it has been clear and sunny which means the great thaw has set in with problems switching to drains and rivers overflowing. At least 200,000 people are still without electricity and the trains are not running yet. Other obvious damage was mainly to trees where branches fell under the weight of the wet snow and electricity pylons are also down as we had high winds all night long.
My son came back from an afternoon of sledding down the steps of the Cathedral which he rated as more fun than going to a ski resort and my big regret was not taking some pictures as I only heard about it afterwards…
Like the miners strike in the UK in the 1970's when the power was cut every evening we may see a mini baby boom here in Girona although we may need a few more nights to really get in the mood!
Posted via email from Discover Girona
Just when we thought spring was on its way, the worst snowstorm for 25 years hits
Girona, that's global warming craziness for you!
Schools closed, shops and businesses too and Girona seems like a ghost town except for the sirens of the emergency services and kids shouting with pleasure having snowball fights. Train station and airport shut down and many people stuck in mid voyage with waiting their only option.
The forecast is for the snow to continue most of today Monday but by tomorrow the sun will be out again and this will just be a white memory, a fun one for schoolchildren and not so great one for those trying to complete trips.
All you people from countries where snow is a normal part of winter can have a laugh at how 10 cms of snow can reduce a place to complete paralysis in a few hours, meanwhile we will get even again when we are walking around in short sleeves in a few weeks time!
Posted via email from gironaJ
Some would imagine a really enjoyable experience, others would savour every drop but the reality is that tasting so many wines is hard work for the palate, and you come out with teeth looking like you have been to dinner with Dracula.
True professionals spend more time with their nose pushed deep into the glass than quaffing the wine, and even then it is swirled around the mouth and spat out. Trying to capture what you have seen, smelled and tasted in words is possibly the hardest part and "I like this one" is not acceptable wine terminology.
When the wines you are tasting are all from the same region (Catalonia) and the same grape varieties are present in most of the wines it tends to emphasize the defects present very clearly and the 8 tasters were pretty unanimous on which were the worst wines. Worst in the sense of not technically correct, either through lack of balance, too much wood, lack of acidity or both which in Spanish wines seems to be a constant problem.
At the end of the 3 hour session a few wines emerged in both the under and over 15? division.
In the under 15? bracket:
2 wines from Cadaques (Empordà) which is more famous for artists than wines but these are both new wineries and interesting to taste- Pirata and Perafita; from the Montsant l'Alleu and l'Heravi; from Terra Alta Sola d'en Pol and Templari and Sirsell from the Priorat where most wines are more expensive.
In the above 15? category(some wines went up to 80?):
From the Empordà, Perelada wines were represented with both Finca Malaveina and Finca Garbet; from Montsant a Kosher wine Peraj Ha' abib; from the Priorat the Trio Infernal and Akiles
Undoubtably the most dissapointing showing were for some the expensive wines including Finca Dofi and Vall Llach which just goes to prove that tasting blind means your palate is not biased!
Posted via email from gironaJ
Lleida is on the westernmost edge of Catalonia and on the main roads to Zaragoza and Madrid from Barcelona. The plains around here produce many kinds of soft fruit like pears, peaches, cherries and apples as well as grapes from the D.O.Costers del Segre. The key to the agriculture is having the river Segre as a source for irrigation as without it only olive trees, almonds and vines can survive the extreme conditions.
Lleida itself has a hill in the middle topped by the Seu Vella, a Romanesque cathedral which was later abandoned and incorporated into a modern fort in the 17th century.
The cloisters are some of the biggest and most beautiful in Europe, built in the 13th and 14th centuries and from where there are magnificent views of the surrounding city and countryside. There is a small museum which houses some of the recovered archaeological remains found within the walls of the fort. The contrast of the thick walls of the fort surrounding the delicate arches of the cloister makes this a very special place.
So, if you are driving by make sure you make a detour and revel in the beauty of the cloisters of the Seu Vella, you won’t regret it.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
Posted via email from gironaJ
The three museums in Sitges are all close together and worth visiting, displaying some impressive collections of art, glassware, ironwork and antique dolls in buildings that are also architectural treasures.
The Cau Ferrat museum is on the sea front in a converted fisherman’s house which was bought by one of Catalonia’s most important painters and collectors, Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) to house his studio and art collections. Some of his own favourite pieces are on display but the house is absolutely packed with interesting art, including pictures by Picasso and El Greco which he bought with funds from his inheritance from a wealthy textile family. As well as art there are important collections of pottery, glass and metal objects, mainly of Catalan origin.
The Maricel museum is next door and is another impressive house built by an American millionaire and subsequently bought by the town to house it’s various art collections, the main one coming from the local doctor and collector Jesus Perez-Rosales. Spread over three floors we have sculptures, furniture and even one whole part dedicated just to Catalan maritime history, fishing and models of ships from the 19th century.
The Romantic museum is set in an impressive local merchants house preserved to show how the upper classes lived in the 18th and 19th centuries, how they dressed and what were their pastimes and interests. One of the most extensive collections of painted dolls are displayed upstairs.
There are some very fine pieces here and this is a great way to pass a few hours out of the sun discovering the artists who made the area famous.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
Posted via email from gironaJ
Tags: Barcelona, Catalan artists, Catalonia, Cau Ferrat, El Greco, Maricel, museums, Picasso, Romantic, Santiago Rusinol, Sitges
Off the beaten path for most visitors to Barcelona is an area with
lots of interesting architecture set on a hillside with good views- we
are talking about a cemetery.
The Montjuïc hill which dominates the southern side of the city was
first used and named after the Jews that used it as a burial ground
and about a third of it still is, although now a christian site.
When Catalonia and Barcelona started to flourish economically at the
end of the 19th century the cemetery was one of the main beneficiaries
with all sorts of exotic and new forms and materials used to create
the final resting places for the main families.
Wandering up the steep hillside under the tall cypress trees looking
at some of the best elements of Expressionist or what the Catalans
called Modernist art forms is really quite fun. This is characterized
by themes of natural romantic phenomena such as caves and rock
formations and utilises the creative potential of artisan
craftsmanship which you see all around you in the different shapes and
materials used in the crypts and graves.
All the best architects and craftsmen of their day were involved here
and several parts were designed by the ubiquitous Antoni Gaudí as well
as Lluis Domenech i Montaner, the two biggest stars of their day.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
Posted via email from gironaJ
One of the must see places in Barcelona is the Parc Güell which Gaudí designed between 1900-1914 for his patron the banker Eusebi Güell. Actually a failed upmarket housing project, only 2 houses were completed, and Gaudí bought one for his family.
The park is set in several hectares and as with all of Gaudi’s projects there are lots of interesting details to take in as well as some of the best views of Barcelona spread out below.
Set around a central open space with the famous dragon seats with the “trencadis” (broken tile pieces used to cover curved surfaces) which are both colourful and comfortable.
The park is well maintained and there are always plenty of flowers and trees along the paths providing both shade and exotic smells wafted up by the sea breeze which was one of the original selling points of the location.
Be sure to look closely at the gates, walls, windows and roofs to see the amazing things Gaudí did with cement, metalwork, bricks and tiles inspired by his love of nature.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
Posted via email from gironaJ
Next Page »
Lleida is on the westernmost edge of Catalonia and on the main roads to Zaragoza and Madrid from Barcelona. The plains around here produce many kinds of soft fruit like pears, peaches, cherries and apples as well as grapes from the D.O.Costers del Segre. The key to the agriculture is having the river Segre as a source for irrigation as without it only olive trees, almonds and vines can survive the extreme conditions.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
See and download the full gallery on posterous
See and download the full gallery on posterous
See and download the full gallery on posterous
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=93905638-4e8d-458e-a6c7-0829b8d786a3)
