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Girona Flower Festival 2022.

Without a doubt, one of the dates not to be missed in Girona is the traditional annual flower festival Temps de Flors Girona. This once bright and enchanting event has always brought a special charm and flavor to the narrow streets of medieval Girona. With a fair amount of regret, we are forced to state that from year to year the bar for the quantity and quality of flower arrangements that decorate iconic buildings, houses, museums, courtyards and gardens of Girona during the days of this holiday is gradually decreasing. This year, the level of satisfaction with the festival has reached its lowest point – and this despite the fact that the total number of flower arrangements exceeds last year (according to the organizers, 106 against 87 in 2021).
We really do hope that this not quite pleasant trend will change in the future. Nevertheless, there was something to admire, let’s look and evaluate together!

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Flower Festival in Girona 2021

Фестиваль цветов в Жироне 2021

Hallelujah, it finally happened! From 8 to 16 May 2021, Girona again hosts the traditional annual flower and design festival Temps de Flors Girona. This year, however, A Cel Obert was added to the name, which translated from Catalan means – in the open air.

Yes, the coronavirus has made its own adjustments. To be fair, it should be noted that last year’s festival was canceled altogether. This year we were deprived of the opportunity to observe numerous flower arrangements (many of which were real gems of the festival!) inside historic buildings and their courtyards in the medieval part of the city; almost all compositions are in the open air in order to reduce the risk of a possible spread of a malicious virus. It should also be sadly noted the overall decrease in the number (and in some places – and in the quality) of flower arrangements of the festival in Girona – 83 in 2021 against 137 in 2019. Florists and designers, unlike the billionaires from the top ten of Forbes, seem to have been unable to increase their wealth by 20-30% during the pandemic, we wonder why?

Nevertheless, this wonderful holiday, as always, has added bright and rich colors to the appearance of Girona, which is already picturesque and friendly to travelers.

We invite you to take a short tour of the streets of Girona and see what skilful florists and design masters have prepared for us this year.

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Carnival in Playa de Aro 2020

Карнавал в Плайя де Аро 2020

Carnival in Playa de Aro 2020.

Attention, attention! The Mayor’s Office of Playa de Aro warns all residents and visitors of the city – from February 15 to 26, 2020 a merciless and uncompromising carnival will fall upon us. To prepare in advance for this natural disaster holiday, please read its program on the Playa de Aro website (unfortunately, the program is available only in the Spanish and Catalan versions of the site); at the bottom of the page there is a Descarga PDF link – you can download a file with more detailed information in Catalan.

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Live nativity scenes in Calonge

In a Christmas time there are traditional performances based on biblical subjects, live nativity scenes (pessebres vivents in Catalan), many cities of Catalonia. Typically, these performances take place in the old part of the city in the evening to add medieval flavor and achieve complete immersion in the atmosphere of the era of the birth of Jesus Christ. Local residents dressed in clothes of those times depict both biblical sketches and everyday plots from the life of peasants of that era.
We have already informed our readers about similar performances that took place in the cities of Castell d’Aro, Pals, Tossa de Mar, Perelada and Brunyola. This year we visited the live nativity scenes in Calonge, it took place on the site around the ancient castle of the XII century. We bring to your attention a small photo report.

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Christmas Tree Fair in Espinelves.

Christmas and New Year are approaching fast, and it means that soon a Christmas tree will appear in your house, and the best place to buy a live Christmas tree in Catalonia is a fair in the small town of Espinelves, lost among the mountains in the Montseny nature park, between Girona and Vic.
The traditional Christmas fair in Espinelves is already held 39 times, people seriously come here from almost all of Catalonia to buy not only a Christmas tree, but also a wide variety of home decorations, in order to prepare for the celebration of Christmas – the most beloved holiday for children and adults. And well, how can a Catalan fair do without traditional stalls with yummy and products of local artisans?
So if you don’t even plan to install a live Christmas tree at home, then you can just walk along the narrow streets of a medieval Catalan village (and the village is really aged – the Espinelves church has been mentioned in historical chronicles since 943!) – it’s a great opportunity to spend a wonderful weekend with your family!
Keep in mind that the fair is open until December 8, the weather forecast promises cooling, and in the evening, after sunset, the temperature in the mountains decreases rapidly, so it is better to dress warmer!

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Beer festival in Playa de Aro 2019

Праздник пива в Плайя де Аро 2019

Beer festival in Playa de Aro 2019.

October came imperceptibly, and this means that Oktoberfest is waiting for us again! Playa de Aro is not a Germany, of course, but they also like beer here – and therefore the city hall organizes the traditional Beer Festival, which will be held from October 4 to 6, and from October 11 to 13 in the city center, on Plaça del Mil·lenari square opposite the Palace of Sports and Congresses.
The organizers promise that we will be able to taste about 30 varieties of foreign beer, as well as to taste a craft beer from local manufacturers. Well, as usual, traditional Catalan snacks are waiting for us accompanied by songs and dances of popular artists, as well as thunderous processions of frantic Catalan drummers😃.
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Classic vehicle fair in Playa de Aro 2019

For the attention of residents and guests of the Costa Brava – the traditional Retro Motor Platja d’Aro-Ralf Kosidlo Memorial will be held in Playa de Aro next Saturday, September 28; this time already for the 22nd time.
As usual, the organizer of the exhibition is our local classic car club, Clàssic Motor Club Vall d’Aro, together with the Department of Tourism of the Castell – Platja d’Aro City Hall.
In addition to the retro cars and motorcycles themselves (among which there are usually very, very interesting specimens!), in the parking lot de la Masia Bas (this is free parking, where the market works on Fridays), more than a hundred stands will be placed on an area of more than 10,000 m2, where you could buy or sell both rare cars or motorcycles, and spare parts for them; here you can find any necessary specialized literature, repair manuals, etc., etc., etc. And of course, obligatory stands with numerous souvenirs, miniatures, models and toys for children!

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Fireworks Festival in Blanes 2019

To the attention of vacationers and residents of the Costa Brava!
From July 23 to July 27 (Tuesday-Saturday next week) in the city of Blanes, right on the beach, the annual International Fireworks Competition of the Costa Brava will be held for the 49th time (the  official name in Catalan is – Concurs Internacional de Focs d ‘ Artifici de la Costa Brava).
According to the requirements to the contestants set by the town council, the action should begin at 22:30, with three warning shots at 22:15, 22:25 and at 22:30, the duration of the fireworks should be at least 18 minutes, not counting the very first and the latest shots.

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American Cars 2019 in Playa de Aro

Ford Thunderbird, 1955 - 1957
American Cars 2019 in Playa de Aro.
Last weekend, June 8 and 9, the traditional holiday of fans of the American automotive industry “American Cars Platja d’Aro 2019” took place in Playa de Aro; this overwelming event was organized by the Catalan Club of the American Cars. According to the founders, the current exhibition of cars was held for the 30th time at the national level, and for the 25th time – at the international level.
It seems that every year the holiday is becoming more and more popular – at least we managed to see a lot of new, not previously exhibited cars. The rest is nothing new, everything is as usual: polished luxury cars of different years of manufacture, the oldest of which were lovingly restored and dated back to the 30s of the 20th century; a loud growl of powerful engines, the smell of burning tires on traditional drift competition, loud hard rock rambling from the speakers, crowds of people making selfies with cool cars, while their owners in wide-brimmed Texas hats relax in the shade, sipping beer accompanied by traditional Catalan snacks …

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Flower Festival in Girona 2019

Flower Festival in Girona 2019.

And again a holiday came to Girona – from 11 to 19 May 2019, the city hosts the annual festival of flowers and design Temps de Flors 2019, this year already for the 64th time. What does this mean? It means that all car parks in the immediate vicinity of the old city are packed to capacity, dozens of tourist buses are crowded in remote parking lots, and in the heart of the old city there is no free space – people are drawn to the best examples of floral design, and certainly this craving cannot be stopped… An innumerable stream of tourists; dozens, and most likely even hundreds of thousands of people visit Girona these days just to see with their own eyes what was prepared by flower growers and designers this time to please us…

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