Barcelona

Important facts: Geography, Climate, Population, etc:
Barcelona is located on the Mediterranean approximately 100 miles south of the Catalonian border with France. A Coastal Mountain range boarders the city. Its highest peak is called tibidabo (about 512 meters high). From tibidabo you can get a panoramic view of the city. Barcelona also has many hills that are urbanized. One to remember is called Montjuic. It has a beautiful castle that was built in the 17th and 18th century. Barcelona has a mild/dry climate during the winter (avg. temperature about 50 degrees F.). July and August are the warmest months with an avg. temperature of about 77 degrees F. The population of Barcelona is about 1.6 million people. Of that 62% are natives born in Catalonia and 23% come from other parts in Spain. The remaining 13% are from other countries around the world. Amazingly, about 95% of the population can either speak, read, or understand Catalan language.

=Fiesta's/Celebrations:= Barcelona is known as the city of celebrations. The events are very cultural. Some notable events and celebrations are (1) the Spanish version of Santa Clause on January 5th called the procession of the “Three Magi” who brings presents to children on the morning of the 6th mystery play of the magi

(2) Sant Jordi (Catalonia’s patron) Sant Jordi party Catalonian square.

and (3) a special event called Sant Joan on the 23rd and 24th of June (a pre-Christian celebration with fireworks on every street in Catalonia).



NEW YEARS

Political Situation:
Barcelona is governed by a city council, which presides over matters such as city planning, transportation, highway security, gardens, parks, city maintenance, sports, and youth and social welfare. Barcelona is subject to a special law that was approved in March 2006. It gives the local government a special relationship with the central government and also gives the mayor of Barcelona more prerogatives. The city council has a right to veto laws decided by the central government but will need to justify their reasoning. laybrinth park Barcelonasculpture at a park

Places of interest:
Park Guell is a residential garden village project started by Eusebi Guell north of the city of Barcelona. In 1900, he designated his friend, Antoni Gaudi, to finish developing the project which was planned to include 60 housing units and pavillions. Gaudi worked on the garden village until 1914 when it was deemed a commercial failure: Guell did not sell a single house and in 1918 the city acquired the property and in 1922 it was turned into a beautiful park. Two houses and pavillions were completed for visitors and park keepers. Guell actually lived in one of them from 1906 until 1926. The staircase at the entrance of the park was designed by Gaudi. The dragon like lizard at the center stands out as the best known symbol of the park. A connecting flight of stairs leads to another well-known feature of the park: The Gran Placa Circular. it was intended to be a marketplace for residents. Here is a picture of the plaza. This plaza is bordered by what is known as the largest bench in the world: The surpentine bench. This bench twists snake-like around the plaza. You can view the mediterranean sea from the plaza. The plaza is supported by 86 huge columns and below the plaza they create a hall known as the Sala Hipostila. This IS another well known symbol of the park. Gaudi lived in one of the houses of park Guell until 1926. It is now a museum for tourists.

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Famous people:
Antonio Gaudi, one of the world's best known modernist architects. Remarkable works: (1)Park Guell and (2) Sagrada family church Gaudi designed other city landmarks as well. He is known to use irregular lines, surfaces, swerves, asymetric shapes in his work. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted mostly abstract figures and faces. One of his most famous paintings was his anti-war masterpiece "Guernica" (1937) inspired by the horrific bombings of the town of Guernica by the Nationalists during the civil war.

=Foods:= Barcelona is known as a city obsessed with food. Breakfast is normally the smallest and least important meal of the day. Catalonians uasually start out the day with coffee and milk and sometimes an extra rich hot chocolate. Lunch in Barcelona usually is eaten between 2pm and 4pm which means dinner is eaten between 8 and 10pm. Bar snacks called "tapas" are frequently eaten between lunch and dinner as a sort of appetizer.

A staple dish in Catalonia called botifarra amb mongetes (a stew of pork sausage and beans may be eaten for a hearty lunch.

a LIGHTER DISH IN THE SUMMER IS CALLED ESQUEIXADA (RED PEPPERS COD AND ONIONS.

Ninot market barcelona. fresh mediterranean food