There was a wide range of music, from brass bands to orchestra to pop, hip hop, R&B and rock and roll. I was even lucky enough to get to enjoy a number of local Catalan bands, one of which played on a stage on the beach!
This weekend, I was lucky to take part in Barcelona’s largest celebration, La Mercè, which recognizes the patron saint of the city. This explains why there were so many free concerts, as well as numerous art expositions, plays and other events, all hosted by the city for free.
Beyond entertainment, the holiday also recognizes a number of traditions that have taken place in Catalonia for hundreds of years. My favorite event revolved around the castelles, which translates to “human towers.” The castelles have recently been added to the list of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. It sure was special to see this beautiful tradition take place in person!
While in Spain, I am hoping to stay up to date with Spanish news. So, in light of this goal, I spent some time reading a Spanish periódico, or newspaper. Funny enough, the name of this newspaper is El Periódico! It is a Catalan newspaper.
This week, my friend and I ran in a 10K race to celebrate the beginning of La Mercè. A “10K” race means it is 10 kilometers (1km is approximately 0.62 miles). My friend told me that over 12,000 people signed up to run the race! My favorite part was that we got to run through all of the main streets of the city, because they were closed off to cars. I even got a T-shirt to commemorate the event!
