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La Mercé Festival Of Barcelona

By: Mike McDougall

Towards the end of September Barcelona begins to limber up for
the largest event on its festival calendar, La Mercé, a
celebration of the city's patron saint "Mare de Deu de la
Mercé". The festival heralds the end of summer and the onset of
the autumn months. The festival is a real big deal for the
people of Barcelona and the still temperate weather means that,
in true Mediterranean fashion, must of the fun takes place
outside. There's a massive amount to do whilst the festival is
on with events popping up all over the city and over 3000
artists and performers on display with over 500 activities to
watch or take part in. The festival has a long and proud and
first took place in 1902; today it's a fantastic blend of
tradition and innovation.

You'd really need to write a novel to keep on top of everything
that goes on at La Mercé each year so, we'll just have to settle
for some highlights. We start with one of the oldest traditions;
the human towers or "Castells" are a real must-see, sometimes as
much as ten stories high they're a fantastic display of
teamwork, agility and balance.

A recurring theme throughout the festival is the celebration of
fire and one of the most exhilarating experiences of La Mercé is
the "Correfoc" (the "Fire Run") where costumed fire-breathing
devils rampage around the streets in a colourful pyrotechnic
display. Kids absolutely love this sort of thing and audience
participation is a big part as the devils chase after those
foolish enough to get in their way. Another favourite of the
children is the "Dragons and Giants" procession which starts in
the Plaza Real next to Las Ramblas.

Foodies and wine lovers shouldn't feel left out either as there
is no shortage of indulgence in those areas. Food and wine shows
run throughout the festival showcasing local produce and allow
you to try and buy the best that Catalonia has to offer.

Festivities aren't just kept on the ground either, La Mercé
also celebrates the sky with static hot air balloon flights,
kite displays and other aerial exhibitions taking place
throughout the festival on the city's beaches. Other areas
around the city to look out for are the Centro de Cultura
Contemperanea de Barcelona where you can view street theatre,
Moll de la Fusta which will be giving centre stage to numerous
circus acts and Plaza St Rei where various dance troupes and
performing artists will be vying for your attention. There's
also a museum open day where many of the city's museums and
galleries can be entered free of charge including the Picasso
museum, the Museum of History of Catalonia, the Maritime Museum
and many more.

The culmination of the festivities is called "Piromusica"l -
the finale involves music and a huge fireworks display
choreographed together for an amazing audio-visual experience.
A big named music star is usually brought in to play the finale
and 2005 saw local singer and composer Pep Sala having the
honour of closing out La Mercé.

For tourists La Mercé offers a perfect opportunity to see
Barcelona at its best - it's a colourful, vibrant spectacle
which offers something for all age groups and all tastes. It
also offers visitors the perfect opportunity to see more of
this wonderful city.

Towards the end of September Barcelona begins to limber up for
the largest event on its festival calendar, La Mercé, a
celebration of the city's patron saint "Mare de Deu de la
Mercé". The festival heralds the end of summer and the onset of
the autumn months. The festival is a real big deal for the
people of Barcelona and the still temperate weather means that,
in true Mediterranean fashion, must of the fun takes place
outside. There's a massive amount to do whilst the festival is
on with events popping up all over the city and over 3000
artists and performers on display with over 500 activities to
watch or take part in. The festival has a long and proud and
first took place in 1902; today it's a fantastic blend of
tradition and innovation.

You'd really need to write a novel to keep on top of everything
that goes on at La Mercé each year so, we'll just have to settle
for some highlights. We start with one of the oldest traditions;
the human towers or "Castells" are a real must-see, sometimes as
much as ten stories high they're a fantastic display of
teamwork, agility and balance.

A recurring theme throughout the festival is the celebration of
fire and one of the most exhilarating experiences of La Mercé is
the "Correfoc" (the "Fire Run") where costumed fire-breathing
devils rampage around the streets in a colourful pyrotechnic
display. Kids absolutely love this sort of thing and audience
participation is a big part as the devils chase after those
foolish enough to get in their way. Another favourite of the
children is the "Dragons and Giants" procession which starts in
the Plaza Real next to Las Ramblas.

Foodies and wine lovers shouldn't feel left out either as there
is no shortage of indulgence in those areas. Food and wine shows
run throughout the festival showcasing local produce and allow
you to try and buy the best that Catalonia has to offer.

Festivities aren't just kept on the ground either, La Mercé
also celebrates the sky with static hot air balloon flights,
kite displays and other aerial exhibitions taking place
throughout the festival on the city's beaches. Other areas
around the city to look out for are the Centro de Cultura
Contemperanea de Barcelona where you can view street theatre,
Moll de la Fusta which will be giving centre stage to numerous
circus acts and Plaza St Rei where various dance troupes and
performing artists will be vying for your attention. There's
also a museum open day where many of the city's museums and
galleries can be entered free of charge including the Picasso
museum, the Museum of History of Catalonia, the Maritime Museum
and many more.

The culmination of the festivities is called "Piromusica"l -
the finale involves music and a huge fireworks display
choreographed together for an amazing audio-visual experience.
A big named music star is usually brought in to play the finale
and 2005 saw local singer and composer Pep Sala having the
honour of closing out La Mercé.

For tourists La Mercé offers a perfect opportunity to see
Barcelona at its best - it's a colourful, vibrant spectacle
which offers something for all age groups and all tastes. It
also offers visitors the perfect opportunity to see more of
this wonderful city.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlesexpress.com

Mike McDougall works for Babylon Idiomas, a Spanish language institute with schools in Spain [Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia], Argentina and Costa Rica. For more information visit www.babylon-idiomas.com

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