Today, The Grandma has received news from Mayte,one of her closest friends, who is spending some days in Canetde Mar in ElMaresme.
Canet
de Mar is a municipality in the comarca of the Maresme in Catalonia.
It
is situated on the coast between Arenys de Mar and Sant Pol de Mar and
el Corredor and el Montnegre ranges. It is a tourist centre, but is also
known for the cultivation of flowers and strawberries and for having
several modernist style buildings. Canet de Mar is in the province of
Barcelona, 43 kilometers from Barcelona.
Its coast consists of a
sandy due to the decomposition of granite rocks which form the basement
Canetenc; beaches are flat and with an average width of 50m mainly
golden sand and thick, and have easy access on foot or cycling.
The
quality of the beach strip is the protection of coastal vegetation,
where there are native plants of coastal Catalonia and Maresme. They are
marked with buoys 200 meters, and there are input and output channel
for boats.
The Castle of Santa Florentina, in Catalan Castell de Santa Florentina, is an 11th-century medieval castle in Canet de Mar, Catalonia.
It was built on the foundations of an Ancient Roman villa by Guadimir de Canet (born 1024). In the 16th century, it passed into the hands of Dimas Muntaner. In 1908, it hosted King Alfonso XIII, who made the castle's owner Ramon de Montaner i Vila count of Canet.
In 1910, the castle was expanded and renovated by the modernist architect LluísDomènech i Montaner, and its facade acquired some gargoyles by the sculptor Carles Flotats i Galtés. The magazine Architectural Digest covered the castle as among the most beautiful houses in the world in 1998 on account of its harmonious fusion of Gothic and Modernist designs.
The castle is listed as a cultural heritage monument. It is private property and hosts a museum that can be visited by appointment, as well as a yearly festival of classical music. Among the museum's collections are many works by Catalan artists dating back to the early 20th century.
In 2015, the castle was a setting for the sixth season of the fantasy television series Game of Thrones.
I was always fascinated, even as a child, by antiques and ancient times. I always felt I should have been born in the 17th or 18th century. They really had a big stone castle with authentic furniture.
Today, The Grandma has received news from Mayte,who has visited Gràcia, one of the most popular neighbourhoods of Barcelona, and has shared her memories and photos with TheGrandma.
Gràcia is a district of the city of Barcelona, Catalonia.
It
comprises the neighbourhoods of Vila de Gràcia, Vallcarca i els
Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova.
Gràcia
is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the south, Sarrià-Sant
Gervasi to the west and Horta-Guinardó to the east. A vibrant and
diverse enclave of Catalan life, Gràciawas an independent municipality for centuries before being formally annexed by Barcelona in 1897 as a part of the city's expansion.
Gràcia was established in 1626, by a Novitiate of Carmelites, who established a convent there, called Nostra Senyora de Gràcia.
Following the War of the Spanish Succession, Gràcia
remained an independent municipality in the direction of the Serra de
Collserola mountains (north/northwest) from central Barcelona.
Passeig
de Gràcia, the street which is today home to the most high-end
international fashion brands and posh hotels , was back then a country
road linking the town to the larger city, through the plain of
Barcelona.
During
the mid-1800s, Barcelona was rapidly industrialising and significantly
expanding its borders from those of the Roman walls and old city. The
advent of new industry was drawing Catalans by the thousands to abandon
their farms and move to the city, spurring a shift from an
agriculturally based, rural economy to an urban economy focused on
manufacturing and trade.
In 1897, Barcelona formally annexed the town of Gràcia, and it has existed since as a neighborhood of the Catalan capital. Although no longer independent, Gràcia has long maintained a distinct identity as a unique district of the diverse, larger metropolis to which it belongs.
Gràcia
is both the smallest district by area, at 4.2 km2, and the second most
densely populated neighbourhood in Barcelona. One of the hippest, most
cosmopolitan areas in the city, Gràcia's intimate, close-packed
streets and predominately low-rise, Mediterranean architecture give it a
distinct feel. Its old, one-way streets are organized around a series
of plazas, including Plaça de Vila de Gràcia, Plaça del Sol and Plaça de
la Virreina. Old-world charm abounds.
To the northern end of Gràcia on El Carmel mountain lies Park Güell, arguably the most famous work of Catalonia's most famous architect, Antoni Gaudí.
On Carrer de les Carolines, between Plaça Lesseps and Fontana, lies CasaVicens,
Gaudí's first major work of architecture and a staple in his canon of
modernist design. An occupied house for decades, Casa Vicens only
recently became a tourist attraction on November 15, 2017. The building
was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Casa Fuster, a fabled, grand modernist-style hotel that lies at the edge of Gràcia's southern end on the Plaça de Nicolás Salmerón. Designed by Catalan master architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner between 1908 and 1910, the ornate house was converted to a hotel in 2004.
In
the Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, the bell tower marks the old
administrative centre of the former independent municipality. The tower,
a 33-meter-high octagonal figure, was built by Rovira i Trias between
1862 and 1864. A legend describes the Campana de Gràcia and its role in local conflicts from 1870.
Mercè Rodoreda's most important novel, La Plaça del Diamant, is set mainly in Gràcia at the time of the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War.
The Gràcia population
is a mix of young professionals and artists and a growing elderly
population, with a significant portion of older Catalans who came of age
as Franco came to power. Catalan flags adorn many a Gràcia window or
terrace, symbols of the neighbourhood's fiercely pro-independence
politics.
The most notable event in Gràcia is the Festes de Gràcia, which goes on for eight days every August.
The largest neighbourhood festival in Barcelona, the Festa Major de Gràcia began in 1817 as a celebration of the neighbourhood itself, at the time still an independent town.
Gràcia's
residents compete for the crown of best street or square, selecting
distinct themes and extensively decorating in Spanish carnival style,
and organised by a number of local associations. The selected themes
range from scenes of nature, to wild animals and creatures, to
characters from popular culture.
Popular culture is one of the sites where this struggle for and against a culture of the powerful is engaged: it is also the stake to be won or lost in that struggle. It is the arena of consent and resistance.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, who has been visiting Besalú, a beautiful Medieval Catalan village in LaGarrotxa.
Besalú is a town in the comarca of Garrotxa, inGirona, Catalonia.
The town's importance was greaterin the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current comarca of Garrotxa but sometime extended as far as Corbières, Aude, in France. Guifré el Pilós,credited with the unification of Catalonia, was Count of Besalú. The town was also the birthplace of Raimon Vidal, a medieval troubadour.
Besalú was designated as a historical national property (conjunt històric-artístic) in 1966. The town's most significant feature is its 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, which features a gateway at its midpoint. The church of Sant Pere was consecrated in 1003. The town features arcaded streets and squares and also a restored mikveh, a ritual Jewish bath dating from the eleventh or twelfth century, as well as the remains of a medieval synagogue, located in the lower town near the river.
Besalú also hosts the Museum of miniatures created by jeweler and art collector Lluís Carreras.
The name Besalú is derived from the Latin Bisuldunum, meaning a fort on a mountain between two rivers. It is also the historical capital of the county of La Garrotxa. One key date is the year 894, when Besalú was converted to a county with its own dynasty. The county changed from L’Empordà to El Ripollès.
In the year 1111, Besalú lost its independence, for historical reasons in favor of the county of Barcelona. Centuries later, Besalú started a decadent period, worsened by the redemptions, wars with the French and carlists.
In 1966, Besalú was declared a site of historical and artistic importance.
The monument is circled by the ancient wall from the c. XII-XIV.Unfortunately only parts of the original walls still exist. The urban configuration of the site is almost identical to the original layout. Without a doubt, the Medieval bridge is the emblem of the town, of an angular design with seven uneven arcs and two towers. The part of the town nearest to the bridge there are many narrow streets that belong to the ancient Jewish quarter. It is in this area where you will find the Miqvé, the purification bath, which date from c. XII, and demonstrate the presence of an important Jewish community. The street from the medieval bridge leads to the Town Square Plaça Major, a square whose arcades date from c. XVI, and used to be the centre of the medieval town.
Important buildings are the Local Government Ajuntament dating from c. XVII, the Royal Curia Cúria Reial, dating from c. XIV, and the Casa Tallaferro. The street Tallaferro leads to the entrance to the Castle precinct. Inside the precinct there remains one of the towers from the ancient County Castle, and the apse of Santa Maria that dates from c. XI. Along with the street Portalet these are the remains which best retain the medieval appearance, along with panoramic views of the Roman Bridge.
Leading up from the main street Carrer Major, there are the Casa Romà (c. XIV) and the parish church of Sant Vicenç dating from c. XI-XII which has very sculpturesque doors and windows. Near to the main Town Square, there is the Prat de Sant Pere, wide and spacious which used to be the Cemetery of the Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere. Today there only remains the three-nave church and one apse, dating from the c. XI. Also there is the small chapel of Sant Jaume (c. XII) and the Casa Cornellà (Llaudes) dating from c. XII and which has a patio with three galleries. Behind the monastery there is the church of the hospital of Sant Juli”, with one nave and no apse, dating from c. XII, and an outstanding entrance portal.
So many of the fantasy stories I encountered growing up were set in worlds that were largely modelled on medieval Europe in one way or another. Lots of white folks in feudal societies, castles and kings, that kind of thing.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, who has been visiting Auvinyà, an amazing Andorran village.
Auvinyà, also named Aubinyà and Albinyà in the past, is a village in Andorra, in the parish of Sant Julià de Lòria.
There is the Sant Romà d'AubinyàChurch in the township.
Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of the country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra. Other settlements in the parish include Bixessarri, Aixàs, Aixovall, Certers, Llumeneres, Nagol, Aixirivall, Auvinyà, Juberri, Fontaneda, and Canòlic. It is bordered by Andorra la Vella in the north, Escaldes-Engordany in the northeast and Catalonia in the south, east, west, northwest, southwest and southeast.
Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes, in Catalan parròquies. Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes-Engordany, was created in 1978.
Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra. Some parishes have a further territorial subdivision; Ordino, La Massana and Sant Julià de Lòria are subdivided into quarts (quarters), while Canillo is subdivided into 10 veïnats(neighbourhoods). Those mostly coincide with villages, which are found in all parishes.
Each parish has its own elected mayor who is the nominal head of the local government known as a comú in Catalan.
Today, The Grandma has receivedwonderful news from Mayte, her closerfriend who is visiting some beautiful Valencian towns and places.Today, shehas visited la Vall d'Uixó in Castelló.
La Vall d'Uixó, also known as Vall-llarga, Vall del Duc or simply as La Vall is a town situated in Castelló.
The current territory of LaVall d'Uixó has been occupied since prehistorictimes by different human groups.
La cova de Sant Josep and other caves in the surrounding area represent the most ancient vestiges in La Vall, from the chronological point of view. The archaeological works in these caves have revealed that they were occupied by hunters of the UpperPaleolithic period, according to a chronology of the C-14, approximately 16,000 years BC. There, two rocky panels were found with representations of cave paintings, giving an idea of the importance of place.
People continued living in the Valley during the Neolithic and Bronze Age.During the Bronze Age grew villages located high in the mountains, well fortified with walls and watchtowers. Its strategic location allowed them to control a vast territory and step into the Serra d'Espadà. The Iberian era was supposed a considerable expansion of the population, as evidenced by the remains of the Iberian city of La Punta d’Orleyl and Poblat Sant Josep.
La Punta d’Orleyl occupies a large area and has four successive lines of walls and towers. Stresses its acropolis, where the remains were located on at least two large public buildings built with huge stones squared. The Poblat de Sant Josep, located at the top of the hill of the same name, represents a good example of the ancient urbanism. It is small but has a wall, two towers, streets and houses of the Iberian and Roman eras. Their time of glory was during the Iberian stages. Years ago, they were occupied during the 4th century AD, and in the end of the Roman Empire.
During Roman times, the population evolved towards agricultural sector. A few years ago was located the remains of a necropolis of burial, which was dated between the 6th and 7th centuries and attached to the Visigothic period. In total we found the remains of 66 individuals with their funerary offerings.
The Arab conquest and the establishment of these populations did not change too much the kind of life. Throughout this long period has been able to document the existence of a dozen villages that are located on both sides of the Belcaire river. These are Alcúdia, Zeneja, Benigafull, Benizahat, Zeneta and Benigasló.Each was independent and had its own industrial area, as well as its necropolis.
The political and legal organization of La Vall was under the chairmanship of Castell d'Uixó. In 1250, la Vall received La Carta Pobla. Since that moment, la Vall become an important city inside the Kingdom of Valencia. This situation did not lead too significant changes, because the Muslim community of La Vall also maintained the structure of society.
La Vall d'Uixó underwent profound changes during this time. Since the expulsion of the Moors in 1609, theoretically, all citizens in la Vall d’Uixó should be replaced by Christians, but it was not entirely so. The Moors retained their houses and continued working the land and carrying out its industrial activities, but under Christian control.
During the 18th century, the population of La Vall increased significantly. The six villages joined each other and they created El poble de Dalt and El poble de Baix. From the 19th century (1860), both little towns formed a central square where the City Hall is located at the present. Throughout the 20th century was the second major economic and demographic expansion.
La Vall attended to a high immigration because of the heavy industrialization of the ancient craft of footwear, lasting in time until the beginning of the 90s. Since then, and after a period of economic crisis due to the closure of this company, la Vall changed its socio-economic structure, which is centred now on the city commerce.
Today, The Grandma has receivedwonderful news from Mayte, her closerfriend who is visiting some beautifulValencian towns and places.Today, shehas visited Benassal in Castelló.
Benassal is a small village offering plenty to do and explore. This is a destination where you can dedicate time to your wellbeing, do some excellent walking and treat yourself to some delicious traditional dishes that are slowly cooked using local products.
Benassal is best known for its water.Having been in contact with the earth for centuries, its therapeutic properties have drawn visitors seeking to benefit from its healing powers to the village for years. But beyond hydrotherapy, Benassal and its surroundings have no shortage of things to see and do.
The village's origins date to the 13th century. Over the years, the locals have taken care to protect their architectural and cultural heritage and safeguard local traditions -both popular and religious- that make for a vibrant events calendar. The best place to start your exploration of Benassal is the historic centre. Take a stroll around the streets and visit sights such as the communal oven (dating to Medieval times), Torre del Bulc, the wash house, the remains of the defence wall and towers.
The next place on your to-visit list is Edifici de la Mola which currently houses Museu Arqueològic de l'Alt Maestrat (the archaeological museum) and Fundació Carles Salvador. The museum displays remains that date back all the way to prehistoric times, giving you a glimpse at what life used to be like in and around Benassal. L'església de l'Assumpció is also worth stopping to take a look at. It has a beautiful Baroque façade and a large collection of gold objects.
And then there are the hiking routes. Wherever you step foot in Benassal, you will be immersed in history. You could walk from Benassal to Culla through Canto, an old school that was built to represent the ideals of liberty and culture. Another option is to visit Rivet de Benassal, a micro reserve located close to woodland inhabited by oak and kermes oak trees. A third choice is to walk to Castell de Corbó, a watchtower affording spectacular views. Legend has it that treasure is buried here.
Not far away from here is Font d'en Segures, the source of the town's famous waters. Here you can pour yourself a bottle of the mineral water and take great photos of the unique building housing the spring.
Benassal is also a land of festivals. Festividad de Sant Cristòfol is a religious pilgrimage that starts before Whitsun Monday. During the festivities, les primes, traditional decorated cakes, are shared among everyone present.
And that's not all. Every year homage is paid to Sant Antoni Abat with a number of events including the blessing of the animals and traditional dances. Coquetes and rotllo are eaten and barreja is drunk. Festa de la Torxa, meanwhile, celebrates traditional ways of making a living.
Historically, the textiles made in Benassal were taken to València to be sold. The merchants would return with torches (torxa in Catalan) that would light the streets of the village all year round.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, her closer friend who has spent some days in Figueres and has visited the DalíTheatre and Museum.
The Dalí Theatre and Museum, in Catalan Teatre-Museu Dalí, is a museum dedicated to the artist Salvador Dalí in his home town of Figueres, inCatalonia.
Salvador Dalí lived there from 1984 to 1989, and is buried in a crypt below the stage.
The heart of the museum is the town's theatre that Dalí knew as a child. It was where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí's art was shown. The old theatre was burned during the Spanish Civil War and remained in a state of ruin.
In 1960, Dalí and the mayor of Figueres decided to rebuild it as a museum dedicated to the town's most famous son.
In 1968, the city council approved the plan, and construction began the following year. The architects were Joaquim de Ros i Ramis and Alexandre Bonaterra. Themuseum opened on September 28, 1974, and it expanded through the mid-1980s. The museum now includes buildings and courtyards adjacent to the old theatre.
The museum displays the single largest and most diverse collection of works by Salvador Dalí, the core of which was from the artist's personal collection. In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are Dalí sculptures, three-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, and other curiosities from Dalí's imagination. A highlight is a three-dimensional anamorphic living-room installation with a Mae West Lips Sofa, a custom sofa that looks like the face of Mae West when viewed from a certain spot.
The museum also houses a small selection of works by other artists collected by Dalí, ranging from El Greco and Bougereau to Marcel Duchamp and John de Andrea, In accordance with Dalí's specific request, a second-floor gallery is devoted to the work of his friend and fellow Catalan artist Antoni Pitxot, who also became director of the museum after Dalí's death.
A glass geodesic dome cupola crowns the stage of the old theatre, and Dalí is buried in a crypt below the stage floor. The space formerly occupied by the audience has been transformed into a courtyard open to the sky, with Dionysian nude figurines standing in the old balcony windows. A Dalí installation inside a full-sized car, inspired by Rainy Taxi (1938), is parked near the centre of the space.
The Dalí Theatre and Museum holds the largest collection of major works by Dalí in a single location. Some of the most important exhibited works are Port Alguer (1924), The Spectre of Sex-appeal (1932), Soft self-portrait with grilled bacon (1941), Poetry of America -the Cosmic Athletes (1943), Galarina (1944–45), Basket of Bread (1945), Leda Atomica (1949), Galatea of the Spheres (1952), Crist de la Tramuntana (1968), and Dalí Seen from the Back Painting Gala from the Back Eternalised by Six Virtual Corneas Provisionally Reflected by Six Real Mirrors (1972-73).
There is also a set of works created by the artist expressly for the Museum,including the Mae West room, the Palace of the Wind room, the Monument to Francesc Pujols, and the Cadillac plujós.
A collection of holographic art by Dalí, and a collection of jewellery he designed are on display. Another room contains a bathtub and a side table with an open drawer and a lamp, all of which Dalí had installed upside-down on the ceiling.
An extension to the museum building contains a room dedicated to optical illusions, stereographs, and anamorphic art created by Dalí. The artist's final works, including his last oil painting, The Swallow's Tail (1983), are on display here.
I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object. It will be totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, who is spending some days visiting Calella de Palafrugell and Platja d'Aro in the Costa Brava in Girona.
Calella de Palafrugell is one of three coastal towns belonging to the municipality of Palafrugell in the province of Girona, Catalonia.
The other two towns are Llafranc, only one kilometre to the north, and Tamariu, some four kilometres to the north. All three towns are part of the Costa Brava, in the comarca of BaixEmpordà.
Calella de Palafrugell has an excellent setting and, whilst busy in the summer season, it does not have the large hotels and mass tourism of other Costa Brava resorts such as Lloret de Mar. The town's origin is that of a fishing village, and its old maritime quarter, the Port Bo has been declared a cultural asset of national importance.
This quarter retains the original layout of the village, with its traditional white porched buildings. It includes the complex of vaults, originally used to sew nets and auction fish, but now occupied by restaurants.
The vaults are fronted by the beaches of Platja del Port de Malaspina and Platja de Portbò, which formed a natural fishing port and are still home to a fleet of small fishing boats. Also in Port Bo is the Sa Perola Interpretation Centre, housed in a former net dyeing house and now used as a tourist office and interpretation centre for the fishing industry and maritime heritage of the district.
Calella de Palafrugell has a number of small coves and beaches linked via a well engineered coastal walk known as the Camí de Ronda, passing along the cliffs and through several tunnels on the way. From the north the first of the beaches is Platja del Canadell, with its beach restaurant.
Platja del Port de Malaspina, Platja de Portbò and Platja d'en Calau are linked sandy coves located in the centre of Calella. These are followed by Platgeta d'en Cosme, Platja de Port Pelegrí, Platja de Sant Roc and Platja del Golfet,the last of which is approximately 1.5 kilometres from central Calella.
Beyond Platja del Golfet is the Cap Roig headland, where the Castell de Cap Roigis situated, surrounded by large botanical gardens. The castle has also been declared a cultural asset of national importance. The castle was built, and the gardens created, between 1929 and 1975, by Nicholas Woevodski and Dorothy Webster. The Cap Roig Festival, a music and dance festival, is held in the gardens between July and August.
The GR 92 long-distance footpath, which runs the length of the Mediterranean coast, passes along the Camí de Ronda. To the north of Platja del Canadell the path follows the coast the short distance to Llafranc, passing the 16th century Torre de Calella on the way. To the south the path takes an inland route from Platja del Golfet, bypassing Cap Roig through pine and cork oak forests to the fisherman's village at S'Alguer and the beach at La Fosca.
Castell d'Aro, Platja d'Aro i S'Agaró is a municipality in the middle of the Costa Brava in Catalonia.
It is formed from two parts: Castell d'Aro is an ancient village built around a medieval castle and a fortified church, 3 km inland on the road from Platja d'Aro to Santa Cristina d'Aro; and Platja d'Aro is a coastal town on the road from Palamós to Sant Feliu de Guíxols which stretches along a large 2 km beach.
Originally a small fishing village, Platja d'Aro is now a major coastal resort, popular predominantly with Catalans and villa-owning Northern Europeans.
Along the coast, connecting the main beach with numerous small beaches, is the Camí de Ronda. This ancient path now forms part of the GR 92 long distance footpath, which runs the length of the Mediterranean coast. It passes along the seafront promenade of Platja d'Aro.
To the north the path follows the rocky coastline and crosses several beaches to reach the southern end of the beachside promenade of Sant Antoni de Calonge. To the south it diverts around the extensive Marina de Port d'Oro and crosses the Platja de Sa Conca before following the coastline around the headland of S'Agaróto the resort of the same name.
Castell d'Aro is located in the heart of the Costa Brava, 80 km north of Barcelona. It borders with Calonge to the north, Santa Cristina d'Aro to the west, Sant Feliu to the south and the Coast to the East.
Castell-Platja d'Aro occupies the eastern end of the Vall d'Aro, a narrow plain drained by the river Ridaura and located between the Mountain ranges of Cadiretes and southern end of the Gavarres.
Platja d'Aro was originally a small fishing village on the highway between Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols with a 2 km long beach. It is now a major tourist resort with hotels and other commercial premises.
The first evidence of human habitation are a number of tombs dating from the neolithic era 2500 BC in the Pinell area. Around 2000 BC, towards the end of the neolithic period, groups of humans settled in the mountains of Treumal and Vallvanera. There are a number of monuments from this period, including the menhir of Vallbanera and the dolmen Cova dels Moros (Cove of the Moors).
Roman ruins were discovered at the Vila de Pla de Palol dating from the 1st-4th Centuries AD. These occupy an area of 10,000 m2, and retain the majority of the patios and open spaces. The villa was part of a large agricultural estate including vineyards. It also exported clay for the manufacture of ceramics that were later exported by sea from the natural harbor of Cove Rovira.
From the 9th century the countryside started to recover from Sarracen raids and the repopulation of the Vall d'Aro began. The first arrivals were farmers.
In 781, Charlemagne offered the Bishop of Girona the territory of the Vall d'Aro. The first documented reference of Platja d'Aro, in its original name of Fanals d'Amunt, appears in 968.
King Lothair I confirmed his possessions to Sunyer, the Abbot of the monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, including Fanals d'Amunt and its church. The origin of Castell d'Aro is the Castle of Benedormiens. The Castle was first documented in 1041, when the religious authorities, the local Knights and Nobles granted the monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols the safekeeping of the castle with the obligation to protect all the Vall d'Aro, of which Fanals was an important part.
In 1585, a new church was built in Fanals de Baix, the present Fanals d'Aro. A new settlement grew around this building deserting the older Fanals d'Amunt.
In 1774, an extension was completed to the Church of Fanals d'Aro.
During the following centuries only one municipality existed, in 1858 the area was divided with Romanyà, Bell-lloc, Santa Cristina d'Aro and Solius becoming separate from Castell d'Aro and Fanals d'Aro. This is regarded as the official creation of the two cities, Santa Cristina de Aro and Castell d'Aro.
In 1843 the district was characterized by high rents, a centralized municipal model with limited suffrage.
The elections of 1869 reflected the federal and republican character of Empordà and Fanals. As a result, constitutional guarantees were suspended and disarmament of the popular military service ordered by Central Government. The federalists took up arms supported by the inhabitants of Fanals, they participated in the Foc de Bisbal, where they faced a number of government forces.
Between 1892 and 1969, Castell d'Aro was connected to the city of Girona and the port of Sant Feliu de Guíxols by the narrow gauge Sant Feliu de Guíxols-Girona railway. The line has since been converted into a greenway.
In 1970, the City Council, owner of the Castle of Benedormiens de Castell d'Aro, ordered its first restoration. The oldest part was conserved dating from the 12th century. In 1978 a Carnival Fiesta and in 1979 the first democratic Council was elected.
In 1983, the rooms of the Castle of Benedormiens were altered for exhibition space.
In 1995, the old nucleus of Castell was declared as an official area of interest and conservation area by the Generalitat de Catalunya, together with S'Agaró.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification, Castell-Platja d'Aro has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Csa).
Castell-Platja d'Aro is located in a seismic zone, which means that occasionally quakes are felt but, most of them are just small vibrations or light shaking.
A journey through the Mediterranean is not only inspiring and stimulating, it is also humbling. The men and women who created antique treasures for us to marvel at had to deal with plague, genocide, a world without writing, iron tools, or penicillin -and yet they made something extraordinary of their life and times.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, who is spending some days visiting Peniscolaabeautiful town on the coastal Costa dels Tarongers in Castelló.
Peníscola is a municipality in the Province of Castelló, ValencianCountry.
The town is located on the Costa delsTarongers,north of the Serra d'Irta along the Mediterranean coast. It is a popular tourist destination.
Peniscola, often called the Gibraltar of Valencia, and locally as The City in the Sea, is a fortified seaport, with a lighthouse, built on a rocky headland about 67 m high, and joined to the mainland by only a narrow strip of land.
Peníscola is a local evolution of Latin peninsula. The history of the place goes back to the Iberians. Later the town became Phoenician, named Tyreche, then Greek, under the name Chersonesos (meaning peninsula). It was next captured by the Carthaginians under Hamilcar Barca; legend has it that this is the place where he made his son Hannibal swear an oath that he would never be a friend of Rome.
The present castle was built by the Knights Templar between 1294 and 1307. In the fourteenth century it was garrisoned by the Knights of Montesa, and in 1420 it reverted to the Crown of Aragon.
From 1415 to 1423 it was the home of the schismatic Avignon pope Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna), whose name is commemorated in the Castell del Papa Luna, the name of the medieval castle, and Bufador del Papa Luna, a curious cavern with a landward entrance through which the seawater escapes in clouds of spray.
The castle where Benedict lived from 1417 until his death in 1423 was restored, improved and new walls were added in 1960 when Anthony Mann's film El Cid was partially filmed there. The town and castle of Peníscola played the role of Valencia. The castle is now a popular tourist attraction and the beaches and surrounding area are a popular family holiday resort.
Each summer, Peniscola hosts two music festivals: the International Festival of Ancient and Baroque Music (since 1996) and the International Jazz Festival of Peniscola (since 2004). At the beginning of August, a pyromusical show opens the International Festival of Ancient and Baroque Music.
Peniscola hosted an annual comedy film festival that draws actors and filmmakers, and features screenings in historic venues. That the festival celebrates comedy is a natural fit; the city was the backdrop for Luis García Berlanga's comedic masterpiece Calabuch.
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.
Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news from Mayte, who is spending some days visiting Tossa deMar a beautiful town on the coastal Costa Brava in Girona.
Tossa de Mar is a municipality in Catalonialocated on the coastal Costa Brava, about 100 kilometres north of Barcelona and 100 kilometres south of the French border.
The GR 92 long-distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean Catalan coast, has a staging point at Tossa de Mar. Stage 10 links northwards to Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a distance of 20.2 kilometres , whilst stage 11 links southwards to Lloret de Mar, a distance of 14.4 kilometres.
There is ample evidence of settlements dating back to the Neolithic period, and it is believed that the area has been continuously populated since that time. Between the 4th-1st century BC the first Iberian settlements appeared, followed shortly after by the Romans in the 1st century.
In 966, Tossa was ceded by Count Miró of Barcelona to the Abbey of Ripoll. Some two centuries later, in 1187, Tossa was granted its charter by the Abbot of Ripoll, coinciding with the building of a church atop Mount Guardí, the remnants of which can still be seen today.
Sometime in the 12th century, the medieval town was walled off and a castle was built on the highest point of Mt. Guardí, this castle was to be subsequently replaced by a windmill, and this in turn by a lighthouse which is still operational.
By the year 1500, the first houses were built extra-muros to accommodate population growth. This process was greatly accelerated during the 17th and 18th centuries, shaping an urban configuration that was to remain practically unchanged until the arrival of mass tourism in the 1950s.
In 1989, Tossa de Mar was the first place in the world to declare itself an anti-bullfighting city.
Contrary to popular belief that Tossa has traditionally been a fishing town, in medieval times and until the arrival of tourism, the local economy was mostly based on agricultural production, principally grapes and cork. There was a thriving export market of the latter (in the form of cork taps shipped to the Americas) during the 18th century and early 19th century.
Fishing has traditionally been a relatively minor contributor to the village's economy, although it has consistently provided an alternative source of income in times of economic crisis.
This ancient hospital was founded in 1773 as a hospital for the poor. The founder, Tomás Vidal i Rey had become wealthy in America. It is a building with two floors and a central courtyard. It now houses the cultural centre of the village. At its side is the chapel of Sant Miquel with a baroque altar of some note.
Thisrural villa (1st century BC-6th century AD) belonged to the Roman province of Tarraconensis. It consists of two parts: the rural and the rustic. One can get an idea of its great value by looking, among other things, at the remains of the spa, the central heating system, the mosaics, and the base of a fruit press with the recipient for the crushed juices. Fragments of the mosaics, the stucco, and several elements of sculptures attest to the wealth of the owners of the villa. The ceramic vases are proof of the trade with the Mediterranean world. Farming tools, fish tackle, and loom tools reveal agricultural and fishing activities. Everyday life is evoked by other objects such as hairpins, small spoons, and bone and ivory utensils.
This church, dedicated to the martyr Vincent of Saragossa, was inaugurated on 29 November 1775, after 20 years of construction. The church is one of the largest in the diocese and can, during important celebrations, host the whole population of Tossa de Mar. Much of the interior of the church was devastated during the Civil War in 1936. Inside is the chapel of Saint Sebastian, a saint adored by the population. The devotion started in the 15th or 16th century and culminates each year on 20 January into the commemoration of Vot del Poble (pledge of the people). The retable of the Rosary has also survived the destruction in 1936.
The Vila Vella enceinte is the only example of a fortified medieval town still standing on the Catalan coast. Its present appearance dates back to the end of the 14th century. It still has the entire original perimeter with battlemented stone walls, four turrets, and three cylindrical towers with parapets. At the highest point, where the lighthouse stands today, was, until the beginning of the 19th century, the castle of the Abbot of the Monastery Santa Maria de Ripoll, the territorial Lord of the town. The site has been declared a national historic monument in 1931.
The interior of the Old Town is a charming place with narrow, cobblestoned streets, the Governor's House (now the Municipal museum), the House of Holy Cloth (Sant Drap), a medieval hospital, and remnants of a Romanesque church and a Gothic church.
The Municipal Museum, built in Late Gothic style, is situated in the Governor's House, inside the Vila Vella enceinte. It used to be the residence of the jurisdictional governors of Tossa de Mar and its environs, who ruled for the Abbots of the monastery Santa Maria de Ripoll.
The museum was opened on 1 September 1935. It houses an important collection of contemporary art with works of artists who frequented Tossa de Mar during the 1930s, such as the Celestial Violinist by Marc Chagall. The archaeological section houses artefacts dating from the Paleolithical Period to the Late Middle Ages. Of particular note are the mosaics found in the atrium of the Roman Villa of the Ametllers, dating from the end of the 4th -beginning of the 5th century.
Our horizon is the creation of a noble society to which, like the medieval builder of those glorious cathedrals, you will have added your conception, your artful piece of stone.
Today, The Grandma has received some great news of Mayte, who is spending some days in Castellar de N'Hug, a beautiful Catalan village, cradle of the Llobregat River.
Castellar de n'Hug is a municipality inthecomarca of the Berguedà inCatalonia.
It is situated on the southern slopes of the pyrenean range of the Creueta. The Llobregat river has its source on the territory of the municipality. The village is served by the B-403 road, which links it with La Pobla de Lillet and which continues over the Creueta to the comarques of the Ripollès and the Cerdanya.
The Asland del Clot del Moro cement factory, now closed along with the railway line which linked it to Guardiola de Berguedà, is a notable example of Modernist industrial architecture. The Roman church of Sant Vincenç de Rus conserves some original mural paintings.
The Llobregat is the second longest river in Catalonia, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning dark, muddy or slippery, or from Rubricatus, red.
The Llobregat originates at an elevation of 1,259 metres in the Serra del Cadí, within the limits of Castellar de n'Hug municipality, Berguedà comarca. The total length of the river is over 170 kilometres.
At Martorell, the Roman Via Augusta crosses the river on the Devil's bridge, which dates from the High Middle Ages in its current form. The C-16 highway is also known as the 'Llobregat Axis', in Catalan Eix del Llobregat, for its largest stretch follows the valley of the Llobregat.
The river ends in the Mediterranean Sea forming the Llobregat Delta, in the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona on the left bank. The delta provided a large extension of fertile land close to the city of Barcelona, but is now largely paved, urbanized and covered by infrastructure such as the Barcelona-El Prat international Airport.
The Llobregat is heavily managed in its lower course and water that was previously lost to the sea is now pumped upstream to increase the natural flow, recharge the river delta wetlands and control seawater incursion.
The Via Augusta (also known as the Via Herculea or Via Exterior) was the longest and busiest of the major roads built by the Romans in ancient Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). According to historian Pierre Sillières, who has supervised excavation of Roman sites in Spain to identify the exact route followed by the Via Augusta, it was more a system of roads than a single road.
Approximately 1,500 km long, the Via Augusta was built to link Spain with Italy, running from the southwestern coastal city of Gades (Cádiz) to the Pyrenees Mountains along inland valleys parallel to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. As the main axis of the road network in Roman Hispania, it appears in ancient sources such as the itinerary inscribed on the Vicarello Cups as well in as the Antonine Itinerary.
The highway was named after the emperor Augustus, who ordered reconstruction of the previously existing Via Herculea (or Via Heraklea), which ran from the Pyrenees to Carthago Nova, and extension of the arterial roadway as far as Gades.
The works were carried out between 8 BC and 2 BC, taking advantage of what remained of roads that had existed in the time of the Roman Republic. Subsequently, it became an important communications and trade route between the cities and provinces and the ports of the Mediterranean.
The Via Augusta was still used by the Muslim occupiers of southern Spain in the 10th century, who called it al-Racif. Its route is currently followed by the N-340 road and the A-7 highway. North of Tarragona there remains a Roman Triumphal arch, the Arc de Berà, around which the road divides. At Martorell, the ancient Via crosses the river Llobregat on the Pont del Diable, which dates from the High Middle Ages (circa 1289) in its current form.
Today, The Grandma has received some news from Mayte, who has spent some days in Peratallada, one of the most beautiful towns of El Baix Empordà.
Peratallada is a town in the municipality of Forallac, in the county of El Baix Empordà, in Catalonia. It is located 22 km east of Girona.
Its name is derived from pedra tallada, meaning carved stone.
Declared a historic-artistic monument, most of the buildings are built from stone carved from the fosse or moat which still encircles parts of this small fortified medieval town.
The privately owned Castle of Peratallada is the dominant structure in the center of the town, with a 13th-century Romanesque church dedicated to Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen) outside the town walls.
The castle has been documented as early as 1065 AD and it was restored as a luxury hotel in the 1960s. During restoration, traces of settlement were found that date back to the Bronze Age.
Today, Peratallada is known for its beautiful old stone buildings, rutted stone streets and passageways. Its proximity to the beaches of the Costa Brava and its numerous restaurants, small boutique hotels and artists' galleries make it a popular destination.
The 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was partly filmed on location here.
A festival -the Festa Major, is held every year in early August with concerts and activities and there is a medieval festival in the autumn.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thievesis a 1991 American action adventure film based on the English folk tale of Robin Hood that originated in the 12th century.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Pen Densham and John Watson, the film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, ChristianSlater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Freeman's and Rickman's performances and Kamen's score, but criticized Costner's performance, the screenplay and the overall execution.
Nevertheless, it was a box office success, grossing more than $390 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1991.
Rickman received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as George, Sheriff of Nottingham.
The theme song (Everything I Do) I Do It for You by Bryan Adams was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and it won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Today, The Grandma has received news from her closest friend Mayte, who has visited Tortosa, the Catalan city, capital of Baix Ebre.
Tortosa is the capital of the comarca of Baix Ebre, inCatalonia.
Tortosa is located at 12 metres above sea level, by the Ebre river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the highest peaks, is located within Tortosa's municipal boundary.
Before Tortosa, across the river, rise the massive Ports de Tortosa-Beseit mountains. The area around Mont Caro and other high summits are often covered with snow in the winter.
Tortosa, from Latin Dertusa or Dertosa, via Arabic طرطوشة Ṭurṭūshah, is probably identical to the ancient Hibera, capital of Ilercavonia. This may be the ancient settlement the remains of which have been found on the hill named Castell de la Suda. In Roman times, the town took the name Dertosa, in Ancient Greek Δέρτωσσα.
Tortosa was occupied in about 714, during the Arab conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom. It remained under Muslim rule for more than 400 years. King Louis the Pious laid siege to Tortosa in 808-809, but although the city submitted he did not manage to occupy it.
The city was conquered by the Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1148, as part of the Second Crusade. Because of the crusading appeal made by Pope Eugene III and his representative Nicholas Brakespear (the future Pope Hadrian IV), the siege received the aid of crusaders from multiple nationalities (Genovese, Anglo-Normans, Normans, Occitans, Germans, Flemish and Dutch), who were on their way to the Holy Land. The siege of Tortosa was narrated by the Genovese chronicler and diplomat Caffaro.
After its conquest, the city and its territory were divided among the victors, with multiple lands being granted to foreign crusaders and to the military and religious orders.
Formerly there was a railway line between Tortosa and Alcañiz, opening a communication gate between this region and Aragon. Construction work began in 1891, but it was haphazard and the first trains between Alcañiz and Tortosa began only in 1942. The last stretch between Tortosa and Sant Carles de la Ràpita was never completed before the line was terminated by Renfe in 1973.
-Castle of Sant Joan or Suda. Commanding the city from a 59-metre-high (194-foot) hill. Though the Romans were the first to fortify the place, the current structure dates to Muslim Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III. After the conquest by Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, in 1148, it became a residence of the Montcada and the Knights Templar, and from the 13th century it became a royal mansion. The most interesting sights in the city are:
-The Cathedral. Begun in 1347 and consecrated in 1597.
-Bishop Palace.
-The Royal Schools. Founded by Charles V for the education of the Moors, are one of the best examples of Renaissance civil architecture in Catalonia.
-The College of Sant Jaume i Sant Maties. It currently houses the local historical archive of Baix Ebre.
-The College of Sant Domènec i Sant Jordi.
-The church of Sant Domènec. Now the Renaissance Interpretation Centre.
-Convent of Santa Clara. Founded in 1283.
-The Rose street. Despuig Palace (14th century), Oriol Palace and Capmany Palace.
-Oliver de Boteller Palace (15th century)
-Walls and fortresses. Tenasses, Sitjar and Orleans.
-Architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
-Air-raid shelter number 4 (Spanish Civil War) in Ernest Hemingway Street.
Today, The Grandma has received news from Mayte, one of her closest friends.
Mayte has met Mazinger Z in Tarragona, and she has shared her memories and photos with TheGrandma.
Mazinger Z, in Japanese: マジンガーZ, known briefly as Tranzor Z in the United States, is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai.
The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later was reissued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974.
It was adapted into an anime television series which aired on Fuji TV from December 1972 to September 1974. A second manga series was released alongside the TV show, this one drawn by Gosaku Ota, which started and ended almost at the same time as the TV show.
Mazinger Z has spawned several sequels and spin-off series, among them being Great Mazinger, UFO Robot Grendizer and Mazinkaiser.
Mazinger Z: Infinity, a theatrical film sequel, taking place 10 years after the Great Mazinger series, was animated by Toei Animation and released in theaters on January 13, 2018.
In his Manga Works series, Go Nagai reveals that he had always loved Tetsuwan Atom and Tetsujin-28 as a child, and wanted to make his own robot anime. However, for the longest time he was unable to produce a concept that he felt did not borrow too heavily from those two shows.
One day, Nagai observed a traffic jam and mused to himself that the drivers in back would surely love a way to bypass the ones in front. From that thought came his ultimate inspiration: a giant robot that could be controlled from the inside, like a car.
In his original concepts, the titular robot was Energer Z, which was controlled by a motorcycle that was driven up its back and into its head, an idea which was recycled for the Diana A robot. However, with the sudden popularity of Kamen Rider, Nagai replaced the motorcycle with a hovercraft. He later redesigned Energer Z, renaming it Mazinger Z to evoke the image of a demon god (Ma, 魔,meaning demon and Jin, 神, meaning god).
The motif of the Hover Pilder docking itself into Mazinger's head also borrows from Nagai's 1971 manga Demon Lord Dante, the prototype for his more popular Devilman, in which the titular giant demon has a human head of Ryo Utsugi, the young man who merged with him in his forehead. Koji Kabuto takes his surname, the Japanese word for a helmet, because he controls Mazinger Z from its head.
Mazinger Z helped to create the 1970s boom in mecha anime. The series is noteworthy for introducing many of the accepted stock features of super robot anime genres, including the first occurrence of mecha robots being piloted by a user from within a cockpit.
In 2001, the Japanese magazine Animage elected Mazinger Z TV series the eleventh best anime production of all time.
Guillermo del Toro has cited the show -which was a huge success in his native Mexico during the 1980s- as an important influence on Pacific Rim.
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