National Holiday in Catalunya und Nationalfeiertag Catalunya -11th September 2007.
With all the activities of family visiting over the summer break I would have completely forgotten tomorrow is the Official National Holiday of Catalunya, had I not picked up my first copy of “Caminos” in Murrays busy cafe´in Sabeco, Tortosa.
So do your shopping today. Tomorrow everything may be shut!
The event calendar or veranstaltungskalender of “Caminos Costa Daurada” is up to date and enlightening. They report there will be various flag hoisting events with “sardanes” (Not Sardines I presume, Mr.Watson?) www.los-caminos.com
In L´Hospitalet -look for the Plaça de Catalunya (most towns in Catalonia have one) and head there for first sombreness and then festivity. Afterwards. you can stroll along their gorgeous sandy beaches and dip your toes into the cooling waters of the Mediterranean.
Chocoholics can embrace the flag ceremony in the mountains of Castell-Vandellos with “hissen den flage und Xocolatada”- the flag is still made of traditional material and design of Catalonia and not chocolate. So how do flags and chocolate go together? Half the fun of the day is finding out so why not venture out to a neighbouring region, meet new friends and try something different.
Don´t lie in tomorrow! These things get under way at 10.45 in L´Ampolla on the coast from the Pl. Manel Ferre´. The Sardanes traditional dance (traditionelle tanze mit ) with “Els Dansaires del Penedes” and “la Cobla Principal de Tarrragona”.
The Sardanes is a circle dance and the group can be as large as you like.So do not be surprised if you coached into joining in.
The Costa delights of Salou is not left out. Plaça del Carrilet will see the Sardanes with “Cobla Reus” .
“La Cobla” is not “cobblers” it is all a wind band (a cobla) about music to accompany the dance of Sardana played with 12 typical instruments (Four typical Catalan one´s are tenore, tible, tambori´, flabiol and the more usual trumpet, fiscorn and double base).
Today 130 plus coblas are alive and will be palying to their hearts content in Spanish Catalonia and the French Catalonia. There is even one Cobla in Holland – Cobla La Principal d’Amsterdam.
So lots of fun about to round off the summer season before the leaves start falling and autumn blows in .
But please remember in the history and culture of our neighbours, towns and Catalonians this is a very important day to them.So read more about the history of Catalonia> http://www.odontocat.com/angles/catalonia.htm
So embrace it! Respect it! Join in singing their anthem – we are Expats -but this is our anthem too, now
Catalunya, triomfant,
tornarà a ser rica i plena!
Endarrera aquesta gent
tan ufana i tan superba!
Bon cop de falç!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
Bon cop de falç!
Ara és hora, segadors!
Ara és hora d’estar alerta!
Per quan vingui un altre juny
esmolem ben bé les eines!
(tornada)
Que tremoli l’enemic
en veient la nostra ensenya:
com fem caure espigues d’or,
quan convé seguem cadenes!
(tornada)
hi there Ebro Voice
have you reviwed my book called The Essential Guide to Coarse Fishing in Spain published by Santana Books?
It contains over 40 pages on fishing the Ebro River
You may request a copy from Alan Roberts at Santana Books in Mijas
all the best phil pembroke