Vilafranca's 'Tots Sants' Day of Human Towers

Today, while many Catalans went to cementaries to look after late family members, we went to Vilafranca del Penedès, to watch the Diada de Tots Sants. My two small sons were extremely noisy in the car, but I still managed to catch a comment from the radio that this first of November came with temperatures more typical for the first of September, i.e. ideal conditions for human towers.


We arrived just on time to see what I thought would be the highlight of the day: the Castellers de Vilafranca building a 3 de 10. Although I stood far away, I was – as always – totally amazed with the huge base (pinya) which this team manages to bring together. It is a pity that they did not make it – I guess this was the last opportunity for there being a castell of ten levels during the 2009 season – but I am so grateful that they never give up.

To compensate, I was allowed to see at least three other outstanding human towers. Starting from the most advanced construction, the Castellers de Vilafranca assembled and dismantled a torre de 9 amb folre i manilles.


Then we had the Capgrossos de Mataró, who made their, as I understand it, first 4 de 9 for this season.


And finally - after a long break in a playground where my children forced me to go - by chance I came relatively close to the Al·lots de Llevant when they assembled (carregar) a 4 de 8. This is much more unique than it sounds since these people from Manacor (Mallorca) made their best performance (actuació) ever and hereby are the first team from outside Catalonia to reach eight levels during this season.


I also saw the Castellers de Lleida assembling a 4 de 8. Impressive, yes, but not exceptional since they have a solid record.

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While I was still living on the very rainy Swedish west coast, a friend of mine once told me to stop worrying about the weather since you cannot do anything about it. I have never managed to follow his advice, but instead I have moved to a country where the weather is usually very benign. These days, however, I must admit falling back in old tracks. Let us, please, have three weekends without rain or strong winds so that we, the Bordegassos de Vilanova, can make attempts at human towers of eight levels.

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Here is the el3deVuit article on today’s events.

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Human Towers, Penedès, Vilafranca

The Event Calendar - November 2009 - by Wirdheim.cat

A first version – soon to be up-dated:

The Wirdheim.CAT Event Calendar has a focus on activities typical for the Catalan popular culture and is presented under the headlines Human Towers, Festa Major, Other Events and Exhibitions.

General information can be found at the end of this entry.

Castells/Castellers (Human Towers) and Falcons

November 1: At 12:30 in Vilafranca del Penedès (BCN). The Tots Sants (All Saints) Day of Human Towers. Nota Bene: The "Green ones from Vilafranca" promise a new attempt to build a human tower of 10 levels!
Participants: Al·lots de Llevant, Capgrossos de Mataró, Castellers de Lleida, Castellers de Vilafranca

November 1: Human pillars walk up the 99 stairs to the cathedral in Girona.
Participants: Marrecs de Salt

November 1: Cornellà (BCN). The Castellers de Cornellà Day of Human Towers
Participants: Castellers de Barcelona, Castellers de Cornellà, Margeners de Guissona

November 1: Rubí (BCN). The Castellers de Rubí Day of Human Towers
Participants: Castellers de Castelldefels, Castellers de Rubí, Colla Jove de l’Hospitalet

November 7: Festa Major at Sant Martí de Tous (BCN).
Participants: Moixiganguers d’Igualada

November 8: At 12:30 in the Plaça de la Vila of Vilafranca del Penedès (BCN). Diada del Roser
Participants: Bordegassos de Vilanova, Xicots de Vilafranca

November 8: Vic (BCN). Diada dels Sagals d’Osona
Participants: Moixiganguers d’Igualada, Sagals d’Osona, Xerrics d’Olot

November 8: Sant Cugat del Vallès (BCN). Diada dels Castellers de Sant Cugat
Participants: Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, Castellers de Sant Cugat, Castellers de Sants

November 8: Terrassa (BCN). Diada dels Castellers de Terrassa
Participants: Castellers d’Esplugues, Castellers de Sabadell, Castellers de Terrassa, Xiquets de Reus,

November 8: Mataró (BCN). Diada dels Capgrossos de Mataró
Participants: Capgrossos de Mataró Castellers de Barcelona, Castellers de Lleida,

November 8: Vila-Rodona (TGN). The fair (fira) of Vila-Rodona
Participants: Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls,

November 8: Manresa (BCN). Diada de les Tirallongues de Manresa
Participants: Matossers de Molins de Rei, Tirallongues de Manresa, Xics de Granollers,

November 8: At the Plaça Mossèn Joan Xandri of Centelles (BCN). Jornada castellera.
Participants: Moixiganguers d’Igualada, Sagals d’Osona, Xerrics d’Olot

November 8: At C de Blai of Barcelona (BCN). Jornada castellera.
Participants: Castellers de Castelldefels, Castellers de la Sagrada Familia, Castellers del Poble Sec,

November 8: Festa Major de Sant Martí at Altafulla (TGN).
Participants: Angelets del Vallespir, Castellers d’Altafulla, Nens del Vendrell, Nois de la Torre,

November 8: Festa Major at Ginestar (TGN).
Participants: Minyons de l’Arboç

November 11: Diada de Sant Martí at Altafulla (TGN).
Participants: Castellers d’Altafulla

November 14: Festa Major de La Verneda, (City of Barcelona).
Participants: Castellers de Barcelona

November 15: Trobada castellera at the plaça de la Vila of Badalona (BCN).
Participants: Castellers de Badalona, Sagals d’Osona

November 15: Diada de Xics de Granollers (BCN)
Participants: Bordegassos de Vilanova, Minyons de Terrassa, Xics de Granollers,

November 15: Diada de Sant Zacaries in el Vendrell (TGN).
Participants: Nens del Vendrell

November 15: Diada dels Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, (City of Barcelona).
Participants: Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, Castellers de Sant Cugat, Castellers de Sants,

November 15: Festa Major del Clot (City of Barcelona).
Participants: Castellers de Barcelona, Castellers d’Esplugues

November 21: Diada dels Bordegassos de Vilanova i la Geltrú (BCN).
Participants: Bordegassos de Vilanova, Xics de Granollers,

Festa Major - Town Festivities

Soon to be up-dated

Other events

November 12-15, Fira de Novembre - a multisector trade fair occupying almost the whole centre of Vilanova i la Geltrú. You will find my company, Puck Import, S.L. in stand number 110, in the huge tent in the plaça del Mercat.

Exhibitions

‘Eros+Ismes: L’erotisme i la subjectivitat creativa’ - erotic art at La Sala in Vilanova i la Geltrú. Until December 13.

'Surge et Ambula' the jubilee exhibition to the 125 anniversary of the Victor Balaguer Museum of Vilanova. Until March 25, 2010.

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The Wirdheim.CAT Event Calendar is a summary of events where I will go, or at least could think of going, and can hopefully be of help to other expats or tourists when they explore Catalonia. It is biased towards the Penedès area (including Sitges), but will also list manifestations of popular culture and other activities taking place in Barcelona, along the Costa Daurada and in the rest of the Catalan speaking world.

This entry will be up-dated whenever I learn about new things, since (compared to my native Sweden) here information about what will happen tends to come late.

To the greatest extent possible will I link back to official pages (usually in Catalan) for information on time and locations but can not guarantee the correctness of the data presented.

Further information on castells/castellers (human tower) performances can be found under the tag ‘Properes Actuacions‘at the Coordinadora de les Colles Castelleres de Catalunya, or in the ‘Calendari’ at LaMalla.cat/castellers.

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Castellers, Catalonia, Festa Major, Costa Daurada, Expat, Human Towers, Penedès, Sitges, Vilafranca, Vilanova

Victor Balaguer, 'Surge et Ambula'!

On October 26, 1884, politician Victor Balaguer inaugurated his own museum here in Vilanova. Last Sunday, actor Lluís Soler read his 125 year old opening speech for the many people who had come to celebrate the renovation of the façade of this building – emblematic to the town and the almost the first thing you see if you arrive here by train. After that, the jubilee exhibition “Surge et Ambula”, (Get up and Walk), as of the museums motto, was officially opened.



If the Victor Balaguer museum always provides clues to which things and phenomena fascinated an 19th century intellectual, this exhibition goes one step further and recreates the interiors as it can be seen in photos of the early years. More or less all original items have been brought out from the archives, and hung without any chronological or thematic order. On purpose, there are not any explaining signs, so those who want to learn what they see have to look into the program.

That might seem unstructured with our perspective, but was apparently perceived differently by Balaguer and his contemporaries. The intention behind this art museum and library was not to entertain, but to found an academy and spread knowledge to the local inhabitants as well as to rest of Catalonia.

Victor Balaguer must have had a great persuasive talent since thanks to him, a big share of the new won wealth which the americanos brought here in the late 19th century, went into projects for the common good. In an interview in El Punt, museum director Montserrat Comas points out that, during those years, Vilanova did not merely evolve, but decided that it wanted to become a modern town and took radical measures – among which the railway connection with Barcelona stands out for its scale - to reach that goal.

I will not pretend to be especially interested in the odd objects this man collected, but his personality fascinates me. There cannot be many people who better personify the Catalan expressions “fer pais” and “fer ciutat” - to build a country and a town, respectively. I wonder what visions he would have for Vilanova, the Penedès or the whole of Catalonia of our days. Get up and walk, Victor Balaguer! We need your spirit.

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The temporary exhibition "Surge et Ambula" can be seen until March 25, 2010.

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Penedès, Vilanova,

Falcons de Vilanova Ending their 2009 Season

Since we have temperatures which make you think of a good Swedish summer, it is difficult to understand that the teams which build human towers (castellers) or falcon constructions (the acrobatic version) are about to end their seasons. But we have already had a short foretaste of cold and stormy weather and soon the squares of Catalonia will too slippery for these cultural expressions.

This Saturday, October 24, the Falcons de Vilanova celebrated their ‘team day’ (diada de la colla), together with visitors from the relatively young formation Falcons de Castellcir. As of tradition, the performance started with a parade through the town centre followed by an exhibition on a stage in the Plaça de la Vila.



Compared to what I have got used to, I think that the Falcons de Vilanova had relatively many, and seemingly unnecessary falls. All of them, however, were highly controlled and did not seam to worry the children of the top levels, so we were still treated to a magnificent collection of 'ventalls', 'vols', 'the cathedral', a 'pira' of ten levels, a ‘capdil 8 de 9’ and a four-level pillar erected from below.

The Falcons de Castellcir won my liking with their festive atmosphere and samba inspired music, and presented us with several constructions, for example a staircase (escala) of 7 levels.


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During the same hours as Vilanova was busy watching falcons, the human tower team of our neighbour town Sitges - la Colla Jove - managed to assemble and dismantle a so called “4 de 8”. I certainly want to congratulate them but, at the same time, hope that this serves as a motivator for all Bordegassos of Vilanova. We still have three more opportunities to prove to ourselves (politically correct in the world of castellers) and to the world (highly incorrect, but what I strongly feel) that we are at least on the same level. Honestly, do we want to end the season as the second best team of the comarca Garraf?

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Garraf, Human Towers, Penedès, Sitges, Vilanova

Erotic Emotions Let Loose in Vilanova

Last Friday, La Sala – Vilanova’s Centre of Contemporary Art – opened the doors to two new exhibitions. The main one is called ‘Eros+Ismes: L’erotisme i la subjectivitat creativa’ (Eroticism and the creative subjectivity). It arrives in our town thanks to Art Catalunya, a co-operation between galleries which want to spread contemporary art also outside the centre of Barcelona. For 2009, they selected eroticism as a topic since it acts as an optimistic counterweight in a world marked by financial crisis, fraud and abuse.

Eros by Josep Minguell

This exhibition presents works created with different techniques, from 1964 until now - a few made by internationally famous people like Picasso, but most by less well-known artists. What I wonder, however, when reading in the program that “there has always been a connection between art and eroticism”, is why Miró and Dalí are not represented. To me, they are both obvious examples of that statement.

On the walls from left to right, paintings by José Portilla, Jordina Orbañano (Malgrat tot), and Josep Niebla (Teleporno). Sculpture by Antonio Beneyto (Eréctil).

The smaller exhibition this time is created by Alexpazumo and is called ‘Aurores emocionals’. The inspiration to it comes from the impact a scene from the science fiction movie "Soylen Green" had on the artist as a child. A TV screen showing the film occupies one corner of the hall, but the installation above all consists of of abstract formations in strong colours accompanied by sound effects.



‘Eros+Ismes’ can be seen until December 13, while November 15 is the last day for ‘Aurores emocionals’. La Sala is located at C/ Joaquin Mir 12 and entry is free of charge. The current exhibition is not the best one I have seen there but, as always, worth at least one visit. A few years ago I wondered if Vilanova really needs to have its own centre of contemporary art. To be honest, I guess not, but I will not protest since I realize that La Sala has become one of the many things I really like with this small town.

Venus Depilada by Eleazar

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Per cert: Aquest dilluns a la bustia de correus tradicional vaig rebre l’invitació a l’inauguració d'aquest exposició, la qual va tenir lloc el divendres passat. A mi, no m’importa gaire, ja que havia captat l’informació a través de mitjans de comunicació més modernes. Tanmateix i malauradament no és el primer cop que passa i per això em permiteixo preguntar: si no podem fer arribar les cartes sense retards, no seria millor deixar d’enviar-las? Si no per altres raons, al menys per estalviar paper i salvar un arbre o dos.

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Technorati tags: Costa Daurada, Penedès, Vilanova

Vilanova Commemorates Lluís Companys

Last year, I wrote quite extensively about Lluís Companys - a democratically elected president of the Generalitat who was executed - and why he is being commemorated on October 15. This year, and for the first time, I observed how this is being done here in Vilanova i la Geltrú.

At lunch-time, representatives of most political parties and surprisingly many (not so young) ordinary vilanovins met up at the monument raised in his honour down in the Rambla Lluís Companys. Local mayor Joan Ignasi Elena opened with a speech, which was followed by els Segadors - the Catalan national anthem - and a chance for people to put down flowers. In all a short, but very dignified ceremony. Next year, I promise to put on more appropriate clothes.

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By the way: The Catalan political parties - surprisingly united - are committed to keep on working for the annulation of the alleged crimes for which Lluís Companys was murdered in 1940.

Vilanova Against Violence

Saturday October 3, in the morning, when I went out to buy bread, I found the Rambla de la Pau in the centre of Vilanova closed off. The area around a music bar called "White Island" – a place which, more than once, has figured in local media as a scene of conflicts – was full of policemen.

In that bar, a few hours earlier, José Luís Bernal, had been stabbed to death, by men whom he did not know from before. The local police (policia local) was fast to arrive, but José Luís’ life could not be saved. The victim was only 33 years old and leaves behind two children and a wife, pregnant in the third month.

This Saturday, people of Vilanova came out to show their support to this family but also to protest against violence. I, unfortunately, could not make it to the manifestation but hope that many other foreigners took part. The fact that the people detained for this crime are all of South American origin creates a very sad parallel to the murder of Joel Rodríguez in Sitges this summer.

For whatever its worth, my thoughts are with José Luís Bernal’s family. At the same time I would want to remind everyone who - just like me - does not have Spanish citizenship that we live here as long-term guests. If we do not behave as such, there is a clear risk that we will not be welcome any longer.

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There is now a sign on the bar where this tragedy took place, informing us that its owners have decided to temporarily close it and change its profile. A correct decision but, unfortunately, made too late.

Referendums For the Right to Decide

The referendum on Catalan independence, celebrated on September 13 in Arenys de Munt, stirred up an emotional debate throughout Spain. Now the discussion in media has calmed down, but in many municipalities preparations are being made for the next step, planned for December 13.

Vilanova i la Geltrú is one of the municipalities where the town council will not give support to a referendum. When the opposition party CUP proposed a motion, only Esquerra, the smallest party of the local tripartit government, and opposition CiU voted with them. The governing socialists (PSC) and their smaller partner ICV-EUiA could count on PP to join them in a ‘no’.

Judging from the election results on any given level (to the town council, to the parliaments of Catalonia and Spain, respectively, and that of the EU), that decision is perfectly representative for Vilanova i la Geltrú, where from 50% to 68% of the population vote for parties which, in the most extreme case, want a federal state (ICV-EUiA), status-quo (PSC) or a more united Spain (PP).

The fact that there is an obvious majority for a 'no' does not discourage a platform called VNG Decideix (“Vilanova i la Geltrú decides”) from planning a local referendum, possibly for December. It was founded on September 26 and is organised in three commissions: the first one has the task to spread the message, the second one to set up the infrastructure for the voting day and the third one is responsible for the contacts with the pan-Catalan referendum co-ordinators.

To make the platform as open as possible, its members join as citizens, not as representatives of any political party, and VNG Decideix is actively looking for more people, especially among those who will vote 'no'. That is a real challenge, since the strategy of the 'no'-parties is to ignore the issue and manifest their point of view through a low voter turn-out, not through active voting.

However, the commitment of this platform in Vilanova makes me feel that the Catalan referendum movement is, in fact, not about a 'yes' or a 'no' to sovereignty, but about a people’s democratic right to decide (dret a decidir). If not, why would so many independentistes invest time in this project in a town where they know that the best possible outcome is a massive 'no'?

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Technorati tags: Catalonia, CiU, Independence, Penedès, PSC, Spain, Vilanova

Naked Devils Dancing Under Fire

Saturday, October 10, some 400 devils (diables) and dragons (dracs) from all around Catalonia came to the small town Llorenç del Penedès (Tarragona) to stage a protest agains new regulations by the European Union which restrict the use of fire in public places. These do not show any sensitivity to the pyrotechnical traditions like correfocs and ball de diables, key elements of a typical Catalan festa major.

The event started with a parade (cercavila) through the historic town centre, followed by joint performance. When devils perform they usually wear thick protective clothes, but this time some of them were totally naked, to underline that their fire is not dangerous.



The diables nudistes has received a lot of attention in Catalan media and let us now hope that also our European politicians take notice. While it is highly correct for the EU to harmonize rules on safety there must be some space for flexibility for folklore traditions as historical and appreciated as this one.


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Related Media: (SPA) LaVanguardia; (CAT) Avui, El Punt

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Technorati tags: Catalonia, Festa Major, Penedès

The Event Calendar - October 2009 - by Wirdheim.cat

The Wirdheim.CAT Event Calendar has a focus on activities typical for the Catalan popular culture and is presented under the headlines Human Towers, Festa Major and Other Events.

General information can be found at the end of this entry.

Castells/Castellers (Human Towers) and Falcons

October 3: Reus (TGN). The “Mercadal Day of Human Towers”
Participants: Castellers de Vilafranca, Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls, Minyons de Terrassa, Xiquets de Reus

October 3: Vilanova i la Geltrú (BCN). The “Albert Salvany Day of Human Towers”.
Participants: Bordegassos de Vilanova, Castellers d’Esparreguera, Xicots de Vilafranca.

October 3: Tarragona: The “Xiquets de Tarragona Day of Human Towers”.
Participants: Castellers de Lleida, Castellers de Terrassa, Xiquets de Tarragona.

October 4: Sarrià (city of Barcelona): The Festa Major of Sarrià.
Participants: Castellers de Barcelona, Nens del Vendrell, Sagals d’Osona.

October 4: Barcelona: The Autumn Festivity of Barcelona (Festa de tardor).
Participants: Capgrossos de Mataró, Castellers de Sants, Colla Jove de Sitges.

October 10: Súria (BCN ( ?)): The "Salats de Súria Day of Human Towers"
Participants: Castellers d’Altafulla, Colla La Global de Salou, Salats de Súria

October 10: Mallorca: The “Castellers de Mallorca Day of Human Towers”
Participants: Al·lots de Llevant, Castellers de Mallorca, Els Nens del Vendrell

October 10: Alcúdia (Valencia): The “Muixerangues Meeting of Alcúdia”
Participants: Castellers de Vila de Gràcia, Minyons de Terrassa

October 11, Alcanar (TGN ( ?)) : The “Quinquennals Festivity of Alcanar”
Participants: Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona

October 12: Les Corts (city of Barcelona): The Les Corts Day of Human Towers”
Participants: Capgrossos de Mataró, Castellers de Barcelona, Sagals d’Osona

October 17: Manlleu (BCN): A Day of Human Towers during the Festa Major.
Participants: Marrecs de Salt, Nyerros de la Plana, Tirallongues de Manresa,

October 18: At 13:00 in the Plaça Nova of Alcover (Tarragona): The Day of Human Towers of the Festa Major
Participants: Bordegassos de Vilanova, Xiquets de Valls,

October 18: Romeria de Montserrat (BCN).
Participants: Castellers d’Esparraguera, Castellers de Vilafranca, Moixiganguers d’Igualada, Xicots de Vilafranca,

October 18: At 13:00 in the Plaça Vella of el Vendrell (TGN) ; the Human Towers of the Santa Teresa Trade Fair (Fira de Santa Teresa)
Participants: Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona, Els Nens del Vendrell,

October 18: the 7th Anniversary of the Castellers de la Sagrada Familia (City of Barcelona).
Participants: Castellers de Badalona, Castellers de la Sagrada Familia, Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia,

October 18: The Castellers de Sants Day of Human Towers (City of Barcelona).
Participants: Castellers de Lleida, Castellers de Sants, Minyons de Terrassa,

October 18: in the Plaça Major of Vic (BCN): A Day of Human Towers.
Participants: Castellers de Sabadell, Sagals d’Osona, Xics de Granollers

October 24: The Day of the Falcons of Vilanova (Vilanova i la Geltrú) - their last performance of the 2009 season. The performance parade starts at 18:00 in the plaça de les Cols and will head towards the Rambla principal. It will be followed by a comprehensive show once they reach plaça de la Vila (approximately at 19:00).
Participants: Falcons de Castellcir, Falcons de Vilanova

October 24: The Colla Jove de Sitges Day of Human Towers, at 18:00 in Sitges (BCN).
Participants: Castellers de Sants, Castellers de Vilafranca, Colla Jove de Castellers de Sitges,

October 24: The Sant Narcís Fair of Girona (City of Girona).
Participants: Capgrossos de Mataró, Marrecs de Salt, Minyons de Terrassa,

October 24: in the Plaça Vella of Terrassa (BCN): A Day of Human Towers.
Participants: Castellers de Sant Cugat, Minyons de Terrassa, Sagals d’Osona

October 25: in the Avinguda Mistral (city of Barcelona): A Day of Human Towers. Participants: Castellers de la Sagrada Familia, Castellers de Caldes de Montbui, Castellers del Poble Sec.

October 26: at 13:00 in the Plaça del Blat of Valls (TGN): The teams of Valls round off the season with a last Day of Human Towers.
Participants: Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls,

Festa Major - Town Festivities

October 15-18, el Vendrell (TGN): The Santa Teresa Trade Fair (Fira de Santa Teresa) - with a program full of folkculture.

October 21-26, Valls (TGN): Festa Major of Santa Úrsula.

Other events

October 10, Llorenç del Penedès: At 18:00, there will be a parade of devils (diables), dancing under fire, wearing only underpants, as a protest against the EU proposal to restrict the use of fire in public events, although that is a historically documented element in the Catalan festive tradition.

October 10-12, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (BCN): CavaTast - the annual cava fair and festival.

October 12, Spain: Fiesta de la Hispanidad. A public holiday in the whole state, in Madrid celebrated with military parades.

October 15: Catalonia: The day when Lluís Companys is being commemorated. Early in the morning, the political parties Esquerra and Convergència/Casa Gran (CDC) pay respect at his grave on Montjuïc.

September 18: at 11:00 in the Plaça del Mercat of Vilanova i la Geltrú (BCN): Cursa popular – the annual running competition of the town.

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Yes, I know that I have included events which has already taken place by the time the first version of this post is published. The reason is for this is that I personally participated in the “Diada Albert Salvany”, celebrated on October 3 in Vilanova i la Geltrú, and cannot forgive myself for not having presented this entry on time.

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The Wirdheim.CAT Event Calendar is a summary of events where I will go, or at least could think of going, but can hopefully help other expats and tourists when they explore Catalonia. It is biased towards the Penedès area (including Sitges), but will also list manifestations of popular culture and other activities taking place in Barcelona, along the Costa Daurada and in the rest of the Catalan speaking world.

This entry will be up-dated whenever I learn about new things, since (compared to my native Sweden) here information about what will happen tends to come late. To the greatest extent possible will I link back to official pages (usually in Catalan) for information on time and locations but can not guarantee the correctness of the data presented.

Further information on castells/castellers (human tower) performances can be found under the tag ‘Properes Actuacions‘at the Coordinadora de les Colles Castelleres de Catalunya, or in the ‘Calendari’ at LaMalla.cat/castellers.

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Castellers, Catalonia, Festa Major, Costa Daurada, Expat, Human Towers, Penedès, Sitges, Vilafranca, Vilanova

Vilanova Commemorates the 1934 Catalan Republic

It is not everyday we see the estalada – the flag for the independence of Catalonia – on the town hall of this solidly socialist (PSC) municipality. However, today attention was brought to the role of Vilanova i la Geltrú in the short lived Catalan republic, 75 years ago.

The Second Spanish Republic of those days was fragile and many people worried that conservative political forces would join the army and the church and attempt a coup. (Two years later, those groups united in the alzamiento nacional (national up-rising) and the start of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) was a fact.) In 1934 that fear resulted in manifestations around Spain – called the October revolution (la Revolució d’Octubre) – but here in Vilanova, on October 4, the trade unions went further and pushed through that the estelada be hoisted on the town hall and an independent Catalan Republic be proclaimed. One day later, Lluís Companys did the same for the whole of Catalonia.

The Catalan independence of 1934 lasted only for two days in Barcelona, while in Vilanova troops of the Guardia Civil as well as the republican army needed five days to break the resistance. For that reason, the following repression was harsher here than elsewhere and hundreds of people – among them many representatives of the local government – were brought to court.

This is why almost all political parties had agreed to commemorate this day by again hanging the
estalada on the town hall balcony. The proposal to do so originally came from the CUP (Candidatura d’Unitat Popular – a political party active throughout Catalonia, but only on the municipal level). While I will have it hard to feel comfortable with their left-wing ideology, I share their vision about re-connecting politics with the local people and territory. With a limited number of members they manage to stir up an impressive amount of debate, so I am confident that I will have reason to come back to them.

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Source: Vilanova Digital

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Garraf, Independence, Penedès, PSC, Spain, Vilanova

First Day in a Proper Casteller Shirt

Saturday, October 3, the human tower team Bordegassos de Vilanova for the third time celebrated its late leader (cap de colla) Albert Salvany (a personality on whom I commented shortly last year). This was an important day. For the colla (team), it was an opportunity to return to its established levels of difficulty, which had not been achieved during the last two weeks’ performances, in Valldoreix and Badalona, respectively. For me, this was my fifth performance as a member of the colla, but the first one in my adopted hometown and with my own casteller shirt, in the earthy yellow tone typical for the Bordegassos.



The performance (actuació) took place in the beautiful Plaça de les Cols and we had two visiting colles. The Xicots de Vilafranca (Alt Penedès) built the most advanced human towers: they crowned (carregar) and disassembled (descarregar) a '4 by 7' and a '3 by 7', both 'dismantled via a pillar' (4d7 amb l’agulla i 3d7 amb l’agulla) and then also a '4 de 7' which was “clean” (4d7 net), i.e. without a base (pinya) supporting the lowest two levels (baixos and segons). I formed part of the pinya, which was there, just in case, but which did not touch the construction.

The Castellers d’Esparreguera (Baix Llobregat) seemed very happy with their results: they crowned and dismantled a '4 by 7', a '3 by 7' and a '5 by 6' (4d7, 3d7 i 5d6).



Finally, we, the Bordegassos, started with a '5 by 7' (5d7). Already before this day, had I been in the pinya when a human tower has started to tremble and then collapsed, but what I will remember the most from the 2009 Diada d’Albert Salvany is an emotional experience of the opposite: how we, after the tower had been crowned and the dismantling had begun, felt strong vibrations and received warnings from the outer parts of the pinya that it would fall apart, but how there then was a mighty reaction - the power of a full group of people pressing their chests (pit) inwards – which helped to stabilize the structure. After that nervous opening, we followed up by crowning and dismantling a '4 by 7 dismantled via a pillar' (4d7 amb l’agulla) and a 4 by 7 (4d7).

My wife and children who had come to watch us went home at half time, and therefore missed how we rounded off with a pair of pillars of 5 levels. That was something which the Bordegassos had not accomplished for some time and yet another reason for us to be highly content. We have regained our confidence and it is time to take on new challenges.

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Garraf, Human Towers, Penedès, Vilafranca, Vilanova

On Having Passed the C-level Exam of the Catalan Language

Last week I received an important letter from the Secretaria de Política Lingüística of the Generalitat. I knew that it would reveal the results of my 2009 C-level exam of the Catalan language (Certificat de nivell de suficiència de català - C), and it certainly felt like a victory to see the word apte (pass) next to my name. Now, some days later, I realize that the consequences go beyond that pass.

The registration process and test for the C-level exam is similar to that of level B, which I described last year. The big difference lies in what you can do with the diploma. The C-level does not seem overly attractive when you hear that it is equivalent of having completed the full primary school (ESO) course of Catalan in the modern version of the local school system. However, at the same time, the C-level is the established minimum requirement for most positions in the education and civil service of this autonomous community, and therefore coveted also by older Catalans and - even more - native speakers of Spanish who have moved here.

An example of this is a friend of mine who was born in the same year as I - but here and not in Sweden - and who has checked up which qualifications he needs to become a teacher in case he would lose his job as an engineer. The only thing he lacks is the C-level. This, in my eyes, feels odd since Catalan is his mother toungue, but it is a fact that local people as late as my generation suffer from the aftermath of the ban on using Catalan in schools, firmly in place during the Franco dictatorship. From the perspective of the language, that is nothing but a tragedy. However, for us foreigners, it is also an opportunity much too good to miss. How many other cultures offer newcomers the chance to, with a reasonable but not extreme effort, achieve a language certificate highly valued also by the local inhabitants? In that sense, my exam result confirms that I am not an outsider any longer.

It also stresses that I must not be ashamed of my broken Catalan. From now on, I must stop allowing people to switch to Spanish as soon as I make a mistake. True, my Spanish is still better, but I now have a formal proof that my Catalan is "sufficiently" good. It will not develop further unless I force myself to use it even when I talk about complicated matters. I am aware that more than once will this lead in funny situations where I persist in speaking Catalan to locals as determined to help by answering in Spanish. That fight is the price I will have to pay for proficiency and it is a duty I have to all students of Catalan on lower levels.

Passing the C-level exam will not be the beginning of the end of my Catalan studies. Rather the opposite - in a very refreshing way it marks the end of the beginning. And I feel more motivated than ever.

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Technorati tags: Catalan, Catalonia, Spain, Spanish, Vilanova, Wirdheim

The Grape Harvest Festival of Sitges

If there are two things from the area where we live which are famous on the international level, they must be the idyllic beach resort Sitges, on the one hand, and the D.O. Penedès wines, on the other. They attract different kinds of tourists, but at least once a year they converge: the verema - the grape harvest festival - of Sitges.



In quantity, the coastal comarca Garraf certainly cannot compete with the wine production of the lush Penedès inlands, but especially the town Sant Pere de Ribes is surrounded by vineyards. In neighbouring Sitges, the tradition to celebrate the grape harvest during the third weekend of September is well established – this year saw the 48th edition - and adds yet another element in its hectic festive month between the main Festa Major of Sant Bartomeu, August 24, and the little Festa Major of Santa Tecla, September 23.

The focus of the verema is, in fact, to select the pubilla ('heiress') of the town and all social entities have the right to present a candidate, a girl between 16 and 22 years old. Apparently, it is knowledge about Sitges rather than beauty which determines who will be the winner.

The highlight of the festivity takes place on the Sunday afternoon – when the social entities challenge each other in a spectacular wine treading competition (concurs de trepitjadors de raïm). As soon as the judges have established which team is the winner – in 2009 the folk dancers from l'Associació de Balls Populars won with 22,5 litres – it is time for the pubilla to have her weight measured. This year, Ariadna Olimpia Font, from the Casino Prado, brought home 50 bottles.

For me, la Verema de Sitges was yet another occasion when I felt grateful for having moved to Catalonia. Next year I will bring the family and I will make sure to arrive before the scheduled start of the wine treading - the competition is much shorter than I had expected.


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Festes.org and Vilanova Digital were my main sources for this text.

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Technorati tags: Catalonia, Costa Daurada, Festa Major, Penedès, Sitges