Saint George Day

23rd April.. Saint George's day... or roses and books... (top right select language)


click to view an animation

La Diada de Sant Jordi, also known as el dia de la rosa (The Day of the Rose) or el dia del llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday celebrated on April 23 as lovers day with some unique twists that show the ancient practice of this day. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and respected ones. Historically, men gave their girlfriends and wives roses, and women gave their boyfriends and husbands a book to celebrate the occasion. In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is quite often. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times. Barcelona is an important publishing capital in both Catalan and Spanish.

Ski

Ski it's quite popular, even if it's an expensive sport. There are several ski resorts near Barcelona, between 90 to 360 minutes by car.
The first tele-ski was set up in La Molina 80 years ago. You can go to la Molina resort by train from Barcelona, it's the line between Barcelona and Puigcerdà.
The photo is from the twenties.