Catalonia & Spain

Dani ErbàsLluc EsquirolDiego PenalvaJoan BenaigesChus Antoñanzas

Important places of Catalonia & Spain

The Sagrada FamiliaIt is the last unfinished Gaudi and it has become the symbol of Barcelona. La Sagrada Familia is construyendo Ido has always thanks to them and today's donatives them are provenientes income of the visitors that would allow them to continue with the works.  The Cathedral of the Holy Family can be visited from 9:00 am las las 18:00 in the morning until late in the winter and timetable to 20:00 pm in the summer timetable.

Casa Batllo.Gaudí was commissioned the complete renovation of this property Property Josep Batllo and Casanovas, a textile industrialist, and Labor in this house from 1904 Until 1906, raising well One of the most striking buildings and special Barcelona. Almond In conjunction with the House and the Lion House Morera, Casa Batllo is part of the complex the Isla de la Discordia '. Located in Paseo de Gracia No 43, Casa Batllo can visitarse Monday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 20:00 pm. 

Plaza de EspañaWith its aesthetics a bit of date, Plaza de España has earned the heart of the madrileños and has become one of the meeting place for youth and tourists, specially these sunny days, for tumbarse in your lawn and enjoy the view of the famous sculpture of Don Quixote who preside square and also the view of the buildings with Spain and Madrid, the latter, with its 142 meter high it conviertieron years during the height of most building Concrete Europe and an icon of Spain openness.

El TeideThis summit, the tallest in Spain is located in the Canary Islands. In the southern part of the park there is a planted area of rocks curiosas, as Chinclado is on a rocky Formations of the most emblematic and curiosas origenvolcánico of the island of Tenerife. The Parque Nacional del Teide It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Casa Batllo.Gaudí was commissioned the complete renovation of this property Property Josep Batllo and Casanovas, a textile industrialist, and Labor in this house from 1904 Until 1906, raising well One of the most striking buildings and special Barcelona. Almond In conjunction with the House and the Lion House Morera, Casa Batllo is part of the complex the Isla de la Discordia '. Located in Paseo de Gracia No 43, Casa Batllo can visitarse Monday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 20:00 pm. 

Plaza de EspañaWith its aesthetics a bit of date, Plaza de España has earned the heart of the madrileños and has become one of the meeting place for youth and tourists, specially these sunny days, for tumbarse in your lawn and enjoy the view of the famous sculpture of Don Quixote who preside square and also the view of the buildings with Spain and Madrid, the latter, with its 142 meter high it conviertieron years during the height of most building Concrete Europe and an icon of Spain openness.

El TeideThis summit, the tallest in Spain is located in the Canary Islands. In the southern part of the park there is a planted area of rocks curiosas, as Chinclado is on a rocky Formations of the most emblematic and curiosas origenvolcánico of the island of Tenerife. The Parque Nacional del Teide It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Gastronomy in Catalonia

• As with nearly all cultures, Catalonian cooking has great character. Its innovative cooking often looking back to history for inspiration. Although ultimately Mediterranean, Catalonia has been influenced by various cultures over the centuries: the Greeks, Romans, the Italians in the eighteenth century and the French have all left their mark on this complex cuisine. Catalonia has absorbed the best of each country and created a culinary package which forms part of the popular wisdom of the region.

• The Catalonian cuisine uses the same ingredients as in other Mediterranean regions: tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil (particularly those of the Denomination of Origin Garrigues and Siurana, prepared using the variety of olive called the "arbequina"), onions, cod… The traveller is sometimes reminded of dishes from Provence, Rosellon, Naples or Sicily: cities which invaded the Kingdom of Aragon of which modern Catalonia formed part.

Introduction

• The quality of the best lean pork, careful manufacture and the climatic conditions of the Barcelona county of La Plana de Vic, which hugely influence its curing, give the Vic salchichón sausage its unmistakable aroma and flavour which have won it the international fame it deserves.

• To make it, meat and bacon from top-quality white pigs is used together with white and black pepper and salt, all macerated for at least 48 hours and packed in natural skins. The nearby Montseny mountains, which generate a gentle but continuous breeze and cause a great deal of mist, influence the curing of the pieces for 45 days, during which they acquire the sensory qualities that have made them so highly prized. The mixture is perfectly bound together and is very aromatic and tasty. They are presented in candle shapes, 7-8cm in diameter and between 50 and 60cm long.

Vic salchichón sausage

• “Panellets” are a traditional sweet from Cataluña, prepared for “Dia de Todos los Santos” or All Saints Day and served with moscatel or “cava,” Spanish sparkling wine. It is made of equal parts ground almonds and sugar, formed into balls and decorated with pine nuts, rolled in cocoa powder, candied cherries or coconut flakes. They can also be flavored with coffee or cinnamon. The most popular type is the one rolled in pine nuts.

Panellets

• Now you can make the butifarra it's time for a recipe that uses them. Sausages have an affinity with beans - think Toulouse in a cassoulet, chorizo with chickpeas or even a tin of Heinz all day breakfast (maybe) - and this dish follows in that tradition. One minor difference with butifarra amb mongetes though is the sausages aren't cooked in the beans and the beans are fried, something I've never before seen as an end to boiled beans.

• Mongetes are a Catalan white bean, I have seen haricot mentioned on the packaging along with the Catalunyan name but they're a lot larger than haricot I've seen over here.

The Botifarra with mongetes

• Crema Catalana or Catalan Cream is the Catalan name and version of the French dessert, crème brulée. In fact, many regions lay claim to the origin of the dessert. Wherever it originated, enjoy and let it dissolve in your mouth! It is a great dessert for Spring, since it is also called Crema de Sant Josep, or St. Joseph’s cream, traditionally prepared on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day, the Spanish equivalent of Father’s Day in the USA.

Catalan Cream

• Laster week here in Barcelona, known as ´Semana Santa´ (Holy Week), would not be complete without making the ´Mona de Pascua´ cake, ´Mona´, a Moroccan term meaning gift.

• Traditionally given by a godparents to their godchildren at Easter, the original cake is like a gigantic doughnut containing boiled eggs. The exact amount of eggs depends on the age of the godchild.

Easter egg

FAUNA OF CATALONIA

LLOP GRIS (GREY WOLF)

• The wolf is a mammal of the order Carnivora. The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a descendant of the wolf, and is considered a subspecies of the wolf, the most important differences between them are (in the case of the wolf) ears a bit more rightwing over the nose, a very strong jaws and claws longer, though, as there are a variety of wolves, and especially of dog breeds, it is difficult to clarify the differences.

L’ÓS BRU (BROWN BEAR)

• The brown bear is almost unmistakable:

• Its size, thick legs, head, too big and strong and round ears, along with fur which is mostly brown, but can get very dark shades present, are the main features to identify the species.

FLORA OF SPAIN

• EXAMPLES:

Pine tree

Blockhead

The Rockrose

Oak tree

Black pine

FLORA OF CATALONIA

• EXAMPLES:Oak tree Bugle

Water plantain

Alyssum

Kidneywort

Wind flower

Common burdock

FESTIVITIES OF CATALONIA

CASTELLERSA castell is a human tower built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia. At these festivals, several colles castelleres or teams often succeed in building and dismantling

a tower's structure.

CASTANYADA

• The Castanyada and the Magosto are popular festivals, celebrated in Catalonia and Galicia respectively, mainly on All Saints' Day.

Saint George's Day

• Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George. It is celebrated by various Christian churches and by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. Saint George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303.