“Castells” – Human towers

“Castells” – Human towers

“Castell”  (castle in Catalan) is one of the most popular and unique traditions of Catalonia. Declared “Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO this activity is one of the most beautiful elements of local culture and a truly powerful and authentic team building experience.

“Castells”,  also known as “human towers”, were first documented near the city of Tarragona in 1712. However it is within the last 50 years that this tradition has spread across Catalonia – specially in the 1980s with the inclusion of women which lead to constructions of 9 and 10 levels which were never even thought of before. Although they are mainly seen in festivals in Catalonia, this activity is also celebrated in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

Today there are almost one hundred officially registered “Collas” (“Castellers” centers/schools) in the world – mainly in Catalonia but also in places like Hangzhou, China or London in the UK. These centers are very well organized and run, however most remain amateur. 

Human towers are built mainly during national holidays and local celebrations, festivals or even private events. There are also competitions between the different “Collas” – our friends from the lovely town of Vilafranca del Penedes are the most decorated and hold the record of the highest “Castell” – 10 levels of people with four in each level!

Over the years, at Barcelona Ambassadors we have put together workshops, tours and events with “Castellers” and the results have been always incredible. It is a powerful and fun team building activity where everybody understands their importance in a structure. It is also a great element to learn about and enjoy local culture and history. 

During workshops that we organise for our guests, we first explain the historical and cultural aspect of the “Castellers” and then underline and show how we can apply the principals of it into any community or organisation. The experience is a lot of fun, the message of team work and team building gets through and we also learn about a genuine tradition.

The activity is completely safe, involves no risk to any participant and most importantly no part of the workshop is mandatory – each person decides on their own when, how and if they want to get involved. 

Upon arrival to the selected school/center we first tour the facilities by the hand of our in-house guide/professional “Casteller” and learn about the history and present of this unique tradition. A true team of “Castellers” will share their experiences and explain techniques, safety measures, competition insights and much more.

After this introdutcion to the “Castell” world our guide will unveil that we came not only to see and listen but actually to take part in building our own human tower! – We always highly recommend to keep this part as a secret from the participants – the reactions and adrenaline rush is worth it!

Before enaging in various activities we put our belt – “faixa” – the traditional way. Shortly after we engage in some fun games to “warm up” and “break the ice”.

After the games we will receive detailed instructions and start focusing on building our own “Castle” along with typical live music in the background. 

During the workshop we will also get to see the incredible capabilities of “Castellers” and the exercises they perform during training sessions. 

Learning about and participating in the construction of “Castells” is a unique experience that will bring us closer to Catalan culture and traditions. Most importantly it will help us to understand better the importance of team work; communication, leadership and how each element of every construction is vital!

Dogs and group dynamics

Dogs and group dynamics

Barcelona’s Sant Joan de Deus was the first Hospital in Spain to open a unit with canine assistance to give emotional support to children and their families. 

In 2012 the Hospital successfully implemented and integrated dog therapy and assistance for medical visits (makes the experience more pleasant and shorter), emergency room (to calm down and distract patients – specially children) as well as psychology and dentistry among others.
The assistance with this specially trained dogs not only has a positive effect on kids – 95% of parents have stated that they feel more relief and less stressed when they see their children interacting with a dog in these situations. 

However Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) have been in use in countries like the United States for quiet some time now – specially with children and the elderly. Horses and cats can also make excellent therapy animals but the unique bond canines and humans share makes them the most common choice. 

The positive effect dogs have on kids and most people overall is a fact. With the right dog around us we tend to feel happier, safer and more relaxed – even if it is for a moment, often stress seems to go away.

New studies go as far as suggesting that when dogs are around, groups are more cooperative and more trusting.

Central Michigan University (CMU) researchers concluded that having a companion dog during group meetings could improve employee emotions and enhance communication. 

Dogs are a social lubricant – when work teams are first formed, it often takes a while for people to get comfortable with each other, but having a dog in the room seems to put people more to ease” says psychology professor Stephen Colarelli from CMU.

Companion dogs can certainly influence positive prosocial behaviours. Groups show more verbal and physical closeness signs while in presence of these animals as well as increased helpful behaviour, energy, enthusiasm and attentiveness. 

At Barcelona Ambassadors we firmly believe in the positive effect of companion dogs in group dynamics. We are animal lovers and we’ve experienced how – specially dogs – can play a big role in overcoming obstacles and improving actions that benefit us.    

 

“New” marketplace in Barcelona!

“New” marketplace in Barcelona!

Last month we witnessed the reopening of one of the biggest and more emblematic marketplaces in Barcelona – Mercat Sant Antoni.

The original project was built between 1879 and 1882 by the architect Antoni Roviras I Trias and eventually closed in order to be reformed in 2009. Nine years and 80 million Euros later the new Sant Antoni market opened to public and can serve again the neighbours and visitors of this part of the Catalan capital. 

The idea and goal of this important reform was to make the Sant Antoni market a modern and accessible space. However most changes respect the historical aspect an value of this emblematic space for the city. 

In total we can find today 235 stands divided in 5 levels and spread around 53.388 square meters. Most of these stands are related to clothing and accessories (105) while 52 represent the “fresh market” goods so known and appreciated in other markets in Barcelona. There will be 78 stands selling books on Sundays which will represent one of the biggest spaces of this kind in Europe. 

This new market will have AC – a novelty in comparison to the former version. Other practical things include parking and a gym. The marketplace will even have a museum space with reference to Roman times and a very well conserved part of the medieval wall of Barcelona. 

Inside the market we will only find 3 bars and 6 “tasting stands”. The idea behind this limitation is to conserve this place as  a genuine marketplace and not a food court and/or theme park. The neighbours of this part of the city have witnessed and incredible and dynamic transformation of this area which they would like to limit and control being aware that the new Sant Antoni market will draw the attention of larger crowds – they still want the place to be “a real market”.

So next time you are in Barcelona don’t forget to visit this emblematic place and the charming area around it full of beautiful little shops, local bars, “bodegas” and restaurants.    

Christmas in Barcelona

Christmas in Barcelona

There is usually not a lot of snow in Barcelona (if any) but the Christmas spirit is very present through the popular local traditions such as markets, parades, gastronomy and many more which we will try to explain briefly.

One of the most typical things is the Christmas markets set up all around town. From the more modern in galleries and other spaces focused on art, design, and fashion, to the most traditional like Fira de Santa Lucia in front of the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter or Feria de Navidad en la Sagrada Familia. Here you will find your tree and plenty of decorations some of them unique to this region of the world.

Among those decorations there are a couple that will certainly get your attention and we always have some difficulties to explain to our guests like “El Caganer”. The name literally means “the crapper” which doesn’t come as a surprise since this little figurines are in a sitting position with their pants down. While this may be shocking or even controversial for other people and cultures, in places like Catalonia, Andorra, Valencia or Southern France, “caganers” have been decorating nativity scenes in most homes since the 18th century. By making this symbolic “deposit” people believed they were fertilising the earth and today placing the figurine is suppose to bring good luck and joy. These days it´s also very common to see “caganers” of famous people whether they are local or international politicians, football players or other celebrities.

Another very important aspect of Christmas in Barcelona and Catalonia is gastronomy. As. You well know food is a big part of our daily life and the Holiday Season is not an exception as it has it´s specialities. You probably heard of the “turron” – a nougat made of egg-white, sugar, honey, almonds and it´s modern variations and interpretations (coconut, chocolate, truffles…). Although the “turron” is a must in almost every Spanish household, other meals like “canelones” (traditionally stuffed with leftovers) or “sopa de galets” (soup with shell shaped pasta) are specific for Catalonia.

Last but least – who and when delivers gifts and presents? There are two approaches on this matter that are widely accepted in Spain – either presents are brought by Santa Claus on the evening of the 24th or by the Three Kings early on the 6th of January. Speaking of the Three Kings, if you are in Barcelona this day make sure you don’t miss the parade “Cabalgata de Reyes”. The Kings arrive in spectacular fashion by sailboat and after disembarking they go thru many of the streets of the city spreading joy and candies.

Casa Bacardi

Casa Bacardi

A couple of weeks ago we had a great time at Casa Bacardi and we wanted to tell you everything about it. This fun and interactive museum of the world’s famous rum is located in the charming city of Sitges just 20 minutes south of Barcelona.

Casa Bacardi was established in the historical centre of Sitges just a few steps from the beach. The “modernista” building stands out because of it’s size and the white outside terrace with Bacardi logos all over it.

Now most of you are probably asking yourself the following question: What does Bacardi have to do with Sitges? Well, it turns out this little city of the province of Barcelona was the place of birth of Facundo Bacardi i Masso – the founder of the rum distillery and brand.

 

Still as a teenager, Facundo decided to follow the footsteps of his older brothers and seek prosperity and wealth in the “new world”, namely Cuba. However the road to success was not easy as he struggled and led two businesses into bankruptcy prior to engaging in rum production. Bacardi’s perseverance and creativity finally paid of when in 1862 along with his partners he acquired a distillery and constituted “Bacardi, Boutellier and Company”. They started to produce a refined and tamer drink (result of quicker-fermenting cognac yeast, oak barrel ageing and charcoal filtration) that was quiet unique at the time as were Facundo’s innovative branding strategies including the iconic bat logo (symbol of prosperity, optimism and family union).

But let’s go back to the visit and tour which is very enjoyable. It consists of 3 stages; the heritage room where we learn all about the fascinating history of Bacardi, the elaboration space in which we were shown in detail all the stages of rum production (tasting included) and finally the lounge bar. At the lovely bar we were greeted by two professional bartenders that first showed us how to do cocktails like; Mojito, Cuba libre or Daiquiri and then provided us with all the necessary tools and assistance so that we can do our own chosen cocktail which we then together enjoyed.

Have you ever wondered where does the cocktail name “Cuba libre” come from? This is something we also learned during the tour and we’ll be happy to share it in our next blog!