Llafranc

I was having a look through my pictures from the exchanges I've been on to Mataró, as I was originally going to write about the city, when I came across some rather beautiful beach pictures. So instead I'm going to tell you a little bit that I've found out about the town where they were taken, and of course the pictures will be at the bottom! (I'm getting kinda good at this technical stuff:).)

Llafranc is a small costal town on the Costa Brava. It belongs to the municipality of Palafrugell in the province of Girona. You can get a rough idea of where it is from the maps below. If you click on an image it will let you see a bigger version :).

With roughly 300 habitants it may be small but it seems to be a big tourist attraction and when you see the beaches I think you'll understand why!

After seeing these pictures I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that Llafranc is often referred to as the "Laguna Beach of Spain" and that a small house on the seafront could cost up to 4 million euros!

It's important to mention the famous Hotel Llafranch that dominates the seafront.



The hotel was opened in 1958 by three brothers; José, Mario and Manuel Bisbe. Since then it's developed into a prestigious hotel. Over the years many celebrities have visited the hotel including Rock Hudson, Sofia Loren, Paco de Lucía and Elizabeth Taylor.

Llafranc is a hidden gem of the Costa Brava and well worth a visit!

Becky x

One thing you always learn about when you study Spanish is the topic of bullfighting. So I wanted to see what Catalonia's view was. I found many articles that showed me that Catalonia was generally a region against bullfighting.

An article from The Telegraph in 2006: Catalonia's parliament is poised today to take the first step to abolishing bullfighting throughout the autonomous region in north-eastern Spain.

The campaign against what many see as a cruel and unnecessary part of Spanish culture has intensified in recent years, with the people of Catalonia at the forefront of the movement.

Barcelona, the capital of the region, declared itself "an anti-bullfighting city" two years ago following a series of public protests and a petition of more than 250,000 names.

Another 22 Catalan municipalities followed suit. Despite these public declarations the bullrings can be closed only by a change of the law, a process that ERC, the pro-independence party of the republican Left, will initiate today with a motion to amend existing animal cruelty legislation, from which bullfighting is currently exempt.

However the city does still have an impressive Bullfighting stadium : La Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona is in the Eixample area of Barcelona. Designed in Neomudejar and Byzantine style by architect Ignasi Mas i Martorell the building was inaugurated in 1914 and originally called "El Sport."

In 1916 it was renamed to the current name "Monumental." It has a seating capacity of just under 20.000 spectators and with standing room in the arena until the Olympic games and the arrival of new and bigger arenas, the Bull Ring was one of the few places in Barcelona that could fit a crowd of 25.000.

Concert names like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen have all performed at the Monumental.

There are still regular bull fights in Barcelona although Catalonia officially regards itself as being against the sport in General.

The Monumental bull ring is home to the Bullfighting Museum of Barcelona, which displays costumes of famous bullfighters, bulls' heads famous, historical documents and other items related to bullfighting.

Adeu for now!!

Andreaxx

Tourism in Barcelona

Whilst doing a bit of research on the impact of tourism on the city of Barcelona, I came across a website that you all might find useful.

It's based on the new plan to 'to strengthen Barcelona’s appeal as a tourist destination and to reinforce its position worldwide' as well as finding a successful way to manage tourism in the city drawn up by Barcelona City Council. It's known as the 'Pla Estrategic de Turisme de Barcelona 2015'

Thought that I'd share it with you all, hope it is of some use! :]

http://www.turismebcn2015.cat/

Christina x.

"Salvador Dalí is a good draughtsman and a disgusting human being. The one does not invalidate or, in a sense, affect the other."

Bon Dia!
I am of the opinion that a good blog entry is not necessarily a long one, so you'll be pleased to know there's no copied and pasted articles from wikipedia for you to wade your way through today he he!
Salvador Dalí is probably one of the most famous artists of the 20 century so I'm not going to write reams of information about when was he born, when did he die and what did he do in between, because, you probably already know.
I will however try and write a list of interesting facts about him, that you may or may not already know, which are hopefully enlightening and funny.

- As a young man Dali claimed to both Anarchist and Communist at times however he never seemed to have real conviction for any especially during the Spanish Civil War.

-Dali seemed to go in any direction the wind was blowing at the time. In his youth he may well have claimed to be an anarchist but as soon as Franco gets into power Dali suddenly becomes very pally with Franco. Wise? or cowardly?

-well maybe wise, being an artist at that time he probably would have died if he didn't support the regime, look at what happened to Lorca.

-However it is reported that Dali sent a telegram to Franco praising him for signing the death warrants of prisoners: too far??

-Dali also congratulated Franco for "clearing Spain of Destructive forces"

-Can we blame him? Dali was a Catholic and the socialist rebels did reportedly killed over 7000 priests

-Dali lived in France for 3 years but fled at the first sign of the war in Europe, he was criticised for this.

-regardless of anything else Dali was a true genius.

-"Salvador Dali is a good draughtsman and a disgusting human being. The one does not invalidate or, in a sense, affect the other." George Orwell

-Dali carried with him a leather rhinoceros and refused to sit upon anything else.

-Dali referred to himself in 3rd person all the time.

-Dali once said "Dali is immortal and will not die"

-Dali was killed by a fire in his house caused by an electric blanket.

-In the town where he lived during the later stages of his life, Pubol, he would go out with a leopard on a chain and walk it like a dog.

- he was famous for saying "every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí."

John x

Mmm Catalan Food

Once again I am going to write about something I LOVE! Food is very important to me and I love different cultures tastes and experiences, so I have chosen to find out more about Catalan food. There was loads to write about so I've done a little on the history but more importantly, general facts, especially about cakes :)

The food in Catalonia is quite distinct and goes back to the time of the Romans. Since then it has been using recipes and ideas from the Italian, French, Greek, Arabian and Jewish cuisines. It has the characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean cuisine, so is full in vegetables, fish and meats, all cooked with olive oil of the best quality.
Food is an important part of the Catalan culture; something that we don’t really have here in England, and the time dedicated to eating is one of the main leisure activities in the Catalonian society. They usually have lunch around 2pm and their dinner at 10pm, which is different to England and other European cultures, who tend to eat earlier.

The first known published Catalan recipe book is "Llibre de Sent Soví" (1324), which has more than two hundred recipes. This cooking manuscript, one of the oldest in Europe, is proof that already in those times, Catalonia enjoyed a very refined cuisine. Nowadays, the Catalan cuisine is regarded all over the world for the great innovation it has developed to remain updated without losing the identity of so many years of tradition.

Phrases:
• A la Catalana can mean either a dish with raisins or pine nuts.
• Al meu avi means, 'granny's way,' and indicates super traditional cooking.
• Al mercat literally, 'to the market', implies freshness and it is the latest 'in' thing.
• Casolana means home style cooking.
• A la Brasa means grilled over a wood fire, which is very popular these days as most people can't do this at home.

Cakes and Pastries:
Catalan coca is a very popular flat and oval shaped pastry, usually made of a sort of Victoria sponge. The texture varies, from dry and flaky to moist or spongy, and the ingredients and toppings range from sugar, anisette and dried fruit, to tangy fried onion and green pepper.
Traditionally, different coques are made for each feast day. The most well-known is the mid-summers eve coca de Sant Joan, which is leavened, candied and glazed. Coca de llardons is made with sugared chicharrones (pork scratchings) and is eaten the Carnival week before Lent.

Many towns and villages in Catalonia have local specialities:
• Alt Empordà produces ‘taps’ which are a champagne cork shaped sponge cake. It also produces ‘flaona’ which is a flaky cone stuffed with cheese, cream cheese or whipped cream.
• Arbúcies (La Selva), is famous for its hard almond biscuits called ‘carquinyols’.
• Girona is famous for its Pets de Monja which translates as Nun’s Farts. These are Catalan biscuits, yet the inventor was an Italian baker who named them petto di monacca - a nun's chest - which eventually got roughly translated into Catalan 'Nun's Farts'.
• Vilafranca de Penedes produces Catanias which are chocolate-covered almonds – an Italian recipe.

But, the most famous Catalan dessert is crema catalana - a custard pudding sealed with a coating of burnt caramel.

Thanks, Chiara

http://www.iberianature.com/material/spain_food/catalan_food_guide.html
http://www.gencat.cat/catalunya/eng/cuina.htm

"Mes que un club"

Bon dia, bona tarde I bona nit to all the ‘CATAFANS’ out there, and welcome to this edition of the Catalan Dragons blog. I shall be exploring the football team that have provided Catalonia with enormous pride over many years, FC Barcelona. As the saying goes, ‘mes que un club’, Barcelona seldom fail to live up to this illustrious message. The city of Barcelona itself is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. Recognised as a global city due to its finance, commerce, media and international trade it provides the perfect base for a globally successful football team.

Since it was founded as a new football team in 1899, Barca have progressed to become one of the footballing giants of the modern era, playing host to the infamous stadium, el Camp Nou, which holds almost 100,000 people. The club adopted their name in 1939 due to the induction of General Franco. He enforced on all clubs that they must have a Spanish name and the team thus became Club de futbol Barcelona. The Catalan flag was even removed from the team badge. Despite this, supporters of the club and speakers of Catalan knew that the Camp Nou was one of the only places, under Franco, in which they freely speak Catalan. Barcelona matches and the Camp Nou were thus seen as a refuge from the upcoming repression. The team highlighted the solidarity of the Catalan community.

Since being founded the club has won an abundance of titles and cups. They hold the record for number of wins in the ‘Copa del rey’, ‘Supercopa de Espana’, ‘Copa Eva Duarte’ and the ‘Copa de la liga.’ They have also won the Spanish title 19 times and been runner up 22 times. In terms of European success the club have won the UEFA Super Cup 3 times, the UEFA Cup Winners Cup 4 times and the UEFA Champions league 3 times. The most recent being last year where they beat English champions, Manchester United, in the final.

Barcelona provided a superlative performance in last year’s Champions league final which depicts the yearning of Catalonia itself to be noticed. With Catalonia’s desire to become autonomous, Barcelona provides a case to show that Catalonia is a force to be reckoned with through their conquering of Europe.

The Mancunian and Catalan Textile Industries

Okay it took me some time and some hardcore internet searching to find any links between Catalonia and Manchester, but I think I’ve found some! The main link I’ve focussed on is their shared history within the textile industry.

Manchester was one of Britain’s first towns to become industrialised and this was due to the major cotton industry that sprung up in the south of Lancashire and Cheshire during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The processing of this product took place in Manchester and, under such conditions, the city rapidly became one of the most industrialised cities worldwide and the centre of the cotton industry; so much so that it became known as “Cottonopolis” an “Warehouse City” and to this day many Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans continue to refer to common household linen such as bed sheets and pillow cases as Manchester. This boom in cotton manufacturing spilled into the creation of other industries in the cities, firstly in the production of machinery to power the trade itself and then into the manufacture of other products. Manchester was only surpassed by Bolton as the largest city in England in the 1850s and in 1913 still produced 65% of the world’s cotton.

Catalonia was also to become the major centre of the textile industry in Spain during a similar period, albeit more slowly, and was to benefit hugely from the technological advances made in the cotton producing centres of Britain in transforming Catalonia into a major industrial hub of Spain. The technology created to power the industry in England by such figures as Hargreaves (Who created the spinning jenny which was to be the most widely used model in Catalonia) and by Arkwright (whose machinery was used in the Lancashire mills that provided the raw cotton for processing in Manchester) were crucial in revolutionising Catalan mills in a nation that was behind the drag curve with regards to industrialisation. This allowed Catalonia to become the major cotton capital in Spain and thus in the Spanish empire, and the parallels drawn with the famous British city led to Barcelona becoming known as “Little Manchester”

So this is the link I found! I thought it was pretty interesting, and taught me a lot about Manchester as well as Barcelona!

Enjoy!
Chris

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is an expiatory Roman Catholic church in Barcelona which has been under contruction since 1882 but still remains unfinished. It was originally the project of architect Francisco de Paula del Villar who was comissioned to build a church on the site however he resigned only a year later and so in 1883 Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the project (which he redesigned completely), and continued with the work until he died in 1926. I know Chris is our Gaudí expert so I was hoping this post would tie in quite nicely with his post.

Unfortunately, during the Civil War, construction was interrupted and parts of the building were destroyed meaning that most of the plans were lost. Work has continued on the church with architects trying to incorporate reconstructions of the old plans with modern adaptations. La Sagrada Familia is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of Spain, drawing millions of tourists to Barcelona each year, and hopefully will be open for worship by the end of 2010, and furthermore all building work should be completed by 2025, if all goes to plan.

This was my first post (very late i know..) but I chose the Sagrada Familia because I think that it's a beautiful building, and although part of it's charm is that it is still under construction after all these years, it would be nice to see it finally completed.

Emma xx

Guifré el Pilós (Wilfred the Hairy)

Well, after reading the storyboard in Monday’s lesson about Catalunya Nord, I thought that I would find out a bit more on Guifré el Pilós (Wilfred the Hairy) and his influence on Catalan culture.

Guifré el Pilós , commonly known in English as Wilfred the Hairy , was Count of Urgell (870–897), Cerdanya (870–897), Barcelona (878–897), Girona (878–897), Besalú (878–897), and Ausona (886–897). He was called the Hairy because, quite simply he was. One story tells that his mother recognised him on his return from a youthful exile in Flanders, as he had hair on a part of the body where it should not have been. Some sources suggest that it was the soles of his feet that were the unusual site.

As with so many historical figures, details of his birth are sketchy, and those we do have are of doubtful, traditional origins. What is known is that he was of Gothic descent, from the region of Carcassonne, born near Prades. His father was supposedly Wilfred of Arriaount, who was murdered, though later avenged by his son.

In the middle of the ninth century, Catalonia was recovering from Saracen and Frankish rule, growing and repopulating under the control of local counts whose power was given to them by the Carolingian empire. The empire was struggling to maintain control. The area was really controlled by individuals, local warlords who sought to help their own localities (comarques) to blossom. Intent on bringing independence to the area, and shaking off outside control, Count Guifré decided to take action.

Between the years 870 and 878, he (with his brother) fought against the resistance to his plans of independence. This done, he took up residence in the recently liberated city of Barcelona, built himself a grand palace and began to grow his political power. He integrated with the clergy. He set about a massive program of building churches and abbeys throughout the region. He had effective control over the whole of Catalonia. Beginning with himself as the Count of Barcelona, Guifré established hereditary titles (as above) Peace now truly reigned in the area - trade and economy blossomed, and the nobles supplied regular troops to defend ports and communication routes.

By 883 or 884, the Muslims became increasingly uneasy by the expansion of the Christian Counties to the north. The Muslim ruler Ismail ibn Musa ibn Qasi fortified Lleida in response. Provoked by this, Wilfred attacked Lleida and Ismail. The attack however was a disaster and Wilfred died in battle in 11th August 897. He was buried in the monastery at Ripoll.

One of the stranger legends surrounding him was the slaying of a dragon, brought to the Llobregat river by the Saracens. He attacked the beast with an oak branch, before finishing it off with lance and sword. In this way, he is associated with Saint George, patron saint of Catalonia.

The origin of the Catalan flag is also said to originate with the hairy hero - it is said that he was seriously wounded in the battle for Barcelona, and the Frankish king Louis the Pious visited him, and noticed his shield, covered in gold leaf. Keen to honouring him, the king dipped his fingers in Wilfred's blood and drew them across the shield, leaving four crimson stripes.
So, could it be said that Guifré el Pilós is really the hero of Catalonia? Although later over-run, he had established a united region and thus has risen as a figure of independence for Catalonia and an individual of importance for contemporary Catalan nationalists. Most importantly, he was called Wilfred the Hairy, and I think any man is deserved of the title of a ‘hero’ for putting up with that name!

Christina :]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_the_Hairy
http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guifr%C3%A9_el_Pil%C3%B3s

Hola,

After reading this article today, http://www.avui.cat/cat/notices/2009/10/l_8217_estat_no_ha_posat_ni_cinc_a_la_catedral_74542.php I've decided to do my post on Barcelona Cathedral as it's in quite a sorry state of disrepair and in desperate need of money, yet is often overlooked both as a tourist attraction and as a piece of architecture in favour of La Sagrada Familia.

The Cathedral is located right in the heart of Barcelona's Gothic quarter, one of the most visually interesting and intricate parts of Barcelona (I think) and its construction spans over 1500 years from its humble beginnings as a basilica built in 343 A.D. by the Romans, to the most recent and final addition of a spire in 1913. Between these, the Cathedral had a Roman chapel and cloister added and the main construction began in 1298 under Jaume II.

Despite having survived civil wars and black death to come into fruition the Cathedral is now in very poor disrepair and the facade and roof are under scaffolding to repair damage. The state has invested 12 million euro but the estimated final costs are set to exceed 16 million. There is a campaign within the church of 'sponsoring a stone' where visitors can literally pay for one stone that goes into repairing the Cathedral.

One of the nicest things about the Cathedral I think is the views from the roof. You go up in a lift and are then given free reign to wander about over the roof and on a clear day it is beautiful, and a lot less crowded than the other high-viewing points in Barcelona. It also means you can see the architecture really close up and see why it's so important that the church is restored and also appreciate the amount of detail that has gone into the building originally (at the top are some pictures taken from the roof). The other cool thing about the Cathedral are the geese contained in the courtyard: these represent a year in the life of Santa Eulalia who was martyred and then buried in the Cathedral. The courtyard itself is really pretty and a nice thing to have in the middle of a Cathedral, especially with the geese.

So if you're in Barcelona go and visit the Cathedral, partly to help invest in the restoration of such an important building which is quite a welcome change to all the modernist architecture around the city, the combination of which helps to make Barcelona so attractive and vibrant and also because it has amazing views right across the city!

Manchester i la vida catalana

Quan vaig visitar (I visited) Manchester per primera vegada, vaig descobrir (I discovered) la Catalan Square. Aquest racó de ciutat em va fascinar (astonished me), sobretot perquè mai no havia pensat (I'd never thought) que hi hauria (there would be) connexions entre Manchester i la vida catalana. Per això vaig investigar (I did a little research) més i vaig descobrir que hi havia moltes similituds i paral·lelismes. Intentem de descobrir-les entre tots?
(Shall we all try and uncover them?)

Qualsevol informació serà ben rebuda! Més pistes a:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34563424@N00/3356501751/

Antoni Gaudí- A biography

In case anyone hadn't yet realised, I'm a bit of a fan of Antoni Gaudí! So I thought I'd give a bit of a short biography and then maybe follow it up in later weeks with blogs on some of his more famous works. Hope you find this interesting!

Antoni Gaudí, famous as one of the most prominent architects of the Art Nouveau movement that developed during the late 19^th and early 20^th Century, is considered one of the most famous Spaniards of all time. Such a claim is possibly misrepresentative, however, since Gaudí was an extreme Catalan nationalist; few of his works were built outside of the region’s capital Barcelona and even fewer outside of Catalonia itself, and his works were always steeped in regionalist symbology. Such a passion for his nation made him popular with his contemporaries and continues to provoke admiration and pride among Catalans today.

Born on June 25^th 1852, Gaudí was by no means a child prodigy, receiving average marks both at his first school and at his second. Instead he impressed his teachers with his dedication to his work and his willingness to improve, a characteristic that was to continue into his later life and earned him excellent marks by the end of his school career. His main passion, however, was for nature and the rural landscape in which he lived, which he was able to explore and observe intensely due to a rheumatic problem that prevented him from travelling far without a donkey or playing with other children. This was to greatly influence his architecture, where he often incorporated ideas such as flowing water and fallen leaves into his designs, and in particular his construction of the Parc Guell, where he worked with the natural hills and forbade the felling of trees to harmonise his work with the environment.

In 1868 Gaudí moved to Barcelona to study architecture, but rarely stood out amongst his classmates and showed a tendency to skip class in favour of the library or lectures in other subjects such as History, Philosophy or Economics which he felt were essential to architecture. He received his only excellent grades in a design for an Entry Gate for a cemetery, where his setting of the scene with a hearse and people in mourning caused his tutor to question whether he was dealing with a genius or a madman, and in a practical project designing the patio for the Provincial Council. His youth was spent supporting nationalist groups such as the Catalan Society of Scientific Excursions (dedicated to visiting the historic monuments of the region) and living the life of high society.

The Barcelona in which Gaudí began his career was the ideal climate for a young artist to flourish, with a booming textiles industry whose subsequent upper class leaders desired the fashionable company of the artistic, academia and famous, and Gaudí was able to take advantage of the many opportunities afforded him such an atmosphere afforded him. His greatest patron was Eusebi Guell, who took an interest in the young architect after examples of his work were displayed at the Paris World Fair. Gaudí was to build various edifices for the family such as the Palua Guell, the Parc Guell and the Colonia Guell, and Guell’s influence was to prove crucial in attracting other rich Catalans to take on Gaudí for their own projects, resulting in the famous Casa Batlló, whose bone-like structure and roof ressembling dragon scales in keeping with Catalan symbology attracted the attention and admiration of the local populace, and the Pedrera, that draws its influence for the iconic, flowing balconies from the natural movement of water.

Gaudí’s work on his most famous project, however, began in 1883 when he took over the design and construction of the Sagrada Familia. He was to oversee the project for 43 years until his death and this became his greatest obsession. Gaudí had been religious since his early years spent as a pupil at a religious school and the church was to be his greatest expression of his faith. As a building it is steeped in both religious and nationalist symbology; with three facades to represent the Nativity, the Passion and the Resurrection; eighteen towers for the twelve apostles, four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and for Christ himself; seven chapels for the seven pains and seven sins of St Joseph; and Dragons throughout to represent St George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The edifice became an obsession for Gaudí, who eventually sold all his possessions and even his house to contribute money towards its construction.

Gaudí’s last years were spent in relative squalor when economic difficulties threatened to halt the construction of Sagrada Familia and forced him to donate all his money to the project. He became increasingly introverted and isolated and his popularity with the media and local populace began to wane. He died on June 10^th 1926, three days after he being knocked down by a tram. This accident served as proof of Gaudí’s loss of media attention, since taxi drivers refused to transport an apparent vagabond to hospital and he was taken to a hospital for the poor as no one recognised the famous architect. Nevertheless, his death was marked by the wearing of black by half of Barcelona to pay homage to the great man, and he was laid to rest in the Crypt of his beloved church.

Chris

Ok here goes my first Blog entry ever...and looks like I am very late on doing so!!

When I went to Barcelona when I was younger it is fair to say I experienced little of the food but having read about the cuisine I wish I had done. There are some amazing sounding dishes:

Faves a la Catalana: typical vegetables of Catalonia cooking in a pot with various types of meats, like ham, black sausage and cansalada, vegetables and "bolets"(a kind of mushrooms). It is cooked and served preferably in pot of clay.

Escalivada:
Simple dish based on eggplant and red pepper, flavoured with salt, olive oil and vinegar. Before preceding the preparation of the dish it is necessary to roast all the ingredients to strengthen its flavours.

Conill amb herbes al vi negre ( conejo con hierbas y vino tinto ): - rabbit with red wine and herbs: the rabbit is marinated in red wine and then cooked like a standard casserole with onions, bacon and, ideally, a pigs trotter for smooth. The final, and typically Catalan, addition of a bit of strong chocolate added at the end as a picada . Brandy is also added if wished but not flambéed.


Food is such a big part of life in Catalonia... I like this alot!

Andreaxxx

Fashion in Barcelona

I have a massive interest in fashion, and thought it would be interesting to find out about Catalan fashion. Most people only recognise Milan, Paris and London as being the fashion capitals of the world, yet Barcelona is becoming more and more well known for its style and flair.

080 Barcelona Fashion is an element of the Catalan Fashion Action Plan 2007-2010. This is a project of the Government of Catalonia’s Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise. The Plan was set up to revive the almost extinct textile sector in Catalonia, while at the same time helping with the difficulties independent designers face in producing and marketing their collections. The plan intended to launch Barcelona onto the international stage of cutting-edge fashion, and it has succeeded.

One of the most famous fashion labels of Barcelona is Custo Barcelona. This was started by the brothers Custo and David Dalmau in 1981 who were inspired by the relaxed attitude of southern California. Their collection ranges from suits to swimwear, and it is the colours and the prints that attract people to their clothes. The look is bold and bright, and has a high appeal in international markets—they account for almost 85 percent of all company sales.

“First it was Hollywood, with the likes of Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore seen sporting Custo T-shirts. Now they have taken over the world.”

Thanks, Chiara x

http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/custobarcelona/
http://www.080barcelonafashion.com/080.php?idIdiomaCap=3

History of Catalonia

As we read the newspaper articles which involved some Catalan history, I thought I’d look at this for my entry, up to the reign of Ferran and Isabella.

Eastern European Celts arrived in what is recognised as the present day Catalan Territory and mixed with the natives, setting up numerous independent free tribes in the region, around 1000 BC. The Ancient Greeks arrived in the area in approximately 800 BC and set up commercial subsidiaries near the sea, it is thought that the period following this was quite successful economically as in the 5th Century BC 300 ships sank within the radius of Cap de Creus.

Next it was the Romans who arrived in 218BC and ruled until the 3rd Century AD whose success is seen in their expanding outposts, such as Barcino (now Barcelona) and Tarraco (now Tarragona). Following the demise of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century AD Catalonia was subject to many foreign invaders trying to seize power. First it was the ‘barbarians’ from Germania who took over, with the Visigoths coming from the north and made Catalonia part of the Kingdom of Toledo. After this it was the Moors who reached Catalonia in 716, with many people fleeing to the Pyrenees or the Franconians’ Empire, though after a battle in 778 Barcelona became the centre of the Franconians’ property in Spain.

However in the 9th and 10th Centuries the Franconians power faded and the Counts of Barcelona seized their opportunity by taking over the city and making alliances with the Kingdom of Aragon. It was Ramón Berenger I who gave the region its foundation for political life by unionising the ‘Cortes’ and proclaiming ‘Usatges’, which controlled the laws of the Catalonia and the rights of the people, drastically reducing the power of the king. It was Ramón Berenger IV who married Petronella of Aragaon and from the 12th to the 15th Centuries the two regions formed a common kingdom, this period saw the 1st written Catalan texts and the establishment of a municipal government in Barcelona. There was also a period of economic prosperity in the region, agricultural production and the population increased, with markets and banking flourishing, as well as Barcelona becoming a major trading port within Europe.

In 1348, as did most of Europe, Catalonia suffered greatly at the hands of the Plague, with 50% of the population dying, the crisis led to a climax during the civil war between the central government and Juan II of Aragaon. In 1469 Catalonia became part of the new Catholic Kingdom of Ferdianand (Ferran) II and Isabella of Castilia.

Hope at least someone found this remotely interesting and not just me blabbering on :).
Lee x

(http://www.cbrava.com/cathist.uk.htm)

Els Segadors...The national anthem of Catalonia

The Catalonia national anthem is a reflection of an original song which has its origin in the historical events of 1640, the war of the Catalans against King Philip IV, therefore the anthem has the characteristics of a fierce call to defend the freedom of the land. It is seen to unite people in favour of the survival of a nation which proclaims its full national character.
Els Segadors was declared the Catalan national anthem in 1993.The official sound recording was made and released in 1994.

Triumphant, Catalonia,
Will once again be rich and full!
We must not be the prey
Of those proud and arrogant invaders!
Let us swing the sickle!
Let us swing the sickle, defenders of our land!
Let us swing the sickle!
Now is the moment, oh reapers!
Now is the moment, to be alert!
Awaiting the arrival of another June
Let us sharpen our tools!
(Chorus)
May our enemy tremble
On seeing our noble flag:
Just as we reap the golden corn,
May we also cut free of the chains!
(Chorus)

http://www.gencat.cat/catalunya/himne_totsegad_tcm32-266.mp3

Steph xx

Festivals of Catalonia

Trying to find something to write about the Catalan lifestyle or Catalonia itself isn't that hard, trying to decide which one interests me more is, as there are too many to choose from, music, dance, film, I could go on. I have chosen to write about some of the festivals in Catalonia, as it shows the vibrant character's we can imagine them having.
I have chosen to write about only two of the many festivals I have found on the internet, as to write about all of them(in detail) would take a while, and probably the whole blog, so I have chosen two which I found the most interesting, and different to the festivals we have in England.

Correfoc( fire run), is the first tradition that caught my eye. They use the figue of the devil, not as an image of evil, but festive characters. This festival includes the 'devils' playing with fire, whilst onlookers closeby watch and listen to the music of the drums. This festival would not be complete without, the firecrackers. These are set off whilst people dance.

The biggest and maybe the most spectacular festival I found was Colles Castelleres, which is celebrated in Catalonia. It involves groups of people forming human towers, even up to 10 levels high( this is why I think it is the most spectacular). This tradition started in the Tarragona region,but has now spread to other parts of Catalonia, Majorca and parts of Spain. (Pictures can be seen via google, or videos via youtube.)

(Correfoc research : http://blog.barcelona-home.com/life-in-barcelona/correfoc.html
Colles Castelleres research: http://castellersdebarcelona.cat/moncasteller/introduccio/en)

Sian xx

espanyol??...why?

Espanyol (Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona to give it its full tile) is Barcelona's forgotten football team. Founded in 1900, only one year after the infamous Futbol Club Barcelona, Espanyol have no where near the same fanatical support from the catalan population that Futbol Club Barcelona has come to achieve. Well the reasons for this are obvious, Barca is one of the most successful teams in the world. Since being founded in 1899 by a swiss entrepreneur Joan Gamper the club has won 19 league titles, 25 spanish cups and 13 official european cups. Futbol Club Barcelona is Catalonia's national team. So the question is who from Barcelona supports Espanyol? and why would you? People obviously do, but it seems to me odd if you could just as easily support Barca and be very happy all the time win after win league after league trophy after trophy. Espanyol finshed a respectable 10th in the league last season and were runners up in the Uefa cup in the 07 season but it doesn't compare to the Big three that barca pulled off last year: League, cup and champions league. Well apparanly the clue is in the title "espanyol" Not every catalan is a nationalist, and sadly not every catalan is a socialist. Espanyol is a club for catalans that like to stay away from all the politics that comes with following Barca. The tile itself "espanyol" immediatley shows its position as to what is thinks to independance and nationalism. It's not surprising that if you are a Espanyol fan you are inclined to be happy when Real Madrid do well (however, Barca fans also too are notorious Athletico Madrid fans) Some people like to be different and being an Espanyol fan certainly does not mean you're anti-catalan but it does seem to be a strange choice, and it is a choice. I know of families where the father is Espanyol the children are Barca there doesn't seem to be any friction and the followers live in harmony for the most part. I would choose Barca though, every time.
John x

http://www.rcdespanyol.cat/

Gisela - Eurovision 2008

Well somebody has to go first and writing this seems better than doing the washing up :). I was trying to think where to find something interesting for my post when I found this article on Periodista Digital. It's about Catalan singer Gisela representing Andorra in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, which she did in the first semi-final but didn't quite make it to the final. You can see the video of her song Casanova on YouTube, the song's quite catchy :). The outfit I'm not too sure about!

Becky X

Benvinguts al blog dels Steel City Dragons!