A festival in which men carry a huge pine tree on their shoulders, hang a cured pig's leg (jamon) from the top and try to climb up 27 meters/ 88 feet to get it. That is what sold me on moving to the small mountainside village of Matadepera outside Barcelona. I am not joking. I am a sucker for cultural festivals. I couldn't pass up the chance to live in a place with such a unique and strong (in more than one way!) tradition. And it happens tonight. 

Climbing for Jamon | Photo: Miquel Badia

The Festa de Sant Sebastian. A 113 year-old tradition in Matadepera, Catalunya. The men of Matadepera hike up a mountain and hike down with a 27 meter (88 feet) long and 1900 kilos (4188 pounds) pine tree on their shoulders. Last night, villagers carrying torches marched and drummed through the village with a bonfire grand finale. No, not the British word for flashlight. Real, flaming torches. I told you the Catalans like to play with fire, right?! (seach my blog for diablos and correfoc)

After the tree arrives to the main plaza of the village, there will be music and dancing until 5 AM. During the following week, men will work with axes to remove the tree's bark resulting in a splinter-free climbing surface. Next, the tree will be planted with the aid of a crane. In the past, the tree has been manually lifted and planted. We've got some strong men here! But due to an accident a crane is now used. I have heard that the group who organizes this event plans to return to an improved manual planting method next year. 

Preparing the Pine Tree | Photo: Miquel Badia

Watch this great video that shows the tree being brought down to the village, preparing to plant it, planting it and, of course, climbing it. 

The people of my village stretch this festival to 10 days with a 76 page program agenda! I've told you that Catalans take their festivals seriously! On agenda is a medieval fair, a farmer's market, a gastronomic fair, concerts and dances. Of course, there will be gegants and a xocolatada (delicious hot chocolate and cake - free!) . The climbing contest to reach the jamon will be on Saturday, 19 January 2013. Jamon is quite expensive, might be worth having a go at a climb. 

Reaching the Jamon | Photo: Miquel Badia

:: More Information :: 

• Official Program Agenda from the Ajuntament of Matadepera

Tonight is the most magical night in Barcelona - the parade of the Three Kings - Los Reyes Magos. My favorite night of the year. A night where you relive the whimsy and wonder of being a child. 

 
My children (girl & boy in cape) and their friend on the way to parade 

In Spain, Los Reyes Magos are bigger than Santa Claus. And thank goodness, The Three Kings haven't been commercialized to death here. Or at least, in comparison to the commercialization of Santa in the USA. During the holiday season, children write letters to Los Reyes Magos. Throughout the city, there are royal mailboxes to collect their letters. Although, my children prefer to deliver their letters to the royal post during the parade. Near the royal mail floats, people reading lists of addresses throughout the city for the Kings to make gift deliveries. During the parade, young children can surrender their pacifiers to royal collectors as a right of passage. 

Each King has a royal entourage with costumes and music that represent homeland of each king - Melchior from Europe, Caspar from Asia and Balthazar from Africa. Royal attendants toss tons of candy to the children along the parade route. 

Next up, is a float with some sort of Mr. Sandman, reminding the children to be in bed early if they want the Kings to deliver presents. The final section of the parade, the coal factory float, is the last reminder of what happens to children who have been naughty or don't go to bed on time. 

Words do not do the beauty of the parade justice. And my pictures do not either. But you'll get the idea. 

:: More Information about Three Kings/ Los Reyes Magos :: 

• 2013 Los Reyes Magos Parade Information 
• Watch the journey of the Three Kings to Barcelona
• About The Three Kings on OrangePolkaDot and 2010 Parade

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The Ride of the Three Magic Kings

When the kids realized today is New Year's Eve, they begged me to go buy the Uvas de Suerte (Grapes of Good Luck). "Ok, sure, now let me finish my cafe con leche." But there was another important question - would they be allowed to stay up late and bang pots? "Of course. It is New Year's Eve. Who cares what our neighbors think!"

Once properly caffeinated, I drove down the hill to our village and bought our supplies to celebrate New Year's Eve. A bunch of green grapes, so that we can each eat one grape at the twelve strokes of midnight. I couldn't find any Pinky or Champín, the Spanish versions of Martinelli's non-alcoholic bubbly. So, we will let them have sips of cava. Heck, it wasn't that long that there were bottles speficially marketed to children. 

We will also be nibbling on one of the two cured pig legs (jamon de pata negra) we have received for Christmas. And it wouldn't be a Spanish style party without some salty potato chips and green olives stuffed with anchovies. We have a huge pile of polvorones, various turrón and chocolate-covered almonds for sweet treats. 

Fortunately, my kids didn't request that I buy them red underwear. Although, I will be searching for the pair I bought at the Sant Cugat market stall specializing in red New Year's Eve undies. 

Red Panties for Good Luck | Sant Cugat Market

What different New Year's Eve celebrations my children experience compared to mine as a child. No Times Square ball drop. No Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve dance party. But there will be noisemakers and pot banging.

Curious about the 12 Grapes of Good Luck and red panties? Check out one of my older posts about Spanish New Year's Eve traditions.

• Spanish New Year's Eve Traditions

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Top 10 International New Years Eve Festivals

Guess what I am doing as I type? Munching on a toasted fresh baguette topped sobrasada de Mallorca. But guess what is even better than that? And beating sobrasada is tough. The baguette was delivered fresh and warm to my door! 

Yes, you read that right. Fresh, warm bread delivery to my front door. The highlight of my week, actually began a few days earlier when I opened my mailbox to find Mundopán's brochure. My heart skipped a beat as I read about their new bread delivery service now available in my mountainside village. 

And today, I fell in love with Mundopán. While I was having my cafe con leche on our front patio, a girl from Mundopán rang at the gate. As she handed over my free trial toasty baguette, she explained all the logistics of home bread delivery. 

Bread Delivery Box | www.mundopan.es

I don't even have to be home to receive the bread. Mundopán will install a thermal bread mailbox with a lock next to my regular mailbox, so the bread can be delivered at anytime and will stay warm until I retrieve it. I can have 19 (!!) different types of bread (including gluten free), a variety of pastries, eggs and coffee beans delivered daily or at any frequency I wish.

I think this will be a must for the weekends. And it will definitely go on my list of reasons why I love living in Spain. You have to see this tv news report below, the announcer says that Mundopán solves one of worst problems - arriving home from work for the mid-day meal (the most important) and you have not bought the daily bread. Not quite my problem. I wasn't buying bread daily because it isn't a cultural habit for me. But now that they are making it so easy... Well, let's just say, I may need to increase my gym visits. 

Different streets throughout Gràcia have an unbelievably creative street decorating contest. There are neighborhood associations that plan, organize and stockpile materials to upcycle for their street's theme decor. Nearly all the decorations are made from recycled materials. It is amazing the possibilities one can create with an empty water bottle!

Water Bottle Fish | 2010

And these are not just a few decorations hanging in the middle of the streets either. The entire street is completely transformed. We have walked through castle walls, a medieval village, a cabaret, a vintage trolley and ocean bottom. There are 18 decorated streets, so with kids, we usually make it through about six.

And if funky street decorations are not enough, Gràcia is a really cool, fun and young part of Barcelona. Way back in the day, Gràcia was a separate town from Barcelona. Nowadays, Barcelona stretches far beyond Gràcia. Yet, Gràcia maintains an independent and youthful vibe. And its cool factor goes way up during their week long festival. 

Thanks to an agenda of activities that appeals to all demographics Gràcia's Festa Major is a great place for the family during the day and evening. After dinner tends to be more of a bar/club scene in the streets - lots of live music and drinking. Around 6 p.m. during one of the weeknights (weekends too crowded for my taste) of the festival, we start wandering the streets of Gràcia. We appease the kids with a viewing of one of the children/family performances. Then quench our thirst at one of the many street bars selling mojitos and my favorite, caipirinhas. Freshly-squeezed fruit juice for the niños. When it starts to get dark, we slip into one of the many restaurants for dinner. 

:: More Information :: 

Official Website  
Festival Map 
Full Agenda (in Catalan): some translation to make searching the agenda easier. 

• Tipus d'activitat = Activity Type
• Música en Viu = Live Music
• Espectacle Infantil i Familiar = Family and Children's Shows
• Jocs Infantils = Children's Games
• Tallers Infantils = Children's Workshops 

More Images
Past Gràcia Festa Major

What is a Festa Major?

"Are you blonde?"

"No. I am from California, but definitely not a blonde."

A little snippet from my phone conversation a few days ago while making an appointment with a new hair stylist. Desperate to cover my gray roots during the time my regular hair stylist is closed for August vacation (the entire month!), I called a nearby hair salon recommended on salir.com. 

She was speaking Spanish with a beautiful French accent. I asked if she is French. Confirming that you are both foreigners is a quick way to form a connection. In the instant you both realize you are foreigners, there is an immediate unspoken understanding of what it takes to live away from your homeland.

Yes, she is French and "where am I from?"

"California," I answered. Being a hair stylist, her mind made the next connection. Californians are blonde. 

So, we both had a smile, when we met and she saw that my hair is the exact opposite of the typical California Girl - brown, thick and wavy-curly-ish.

My gamble was worth it. My hair looks fantastic. The French stylist was friendly, knowledgeable and expertly cut my hair. Plus, she carries on my stereotype of French women - effortlessly chic and stylish with flawless skin. What is it about all the French women I know? They always look fabulous and appear as if they spent no time in the effort.

So, there you go - we all have our stereotypes.

Monopoly in Catalan | photo: FernandezMoro

My daughter asked for the Monopoly board game for Christmas or Reyes (Three Kings). Easy enough, I thought. That was until I saw the price and remembered some pictures in my blog photo backlog. A year ago, I took some photos of board games at a department store because I couldn't believe the ridicously high prices. 

Monopoly was going for 39 euros! That is about 50 bucks in the USA! Granted, it is a Monopoly Barcelona edition. So, there is something cool to buying a house on Passeig de Gracia. But when Monopoly costs $15 on Amazon in the USA, the coolness quickly wanes. 

Twister in Spain | 2010

And check out, what you pay for a plastic sheet and a piece of cardboard with a plastic spinner, aka Twister. Yep, 24 euros = $31 in the USA, for good old Twister! And I don't think I will be buying Clue (40 euros) or Operation (35 euros) anytime soon either. 

Clue Board Game in Spain | 2010

Operation Board Game in Spain | 2010

Barcelona's largest outdoor Christmas Market, Fira de Santa Llúcia, celebrates its 225th anniversary this year. The one-stop market for all your Christmas decorations and trees, located in the front of the Barcelona's Cathedral, runs from 26 November to 22 December 2011. 

Christmas Wreath Stall | 2010

Market Stall at Barcelona's Christmas Market | 2010

At the market, you will find the usual holiday greenery, lights and trees. If you haven't heard about Catalunya's poop-related traditions (yes, I said "poop."), you have a few interesting discoveries awaiting your Christmas market browse. You may be surprised to find little statues squatting with a little pile of poop under their tush. Or how about some logs with painted faces wearing hats and blankets. Caganers and Caga Tió are a favorite tradition of locals and make great souvenirs for the folks back home. 

Caganer Stall | 2009

Catalans take their nativity scene decoations very seriously. Here it is called the pessebre and often expands into an entire miniature village depicting very detailed nativity-scenes. At the Fira de Santa Llúcia you can find a section of stalls dedicated to miniature figurines, animals, houses and every accessory you can imagine for your own pessebre. A great stop for dollhouse fanatics. 

Pessebre on Front Porch of a home in Palls | 2011

And if you are really lucky on your visit to Barcelona's Christmas market, maybe you will run into a giant head spitting candy as he roams the aisles followed by Catalan musicians and merrymakers. 

Candy-Spitting Gegant | 2009

:: More Information :: 

Complete Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market Information

Transportation and Location Information

All About Catalan Christmas Tradtions

It has been ages since I did a post for my grocery shopping series. But don't worry, I am still taking photos and risking have another run-in with security. In organizing my pictures, I came across this old one that I snapped because I found the wording and information interesting. 

In the United States, I don't believe I have ever seen such an informative food label on a piece of meat. First, the piece of meat is labeled as "Roti de Ternera, Calidad y Origen." I believe a "roti" is somewhat like a roast. (I hope someone will correct me on this if I am wrong.) What I first noticed though was the listing "edad de sacrificio de 8 a 12 meses" (slaughtered age between 8 and 12 months). I really appreciate that the Spanish word for "slaughter" when related to meat is "sacrificio." I believe there is a stronger connection here between the fact that an animal has been sacrificed to provide a human with food. I doubt there are children here that think meat is made at the grocery store! The label also tells us that the animal was born in Spain ("nacido en Espana"). We also know the animal was raised in Spain ("engordado en Espana"), slaughtered and butchered in Spain ("sacrificado" y "depiece en Espana"). 

In Spain, buying beef can be a little tricky. Much of the beef you see in the supermarket, butcher or restaurants is labeled as "ternera." A quick look in your tourist dictionary may lead you to believe that"ternera" is veal. And out the window flies your idea of ordering albondigas or bistec at the charming tapas restaurant. Chat among Spain expat bloggers, language and recipe forums about "ternera" can also lead to confusion, with many insisting that "ternera" is veal.

Now, I am not a beef expert (although, being married to a man from Argentina has got to give me some points!). And I am sure that beef terms and labels are a bit different in my part of Catalunya than other parts of Spain. Definitely different than other Spanish-speaking countries. When we first moved here, my carnivore Argentine husband translated "ternera" as veal. Based on the amount of "ternera" labels I saw while grocery shopping, I was shocked by how much veal Catalans ate. And then I had my doubts. Could they really be eating this much veal - a meat that conventional wisdom says is expensive and controversial?

My desire to prove my husband wrong led me to conduct some informal research at local butchers and supermarkets. "Ternera" is not veal as we know it in the USA. In the United States, a calf slaughted between 16 and 18 weeks is considered veal (about 4 to 4.5 months old). The meat in my picture, labelled "ternera," was much older - 8 to 12 months (32 to 48 weeks old). According to the butchers I spoke with, "ternera," refers to young beef, but not totally veal. For what we, in the USA, consider veal, the beef would be labeled as "ternera lechal" (milk beef) or perhaps "ternera blanca." 

The beef from the above photo is labeled as "ternera blanca," and was slaughtered before it was 8 months old. Possibly veal in USA terms, but also possibly a wee bit older than the USA requirement for veal. I haven't quite figured out the USA equivalent to "babilla." And this young calf got around in his short life. He was born in Germany, raised and slaughtered in The Netherlands, back to Germany for butchering and now being sold in plastic wrap in Spain. 

You many also see some beef in Spain labeled as "añojo," which refers to beef that is between 18 and 24 months old. This beef was born, raised in Germany and traveled to The Netherlands for butchering before being sold in Spain. 

Isn't it interesting that there are so many terms to classify beef in Spain? And wouldn't you like to know where you beef has been before it is on your plate?  

I tend to buy my beef at a local butcher where they know me and love to answer all my beefy questions. Often times, when in doubt, I bring in a picture of the meat cut I want so they can show me the equivalent. I promise to take some pictures at the butcher. I absolutely love going to the butcher. I swear, I am tempted to ask them if they will hire me for a week, so that I can learn the proper way to cut meat. Maybe one of these days I will gather the courage to ask.