It's calçot's season!

 

Delicious grilled sweet green onions dipped in romesco sauce. Yummy!
This kind of delicacy is only found in the market from January to end of March, and they constitute a good excuse for Catalan to socialize. To us, "calçotades" (gatherings to eat calçots) are to Catalan what barbeques are to American.

But if you don't have the chance to be invited by a local to one of these events, where can you at least try them?
In Barcelona many tapas bars like Cerveseria Catalana include them in their menu during this season. Traditional restaurants also serve them. An affordable option is the Mussol restaurant chain.

But if you prefer something more authentic, I can take you on a Day Trip where we'll stop for lunch at some traditional restaurant. Our options are:

- Montserrat
- Penedès Wine Country
- Sitges
- Tarragona

By the way, find my mom's romesco sauce recipe in my blog, and also discover the secrets of how to eat calçots "the authentic way".

Christmas like a local. Part 6: The Three Wise Men

Just one more special day left for the end of Christmas time in Barcelona!
January 6th is the day of the Three Wise Men (Tres Reis Mags, in Catalan) or the Epiphany. We celebrate that the Three Wise Men followed the shooting star to find the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Betlehem and brough him gold, incense and mirrh as gifts.

This is why that's the traditional day in Spain for kids to get their presents (despite Santa Claus invading our lifes lately due to globalisation...).

Everything starts with the child writting a letter to his/her favorite Wise Men: Melcior (the White), Gaspar (the Blond) or Baltasar (the Black), about the presents they'd like to get for having been good kids during the year.

They take the letter to a Wise Men Page (this year you can find one at the Virreina Palace in La Rambla, and there is usually one near any Corte Inglés as well.

On the 5th the Three Wise Men arrive to all cities and parade around the streets. In Barcelona they'll arrive by boat at the Moll de la Fusta pier at 5pm, then proceed to the Ciutadella Park before starting their parade crossing the whole city towards Montjuic at 6.30pm. Everything about their itinerary and the Wise Men time in Barcelona, and much more about Christmas in the city here.

After the parade or "Cavalcada", all children must quickly go back home, eat dinner and go early to bed. But before they'll make sure to leave some cava wine and turron for the Wise Men, and some water and old bread for their camels. We also leave a shoe so they know who leaves in the house and needs to get some presents.

The next day, when the family wakes up, presents will be there for everybody. And after that, usually starts an itinerary around the houses of other relatives (grandparents, uncles and aunts, close friends...) to see if the Wise Men left anything for the kids as well.

After that, there is a family big meal that always finishes with the traditional Tortell de Reis, a marsipan bread dough similar to Mardi Gras King Cake. Inside the cake there are two surprises, the "good one" and the "bad one". If you get the fava bean, that's the bad one: you'll have to pay the cake! But if you get the little king/wise man figure, then you'll be crowned king of the day and you'll have the right to wear the paper crown that came with the cake.

And after that, Christmas time will officially be over!
Children will still be given another day off before going back to school on the 8th after almost 20 days of holydays.

And as for adults... well, it'll be time to dieting after so much food and wine these days!

Christmas like a local. PART 3: Christmas for children!

Christmas is always a big thing for kids, who are delighted with the magic of traditions and presents.
Barcelona children have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the holydays:

- Advent Calendar. The countdown for Christmas starts when you buy an Advent Calendar in a bookstore at the stationer's. This calendar goes from December 1st to Christmas, and has a little window for each day, that you open as days go by.

- Setting up the Nativity. That's a huge event for the family. I told you everything you need to know about it in my first Christmas post.

- Caga Tió. This tradition might sound a bit scathologic, but it actually refers to the land fertility, and therefore wealth and good luck in general. On Christmas Eve, a Tió or Pooing Trunk is set in a prominent place of the house living room. Traditionally, it has a smily face painted in one end and wears a "barretina" hat. You must cover it with a blanket, so it doesn't get cold. But the trunk is still freezing, so children must warm it up so it can "poo" them their presents, and they do it by hitting it with a stick and singing a traditional song. I've heard many different versions of this tune; in my family we used to sing something that could be translated as: "Poo trunk, poo cottage cheese and honey, if you don't poo enough, I will burn you". Yes, maybe not too reassuring for the poor trunk but it is effective! After singing it a few times always hitting the trunk with your stick, you can lift up the blanket and... surprise! the trunk will have certainly pooed presents and sweets for you!



- December 28th, day of the Innocents. That's the equivalent to April Fools for many countries: a day to fool people and have a laught at them. Children often cut off paper dolls (LLUFES in Catalan) to hang them at the back of people when they don't notice...

- Childhood Festival in Montjuic. Every year the Barcelona Fair organises a kids festival with hundreds of activities for kids. In 2008 it'll be from December 27th to January 4th. Unfortunately, their website is only in Spanish.

- The Man of the Noses. A Catalan Legend says there is a Man that has as many noses as days are left before the year is over. This poor man can only walk in the streets on the last day of the year, when he has only one nose. Children walk around watching people noses and wondering who must be this misterious man... A big-head carnival figure of the "Home dels Nassos" will be parading the streets. Check out the city council website to know more about its itinerary.

- Toy Fair in Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. Every year the central part of this street holds a Toy Fair with dozens of stalls with the best toys and games to tempt both kids and adults.

- A letter for the Three Wise Men. Although globalization is making him more and more popular, in Spain Santa Claus is still beaten by the Three Wise Men as present carrier. Usually each child has a favorite Wise Men: Melchor (the white), Gaspar (the blond) or Baltasar (the black), and writtes a letter for him, telling him all the presents he/she wants to get for having been a good child. After writing the letter, it must be giving to a Royal Page. You'll find one in the Palau de la Virreina (99, Rambla) from December 29th to January 4th.

- The Three Wise Men Parade. They come to the city with their camels and pages and parade the streets before starting their important job of distributing toys among the Barcelona children during a long long busy night for them. This year they arrive by boat at 5.30pm at the Moll de la Fusta pier, then the Parade starts at the Ciutadella Park, through Via Laietana and towards Montjuïc.

- Getting ready for the Three Wise Men to come. Of course, January 5th is a night when children must go early to sleep. But before that, they will make sure to leave some turrón and cava for the Three Wise Men, and water and old bread for the horses. We also leave a shoe near the nativity, so they know where to leave your presents.

Coming to Barcelona for Christmas?

Christmas is a very convenient time to travel, however, if you are coming to Barcelona you need to take into account that our traditions might be a bit different from what you expect, and they might affect your schedule...

Here there are many busy restaurant times:
Evening of the 24th: it's the traditional dinner in for most Spaniards.
Lunch of the 25th: it's the traditional family lunch in Catalonia.
Lunch of the 26th: it's the next traditional family lunch in Catalonia.
Evening of the 31st: although many locals eat at home or with friends, MANY foreigners eat in restaurants.
Lunch of the 1st: Who wants to cook after a long night?
Lunch of the 6th: it's a kid's day, the Three Wise Men bring presents.

So my advice is... GET A RESERVATION ASAP FOR THOSE DAYS! Ask at the concierge of your hotel to help you with that.

The other important thing is that ALL monuments and tourist sights will be closed for visitors on the following times:

24th: they are likely to close sooner than a normal day.
25th: everything closes after 2pm.
26th: everything closes after 2pm.
31st: they are likely to close sooner than a normal day.
1st: everything closes after 2pm.
6th: everything closes after 2pm.

And of course, shops will be closed as well... So shopping is NOT an option.
I suggest you reserve that day to walk around, go to the cinema or have a warm capucchino in a cafe.

As for New Year's Eve... don't think you'll find locals partying out in the streets... We don't! It's cold outside! So make sure your concierge gets you tickets for a party in some nice club or an elegant hotel or you'll risk waisting your time wandering the streets! It's not a night to improvize...

And if you keep clubbing until the sunrise... follow the local tradition: hot chocolate with churros in some earlybird caffe! Nuria, in Rambla near plaça Catalunya, is an option.

Enjoy your holidays!