“Fires i Festes” de Girona

The “Fires i Festes” of Girona are the week-long (24th oct-1 nov) city festival which are also referred to as Sant Narcis, Girona’s patron saint. Legend has it that a massive swarm of flies came out of the tomb of Sant Narcis and drove away the invading French army and so the fly is duly celebrated as Girona’s emblem.

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Autumn/Winter events calendar for Girona

Here is a list of some of the winter activities in Girona, the highlight being the week long Sant Narcis (patron saint of Girona) festival from oct 23 to 1 nov.The Devesa park is taken over by amusement arcades and rides and a major trade/exhibition fair as well as fireworks on the last sun night and lots of free music and beer tents to sample all week long.

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Barcelona Olympic stadium & Magic Fountain

Some big cities just have it, and Barcelona is one of them. Last Saturday evening for example there was a world class athletics meet at the Olympic stadium on Montjuic and later we watched the Magic Fountain show from the steps of the MNAC- fabulous entertainment all round!
The athletics “Miting” had some big stars that were keen to get some last minute competitive races in before the World Championships in Berlin in august but the highlight of the evening was Marta Dominguez‘ Spanish record in the 3,000m steeplechase. Ever the competitor, she came through brilliantly with the home crowd saluting her efforts in what is still one of the greatest venues in athletics history with the ‘92 Olympics ever present.
A short walk from the stadium to the steps of the MNAC and we had another wonderful surprise looking down over the Plaza Espanya and the Magic Fountain light and music show. During the summer months you can see it from thu-sun from around dusk (9.30pm) and is well worth catching for the informal atmosphere, balmy night temperature and of course the dramatic water, light and music show.
For a city which is no longer cheap these fun events on a Saturday night were a true bargain (athletics 10€ Magic Fountain free!)

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Girona goes International-for a week

Girona only has a population approaching 100,000 and yet this week we have had and will have a truly international flavour with the 10th Religious and World Music Festival and the massive Tour de France cycling race hitting town tomorrow.

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Sitges-year round fun

Sitges, now famous as the gay capital of Europe, has always been a place the good folk of Barcelona escaped to for fun and frolics. The 40 km distance is an easy drive or train ride and when you arrive you feel this is a place where most things go set in a beautiful setting with beaches and a crystal blue sea in touching distance.

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Jackson Browne kicks off summer music from Girona

Summer has started early this year and we have been launched into the festive spirit by one of the the longest careers in  professional music, the singer/songwriter Jackson Browne.
The Auditori concert hall was brought to its feet by some of the old classics (Rosie, Running on Empty) mixed with his newer themes and all accompanied by some great musicians and singers.
He even went so far as to say that parts of Girona reminded him of Southern California and that he looked forward to coming back again soon, both to visit and perform.
So, the season has got off to a great start and tickets go on sale today for the Religious Music Festival of Girona with some notable international performers from Africa ( Khaled, Rokia Traoré) India, Turkey ( Burhan Oçal & Istambul Oriental Ensemble ) and a free Salsa and Rumba concert on the 11th July so get moving!

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Exciting summer ahead in Girona!

Girona province hosts some of the best music festivals during the summer months with a wide variety of international groups and stars. In addition this year we have amajor sporting event to add to the excitement, the Tour de France which will be holding a stage here on the 9th of July finishing in Barcelona that same day.
The venues are also worth a mention because these are much more varied than your normal auditorium or concert hall. From the steps of Girona Cathedral (Religious music festival of Girona) to Cap Roig botanical gardens (Cap Roig music festival) in a setting which is a natural wonder and intimate enough to seem like a private party.
There are some smaller events such as those taking place in the Empuries Greco-Roman ruins which are worth keeping a look out for and also settings like the X th century monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes which are well worth the effort to get to.
Personally, I am looking forward to an eclectic range of music from Fauré’s Requiem to Khaled with UB40, James Taylor and Jamie Cullum along the way. Leonard Cohen is already sold out but Lou Reed, the Pretenders and Dee Dee Bridgewater will more than compensate!
See the events page on http://discovergirona.net for more details.

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Girona Flower Festival continued

This week Girona is the centre of the Flower Festival universe with concerts (mainly outdoors) and art exhibitions as well as most shops having some flowers in their displays which makes it a fun place to walk around for a few hours.
The Cathedral steps are pretty good this year as are the gardens around the Arab Baths and through the patios of the old Jewish quarter (the Call).
The Rambla and even the Onyar river get flower displays but Placa de Independencia is a safe spot to have a cold drink and a "menu" (fixed price lunch) while relaxing before joining the quest for more floral attractions later.

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Girona Flower Festival

Well, another flower festival is here, or better said another "Temps de Flors." Girona looks splendid at this time of year and, excepting the crowds, is a truly delightful place to wander around taking in the small patios, chapels, street installation art and public buildings.
It is the best way to see some of the nicest private gardens and courtyards which are normally out of bounds to the average visitor.
The first weekend is always very busy but after that things calm down and it is easier to get in to the main sights like the Cathedral cloisters and Arab Baths.
For those that want less crowded spots the Cathedral Gardens, Old City walls and the Devesa Park are all good and shady alternatives.
To compensate for all the hard sightseeing there are plenty of open air cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlours to tempt the needy.

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Falset wine fair Priorato/Montsant

For the first weekend in may Falset becomes the wine capital of Catalonia when it celebrated their 14th wine fair. Priorato and Montasant are the remote and arid areas which became one of the poorest parts of Spain after the lead mining industry closed down in the 1970's and agriculture was always marginal at best.
Until a few brave and visionary souls decided to recover the old vines and plant new ones in the 1980's and 90's there was very little reason to come here other than for the mountain scenery and general tranquility of the villages.
Now it is recognised as producing some of the most exciting wines in Spain, with prices, in some cases, to match. Like most luxury goods, the last ten years has seen some real booms and these fashionable wines were leading the pack. Now comes the reality that from a dozen wineries to 82 registered with the regulatory body there is bound to be a pretty brutal shakeout process.
None of this seemed to worry the crowds who poured into this sleepy farming town for the festival to try the wonderful olive oils, varied local foods and of course the wines.The weather was truly summery and added to the festive spirit. Salud as they say here!

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