River Ebro Babble

Dancing with Devils -The Catalan Correfoc

Dena — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:02:39 +0000

It was our first Fiesta Mayor in Catalonia. 10 days of party and entertainment and tonight there was to be something called a “Correfoc”. There was an air of anticipation as we stood waiting with the crowds. Suddenly, all the street lights were extinguished and we heard drums in the distance. My skin prickled! A [...]

Three Visions, One World – The Mora Morisca

Dena — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:35:23 +0000

“Three Visions, One World” is the slogan associated with the Mora Morisca festival held each year in Mora d’Ebre. I love the Morisca! It has to be one of my favourite weekends! Banners fluttering across the streets depict a cross, a moon and a star. Over there I see a group of medieval soldiers. And [...]

Miravet Cherry Fiesta

Dena — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:00:08 +0000

Sunday June 13th Miravet holds its 15th Cherry Fiesta in the large square by the riverside -Plaza del Arenal. Its fabulous location by the River Ebro, the Castle of Miravet looking down from above and great atmosphere makes this a popular fiesta for both tourists and residents of Miravet and the surrounding villages. On the [...]

Forget Barcelona -Come to Tarragona!

Dena — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:20:10 +0000

Chances are that if you’ve been to Catalonia you went to either to Barcelona or perhaps the Spanish Pyrenees. Now don’t get me wrong -I love Barcelona and the Pyrenees! But, their popularity tends to overshadow the rest of Catalonia which is a pity because the Province of Tarragona in the Southern part of Catalonia [...]

So many fiestas – not enough time!

Dena — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:54:02 +0000

I have a dilemma this weekend. It is May 1st tomorrow and it is a holiday here. No shops open Saturday or Sunday! That’s not my problem though. The difficulty is trying to decide what I’m going to do because there are so many things happening this weekend. Tomorrow morning there is the annual guided [...]

Wine Fair in Falset – the Gateway to the Priorat

Dena — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:58:32 +0000

This weekend 1st and 2nd of May is the annual wine fair in Falset. Falset is a pretty market town of barely 3000 inhabitants which is the capital of the Priorat region. During this weekend it becomes a showcase for the wines of the Priorat and Montsant and is attended by professionals in the industry [...]

New flight routes for Southern Catalonia

Dena — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:36:42 +0000

A few more flight options are now available into Southern Catalonia. The brand new airport Lleida -Alguaire situated about 15km North of Lleida was officially opened January 2010. The airline Vueling operated the first passenger flight from there to Paris on 5th February. Vueling will also be operating routes to Palma Mallorca. Ryanair will also [...]

Calҫotada- The Onion Fiesta! Mes que una ceba!

Dena — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:58:58 +0000

I’m so looking forward to weekend! We have been invited to a “Calҫotada -a Catalan Onion Fiesta. A calҫot is a long thin onion – a bit like a spring onion but about the size of a leek! It is unique to Catalonia and (I’m fairly sure) originated here in Tarragona. At this time of [...]

The Ebro Delta – a Must for Birders

Dena — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:53:51 +0000

The first time I visited the Delta I was uninspired. I’m not really a lover of flat-lands, I’m a mountain person, so my impression was of a featurless and boring landscape. But if you visit at different seasons it grows on you. When the brown and muddy rice paddies are flooded in the Spring the [...]

Holiday Dress Codes – What to Wear and Where

Dena — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:13:30 +0000

Hitting the news yesterday was the story about Tesco introducing a shoppers dress code in a supermarket near Cardiff. Apparently it has become the trend to wear pyjamas -outdoors- during the day! Living in Spain we have missed out (if that’s the right term!) on this development. But it did bring to mind the subject [...]