JELLYFISH, INHABITANTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

It has been another sweltering night, so The Grandma has got up early and has headed to the Port of Barcelona -where Claire Fontaine was waiting for her- to board her small boat, and after slathering on sunscreen, they have sailed 25 nautical miles (about 46 km) to Sitges -that fascinating town in the Garraf county- intending to spend the day enjoying its beaches, cuisine, beauty and its indiano mansions, which recall the history of Catalans overseas.

Tomorrow morning, The Grandma has to work in Castelldefels, so they will set off on the return journey early. They will stop at Port Ginesta, and while The Grandma attends her training session, Claire will enjoy the beaches of the neighbouring town -this time, in the Baix Llobregat area, before returning to Barcelona.

During the trip, they have enjoyed the stunning spectacle of the Barcelona coastline as seen from the sea and they have been accompanied by some very special travel companions: dozens of jellyfish. Taking advantage of the high temperatures and sea currents, these creatures have been appearing in large numbers recently along the beaches of el Barcelonès, el Baix Llobregat, and el Garraf areas. 

Every summer, thousands of people visiting the Mediterranean coast are surprised -or alarmed- by the appearance of jellyfish drifting close to the shore. Beaches may be temporarily closed, warning flags raised, and swimmers advised to stay out of the water. Yet jellyfish are not newcomers to the Mediterranean. They have inhabited these waters for millions of years and play an important role in marine ecosystems.

So why do they suddenly appear in such large numbers along our beaches? Are there really more jellyfish than in the past, or are we simply noticing them more? The answer lies in a fascinating combination of ocean currents, weather conditions, marine ecology, climate change, and human activity.

Jellyfish are among the oldest animals on Earth. Their ancestors appeared more than 500 million years ago, long before dinosaurs walked the planet. Despite their simple appearance, jellyfish are highly successful marine organisms that have survived multiple mass extinctions.

The Mediterranean Sea hosts dozens of jellyfish species, although only a handful are commonly encountered by beachgoers. Along the Catalan coast and much of the western Mediterranean, the most familiar species include the mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca), the fried-egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata), the barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo), and the compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella). Each species has different habits, preferred temperatures, and ecological roles. Some possess powerful stings, while others are almost harmless to humans.

To understand why jellyfish suddenly appear in large numbers, it is important to understand their life cycle. Most jellyfish alternate between two completely different forms. One stage is a tiny polyp attached to rocks, harbour walls, shells, or other hard surfaces. The other is the familiar free-swimming jellyfish, known as the medusa.

When environmental conditions become favourable -particularly water temperature and food availability- the polyps reproduce, releasing many young jellyfish into the sea. Within weeks or months, these tiny organisms grow into adult jellyfish capable of reproducing themselves. This means that what people observe on beaches is only the final stage of a much longer biological process that has often begun months earlier.

Jellyfish are surprisingly poor swimmers. Although they can pulsate their umbrella-shaped bodies to move vertically or make small adjustments, they cannot swim against strong currents. In practice, they are largely transported by the sea itself.

The Mediterranean is a dynamic environment where surface currents constantly move water masses across large distances. These currents can carry jellyfish dozens or even hundreds of kilometres from where they originated.

Along the Catalan coast, prevailing winds often determine whether jellyfish remain offshore or are pushed towards beaches. When persistent onshore winds blow for several days, surface waters carrying jellyfish gradually move landward. As a result, beaches that were completely free of jellyfish one day may experience large numbers only a few days later. Conversely, offshore winds may quickly remove them from coastal waters.

Weather conditions also play an important role. Strong storms may break up offshore jellyfish aggregations and redistribute them across coastal waters. Changes in atmospheric pressure, wave action, and wind direction can all influence where jellyfish eventually appear. Interestingly, many large beach strandings occur after periods of calm weather followed by changing winds. This explains why jellyfish appearances can seem unpredictable even though they often follow well-understood oceanographic processes.

Climate change is one of the factors receiving the greatest scientific attention. The Mediterranean is warming faster than many other seas around the world. Sea surface temperatures have increased significantly during recent decades, and marine heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent.

Warmer waters can benefit certain jellyfish species in several ways:

-Longer reproductive seasons.

-Faster growth rates.

-Higher survival of juvenile stages.

-Expansion into areas that were previously too cold.

However, scientists emphasize that climate change alone does not explain every jellyfish bloom. It is one contributing factor among several interacting processes.

Jellyfish feed mainly on zooplankton, fish eggs, fish larvae, and tiny crustaceans. When plankton populations increase, jellyfish have abundant food available, allowing them to grow rapidly and reproduce successfully. Nutrient-rich waters -sometimes enriched by river runoff or human activities- can stimulate plankton growth, indirectly benefiting jellyfish populations. This ecological chain illustrates how changes at the microscopic level may eventually become visible to beach visitors.

Another important factor may be overfishing. Many commercial fish species consume plankton or compete directly with jellyfish for food. Others prey on juvenile jellyfish. When fish populations decline due to intensive fishing, competition decreases and jellyfish may gain an ecological advantage. Although the relationship is complex and varies between regions, many marine biologists consider overfishing one of the possible drivers behind increasing jellyfish blooms in some Mediterranean areas.

Modern coastlines contain many artificial structures such as marinas, breakwaters, piers, and harbour walls. These hard surfaces provide ideal places for jellyfish polyps to attach and reproduce. As coastal development expands, the number of suitable habitats for polyps also increases. This hidden stage of the life cycle often goes unnoticed because polyps measure only a few millimetres and resemble tiny sea anemones.

No two summers are exactly alike. A year with abundant jellyfish usually results from several favourable conditions occurring simultaneously:

-Successful reproduction during spring.

-Warm sea temperatures.

-Plenty of plankton.

-Persistent winds carrying jellyfish towards the coast.

-Ocean currents concentrating them near beaches.

If one or more of these factors are absent, jellyfish numbers may remain relatively low. This is why one summer may experience widespread blooms while the following year has very few jellyfish despite similar temperatures.

This remains one of marine biology's most debated questions: Are jellyfish increasing?

Some long-term studies suggest that jellyfish blooms have become more frequent in certain regions of the Mediterranean. Other researchers argue that natural population cycles have always existed and that improved monitoring, satellite observations, and increased public reporting make blooms appear more common than they once seemed. Most scientists agree on one point: local increases are real, but there is no universal trend affecting every part of the world's oceans equally.

Despite their reputation, jellyfish are valuable members of marine ecosystems. They serve as food for loggerhead sea turtles, ocean sunfish, some seabirds, and numerous fish species. Young fish often shelter among their tentacles for protection from predators. When jellyfish die, their bodies sink to the seabed, transporting organic matter that supports deep-sea communities. Rather than being merely a nuisance for swimmers, jellyfish contribute to the health and complexity of marine food webs.

Complete elimination of jellyfish from Mediterranean beaches is neither possible nor desirable. Instead, scientists focus on monitoring environmental conditions and predicting blooms using satellite observations, oceanographic models, weather forecasts, and citizen science initiatives.

In Catalonia, organizations monitor jellyfish throughout the bathing season, helping local authorities provide timely information to the public. By understanding how currents, winds, climate, ecosystems, and human activities interact, we gain a clearer picture of why jellyfish appear on our shores.

Far from being mysterious invaders, jellyfish are natural inhabitants of the Mediterranean, carried by the sea and responding to environmental changes. Their seasonal arrival reminds us that even seemingly simple marine creatures are part of an intricate ecological system whose balance increasingly depends on how humans care for the oceans.

More information: Orca

 A jellyfish, if you watch it long enough, 
begins to look like a heart beating. 
It doesn't matter what kind... 
like a ghost heart 
-a heart you can see right through, 
right into some other world.

Ali Benjamin

'MAR I CEL' BY ANGEL GUIMERÀ, SAÏD & BLANCA'S STORY

The heatwave seems endless, and that is not good news for older people like The Grandma. These days, she tries to stay indoors as much as possible, keep well-hydrated, and rest near the air conditioner -her best friend this summer.

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Àngel Guimerà, one of the great Catalan writers of the 19th century, whose spectacular works The Grandma greatly admires.

So, to beat the heat and pay tribute to Guimerà, The Grandma has been reading Mar i Cel (Sea and Sky), a fascinating work about a love story between a Muslim pirate and a Christian slave, a story that went on to become the most successful musical in the Catalan language.

Mar i Cel is a play written by Àngel Guimerà in 1888, first performed at the Romea Theatre in Barcelona on the evening of 7 February of the same year.

It is a romantic tragedy written during the first phase of Guimerà's career as a writer, which lasted until 1890. The play is written in verse and belongs to the historical-romantic genre. It already showcases the main characteristics of his theater, such as the internal conflicts of the characters, who navigate romantic settings.

The action of Mar i Cel takes place on the high seas of the Mediterranean during the first half of the 17th century. The play narrates the impossible love between a Muslim pirate and a Christian girl.

The play is structured in three acts and maintains the unity of place, as all three acts are set in the cabin of the corsairs' ship. Regarding language, the play is written in blank decasyllabic verse (without rhyme), which requires a declamatory style and an emphatic tone, and prominently features the use of hyperbaton. Within the dialogues, and especially in the monologues, there are many images (in the form of metaphors and similes) of high poetic value. However, in the rapid dialogues, the verse is broken (over two or more lines), making the style closer to colloquialism. The use of exclamations and colloquial expressions further adds to this conversational tone.

The action takes place in 1629. Saïd is the captain of a ship of Algerian pirates who have taken a group of Christians prisoner after attacking their vessel. Saïd, like Guimerà himself, is of mixed heritage. His father was Muslim, and his mother Christian; they lived peacefully on the Iberian Peninsula. His parents were killed during the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609, prompting Saïd to seek revenge, as his mother urged him before dying: Avenge us!

Saïd, wounded after boarding and capturing a Christian ship, orders that a Christian girl be brought to him to treat his injuries. This girl is Blanca, the only woman among the prisoners, who had been cloistered in a convent since childhood and was on her way to Barcelona to take her vows as a nun before the attack. The other Christian prisoners include Carles, Blanca's father and a high-ranking military officer; Ferran, the captain of the Christian ship and Blanca's cousin, secretly in love with her since childhood; and other sailors. Their fate is to be sold as slaves, Carles to be ransomed, and Blanca to join the harem of the ruler of Algiers -a destiny she is willing to die to avoid.

Grateful for Blanca's care, Saïd grants her more privileges than the other prisoners and eventually falls in love with her. When Saïd recounts the tragic story of his parents in a dramatic monologue, Blanca is moved to tears. To atone for the guilt of feeling compassion for an infidel, she plans to kill him with a dagger while he sleeps. However, she cannot go through with it, and when Saïd wakes up, he offers his chest for her to strike but faints instead.

In the second act, Blanca is confused by the new emotions she feels for Saïd, while Saïd secretly harbors growing affection and passion for her, revealed through his jealousy upon suspecting a relationship between Blanca and Ferran. Once Saïd confirms there is nothing between them, an impossible love blooms between Saïd and Blanca. They belong to different and opposing worlds, and they know their love will be condemned by all.

Joanot, a renegade Christian in Saïd's crew, becomes the turning point. A fugitive from justice who joined the Muslims, Joanot struggles with the contradictions of abandoning his faith and seeks reconciliation with it. To win the Christians' favor, he decides to free the prisoners, who kill all the pirates except Saïd and take control of the ship.

In the third act, Blanca stands guard outside the cabin where Saïd is held to protect him, threatening to stab herself if anyone harms him. Carles, Blanca's father, disowns her upon discovering her love for a Muslim. There are two attempts to save Saïd: first, Joanot offers to sacrifice himself by pretending to be Saïd so the latter can escape, hoping to reconcile with his faith and have prayers said for his soul. Later, Ferran, who secretly admires his adversary and understands that his cousin was never meant to be a nun, prepares a rowboat for Saïd to escape by night.

However, at the last moment, Carles appears and shoots Saïd, but Blanca steps in to shield him and takes the bullet instead. She dies from her father's shot, and Saïd, in despair, throws himself into the sea with Blanca, and they die together. The death of the two protagonists is the only way they can be united in love. They live in two opposing worlds -one the sea, the other the sky- which only meet at the horizon that is death.

The play inspired a musical produced by Dagoll-Dagom, Mar i Cel.

More information: Àngel Guimerà, The Great Writer From Tenerife

No ets esclava de res

ni ningú et comprarà. 
Seràs lliure.

You are not a slave to anything, 

and no one will buy you. 
You will be free.

Mar i Cel, Àngel Guimerà

HOT SUMMER STREETS & THE PAVEMENTS ARE BURNING

Hot summer streets and the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile but the air is so heavy and dry
Strange voices are sayin' (what did they say?)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort, this heat has got right out of hand

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel summer
Leavin' me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel summer
Now you're gone

The city is crowded, my friends are away
And I'm on my own
It's too hot to handle, so I got to get up and go

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel summer
Leavin' me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel summer
Now you're gone
Gonna feel only it was

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel summer
(Leavin' me) leavin' me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel summer
Now you're gone

It's a cruel, cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, cruel summer
Now you're gone
You're not the only one

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel summer
(Leavin' me) leavin' me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel summer
Now you're gone
You're not the only one

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel summer
(Leavin' me) leavin' me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel summer
Now you're gone
You're not the only one

It's a cruel...

 The city is crowded, my friends are away
And I'm on my own
It's too hot to handle, so I got to get up and go.

Bananarama 

VALL DE CARME, BIRDWATCHING & HISTORY IN L'ANOIA

Today, The Grandma has visited Carme, a lovely town in the Anoia county where various bird species can be observed, including swallows.

Carme is a municipality in the comarca of the Anoia in Catalonia. The town is in the middle of a valley, which is surrounded by the Orpinell range (751 m.) and the other by the Collbàs range (544 m.). 

The village is at the bottom of the valley and is surrounded by forests. The capital of the county of Anoia, Igualada, is just ten kilometers from the village, while other municipalities like La Pobla de Claramunt or Capellades are about five kilometers from the village. Currently the village has approximately 800 inhabitants, but in holiday seasons this figure may be slightly increased.

It is believed the town was founded at the end of the Middle Ages, although the first historical documents of the town speak of the late seventeenth century. At the time of the Arab conquest and during the same average age (10th and 11 centuries), much of Catalonia was partially occupied by Arabs. This caused the middle of the country to form a series of fortifications in order to monitor the progress of Arabs to Europe today. This set of fortifications are known as the border castles and correspond to a fictitious line drawn through the current central Catalonia allowing visually dominate a vast territory and defend it quickly and efficiently. Some castles then be visited on route border castles of the Middle Ages along the Catalan territory. The Anoia county is one of the most preserved castles and small fortresses, and allows for a very similar to the reality of that time. One of the best preserved and restored castles is the La Pobla de Claramunt, located five kilometers from the town of Carme.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Carme underwent a major demographic and economic growth and during that growth, a new religious temple was built. Currently, this is the village church, where they celebrate the traditional local and national festivals of the village, along with religious activities.

Carme's climate is due to its location and topography. It has many hot summers (25-40°C) and very cold winters in extremely cold. Half of the rainfall is concentrated in the autumn but also in spring it rains frequently. In winter snow thickness episodes live media, so despite not having much altitude valley was cold and the accumulated snow level down in this area compared to other towns like La Laguna.

Carme is located in the middle of a valley, which affords a variety biological and mineral. In fact Carme and surrounding stand for a special occasion; the fact is that due to the geographical position of the valley, we find in these different climates and vegetation. We can find the weather riverside the Mediterranean or dry, all present and well characterized. This confluence cause the formation of a small microclimate in the valley of Carme, which creates a very special phenomenon in the valley. In the midst of this special climate, individuals are more comfortable there are some birds that are in this space weather and vegetation ideal for playback. 

In the Valley of Carme, there are more than 50 different bird species and up to 85. These could highlight the executioner, the shrike, cornell black or swallow.

More information: NiCHE

 One swallow does not make a summer, 
but one skein of geese, 
cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring.

Aldo Leopold

UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE, TEACHING JAPAN TO SEE ITSELF

Today, The Grandma has dedicated her day to drawing, one of her great pleasures. Drawing is a very personal art form, and The Grandma greatly admires great Japanese artists like Utagawa Hiroshige.

Few artists have shaped the way a nation sees itself as profoundly as Utagawa Hiroshige, born Andō Tokutarō in Edo (modern Tokyo) in 1797.

Although he lived during Japan's Edo period, his influence reaches far beyond the nineteenth century, continuing to shape Japanese aesthetics, design, photography, animation, and even contemporary tourism.

Together with Hokusai and Utamaro, Hiroshige stands among the greatest masters of ukiyo-e, the famous Japanese woodblock prints that captured the beauty of everyday life. Yet while many ukiyo-e artists focused primarily on actors, courtesans, or urban entertainment, Hiroshige transformed the landscape into the true protagonist of Japanese art.

Hiroshige was not simply painting mountains, rivers, and villages. He was capturing atmosphere. Rain falling over a bridge. Snow covering a quiet street. Morning mist rising from a valley. Travellers walking along a lonely road. His works rarely celebrate dramatic events. Instead, they invite viewers to appreciate fleeting moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.

This sensitivity reflects one of the deepest aspects of Japanese culture: beauty is often found in impermanence rather than permanence. Rather than dominating nature, humans exist peacefully within it. This idea resonates with concepts such as mono no aware -the gentle awareness that everything is temporary- and wabi-sabi, the appreciation of simplicity and imperfect beauty.

Hiroshige's greatest masterpiece is undoubtedly The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, published during the 1830s. The Tōkaidō Road connected Edo with Kyoto and was the most important route in Japan. Hiroshige travelled along it, producing a series of prints depicting travellers, inns, villages, mountains, rivers and changing weather.

Rather than creating a geographical record, he offered an emotional journey through Japan. Each print tells a small story. Some depict merchants caught in the rain. Others show fishermen, pilgrims, farmers or ordinary travellers resting after a long day's walk. For many Japanese people, these images became visual memories of places they had never visited.

One of Hiroshige's greatest innovations was his extraordinary depiction of weather. Few artists before him represented: sudden summer storms; heavy snowfall; dense morning fog; moonlit nights; brilliant sunsets; changing seasons. Nature becomes almost alive. Rain is not simply painted -it falls. Snow does not merely cover the landscape -it creates silence. Wind becomes visible through bending trees and fluttering clothing. These subtle effects would later fascinate Western artists.

When Japan opened to international trade in the nineteenth century, Hiroshige's prints arrived in Europe and sparked what became known as Japonisme.

Artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degasa and James McNeill Whistler were deeply inspired by his compositions. Van Gogh even copied several Hiroshige prints almost brushstroke for brushstroke, fascinated by their bold colours, unusual perspectives and flattened compositions. Without Hiroshige, Impressionism -and especially Post-Impressionism- might have looked very different.

Although more than 160 years have passed since his death, Hiroshige remains deeply present in Japanese culture. His influence can be seen everywhere.

Japanese posters, packaging, book covers and advertising frequently borrow his clean compositions and balanced use of empty space. Minimalism, now associated with Japanese design worldwide, owes much to the visual language developed by artists like Hiroshige.

Many anime backgrounds unconsciously echo Hiroshige's landscapes. Directors such as Hayao Miyazaki often create environments where nature is not merely scenery but an emotional presence. Quiet rivers, distant mountains, forests wrapped in mist, changing skies and seasonal transitions all recall Hiroshige's poetic vision.

Japanese photographers frequently seek the same balance between human activity and landscape. Instead of spectacular scenery, they often capture everyday beauty—the very approach Hiroshige pioneered.

Many travellers still follow the historic Tōkaidō route today. Museums, guidebooks and cultural trails continue to celebrate the locations immortalised in Hiroshige's prints, allowing visitors to compare nineteenth-century landscapes with modern Japan. His work has become a bridge between historical memory and contemporary travel.

Perhaps Hiroshige's greatest achievement is that his art remains remarkably modern. His prints rarely depict famous historical events. Instead, they celebrate ordinary people living ordinary lives. A fisherman. A traveller. Children crossing a bridge. Snow falling on a village. Moments that could easily pass unnoticed become unforgettable. In an age dominated by speed, noise and constant stimulation, Hiroshige reminds us that beauty often lies in slowing down and observing the world around us.

Today, Hiroshige is regarded not simply as one of Japan's greatest artists but as one of the world's greatest landscape printmakers. His work continues to inspire painters, illustrators, architects, filmmakers, photographers and designers across the globe. More importantly, he helped define a distinctly Japanese way of seeing nature -not as something to conquer, but as something to live alongside. That vision continues to resonate in contemporary Japan, where seasonal change, respect for the landscape and appreciation of fleeting beauty remain central to everyday life. More than a century and a half after his death, Andō Tokutarō -known to history as Utagawa Hiroshige- still teaches us that the most extraordinary scenes are often the quietest ones.

More information: The Art Story

 

 Steadfast Seas and Mountains. 
The lofty mountains and the seas, 
Being mountains, being seas, 
Both exist and are real. 
But frail as flowers are the lives of men, 
Passing phantoms of this world.

 Utagawa Hiroshige

TOMÀS GARCÉS I MIRAVET, THE CATALAN POET OF SONG

Today, The Grandma has been visiting one of her favourite places in Barcelona, Santa Maria del Mar. It is always a great pleasure to let yourself be enveloped by its majesty and spirituality. Centuries of history speak to us of a prosperous Barcelona, ​​open to the sea, where guilds and merchants brought renown to El Born -the neighbourhood where this unique building, so beloved by the people of Barcelona,​​ stands.

 

While visiting this fascinating place, he recalled the verses that Tomàs Garcés dedicated to it in the last century. 

 

Tomàs Garcés i Miravet was one of the most refined voices of twentieth-century Catalan poetry. Born in Barcelona in 1901, he was not only a poet but also a lawyer, literary critic, translator, editor, and journalist. Throughout a literary career spanning more than six decades, he became renowned for his musical language, emotional restraint, and deep attachment to the Mediterranean landscape and spirit.

 

Often referred to as the Catalan poet of song, Garcés developed a distinctive style built upon short, melodious verses and carefully balanced stanzas. His poetry combines the apparent simplicity of traditional folk songs with remarkable artistic sophistication. Rather than relying on dramatic gestures, his poems invite readers into a world of quiet beauty, memory, contemplation, and hope.

Although his early work shares certain features with the Noucentisme movement, Garcés gradually embraced a more symbolic and spiritual voice. His recurring themes include the passing of time, childhood, love, the sea, death, and the search for transcendence. Nature is never merely decorative in his poetry: it becomes a language through which human emotions and spiritual longings are expressed.

The Spanish Civil War profoundly affected his life. Forced into exile in France, he taught Spanish at the University of Toulouse before eventually returning to Catalonia. Despite the political and cultural difficulties of the post-war years, he continued to write, publish, and contribute significantly to Catalan literary life as both a poet and a critic.

 

Garcés maintained close friendships with major Catalan writers such as Joan Salvat-Papasseit and Josep Sebastià Pons, and he helped shape Catalan literary culture through journals, publishing projects, and literary criticism. His first collection, Vint cançons (Twenty Songs, 1922), established his reputation, while later works such as El caçador, La nit de Sant Joan, Escrit a terra, and his memoir El temps que fuig confirmed his place among the leading figures of modern Catalan literature.

Today, Tomàs Garcés is remembered as a poet whose work celebrates harmony rather than excess, silence rather than noise. His poetry reminds us that profound emotions often emerge through simplicity, and that beauty can be found in everyday landscapes, in memory, and in the quiet journey of the human spirit. His verses continue to stand as one of the finest expressions of Catalonia's lyrical tradition.

 

Tomàs Garcés reminds us that poetry does not always need grand gestures. Sometimes, a few quiet verses are enough to carry us across the sea, because in Garcés' poetry, the Mediterranean is more than a landscape: it is a way of understanding beauty, memory, and the human soul. 

 

More information: Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana

 

En quin vaixell, Santa Maria, aneu?

en quin vaixell de pedra blanca?
Les columnes s'ajunten; una proa es tanca
i les enlaira cap al cel.

Picapedrers el calafatejaren,
fa tant de temps i encara solca el mar.
Un dia amarg, i no ho sabien,
destral i teia descobrien
la màgica nuesa de la nau.

Hi vull pujar, Santa Maria.
Per quina escala haurà de ser?
A la fi del viatge ¿trobaré
la platja oberta on mai no mor el dia?

 

On what ship, Santa Maria, do you sail?

On what ship of gleaming white stone?
The columns draw together; a prow is formed,
and lifts them heavenward.

Stonecutters caulked her timbers,
so long ago, and still she ploughs the sea.
One bitter day, though they did not know,
their axe and torch unveiled
the vessel's magical nakedness.

I long to board her, Santa Maria.
By which stairway shall I ascend?
At journey's end, shall I find
the open shore where daylight never dies?

Tomàs Garcés i Miravet

More information: Santa Maria del Mar

 

Under the shadow and protection 

of the Star of the Sea, 
the people of Barcelona 

always found refuge.

Anonymous

CHAMAEROPS HUMILIS, MEDITERRANEAN'S NATIVE PALM

Today, The Grandma is in Castelldefels for a double training session with future teachers. This morning, she has worked on key aspects of job hunting, and this afternoon she will lead the final session of a training course -also with future teachers.  

 

Temperatures are soaring, making a trip to the beach -or even to Garraf- unappealing. Instead, The Grandma has decided to have lunch in the gardens of the castle that gives the city its name; the gardens are cool and shady, offering a respite from the stifling heat and high temperatures.

One plant that particularly stands out is the Chamaerops humilis, a European fan palm named margalló in Catalan, a plant that many Castelldefels residents consider a symbol of their city -much like the artichoke in Sant Boi de Llobregat, the asparagus in Gavà, the lettuce in Viladecans, or the blue-legged chicken in El Prat de Llobregat. Indeed, despite their dense urban development and high population, these municipalities in the Delta region possess an agricultural heritage they neither can nor wish to leave behind.

Among the countless plants that define the Mediterranean landscape, few are as emblematic as the dwarf fan palm (Chamaerops humilis). Known in Catalan as margalló, this resilient species is the only palm native to the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most characteristic plants of the western Mediterranean basin. For centuries it has shaped coastal landscapes, provided valuable raw materials for local communities, and adapted to some of the harshest environmental conditions found in southern Europe.

The dwarf fan palm belongs to the palm family (Arecaceae) and is instantly recognizable thanks to its fan-shaped leaves. Unlike the tall tropical palms that line promenades and gardens around the world, Chamaerops humilis usually grows as a dense, multi-stemmed shrub rather than a single-trunk tree. Most specimens reach between one and three metres in height, although exceptionally old individuals can grow taller.

Its scientific name reflects its modest appearance. The Greek word chamai means on the ground, while rhops refers to a shrub or bush. The Latin species name humilis also means low or small, emphasizing its compact growth.

The dwarf fan palm is native to the western Mediterranean region. It can be found in eastern and southern of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, southern France, Italy, Malta, and large areas of North Africa, including Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

In Catalonia, it naturally grows mainly along the coastal and pre-coastal mountain ranges, where the warm Mediterranean climate provides ideal conditions. It thrives on rocky hillsides, limestone soils, cliffs, scrublands and dry forests, often becoming one of the dominant plants in these ecosystems.

One of the most remarkable qualities of the margalló is its extraordinary resilience. It tolerates prolonged drought thanks to its deep root system and tough, leathery leaves, which reduce water loss during the hot Mediterranean summers. It also withstands poor soils, strong coastal winds and salt spray, allowing it to flourish in places where many other plants struggle.

Unlike many ornamental palms imported from tropical regions, the dwarf fan palm is surprisingly resistant to cold. Mature plants can survive temperatures below freezing, making it one of the hardiest palm species in Europe. After wildfires -a natural part of many Mediterranean ecosystems- the plant often regenerates from its underground stems, helping vegetation recover after the flames have passed. The fan-shaped leaves are perhaps the plant's most distinctive feature. Their segments radiate from a central point like the folds of a traditional hand fan. The leaf stalks are armed with sharp spines that help protect the plant from herbivores.

The species is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers usually grow on separate plants. During spring, clusters of small yellow flowers emerge near the centre of the leaves. If pollination is successful, female plants produce small oval fruits that change from green to yellowish-brown as they ripen. Although the fruits resemble tiny dates, they are not considered edible due to their extremely bitter taste.

The margalló plays an important ecological role within Mediterranean habitats. Its dense clumps provide shelter for birds, reptiles and small mammals, while its flowers offer nectar and pollen to numerous insects during spring. The fruits are consumed by some bird species and mammals, which help disperse the seeds. Because it is naturally adapted to the Mediterranean climate, the dwarf fan palm has become increasingly important in habitat restoration projects, especially in areas affected by erosion or wildfires.

For generations, people living around the Mediterranean made extensive use of the margalló. The young leaves were harvested, dried and woven into a wide variety of everyday objects. Baskets, mats, ropes, hats, fans, brushes and even sandals were traditionally crafted using its strong fibres. This artisanal activity became an important source of income in several Mediterranean villages, particularly before industrial materials replaced natural fibres. In some regions, the unopened central shoots were occasionally eaten as a vegetable, although harvesting them kills the growing stem and is therefore no longer a common practice.

Today, the dwarf fan palm is valued more for its ecological importance than for its economic uses. Although the species itself is not globally threatened, many natural populations are protected because they form part of fragile Mediterranean ecosystems. Habitat destruction, urban development, repeated fires and the introduction of invasive species have reduced some local populations.

Like many other palms, the margalló is also vulnerable to pests such as the red palm weevil, an invasive insect that has caused serious damage to palm trees throughout southern Europe. Conservation efforts focus on protecting natural habitats and promoting the use of native plants in landscaping, where the dwarf fan palm represents a sustainable alternative to exotic ornamental species.

The margalló perfectly embodies the character of the Mediterranean landscape: hardy, adaptable and deeply rooted in local history. It has survived droughts, fires and centuries of environmental change while continuing to support wildlife and human communities alike. Whether growing on a rocky coastal cliff, among fragrant pine forests or in the dry scrublands overlooking the sea, the dwarf fan palm remains one of the most distinctive symbols of the western Mediterranean -a reminder that some of the region's greatest natural treasures are also its oldest and most resilient.

More information: RHS

The Mediterranean Sea with its various branches,
 penetrating far into the great Continent, 
forms the largest gulf of the ocean, 
and, alternately narrowed by islands or projections 
of the land and expanding to considerable breadth, 
at once separates and connects 
the three divisions of the Old World.

Theodor Mommsen