Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

Creative tourism:

In his studio in Vulpellac, next to la Bisbal d’Empordà (Costa Brava), the master crafts- man spins his wheel. This time some tourists have come to visit, including foreigners. They are seeking to understand and explore the lands they are visiting, and are particu- larly eager to make direct contact with an in- habitant of the area. Someone who can tell them how a product is made. Like this jug taking shape in the potter’s hands. DO IT YOURSELF Learn the secrets of wine, make pottery, cook like a local chef and even build human towers! The best way to get to know a place is to experience it.

© marc castellet

© CPTAP

DIRECT EXPERIENCE This is just one example of what is known as cre- ative tourism , a trend that aims to get visitors in- volved in the territory and, rather than being a mere spectator, become immersed in the culture. After the tangible heritage of an area has been discovered, that is, its monuments and scenery, its intangible heritage can be too. And this trend has certainly arrived in Catalo- nia. On the ground floors of a building hidden in

the Barcelona Gothic quarter, a window shows a kitchen where people work in their still pristine white aprons. Is it a restaurant kitchen? No. There isn’t a chef in sight, which means it’s ob- viously not a restaurant kitchen. These people are preparing a typically Catalan recipe. They might even have gone with a guide to buy the ingredients at the market. They will return home knowing how to make a trinxat of cabbage and potato, or maybe a stew, two of the typical dish- es of the local cuisine (bcnkitchen.com) . In the north of Catalonia, in the Empordà, visitors take part in the activities of the Vívid festival. This takes place in April and invites par- ticipants to partake in a wine experience . They will tell them about the territory and the nature of the wines, take them to the vineyards, and explain how the wines are made. Then they can try the wines and learn to distinguish each one’s delicate notes.

treading grapes to get must.

a ceramic workshop.

VISIT EMPORDANET Time seems to stand still halfway between the city of Girona and the coastal towns of the Costa Brava. This is the Empordà in all of its glory, where visitors can come to partake in traditional, artisanal, and creative activities, like visiting the 11th-century Can Solivera olive grove and country home, and tasting their olive oil, or participating in a pottery workshop in Figueras i Fills, which specialises in large pots. Visitors can also tour Recuits Nuri to see the production of cloth recuit and sample this soft and fresh cheese which is a traditional food from the Empordà region and which is an ingredient in many recipes that pair well with the fantastic wines of the Empordà Denomination of Origin.

paint nites at the palau moja An evening actively combining creativity and good conversation. Have a glass of wine and create in painting. You will return home with a product from your hands, which is sure to surprise you. Meet your friends and enjoy this fantastic event on the last Thursday of each month. You don’t have to be an artist to be creative, it doesn’t matter whether you have ever held a brush: to do this activity you don’t need any experience, just a desire to have a good time. There must be a reason why the social networks are flooded with photos of the Paint Nites. Accessible activity, available all year in Catalan and Spanish.

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For more information visitempordanet.cat

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For more information www.palaumoja.com

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