Lleida, our hometown

By Meritxell Aluja

Lleida is a small town located in the west of Catalonia and about 140.000 people live there. It is so close to the mountains, but sea is just an hour away.  The climate here is extreme; the minimum temperature this year has been -5ºC and the highest last summer was 40ºC.  Lleida’s winter has a clear trademark, the fog, this year, in December it was foggy for 26 days

This town has had different names throughout the history depending on the people that were living there in that moment. It was called Iltirta by the Iberians, Ilerda by the Romans, Lerita by the Visigoths, Larida by the Moors and finally in the Middle ages it was called Leyda which ended up in Lleida. As you can see, many different communities have lived in Lleida and because of this the city offers a big variety of archeological rests and places to visit.

The most important monument is a cathedral called "La seu vella" which can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. This historical landmark is on the top of a hill and it was built in the 13th century following the contemporary Romanesque architectural canons. Furthermore, in the cathedral, after the Moors had left the city, was celebrated the wedding of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronella of Aragon who were the kings of the crown of Aragon, one of the most important in the Middle Ages.

In Lleida you can visit different museums, the Champs Elysees which is an urban park by the river Segre, the city hall, discover more about the Templars in the Templar castle and a lot more.

A typical dish of Lleida is “Snails with allioli” and some people, when it rains, go to hunt them.

The Catalan which is spoken in Lleida is a bit different from the rest and it's called North-Western Catalan because apart of pronunciation, there are some distinctive words that only inhabitants of Lleida use.

Tarragona: the Roman legacy

By Joaquim Torres
Tarragona is one of the four capitals cities of Catalonia, located in the north-eastern corner of the Iberian Peninsula close to the Mediterranean Sea. This small city was founded during the Second Punic War (year 217 BC) and is famous for being one of the oldest Roman settlements outside of Italia.

Tarraco, its Latin name, became capital of the Roman province of Hispania during the Roman Empire and for this reason the city still maintains a well-preserved archaeological ensemble that  was declared world heritage site by Unesco in the year 2000.

The city is a tourist destination because of its combination of beach and history sights that can be visited easily:

• Model of Roman Tarraco: a miniature reconstruction of Tarraco in the second century.
• Tarraco walls: an impressive defensive ensemble that protected the city from its enemies.
• Amphitheatre: a historical monument where gladiators fought.
• Praetorium and Roman Circus: the place where Romans were to watch horses’ races.
• Plaça de la Font, Plaça del Forum & Plaça del Rei: a space integrated in the actual modern city that was the Roman forum of the ancient city.

Another interesting way to know more about the Roman history of this city is by visit Tarraco Viva, an international festival that shows the military life and daily life of the legions and the gladiators as well as all about theatre, engineering and  lot more topics related with the ancient Roman lifestyle (http://www.tarracoviva.com/)

Beaches and Coves

BEACHES AND COVES 

By Paula Martínez
In the sea of Catalonia there are differents coasts, the Costa Brava, the Costa Maresme, the Costa Barcelona and the Costa Daurada.

I’m going to tell you about the Costa Brava, that picture show the cities with beach of this area:

                                                              Beaches of Costa Brava.

The Costa Brava is one of the most famous corners of Catalonia and also of the country and where we can still find beautiful coves to get lost and enjoy its crystal water. In this area there are beautiful beaches, coves surrounded by nature, crystal-clear water, quite, charming fishing villages,etc.


This area hasmany kinds of beaches from little isolated coves to wide broad sand bays that stretch for kilometres (eg Pals or Palamos). With a coastline of 158 kilometres (100 miles).  A curiosity of this area is that around the corner of each big beach are usually a smaller cove or cala, normally with better sand or clearer water.


Each beach is unique. If you know where to look you can find the ideal beach for you. You can find fine sand, rock pools, bays for snorkelling, sailing, canoeing, completely natural, or surrounded by bars and restaurants.

Here there are many beaches and you can choose the best for you, either depending on what you prefer or what you need.You can go in a cove if you want be calm with your partner, for example, or to a beach if you want to be with your friends or family and play in the water.

Here I’m going to talk a little about some beaches in the Costa Brava:

Lloret de Mar is very famous for his beach and also for the parties and the night life. The coastline has 700m of largest. Moreover, isa very good place to do watersports like parasailing, flyfish or water ski, and also have a water park, the Waterworld.

Lloret de Mar by Joan Garcia Ferre

Tamariu is another beach situated in the Costa Brava. Families love it, because of its crystal-clear waters. It has a diving club, a sailing club, kayaks for rent and more. The beach is about 180 metres long and 40 metres wide and it is surrounded by trees. 

You can get your feet wet or sandy or just sit back and enjoy the sea breeze at one of the beachside restaurants. 

Tamariu by Alberto Romero

Sant Feliu de Guixols has many coves and beaches of outstanding features, among which are the Bay of Sant Feliu and Sant Pol beach, with its bathing huts features.

They are beaches to live them: where you will enjoy bathing and sun, we invite you to practice some of the many water activities to discover the seabed or enjoy the charm of small coves, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, paddle surfing, snorkel... with a wide range of activities for all ages; as I also propose to make a boat trip to spend a few hours at sea, and know their coast from offshore.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols