Mediterranean beaches,
major Catalan festival
and another Asian night of sky lanterns
MEDITERRANEAN VACATION
September in our experience is the best time to go on holiday to Mediterranean. Should you hit the beaches or embark on the last minute cruise – the weather is gentle and so are the prices. Crowds are almost gone, sea has accumulated all the warmth of summer months, and as days grow shorter, the skies at sunset glow with the most spectacular hues
For a more secluded vacation why not to embrace a taste of a relaxed rural life on one of many lesser known islands – Levanzo next to Sicily’s shores, Procida at Naples coastline, Croatian Vis (where they filmed the second part of Mamma Mia by the way) or Côte d’Azur’s Porquerolles – just to name a few:
It takes longer to get there, but it pays off with tranquility and blissfulness so needed sometimes by children of busy megapolises and hostages of informational boom and modern technologies like us
LA MERCE
The biggest and oldest festival in vibrant Barcelona is celebrated every year around September 21st to 26th, the latter being a public holiday. Festival represents unique cultural heritage of Catalonia and is your best opportunity to witness local traditions and folklore. Like a good perfume consisting of a number of different, distinct fragrant notes that blend together to create a signature scent, La Merce features a number of events that look and feel different to each other but gradually blend together to create a signature experience. Watch multi-coloured light projection on the facade of the Town Council and famous Sagrada Familia, dance traditional Sardana in one of the historical Placas, cheer the parade of fire breathing dragons and that is only the beginning…
The festival kicks off with Toc d’Inici – a parade featuring giant medieval mythical papier-maché figures. The procession starts at notorious Las Ramblas and continues across the Gothic quarter to Plaça de Sant Jaume, with dances and music from folk minstrels along the way
The following day of the festival is known for Correfoc, meaning ‘firerun’ in Catalan. Dedicated groups of locals dressed as devils jump and dance in the streets to the beats of the drums, eagerly waving pitchforks with crackling fireworks attached to them and seding sparks fly everywhere. If you plan to approach such ‘band of devils’ close, you might want to wear earplugs, old clothes and cover your hair for obvious reasons
Another spectacular feature of La Merce (not unique to this festival though) that usually happens on Mondays are shows of the Castellers. These are 10-15 meters tall human pyramids constructed by men, women and small children to carefully balance the weight. Performance takes place once again at Placa de Sant Jaume
And the grand finale of the celebrations features an exciting pyromusical show at the background of spectacular Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Related post – going to Barcelona
this summer?
5+1 UNIQUE IDEAS FOR YOUR
BARCELONA TRIP
This city is very difficult not to fall in love with. It’s eccentric architecture, sunny weather all the year round, party vibes and positive people make you feel like every day there is a celebration. And if like us, you explored every corner of Guell and Casa Battlo, walked up and down La Rambla dozen times, took 288 selfies with eternally-under-construction Sagrada Familia and tried paella in every second restaurant on the beach… But still long to return to Barcelona from time to time – we hope this article will give you some fresh ideas how to make your next visit to this amazing city even more enjoyable
LAUNCH A LANTERN IN THE SKIES
There is something magical about those Asian sky lanterns festivals. Maybe because they teach that if each of us lits a little light, together we can work miracles? The most famous sky lanterns festivals are those in Pingxi, Taiwan taking place in February and September and Thai Loy Krathong that is celebrated in November. Pingxi Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival will animate the dark skies above Taipei in the end of September, dates to be confirmed yet for 2023.
SHE IS IN FASHION
New York, London, Paris and Milan fashion week venues open their doors in September once again to educate us on what we should, or should not wear next spting and summer. It makes a great experience to visit any of those regardless if you consider yourself a fashionista or not. As always, it will be difficult to tell where there is more extravaganza – on a catwalk or among the attendees.
While most of the shows an invite-only (London FW being the toughest on this rule), with a bit of extra effort it is sometimes possible to get through the doors. Young designers as well as the dinosaurs of fashion offer limited number of ticket to the members of public as part of prize draws or charity activities. And, there will always be a series of events open to the public where you can meet the industry leaders and blend into the stylish crowd
Photo credits and copyrights: UpYourValley, WikiMedia, Flickr