Catalunya experience

❋❋❋  Masella  is one of the most beautiful places to ski in Catalonia. Every ski enthusiast should come here. It's hard to imagine a better place to enjoy this sport. Masella is a perfect place to relax, too. There are many picturesque landscapes and  beautiful trails. ❋❋❋ Masella is a ski resort in La Cerdanya in Girona (northern part of Catalonia)  in the Spanish Pyrenees. It is situated on Tosa d'Alp mountain. This ski resort is part of the Alp 2500 resort (it has over 130 km and  apart from Masella it also includes the city of La Molina). I really recomend you to visit this place with your friends.  I think that it's a magical place to spend, for example, New Year's Eve. Here yuu can find more information about this place:  Masella Ski Resort

🎄🎄🎄 What is your favourite Christmas dessert? It's very difficult to choose. However, in my opinion the best one is Catalan sweet- Turró. 🎄🎄🎄 El turró is made of egg white, sugar, honey and of course  toasted almonds. It's very popular not only in Catalonia but also in all Spain, Latin America and Italy. It looks like chocolate but in my opinion is so much better. It is frequently consumed during Christmas as a dessert. In Catalonia people eat it drinking sweet liquiers or wine. 

The Christmas Catalan markets have a long tradition. The oldest one is  La Fira de Santa Llucia which is organized every year in Barcelona. This year the Christmas market began on November 29 and will last until December 23. It's a fantastic place where you can buy amazing and orginal presents for all your  friends and family. There are more than 300 stalls on The Santa Lucia Christmas Market where you can buy handmade Christmas decoration such as Christmas trees, and  El Tió de Nadal   which is the symbol of Christmas in Catalonia ( here you can read more about this Catalan tradition ) . You can find there  a lot of ideas for presents,  for example very orginal silver jewellery, handmade leather purses and wallets, high quality local food and a lot more. During Christmas, the square in front of the cathedral turns into a fairy-tale land. There are  a lot of Christmas trees and other decorations everywhere. As you can see, not only the squ...

My favourite time of the year is finally coming. There is only three weeks left to Christmas. I am starting looking for Christmas presents for my family and my friends and decorate my home. I have already started singing Christmas songs. One of the most beautiful one is the Catalan carol "Fum, fum, fum"!  "Fum, Fum, Fum" is a traditional Catalan Christmas carol. It was composed probably in the  16th century.  The word fum  means smoke in Catalan, and it refers to the smoke rising from a chimney.  The rhythm of this carol is characteristic of the Catalan sardana dance ( here you can read more about this traditional Catalan dance ).  The English version is not a literal translation but the lyricks is based on the Catalan carol. It was created by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw almost 70 years ago.

The most famous Impressionist paintings were created in the 19th century. We all know the works of Claude Monet or Vincent van Gogh. But did you know that there are a lot of artis who still creat Impressionist art? One of them is the Catalan painter, Josep Bahima. I saw the works of Josep Bahima for the first time in Palau Bofarull in Reus and I fell in love with his art. Josep Bahima lives in Catalunya, in Roquetes. He studied drawing and painting at the Tortosa School of Art Workshop. With a palette of very broad shades, he captures the unique light of the landscapes.  Josep Bahima in his painting shows the beauty of the Catalan nature.  His works are very poetic and simply beautiful.  You can find more painting on his Facebook profile:  Josep Bahima Carles

There are a lot of Catalan fantastic dishes. In this place you can eat really amazing food. One of my favourite one is  fideuà. I fall in love with this  Catalan dish. It tastes even better than paella ;)  Years ago it was a dish   used to feed poor fishermen on board fishing boats as a way of using up the seafood   they didn't sell in the market that day. Nowadays, it is very popular dish in all Catalunya. It is often cooked for special occasions.  Fideuà includes herbs and very esxpensive spices such as saffron and lots of good quality fish. The main ingredients of fi deuà are  short noodles. Normally, it is served with allioli. Believe me, it is soooo delisious!

La castanyada is a Catalan tradition of eating roasted chestnuts. You can buy them everywhere, on every street. R oasted chestnuts are delicious! What's more, you can warm up near the stoves during a cold November evening ;) La castanyada is a Catalan tradition of eating not only roasted chestnuts but also  panallets (Catalan sweets made by marzipan and almonds. You can read more about these sweets in my article about Sweets from Catalunya )   and moniatos (eng. sweet potatos). These delicious snacks very often are washed down with the Catalan sweet wine moscatel . La castanyada takes place in November, especially on the day of the Catalan Saints (1 st November) and the Day of the Dead (2 nd November). 

The lake of Sant Maurici is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. It is situated in The National Park of Aigüestortes in northen Catalonia. I can't imagine a more beautiful place to relax. The National Park of Aigüestortes located in the heart of the Pyrenees is one of the most popular touristic places in Catalonia. The incredible views and very varied flora and fauna make this place unique. In the park there are  nearly 200 mountain lakes. The most beautiful one is the lake of Sant Maurici. Around the lake there are many different routes. During the mountain trip you can meet many wild birds, the wild goat, the capercaillie, the marmot and even the legendary bearded vulture. Bearded vulture

La Senyera is the Catalan flag. It is one of the most important symbols of that autonomous community of Spain. You can see it everywhere when you are in Catalonia, in big cities and in villages. The Catalans are very proud of it. There is also another flag, La Estelada which is a little different from the senyera. The senyera pattern is currently in the flag of four Spanish autonomous communities: Catalonia, Aragon, the Balearic Isles and the Valencian Country and is the flag of the historically Catalan-speaking city of Alghero in Sardinia. The senyera is composed of four longitudinal red and yellow stripes. The difference betwen the senyera and the estelada is that the esteleda has the addition of a five-pointed star in a triangle at the hoist. The estelada is the symbol used by the Catalan independence movement. Two Catalan flags: La Senyera y La Estelada during one of the manifestation in Barcelona before the referendum in 2017 La Senyera and La Estelada hung down in ...

There are a lot of famous Catalan artists. One of them was Pau Casals who was a cellist and a composer. He was not only a great misician, but also a peace activist who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy Pau Casals was born in  El Vendrell (a town located in the province of Tarragona) in 1876.  At first, his father gave him piano, organ and violin lessons. When he was 12 he began to study at the Escola Municipal de Música in Barcelona. He graduated from the Escola with honours five years later. When he was 23 he started his professional career and performed concerts all over the world. Pau Casals was also a teacher and a composer. One of his works is the famous oratorio "El Pessebre" (The Manger), which became a hymn to peace.  The Catalan artist was always a defender of peace and freedom. Pau Casals died in 1973 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Do you know some of Pau Casal's compositions? Whic...

Without any doubts Tarragona is my favourite Catalan city. It's a great place to live and to spend holidays: people are extremely kind and helpful and it's always sunny there. What's more, there are a lot of interesting places that are worth to visit.  One of that places is The Wall of Tarragona (cat. Muralles Romanes de Taragona). It was built in the 2nd century B.C. The main role of The Wall was to delimit the municipal boundaries and to protect the city. Originally Muralles had more than 3,500 meters. T oday it has 1,100 meters and is a part of the Archeological Promenade (cat. Passeig  Arqueològic). You can walk along The Wall and admire the beautiful view of all the city. If you want to read more about the tourism attractions in Tarragona, I reccomend you to read this post →  Tarragona - tourism 1  ;)

The Costa Dorada is a beautiful region. It's a perfect place to spend summer. There are a lot of golden beaches where you can bathe in crystal clear water. If you don't have any plans for holidays yet, it's a great idea to go there. The Costa Dorada has more than 200 km of coastline. During summer you can expect a clear sky and very high temperatures....but you don't have to worry, on the coast hot summer temperatures are tempered by cooling sea breezes. The most beautiful and interesting cities that lie along the coast are Tarragona, Salou, Torredembarra and Altafulla. The Costa Dorada is amazing region, perfect for sunbathing and  diving. However, you have to remember that during holidays there are a lot of turists. If you want to go there this summer, book a flight and hotel now ;)

One of the most magnificent historical monument in  Barcelona is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. It's a very mysterious and beautiful building which inspired many painters and writers. Moreover, thanks to visit the Gothic cathedral you will learn a lot about the history of Barcelona and Catalonia.  The Barcelona Cathedral is a great example of the Catalan Gothic architecture. It was constructed during three centurys; started in the 13th and was completed in the 15th century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese (cat. Font de les Oques) was ended in 1448. This is one of the most surprising parts of the cathedral because we can really observe there geese bathing in the fountain.   Other remarkable area in the cathedral is the choir with a beautiful set of carved wooden chairs.  The most famous book inspired by the Barcelona Cathedral is "Cathedral of the sea" written by Ildefonso Falcones. I really recomend ...

Sardana plays a significant part in the life of the Catalan people. They dance sardana during all celebrations. The dance is not complicated, anybody can learn to dance it in a few minutes.  It does no matter how old you are, from where you are....everybody can dance sardana! :) Sardana has very interesting history. The oldest found reference to the word sardana is from 1552 but is possiible that sardana was known even before. At the beginning was danced only in the Emporda region. In the 19th started to become popular in all Catalonia. How to dance sardana? Everybody join together in a circle. They hold hands and follow a set of steps. The dance lasts about 12 minutes. Here you can see a short video and learn how to dance sardana. I hope that the next time you are in Catalonia you will dance sardana!

Casa Batlló is my favourite building designed by the most famous Catalan architect  Antoni Gaudí. It  was the first thing which I saw in Barcelona when I came there for the very first time. I will never forget this moment. This amazing work of art is just beautiful.   This is the moment when I saw Caso Batlló for the first time! The building was constructed in 1877 and renovated according to Gaudi's design 27 years later for Batlló family. Josep Batlló I Casanovas was a textile industrialist who owned a few factories in Barcelona. He and his wife asked Gaudi to design a building that no one had ever seen before. The Catalan artist used the opportunity and created something really excepcional.  The Catalan name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones) because the facade of the building has the form of a skull. What I like the most of Casa Batlló is that is decorated with a mosaic of broken ceramic tiles. Thanks to that Casa Batlló has so ...

The second week of May is always the most magical time of the year in Girona.  During the festival Girona Temps de Flors (eng. flower season) you can see amazing flower arrangemeents at every turn. In my opinion, at this time the city becomes the world capital  of  nature and art. The first edition of the festival took place in 1954 and was growing year after year. Now people from all over the world come to take part in the event. During the festival there are a lot of flower carpets  on the streets. Almost every historical monument in Girona is decorated witch flowers. You can admire many orginal artistic exhibitions made of plants. Girona Temps de Flors is not only flower festival. I t's also a great opportunity to see many Catalan tradition like for example  els castells -  the human towers .  What's more,  d uring   the festival you can participate in many concerts and artistic performences.   This is how it loo...

Tarraco (nowadays Tarragona) was one of the most important city of the Roman Empire during the reign of Octavian Agustus. Every year here is organized the Tarraco Viva Festival. Thanks to the event we can back in time and feel like the citizens of the Roman Empire. During the Roman Empire Tarraco was the capital of the Roman province Hispania Tarraaconensis. It was the first Roman city of Spain and the most developed one of all the Iberian Peninsula. Here you can see how Tarraco looked like 2.000 years ago and how it looks like now. The Tarraco Viva Festival offers a lot of activities like for exaple: a gastronomic festival of ancient recipes of the roman cuisine, music and dance shows and many reenactments of life in Roman Empire. At this link you can see some fragments of the historic performances of the gladiator fights. This show every year takes place in the ruins of the orginal ancient Roman amphitheater which was built in the 1st century. https://www.youtube.c...

One of the most beautiful Disney's animated short movies is "Destino". All scenes were painted by the most famous Catalan artist, Salvador Dalí. The movie is a real art work and the essence of surrealism. The production of "Destino" started in 1945. Unfortunately, because of some financial problems of the film company it could't be possible to present the animated short movie at that time. The animation had to wait 58 years for its premiere which took place in 2003. The soundtrack of the movie was written by Mexican composer Armando Dominguez and sang by very talented Mexican singer Dora Luz. When I saw the animated short movie for the first time I was very impressed. The story is a summary of our life. It shows how beautiful and paintful at the same time human existence can be. There are a lot of symbols which mades the movie mysterious and absorbing.  I hope that you will love the incredible art work made by Salvador Dalí like I do (or e...

At the auditorium played grate classical musicians like the famous cellist Pau Casals or the flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and jazz stars, among others Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. It's very impressing how many legendery concerts took place there! Barcelona is famous for its modernist architecture. The Palace of Catalan Music is one of the most incredible exaple of this style. It was proyected by Oscar Tusquets and Carles Diaz and built between 1905 and 1908. I think that The Catalan Concert Hall is the most beautiful in the world. It's amazing how rich is the decoration of the hall. There are many floral and others organic motifs. In my opinion the most beautiful and orginal  part of the decoration is the chandelier. It's made of stained-glass window. Have a look at this wonder! It's breathtaking. In my opinion, the best way to visit The Palace of Catalan  Music    is to go to some concert. Every week great musicians play there.  Check the...

If you are looking for some calm and quiet place in Barcelona, Tibidabo will be perfect for you. Around it there is a beautiful natural park. If you want to escape for a moment from the noisy, crowded city center I really recomend you to go there. Tobidabo is the highest point in Barcelona (512 meters above sea level).  The peak is situated in the Collserola Mountain Rage.  The views are spectacular there. You can see all the city, including the most famous building of barcelona - La Sagrada Familia. On the peak of Tibidabo is located the Sacred Heart church. It is worth to go inside to see the walls decorated with mosaics which present bible scenes. Next to the church there is the oldest theme park of Barcelona.  What I like the most about Tibidabo is the Collserola Natural Park. There are a lot of paths for hiking, places where you can  admire the beautiful views and just relax. Tibidabo inspired the screenwriters of the most famous american com...

El Parc Samà, paradís a la terra, edèn robat als cels.  (Parc Samà is a paradise on  earth and Eden stolen from the heavens.)  - said a catalan writer  Frances Gras i Elies .  Parc Samá is a fabulous place with a long history and soul which is really worth to visit. Parc Samà is situated in Reus in the province of  Tarragona. In the heart of the parc is located the summer residence of  Salvador Samà, Marquis of  Mariana. It was built in 1881. Around the palace, Salvador Samá ordered the construction of the unusual garden. He wanted that the parc reminded him Cuba. This is why there are a lot of palm trees, waterfalls and exotic flowers.  The Marquis was in love not only in Cuban nature but also in European and Asian culture and art. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you see a copy of an ancient Greek sculpture and Chinese vase in the garden. Parc Samá is a true reflection of its owner’s spirit. ...

In Catalunya there are a lot of places where you can relax and forget about all your problems. In my opinion, the most beautiful one is The Ebro Delta. If you need a rest I recommend you to visit this nature  reserve. It's even more interesting for all of you who love observe nature and, above all, birds. The Ebro Delta is one of the largest  wetland  areas in the western Mediterranean region. Is situated  in the  Province of Tarragona.  A large part of the delta is a  natural park  named  Ebro Delta Natural Park (cat.   Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre).  It has 95 breeding species of birds and is also very important for over 300 species of a wide range of transient and overwintering species. The Ebro Delta Park serves as an essential stopover point for large numbers of   migratory   birds and   waterfowl .  When I was there I saw the flock of flamingos for the first time in my life. It was an unforgett...

One of the most interesting places in Catalunya which you have to visit is The Dalí Theatre and Museum. I was there one year ago and I still remember every details of the amazing exhibition. This place is not only a museum. It's like a temple for every Dalí's fan.  The museum is situated in the Salvador Dali's home town of Figueras in Catalunya. The idea to construct it was made by the own artist, he said: I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object. It will be totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream. When I was there I really feel like if I was in a different word . The building is a work of surrealist art. The roof is decorated with the eggs! Inside the museum is even more interesting. The most famous and evocative installation is The face of Mae West (an American actress and singer) which appears only from a special point of ...