Catalonia - the Area.

Catalonia, is an autonomous region within Spain - situated in the  extreme north east  of the country bordering  the Mediterranean sea to the east. To the north west  France – Catalogne nord - Languedoc Roussillon  and Andorra. To the west Aragon,  Valencia to the south. Catalonia prides itself on its own national identity –ongoing debates rage regarding independence from Spain.

Catalonia has  its own flag and national anthem. The capital is Barcelona, possibly one of the most well known and well loved cities in the world - famed  for the Olympics held in the 1990’s and also for its culture and art -Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Antoni Gaudi amongst the famous sons. Gastronomy too is an important feature- Ferran Adria having been voted the worlds best chefs on more than one occasion.
Catalonia has a land size of approximately 32,000km2 and a coastline of approx 580km. The topography  diversifies  from the coastal boundary of the Mediterranean sea  to the east. Costa Brava in the north with a wild and rocky coastline and some of the most stunning seascapes in Europe, through to the Costa Maresme – Barcelona coastline, with its Mediterranean sea port , famous marinas and restaurants progressing  southerly to the Costa Dorada - the golden coast- named and famed after the colour of the sand on the long sweeping beaches. Blessed not only with the stunning Mediterranean coastline the Pyrenees mountain range and Andorra are  to the north (and west) with all the associated winter sports catered for - winter skiing, snow boarding,  hiking, horse riding, canoeing and all manner of mountain sports in the summer. Travelling westwards from the coast from the coastal plains to the border with Aragaon and south to Valencia, the landscape becomes more undulating and supports a variety of agriculture– olives, almonds, cherries, citrus fruits irrigated by waters drawn from the irrigation canals built by the Moors that are flooded with waters of the  river Ebro. In the delta of the Ebro there is a substantial rice production, along with the land locked agricultural production Catalonia has an important fishing industry and daily catches can be viewed at many commercial ports along the coastline.

Catalonia - a colourful past.

Catalonia, Catalogne or Catalunya has long been fought over by warring factions wanting to harvest the benefits that could be found in this strategic area.Inhabited by early Greeks whose artefacts have been found and are now on show in the many museums in the area, followed by  Romans who made Tarragona  their capital for the Iberian Peninsula.  After the fall of Rome it was the Visigoths.

Briefly occupied by the Moors - a lasting influence here - many town names have a Moorish origin, but following the defeat of the Muslim troops in Tours, France the Visigoths regained autonomy attaching themselves to the Frankish kingdom from which led centuries of border changes, wars amongst the Crowns of Spain and France bringing with it changes in the ruling parties.Catalonia in the Middle Ages was a powerful economy but this was all to change following the marriage of Isabella of castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon when power moved from Catalonia to Castile. For some time, Catalonia retained its own laws, but these gradually eroded (albeit with occasional periods of regeneration). Over the next few centuries, Catalonia was generally on the losing side of a series of wars that led steadily to more centralization of power in Spain.

The most significant conflict was the War of the Spanish Succession, which began when Carlos II died without a successor in 1700. Catalonia supported the claim of a member of the Austrian branch of the Hapsburg dynasty, while the rest of Spain generally supported the French Bourbon claimant, Felipe V.  Following the success of Felipe V and the final surrender of Catalan troops in 1714 a Royal decree banned all the main Catalan political institutions and imposed military-based rule over the region. In the latter half of the 19th century Catalonia became the powerhouse of Spain - a title that remains to this day. Catalan autonomy and culture were crushed to an unprecedented degree in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) which saw General Francisco Franco assume power. Even public use of the Catalan language was banned. Following the death of General Franco in 1975 Catalonia recovered cultural autonomy and some political autonomy. Today, Catalonia is almost universally recognized as one of the most economically dynamic regions of Spain and the Catalan capital Barcelona centre of this thriving dynamic economy.

Social and Economics of Catalonia.

Having such a fine range of produce has encouraged the development of fine cuisine within Catalonia, with several Michelin star restaurants to enjoy. In fact one of the oldest récipe books was discovered here in 1324, a tome of over 200 recipes and entitle ‘ Llibre de Sent Sovi’ . Fresh products are the backbone of the local cuisine, the olive oils, almonds, tomatoes and garlic – a fine and simple dish to sample ‘Pa amb tomaquet’ just a slice of rustic country bread rubbed with garlic, tomato pulp and dressed with olive oil and salt.

As one would expect there are many fiestas in every village and town throughout the year in Catalonia, celebrating all manner of events peculiar to each locality.
One theme that links all of Catalonia is the language and the national dance ( a type of folk dance) – the Sardana, another notable custom is the building of human towers, originating in Tarragona but widespread now - the  Castellers as the participants are called -  build towers of up to 9 people high that are crowned by a child climbing to the top and raising an arm.
Catalonia shares Saint George with many other countries as the nations’ Saint – homage is paid to Sant Jordi each 23rd April with the streets of most localities filled with stalls selling books and roses – the custom is for the males to give females a rose and the females to give the males a book.

An historic territory Catalonia has been invaded and occupied by Greeks, Moors, Romans, French - each nation leaving its mark on Catalonia. In Roman times Tarragona (Tarraco in Roman times) was one of the most important towns on the Iberian península and used as a base for the export of many products from the area to Rome. Nowadays the economy is said to be the most dynamic in Spain – the powerhouse of Spain – although only a small proportion of the population is employed in the provision of some of the most famous and notable exports such as Cava, jamon serrano, tapas and foie gras, there are important textile  manufacturers,  a buoyant motor  and motor accessories sector, shipbuilding, foodstuffs, furniture and more diverse industries – not least the tourism sector a major player in the economic life of Catalonia.

Climate in Catalonia.

The climate of the coast and the coastal plains is typically Mediterranean with many hours of sunshine, yet not as hot and arrid as more southerly  Spain. A moderate climate over the short winter season with the temperatures generally not  falling below freezing, although in recent years there has been intermittent sprinklings of snow . Winds can be very bitter in winter blowing over the frozen Pyrenees and the Serralada Transversal south and west to the coast. The mountainous regions of the Pyrenees and Serralada Transversal have a high altitude climate – colder in winter, temperatures below 0ºC with snowfalls and hot in summer.

Barcelona.

The jewel in the Catalan crown, the second city of Spain and capital of Catalonia with an enviable location on the eastern  Mediterranean seaboard, home to the Generalit of Catalunya - the government of Catalonia. A commercial and passsenger port with ferries to the Balearic Isles and Italy –  departure and stop off destination for many cruise liners. The city has around 5 million inhabitantants in the city and metropolitan areas.

A  lively and vibrant city. Tourism plays a major part in the economy although it is an important sporting, financial, media and arts centre with many international trade delegations availing of the city facilities. Spreading inland  from the sea over  the coastal plains to the heavily wooded hills. The long sandy beaches are very popular throughout the year, heaving in the summer with locals and tourists cooling off from the high temperatures.  

• The Sagrada Familia - ongoing work of the visionary architect  Antoni Gaudi.
• L'Aquarium de Barcelona - from shells to sharks, something for all the family to enjoy.
• Poble Espanyol - the Spanish Village high above the city at Montjuic - Spanish architecture and crafts for all the family to enjoy. 
• Barcelona Zoo - Snowflake the albino gorilla may be gone but there is still plenty to see and do at this major attraction.
• The Picasso Museum - dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso, adopted son of Barcelona city one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.