THE MODERNIST HERITAGE IN SITGES: THE SANTIAGO RUSIÑOL COLLECTION

The Cau Ferrat, the modernist palace owned by Santiago Rusiñol in Sitges, is closed, it is under restoration process, but very near from there, in the Miramar building, you can watch some  the most important paintings and other objects from Santiago Rusiñol collection. After the visit of the exhibition you will have done a stroll around this amazing caracter, Santiago Rusiñol, a Catalonian multifaceted artist: painter, writer and collector. I wanted to share with you some of the paintings I love the most. The temporal exhibition will finish the 25th November 2012.

Saint Peter by El Greco, the famous paiter from the XVII century

Saint Magdalena, again El Greco

The morphine by Santiago Rusiñol

The Medal by Santiago Rusiñol



Young lady from Sitges by Santiago Rusiñol



The musicians from the Sitges Band by Santiago Rusiñol



TARRAGONA, THE ANCIENT ROMAN CAPITAL

Tarragona is the capital of one of the four Catalonian provinces, is 100 km far away from Barcelona. The latin name of the city was Tarraco, and Tarraco become the capital of Iberia 2.000 years ago. Iberia was the biggest province of the Roman Empire. The reason of the importance of Tarraco as capital of Iberia is the fact that Emperor August lived in Tarraco during two years because the war againts the astures and cantabros. Strolling around the narrow lanes of the nowadays Tarragona you can find a lot of this glorious roman past.



Roman wall from the III and II century BC with megalithic stones at the bottom, you can compare the lady passing underneath with the size of the stones



The gothic Cathedral has been built on the top of the ancient Roman Temple, the church is consacrated to Saint Tecla and Saint Magi, both Saint's days correspond with the birth of August Emperor 23rd September, and the death of August Emperor 19th August



Corridors underneath of the Roman Circurs for arriving to the spectators seats, the circus had capacity for 30.000 people, and the population of Tarraco was around 40.000 inhabitants

View of the arena of Roman Circus from the I century AC used for horse and chariot races

Very near of the Mediterranean Sea, the Roman Anphitheater site of gladiators fights 

CALÇOTS, DELICIOUS BARBECUED TENDER ONIONS

During the end of winter and beginning of spring it is possible to taste one of the most tradicional dishes from Tarragona the "calçots", a tender barbecued onion with "romesco" sauce. Those green onions come from Tarragona , but now you can find "calçotades" all over Catalonia.

Last Saturday my family and me went to Renau, Tarragona, for having a "calçotada", the perfect excuse for  having fun and drinking some wine from Priorat county with relatives and friends

The "calçots" before being cooked and the "romesco" sauce

The "calçots" already barbecued

All the people around the table sharing the "calçotada", as you can see, it is not a formal meal

The "calçot" eating process, it is not very clean and sometimes we need bibs