How Catalonia has changed in these last 10 years

This morning I was reading the La Vanguardia newspapers at my favorite cafè and found a very interesting article presenting figures showing how Catalonia has changed during the last decade. Since it covered many areas I'm often asked about by my guests, I thought this could make a good post. So here are a few facts I want to share:

In 2009 there were only 66,334 foreigners registered in our region, nowadays it's 1,103,790. A milion more in 10 years! This fast change is still being digested by the local society and government: people wants them integrated, but people is scared of sharing resources, losing opportunities in front of the newcomers, and above all... scared of differences.

The catholic church is losing more and more its influence over Catalan. Ten years ago only 26.6% of marriages were civilian and a large majority married in the church. Now... it's 65.3%. Plus divorces and separations have also gone from 14,423 upto 21,913 a year!

Economy has also changed quite a bit. It seems we are richer now, with a 29,757 GDP/person (although the newspaper mentioned that might lower next year to the global crisis...). The services area keeps growing (mainly thanks to tourism) from 51.3% to 61.2%of the GDP. Instead, industry is not as big as it used to be and has gone from 31.1% to 19.6%. However, export has gone from 8,729 milion euros in 1999 to our current... 50.314 milion!

7 more Michelin Star Restaurants for 2010!

As every year, the prestigious Michelin Guide issues their new book with their restaurant recomendations and there have been many good news!

First of all, the most awaited one: Celler de Can Roca, in Girona has finally received their 3rd star (top award) and joins the other 3 restaurants in our region with the highest qualification.
Then two more restaurants have been given 2 stars: Lasarte, in Barcelona, and Mas Les Cols near Olot in the Garrotxa County. Finally, 4 more were given their first star (one of them in Barcelona: Enoteca, at the Arts Hotel).

To see the 2010 list go here, or visit my Googlemap for Top Restaurants.

Here is a picture of an "appetizer" I had a couple of months ago at Celler de Can Roca during a tour: They brought us an olive tree bonsai from which hung delicious stuffed olives:

Transfer tunnel between L3 and L5 finally inaugurated!

After months and months of renovation works, where passengers transferring from L3 to L5 (or viceversa) in Diagonal subway station had to find their way in the street and back into the station again, last week the newly renovated connection tunnel was finally inaugurated.

Obviously, locals had got used to the strange connections that changed every few weeks, but for foreign visitors transferring from one line to the other was more than confusing: it was a challenge!

But was it really affecting many tourists? YES. For visitors using public transportation, this transfer is quite important because it allows you to get from Sagrada Familia church in L5 to the green line (L3) that takes you to Passeig de Gràcia (Casa Batlló), Plaça Catalunya (city center and beginning of La Rambla), Liceu (middle of La Rambla, access to the Gothic Quarter, Boqueria Market...) and Drassanes (Old Port, Maritime Museum, bottom of La Rambla), amongst other.

Now everything is easy again and the tunnel connecting the two lines is open, and has been improved with brand new treadmills that make the walk faster and more comfortable. So enjoy your rides again!

Christmas in town!

Christmas arrives to the city every year sooner, and always mixes the old traditions with some innovations. This year one of the most extravagant "creative ideas" of our city council is what you can see in the above picture. Believe it or not, this imitates a giant pasta piece that Catalan have for lunch on Christmas day on a rich meat, vegetables and beans soup. The pasta is called "galet" and the soup and its ingredients are "escudella i carn d'olla". So if you happen to be enjoying a walk, for instance down Rambla de Catalunya (at the crossing with Provença street), and you find one of this strange looking Christmas lights, now you know what it is. And for some extra insights, this is an example of the (remarkable?) effort of our local government to make a religious festivity such Christmas look... secular!

Anyway, if you are interested in our old traditions, you can already check out the always controversial real-size nativity at Plaça Sant Jaume (it's never traditional enough nor modern enough for the locals... It's almost a tradition to go to see it so we can complain about it, haha!), and also at the Cloister of the Cathedral (this one, always traditional and acceptable), and the Christmas fair has started both in front of the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter (the largest and most popular) and at the Sagrada Familia church (by the Passion Façade).

Do you want to know everything about Christmas in Barcelona? Check out my other Christmas posts!