Giants at Monistrol de Montserrat near Barcelona

You probably have seen them in pictures. They are omnipresent in our traditional celebrations making children laugh or panic. They are the giants (gegants - cat.). I can never tell which character they represent. Women mostly represent queens, princesses or important ladies and men may be kings, catholic or moor but also just warriors. Of course you can find all sorts of other characters such as peasants, old people...Some say they are documented as far back as the XIV century, and that they first appeared as male characters. Later came women in the XVI century (discriminated as usual). Giants are made of papier mâché, sustained by a frame of wood to raise it from the inside. Carriers are organized in groups or associations called colles. Remember that there are also small figures called capgrossos (big heads - literally.) This picture was taken just in front of the town hall (ajuntament) at Monistrol de Montserrat. If you want to see them in action check this wonderful videos: Gegants at YouTube

Biker's Beer Pump at Escriba's in Barcelona

Today it was a holiday, so we went to take a walk along the beach now that warm days are coming to an end. The day was sunny but a little foggy so most of my pictures came out dull and boring. We approached this restaurant with terrace facing the beach called The Xiringuito of Escribà, yes the same family that runs the pastry shops at Las Ramblas (remember my post: Antigua Casa Figueras ) and Gran Via, and while waiting for the waiter to accommodate us I set eyes on this beautiful beer pump fancied after a motorbike engine. The small letters on each side read "Escriba since 1908" and "For rock 'n' roll and its faithful beer drinkers", see detail here.

Tomatoes, Garlic and Olive Oil: The Cornerstones of Mediterranean Health

Well maybe I exaggerate a little bit, but olive oil and vegetables surely are the basic ingredients of a Mediterranean healthy diet. So why not showing some good tomatoes with garlic (good for the bones, or so they say!). As you can guess this dish wouldn't have surprised me much if it weren't for the marvelous display. One thing to point out here is that traditionally we use small juicy tomatoes (not these salad ones) to rub a toast or a slice of bread, which is then dressed with olive oil and salted. The toast garnished in such a way is called torrada de pa amb tomàquet and can be eaten as is or accompanied indistinctly with slices of ham, sausages, salami...anchovies sometimes or whatever you can think of. Garlic on the toast is optional but widely used and it must be rubbed first, before tomatoes of course. To finish, just remember this picture was taken in Monistrol de Montserrat in Barcelona. More to come...