gironaJ

Strategic Hostalric

Hostalric is a town built on a basalt outcrop in the 12th century above the river Fogars because of its important position on the France-Barcelona trade route.
This intersection has proved both good and bad for the local residents over the centuries, encouraging investment in the form of castles and defensive structures but also attracting more than its share of sieges and sackings.
Hostalric is now on the main road and train lines with trips in under an hour to the centre of Barcelona so its strategic position has evolved somewhat to one of a dormitory town but there are plenty of local industries based here too. 
It boasts easy access to the Costa Brava and also the Montseny mountains which is a protected UNESCO scenic area. The river Fogars it is the dividing line between Barcelona and Girona provinces.
It is the perfect place to stop for a walk around following the easy routes that are marked and finish up sitting in the mulberry shaded main square sipping a cool drink and looking up at the massive fortress which still dominates the skyline above town and which now houses a restaurant.

         
Click here to download:
Strategic_Hostalric.zip (5473 KB)

Cork: an important local industry

Yes, we are talking about the corks that are normally found in a bottle of wine or sparkling wine. This is an industry which has been important for Girona province for 150 years. It is centred on the towns of Palafrugell and Cassa de la Selva, either side of the Gavarres hills where most of the cork oaks are found.
Cork is an amazing natural product which was discovered by the Greeks over 2,500 years ago to seal the amphoras of wine and olive oil they transported around the Mediterranean basin.
As well as being lightweight, it is waterproof and fireproof which means the cork oaks are some of the very few trees that survive the regular fires which sweep through most forests. The trees take about 30 years to mature sufficiently to produce a layer of cork (its bark) but another 15 is needed before it is thick enough to be used for commercial purposes.
So, this is no short term industry, the trees take about 14 years to re-grow its bark for the next harvest which is all done by hand up in the hills. This area is the second largest exporter of corks in the world after Portugal and some 1,500 people are still employed in some way by the industry locally.
Unfortunately, like all mature industries, there is severe competition from other methods of closing bottles which are more economic and the market for corks is sliding steadily. Their niche is still relatively secure in the more upmarket sectors of the wine and champagne sectors but the cheaper end is moving to plastic corks or screw-caps.
Make sure you come and take a tour of a cork making factory (ask at the local tourist information offices) or visit the cork museum in Palafrugell before this fascinating industry disappears forever!

         
Click here to download:
Cork_an_important_local_indust.zip (4703 KB)

Exciting summer ahead in Girona!

Girona province hosts some of the best music festivals during the summer months with a wide variety of international groups and stars. In addition this year we have amajor sporting event to add to the excitement, the Tour de France which will be holding a stage here on the 9th of July finishing in Barcelona that same day.
The venues are also worth a mention because these are much more varied than your normal auditorium or concert hall. From the steps of Girona Cathedral (Religious music festival of Girona) to Cap Roig botanical gardens (Cap Roig music festival) in a setting which is a natural wonder and intimate enough to seem like a private party.
There are some smaller events such as those taking place in the Empuries Greco-Roman ruins which are worth keeping a look out for and also settings like the X th century monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes which are well worth the effort to get to.
Personally, I am looking forward to an eclectic range of music from Fauré's Requiem to Khaled with UB40, James Taylor and Jamie Cullum along the way. Leonard Cohen is already sold out but Lou Reed, the Pretenders and Dee Dee Bridgewater will more than compensate!
See the events page on http://discovergirona.net for more details.

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Click here to download:
Exciting_summer_ahead_in_Giron.zip (2760 KB)