Vilafranca del Penedes in Photos - A Sunday in January 2013

Last Sunday I took a photo workshop and walk through Vilafranca del Penedès (Alt Penedès), organized by La Capsa de Llum. We were not supposed to use Instagram, but I did so anyhow. Here are the results.

'Tres Tombs' Horse Parades Coming to Vilanova and Rest of Penedès and Catalonia

The coming weekend – Friday to Sunday, January 11-13 -, in the cava and wine region Penedès is unusually calm from an event point of view. True, there are a number of running competitions – above the Half Marathon of Sitges (Garraf) – and, in Vilafranca del Penedès (Alt Penedès), sardana dancing and a meeting for people who collect cava bottle caps, but not much more.

Fortunately, two concerts in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Garraf) reassure us that this situation will soon change since they are held to mark the occasion of the Tres Tombs and Sant Antoni celebrations coming Thursday, January 17, when the streets of the town will fill up with the traditional horse parade.

Full cultural agendas in English for the whole of Penedès can be found here.

Attention: Only after having finalized this week’s video, I have learnt that the opening ceremony of the Sant Antoni celebrations in Vilanova i la Geltrú will be followed by performances by the Catalan folk dance ball de cotonines, as well as by giants (gegants), giant mules (mulasses) and the dragon (drac) of Vilanova, after which all groups will parade through the town. I am not sure how I can have missed this event, since it is exactly the kind of traditional activities I love to promote. Well, at least now you know!

Discover Penedès!

Catholic Tradition to Build Nativity Scenes - from a Vilanova Perspective

For the fifth year in a row, our family has stuck to our new Christmas traditions and visited the exhibition of nativity scenes (pessebres) and other dioramas here in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Catalonia).

My favourite work this time was the seaside inspired motif where the town and harbour of Vilanova i la Geltrú has clearly served as inspiration. Next to it there was a big diorama showing the main square of a typical Catalan town - including balconies decorated with flags demanding independence for Catalonia: "In"-"Indep"-"Independència"-"Ja!"

This exhibition is free of charge and until January 17 it can be found at the Associació Pessebrista (C/ Cabanyes, 17): Monday-Saturday: 19.00-20.30; Sundays and holidays: 12.00-14.00 and 18.00-20.30).

Find here my earlier posts about the Cristmas Crib tradition in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Catalonia):

2012 - Catalan Nativity Scenes in Vilanova i la Geltrú - Chirstmas 2011
2010 - Catalan Nativity Scenes – Christmas 2010
2010 - Vilanova and Penedès Inspired Cribs – Christmas 2009
2010 - Church Does Not Object to Pooping in Catalans Christmas Cribs
2009 - ENG: Christmas Cribs with Catalan References – Christmas 2008
2007 - So much to learn - Christmas 2007

Traditional Three Wise Men Parade in Vilanova i la Geltrú

Tonight the Tree Wise Men (Reis Mags or Reis de l'Orient in Catalan) made their arrival in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Catalonia) in a traditional horse parade, starting at the castle of La Geltrú and accompanied by atmospheric folk music on gralles and sacs de gemecs (Catalan bag pipes).

The Biblical Magi Arrive in Igualada and the Rest of Barcelona

The coming weekend – and just before schools start again - it is time for the children of Catalonia to receive the main part of their Christmas gifts. In most places, in the morning of January 6, they will find out what the Three Wise Men (Biblical Magi) have brought to their houses during the night. Not so in Igualada (Anoia): Here the first gifts are handed over already in the evening before, by some 800 pages climbing up to all individual balconies on big ladders.

Reis Mags d’Igualada is the most spectacular Three Wise Men Parade in Catalonia and the rest of Spain but there will be local versions in just about any town, eg. Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cubelles (Garraf), Vilafranca del Penedès and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Alt Penedès), El Vendrell, Calafell and Cunit (Baix Penedès) and Piera, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Vilanova del Camí (Anoia)

Full events calendars in English for these four comarques can be found here.

Fascinating Gothic Ruins of 'Castell de Montsoriu' in Arbúcies (Girona)

Near the little town of Arbúcies in La Selva (Girona, Catalonia) we find the ruins of Castell de Montsoriu - described as the most important Gothic style castle in the whole of Catalonia. Written records let us know that there was a building on this mountain more than 1.000 years ago, that, in 1285, it was considered "one of the most beautiful and noble (castles) of the world" and that it was abandoned some 500 years ago.

Since this old castle is now undergoing a heavy restoration, I would suggest that you visit it now. As soon as the financial crisis is over and the authorities again have funds for public works, I fear that the still fascinating ruins will be converted into a perfect Disney style fairy tale fortress...

To reach Castell de Montsoriu you need to arrive by car. The last three kilometers up to the castle you need to walk, but in our group we had several children and even a five-year-old made the whole distance by herself.

- - -
We visited Castell de Montsoriu during our recent stay at El Buxaus in Arbúcies.

New Year's Eve at 'Masia El Buxaus' in Arbúcies (Girona)

A certain part of the Swedish community in Barcelona has made it a tradition to - every now and then -, go to an old Catalan farm house (masia) and spend a few days together. This time, for New Year's Eve, we went to Arbúcies in the Girona part of the Nature Reserve Montseny. This is an area with a great scenery and wonderful opportunities for running and long walks - for our part we made a visit to the castle ruins of Castell de Monsoriu.

We stayed at El Buxaus and were all very content with the accommodation, hospitality and - above all -, artisan Catalan food. And our children loved to be allowed to help out collecting fresh eggs and feeding the chicken and donkeys in the morning. 

- - - 

El Buxaus is not a casa rural with self-catering; here you are expected to order what might want to eat or drink from the owners. The gravel road which takes you there is admittedly quite long and bumpy, but the house is easy to find if you follow the instructions provided by the owners.