22/09/2007

Trip Start Sep 18, 2007
1
5
7
Trip End Sep 24, 2007


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  ,
Saturday, September 22, 2007

This wasn't a day for a really early start but as we left the Travelodge it was still morning and we heard a familiar bird calling high above but couldn't locate it. We stayed on the bus as far as the World Trade Centre and heard the same call. Looking up we saw a flock of about 30 Alpine Swifts overhead, no doubt heading south towards their wintering grounds. We met up with John and Sarah at a festival of Basque food and culture in Rambla de Raval, an area that appears to have improved in terms of safety since we were last there, several years back and wended our way down to the harbour side where the Mostra de Vins y Cavas had started. 
 
Now this is really good and there are probably few better ways to spend an afternoon. Dozens of stalls occupied by some of the very best wine, cava and food producers in Catalonia. There's a system to follow. At either end of the rows of stalls there are tents that sell tickets. For a small layout you get a wine glass and half-a-dozen tickets and a little earthenware dish and some more tickets. Present some tickets and either your glass or your dish at one of the stalls and they'll give you either a generous measure of the wine of your choice or a dish of their edible products - cheese, sausages and so on. There will also be restaurants doing samples of some of their signature dishes. And of course you can buy direct, either to eat/drink on the spot or to take away with you.
 
We started off at one of our favourites, Canals y Canals where we sampled a glass or two of their consistently excellent pink cava, then we spent a while chatting to the nice people on the Just Presents stall who very kindly offered us a few free tastes of some of their excellent organic wines. They were so friendly there that we just had to buy a few and we've got a bottle of their Sensacions cava earmarked for Christmas Day. Julie found Forn Franquesa, a bakery stall selling big slabs of a sort of sugar coated foccacia that went surprisingly well with a chilled, dry cava and we 'wasted' most of the afternoon dangling our legs over the harbour wall tearing pieces of bread off and throwing the odd morsel to the fish whilst getting the better of a couple of bottles of fizz.
 
This couldn't go on forever, of course, because this was the day of Correfoc and we needed to get back to the hotel to get dressed, so we parted company with Sarah and John and agreed to meet them after dark. Correfoc is a major part of La Mercé and should be on everybody's list of things to do before they die. There are other Correfocs in other Catalan towns and cities but the Barcelona version is huge and exciting. It comes with an "at your own risk" warning because there is a real danger of getting burned if you are unlucky or careless.
 
The tradition seems to be about driving evil back into Hell but the spectacle is primitive and enthralling. After a musical build up, different groups from around the city come through the gates of hell and parade through the streets. Many are dressed up as demons and each group has one or more of the famous bests of Barcelona. The Big Mule, the Lion, the Gaudi Lizard, the Pig (one of our favourites) and numerous dragons, dinosaurs and other monsters will be there, interspersed with groups of drummers and other musicians.  Every few metres the groups will stop and set light to numerous fireworks attached to their beasts whilst the demons charge around with firecrackers attached to their pitchforks. Sparks are everywhere, loud bangs almost continuous and after a few minutes the smell of gunpowder permeates everything. Drums beat out primitive rhythms and men, women and children scream as a fire breathing dragon or a pitchfork wielding imp bears down on them. Get close and you will be hit by sparks - and yes they do hurt. Cover up, wear a hat, a fire resistant jacket (thick denim or canvas will do), goggles even - no one will laugh and you're in for one of the most exciting experiences imaginable - and it goes on for hours. You'll be breathless from laughing, running and dancing during this earthy and mysterious procession.
 
Sadly we didn't manage to stay on until the end of the Correfoc, but with good reason. The Undertones were scheduled to perform in Place Reial. We finally located John and Sarah at one of the bars around the edge, Canarias, where Sarah had discovered some addictive patatas in garlic sauce. We didn't have to wait long before the band came on stage and we wormed our way down near the front to hear them belting out an array of punk classics, culminating in the timeless "Teenage Kicks" which almost everyone in the crowd seemed to know.
 
By the way, if Correfoc sounds a bit too much for you, there is also a children's' Correfoc, the Correfoc dels Petits Diables that takes place earlier in the evening and is a little less threatening, but nonetheless there remains an element of danger and the youngsters who take part are very well wrapped up because the flames and fireworks are still real. It is very, very cute.
 
Coincidentally, for the 2nd night in succession we ended up with no vodka left. Quite a mystery, really.
Print this entry