The three museums in Sitges are all close together and worth visiting, displaying some impressive collections of art, glassware, ironwork and antique dolls in buildings that are also architectural treasures.
The MNAC (Museu National d'Art de Catalunya) sits in a priviledged position at the top of Montjüic with views over Barcelona. The building itself is massive and impressive but is currently under scaffolding for renovation but the collections it houses are the most spectacular part.
There are permanent collections that range from what could be salvaged from the Romanesque through the Gothic, Baroque to the Modern period. All have their own wing in this light and airy building as well as space for a concert hall, several restaurants and bookshops.
This is a must for all visitors who want to get a feel for the cultural richness of Catalonia as well as some of the best views of Barcelona and enjoying strolling through the tranquil and cool gardens all around.
Some countries have kept family reunions separate from the present-giving commercial part of Christmas. Here in Catalonia the 25th and 26th of December are family days with nice meals and maybe a visit to church, but presents come on Three Kings day, or to be more precise on the night of the 5th and morning of the 6th of January.
Throughout Spain the Three Kings arrive from the Orient on horses, camels and boats and parade through the streets of towns and cities distributing the presents which all good children have asked them for in letters posted in the days before. The procession takes different forms but always involves music, dancing, singing, candles or firecrackers and lots of sweets distributed by the various Kings and their helpers, usually seated on grand carriages.
Here in Girona the Kings set up camp outside town on the 5th where children can go to post their letters and see their exotic entourage before the procession starts in late afternoon, once it is dark. The streets are lined with excited children all singing and shouting and parents vying for the best spots to film and catch sweets.
No public celebration is complete without a traditional food, in this case a "Coca de Reis" which is a round sweet doughnut shaped cake with different fillings of cream or marzipan. The person that bites on the small ceramic figure hidden in their slice has good luck for the year ahead and usually encourages multiple slices until it has been discovered.
Children have a few days to play with their new toys before school begins on the 8th and parents have to face the sad reality of extra kilos and empty bank accounts!