Orange Polka Dot

Barcelona Festivals: Three Kings Parade

Images from BCN Ajuntament

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

 

Related articles

The Ride of the Three Magic Kings

Life In Spain: New Year's Eve

Grapes of Good Luck for New Year's Eve

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

Related articles

Top 10 International New Years Eve Festivals

Barcelona Festivals: Festa Major Gracia 2012

Experiencing Gràcia's Festa Major is the best part of having a "staycation" in August. I specifically took my month long vacation to California in July, so I wouldn't miss Gràcia's Festa Major this year. So many of my expat friends return to their countries during August, unfortunately missing one of the jewels of Barcelona's summer.

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?

Barcelona Find: Mapping Barcelona Public Art

I just found out about a really cool project in Barcelona from the blog Homage to BCN (thanks Rob!). Mapping Barcelona Public Art is an achive of Barcelona street art. Katrine Knauer created a website, Facebook page and Tumblr page to give a home to her photos of Barcelona's public art. Now it seems she will take contributions from other street art lovers as well. I will have to see if I have any photos of works that are not in the MBPA collection. 

Life in Spain: Californian = blonde

California Girls, right? | Paper dolls for sale on Etsy

"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.

Barcelona Festivals: Fira de Santa Llúcia 2011

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

 

Exploring Barcelona: My Insider Tips

Did you know that San Francisco and Barcelona are Sister Cities? Although I am a Bay Area native and worked in the heart of San Francisco, I did not know about the relationship of my two favorite cities until I received an email Ashley of the travel blog, No Onions Extra Pickles (NOXP). As part of her San Francisco Sister City project she asked me a few questions about life in Barcelona. NOXP focuses on art and cultural events in San Francisco, along with Ashley's other adventures with her perspective as an art historian. 

Barcelona and San Francisco make a perfect match. These sister's are lovely cities near sea and mountains, have a progressive and artsy vibe and offer a full agenda of interesting cultural events. Have a look at my insider tips for exploring Barcelona with children avoiding tourist clichés. 

Barcelona Festivals: La Mercè 2011

Barcelona's "festival of all festivals" La Mercè, celebrating the city's patron saint began on 22 September 2011 and ends on 25 September 2011. La Merce is the pinacle of all Barcelona's festivals offering four days of free activities - free museum entry, music in plazas throughout the city, parades, dances, community meals, games, workshops, beachside firework displays and circus perfomances. And it wouldn't be the bigest Catalan festa major without the human towers and people running through the streets with fireworks. 

There are so many events and parties it would be impossible to list everything here. I tried to focus on events that showcase Catalan traditions, such as the human towers and fire-runs, and that are family-friendly.

:: Event Highlights::

Free Entry to Museums: Throughout La Mercè many museums open their doors for free as part of the celebration. Most of the museum offer special events and workshops during the festival - many that are kid-focused. Each museum operates different schedules for "free" days - some are free on several days, others only one day. Check with the official La Mercè schedule for the details of each museum. Below are the museums that I feel are the most interesting for families with children. 

• Cosmo Caixa - Hands-On Science Museum, CaixaForum - Art Museum, Museu Picasso, Museu Marítim, MACBA - Contemporary Art, CCCB - Contemporary Art,  MNAC - National Art Museum, Museum of the History of Barcelona, Music Museum, Barbier-Mueller Museum, Museu Blau - Natural History and Science Museum, Museum of the History of Catalunya, Monestir del Pedrables - Original Monastery, Olympic and Sport Museum, Fundació Joan Miró, and Labyrinth Park.

Catalan Gegants | BCN.cat

La Mercè Parade / Cavalcada: Kids will love this parade featuring performers, music and the customary Catalan "gegants," ginormous puppets who represent Catalan icons. Kids in Barcelona has the parade route directions in English. The blue line on this map is the parade route. Saturday, 24 September 2011 at 18:00.

Beach Fireworks | Juan Jose Delgado Palacios, La Merce Photostream

Firework Displays at the Beach: Each year different countries showcase a firework perfomance at the Barceloneta beaches. The fireworks typically begin at 10:30 pm, check this link. 

Montjuic Castle Grand Circus: From 11 to 19:00 each day throughout La Mercè circus festivities are held at the Montjuic Castle.  

Correfoc | Perfect Travel Blog

Correfoc: A serious Catalan tradition where diablo-costumed Catalans run through the streets with various firework and flame-throwing contraptions, such as fire-spitting dragon. For children, or the more faint, there is a infantil correfoc that begings at 18:30 on Sunday, 25 September 2011 on Carrer de Joan Massana passing through Via Laietana ending at Plaça Antoni Maura (black line on this map). The adult correfoc begins later at 20:30, also starting Carrer de Joan Massana, passing through Via Laietana, continuing onto Plaça Antonio Lopex i Consolat de Mar (dark red line on this map). Spectators should definitely wear long sleeves and hats. Children should not attend the adult correfoc and young children may even be spooked by the infantil correfoc. 

Castellers | 2010

Castellers: Another Catalan tradtion - building extemely high human towers in which a helmeted kid climbs to the top while the tower wavers with the shaking arms of muscled Catalan men and women. It really is an amazing, hold-your-breath type of moment. Castellers will be competing in Plaça Sant Jauma on Sunday, 25 September 2011 starting at 12 noon. 

:: More Information :: 

• Official La Mercè Information: All the information for the festival in English, Spanish and Catalan.
• Offical La Mercè Program La Mercè: Available in English, Spanish and Catalan
• La Mercè Map: Parade routes, event locations and information in Google Maps
• La Mercè Places: Events by Neighborhood
• FotoMercè Flikr Photostream

 

 

 

Life in Spain: Organic Recycling

Recycling Bin in Sant Cugat | 2011

I bet you don't find this thrown on the ground beside your city's organic garbage recycling bin. 

What the heck is that... you ask. 

• Just your average leg of jamon that is commonplace in the bars and homes across Spain. 

To find out more about Spanish jamon and why you might trip over a devoured pig leg on the ground in Spain, check out my post on jamon. 

If you are looking to buy jamon, La Tienda, a gourmet Spanish food importer with a fabulous online shop, is a great start. I am an affiliate so if you buy anything I will get a small commission, which I will probably use to fund my jamon addiction. 

 

Spain Travel: Inns of Spain Unique Hotel Selection

Ever since we moved to Spain, I get overwhelmed searching for hotels for our explorations within Spain. In big cities, it is easy enough to find well-regarded articles in travel blogs, magazines or newspapers that recommend unique hotels. But in the lesser-known towns, where we like to travel, I have a hard time finding places with a qualified recommendation. I think it is a combination of searching for information in English and that internet usage is different here. In California, I could count on bloggers, magazines and newspaper articles to feature off-the-beaten path travel ideas. I am sure that Spanish bloggers and newspapers do the same - but you have to search in Spanish or Catalan. Plus, my experience tells me that many locals operate on word-of-mouth recommendations or they simply know about interesting places because their families have lived here for generations. 

Fortunately, in researching our most recent vacation I stumbled upon the Inns of Spain website. Who knows why it took me three summers in Spain to find it! Inns of Spain offers a select group of unique hotels prefered by independent-minded travellers. People who are looking for places off-the-beaten-path and craving a more authentic Spanish experience. If you love big resort with organized activities this is not your site. The hotel selection runs from casa rurales (similar to a bed and breakfast) to chic urban boutique hotels within a range of prices and amenities.

A really cool feature of Inns of Spain is the ability to search for hotels along your travel route. In my case, I was looking for a hotel either four or five hours south of Barcelona. Finding a unique hotel that fit our needs was more important than driving to the exact halfway point. So, I searched routes within an hour radius of our halfway point. To search for hotels along your route, you will find the search function pictured above on the Inns of Spain homepage. On the Trip Planner and Route page, you can find some precalculated touristic routes, Washington Irving route and the Caliphate route are a few - or create your own, from which you can save as a PDF. 

Inns of Spain has been around for 10 years, so you can trust their recommendations and customer service. For most of their hotel offerings, instant online availabilty is available. Otherwise, their staff will get back to you promptly with the reservation possibility. I was surprised with how quickly they responded to my availabiltiy inquiries and emailed me questions to ensure we had a great stay. Inns of Spain handles all the communication with the hotel, which makes it easier with language barrier. If you are planning a vacation to Spain and looking for an off-the-beaten path hotel, be sure to book early as many of these places only offer a few rooms. 

The company that runs Inns of Spain, also offers Inns of Italy, Inns of France, Inns of Argentina, Inns of Morocco, Inns of Chile, Inns of Costa Rica, Inns of Portugal and a site dedicated to the Paradores of Spain. While I haven't used these different sites (I hope to soon!), I feel confident recommending them based on my experience with their Spain site.