Martin Meads and Rachel Unwin have recently completed our 7 night self guided walking holiday and as keen bird watchers they have compiled a list of birds they spotted on route.

Thank you Martin and Rachel for taking the time to compile a list of the birds you spotted.

Administration and Political Divisions. Catalonia borders Andorra and France to the north, the Mediterranean to the east, the Valencia region to the south and Aragón to the west. It is one of what are called the “historic” autonomous regions of Spain, together with the Basque Country and, to a lesser extent, Galicia — the term refers as much to the linguistic singularity of these regions as to their actual independence historically. Its government is the Generalitat, a word which includes both legislative (parliament) and executive (cabinet and president) branches. It covers four provinces: Gerona (Girona in Catalan), Lerida (or Lleida), Barcelona and Tarragona. These provinces are in turn divided into comarques, roughly the same as counties.

Geography. Because of its different geographical features and climatic influences, Catalonia is one one of the most varied regions in Spain. The Pyrenees dominate the north of the region, while the south of the region runs from mountainous to hilly to flat as a pancake, the Ebro Delta in the very south, one of the most important wetlands in Spain, and the fertile plain behind it being the most notable features. Girona is a rugged coastal province, where the influence of the Mediterranean on its climate and nature is evident (though it has its section of the Pyrenees for good measure). Lerida (Lleida in Catalan) is the only wholly inland province of Catalonia, its capital sitting on its very own plain (the Plana de Lleida), south of its Pyrenean foothills which rise up into the mountains proper, east of Andorra. Agriculturally prosperous Tarragona is the flattest, most southerly Catalan province, though the Central System runs into it from the west creating extremely rugged terrains. Barcelona, the most urban of the four provinces with a population of around five million (though less than a third of them live in the municipality of Barcelona itself) is extremely hilly rather than mountainous, but the sheer verticality of Montserrat Mountain is probably its most interesting point. All told, it would be difficult to find a region anywhere with scenery as varied as Catalonia’s. Fortunately, the Catalans are more aware of the value of this than others and the region has a whopping seven national parks and any number of protected areas of other kinds.

Traditions

Music. The sardana is the Catalan national folk dance and music, though originally only from the north of the region. It is a circle dance, popular since at least the 16th century. Its music is bouncy, played at jolly andante tempo usually by a sardana band called a cobla (which apparently involves 11 musicians playing 12 instruments, don’t ask me to elaborate, I don’t know).

Correfocs. Firework processions with monstrous figures, particularly devils.

Castells. Castles, spectacular human towers. Six tiers is considered child’s play, nine is not uncommon. Competitions are held, and the real fun comes when they have to get down.

Practical Catalonia

Language. Catalan and Spanish. Note that Spanish-speaking visitors need not learn the local language unless they want to (though the odd word will be much appreciated): practically all Catalans are bilingual. But Catalan-speakers are quite aggressive about it, and will slip back into Catalan at the first opportunity, cutting mere Castilian Spanish speakers out altogether. Is this rude or just a local custom? It is a custom, but so is spitting on the floor, in other words it is bloody rude (let’s be lenient, though: forty years of Francoist repression is enough to make anyone’s manners slip a little). In addition to Catalan, a language called Aranese is spoken in the Val d’Aran in the Pyrenees. It is a variety of the Gascon dialect of Occitan, the language of the troubadours, and in spite of the tiny population of the Val d’Aran (7,000, by no means all of whom speak Aranese), it is an official language, unlike France which has far more Occitan speakers. You are extremely unlikely to hear it, but it’s nice to know, isn’t it?.

Eating and Drinking. Catalan cuisine does not have quite the same prestige as Basque cuisine, but it is gaining ground and top Catalan restaurants such as Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli are right up there with the best in the world. For obvious reasons, Catalan cuisine differs according to whether the area in question is near the sea or up in the mountains, but in general it is essentially Mediterranean, based on fresh vegetables, fish, poultry, olive oil, wine and wheat products – bread and pasta (beef and veal are less common than in Castile, at least traditionally). Butifarra is a Catalan cured pork sausage. Escalivada is sliced, barbecued peppers and aubergines. You will find ali-oli sauce everywhere in Spain, particularly in the form of patatas ali-oli, a budget traveller’s staple, but it is Catalan in origin: it is often erroneously called “garlic mayonnaise,” but should not in fact contain eggs. Pa amb tomàquet, also called pan tomaca, is lightly toasted bread, rubbed with fresh tomato and sprinkled with olive oil and salt and served with, for example, slices of cured ham. It has become popular everywhere in Spain, as indeed has the tosta, which is what it sounds like, a slice of toast, served like a mediaeval trencher underneath a prepared filling or a simple piece of meat and generally eaten with a knife and fork.

In terms of wine, Catalonia has five denominaciones de origen, including the champagne-method cava, and a number of other wine producing areas. The most notable D.O. is Penedés, which makes worthy reds and excellent, fruity white wines.

Getting There. Barcelona is indecently well connected, easyJet, for example, operating flights from Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Paris Orly, Geneva, and Berlin. Girona is also easy to get to, and Ryanair runs flights to it from nine British and twelve continental European airports. ]]> http://www.catalanadventures.com/2010/04/19/catalonia/feed/ 0 http://www.catalanadventures.com/2010/04/13/top-10-budget-accommodation-in-barcelona/ http://www.catalanadventures.com/2010/04/13/top-10-budget-accommodation-in-barcelona/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:40:16 +0000 Steve http://www.catalanadventures.com/?p=1306 Finding a decent place to stay in Barcelona below €100 a night is very hard. Catalan Adventures does the groundwork for you.

This is a jewel of Catalan Modernism, decorated by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the same architect who [...]]]> Finding a decent place to stay in Barcelona below €100 a night is very hard. Catalan Adventures does the groundwork for you.

1. Hotel España

This is a jewel of Catalan Modernism, decorated by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the same architect who designed the city’s famous Palau de la Musica concert hall. The rooms at the back may have been refurbished but the building itself is worth staying in simply because it lets you imagine you are living in the era of Antoni Gaudi. The restaurant is especially good, and the hotel is just around the corner from La Rambla.

· Carrer Sant Pau 9-11; +34 933 181 758; hotelespanya.com; doubles from €92 (£73). Metro: Liceu

2. Hotel Jardi

An oasis of calm in the thriving Barri Gòtic, this simple, no-frills hotel is located in a quiet, tree-lined square, Plaça Sant Josep Oriol. Sit on your miniscule balcony and look out across the square at the statue of the Catalan poet and dramatist Ángel Guimerá i Jorge, who was important in the Renaissance movement in Catalan culture in the 19th century.

· Placa Sant Josep Oriol, 1; +34 933 015 900; hoteljardi.com; doubles from €95 (£75.50)

3. Hotel Market

Foodies can gorge themselves in style at the excellent Mediterranean-style restaurant then slope off upstairs to their rooms in the hotel to recover. The chic modern rooms are designed in a black, lacquered Oriental style. A number have terraces so try and bag one of those. Just two minutes from the Mercado Sant Antoni food market, so if you get one of the rooms with a kitchen, you can bring back fresh food and create your own feast.

· Passatge Sant Antoni Abat 10; +34 933 251 205; markethotel.com; doubles from €93 (£74). Metro: Sant Antonio

4. Hostal Gat Raval

Ignore the non-descript facade and the builders and take the trouble to see this second-floor hotel, as it is a rare gem. Situated in the Raval, a city centre area mostly populated by Asian immigrants, Gat is ideally placed to taste one of the most exciting barrios in the city. This is where Asian culture mixes head-on with Spanish culture. It boasts some great Indian and Pakistani restaurants, not to mention theatres and shops. The rooms are smart, the hotel modern.

· Carrer Joaquin Costa 44, 2;+34 934 816 670; gataccommodation.com; doubles from €74.90 (£59.50). Metro: Universitat

5. Hotel Ciutat Vella

Swish, ultra-modern, the rooms are bright and breezy with a range of combinations, including bunk beds. Round the corner from the Macba art museum, it puts you right in one of the trendiest parts of the city. In some ways this place typifies modern, hip Barcelona.

· Carrer Tallers, 66; +34 934 813 799; hotelciutatvella.com; doubles from €90 (£72). Metro: Universitat

6. Hotel Confort

In the middle of Gracia, for a long time one of the most happening parts of Barcelona, Confort is all sharp design and boasts a marvellous terrace. Step outside and you are among the buzzing bars and shops which give this part of the city its claim to fame. Take advantage of a series of offers, like the cut-price doubles in the low season – August.

· Carrer Travessera de Gracia, 72; + 34 932 386 828; h-confort.com, doubles from €79 (£63)

7. Hotel California

Great value for money considering its locaton around the corner from La Rambla. The California offers decent, clean rooms and markets itself as gay friendly, though this is more subtly played than in hotels like Axel, in the “Gaycelona” district of Barcelona.

· Carrer Raurich 14; +34 933 177 766, hotelcaliforniabcn.com; doubles from €85-95 (£68-76)

8. Hostal Goya

The best advert for this smart but comfortable hostel in the heart of the Eixample district is that business travellers who could afford somewhere much more upmarket opt for Hostal Goya instead. Do not be put off by the entrance or the stairway as you trudge upstairs to find your bed. Once inside, you are in what is essentially a family home, but run as a professional hostel. The high-ceilinged rooms are light and bright. The best one comes with its own balcony.

· Carrer Pau Claris, 74; +34 933 022 565; hostalgoya.com; doubles from €85 (£68)

9. Hostal d’Uxelles

This is a very pretty hostel right in the east of Eixample – the posher part of what was the extension of the old city. It has some lovely Modernista touches – from the tiles to the cream walls and gilt-framed mirrors. Although it is right on one of Barcelona’s busiest thoroughfares, you are only a short walk from La Sagrada Familia, or just a few minutes from the city’s best shopping boulevard, the Passeig de Gràcia.

· Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 688, pral; +34 932 652 560; hotelduxelles.com; doubles from €87 (£69). Metro: Tetuan L2

10. Hosteria Grau

A charming place, from the beguiling spiral staircase to the open fire which may come in useful if you decide to visit in the winter. A family-run place, which despite its central location in the Raval, just off Plaça Catalunya, is not too noisy. This is an important factor in a city where racket seems to (unfortunately) be the norm. The Raval is probably the worst offender for noise. The 1970s-decorated communal areas are not too kitsch, just fun. For families there are apartments if you want to prepare your own food.

· Carrer Ramelleres 27; +34 933 018 135; hostalgrau.com; doubles from €85 (£68). Metro: Catalunya

· All prices given are average per night for a double, but may vary depending on the season