Sitges Tales 3: Principally Summer ‘16

A Tale of Observation 

To hover above the town like the numerous tower cranes marring our sky and observe a resort destination such as Sitges during the height of its annual economic cycle is a very interesting pastime. 

Summer this year is in full swing, we've had our Gay Pride, the first major "festival" of our summer calendar; and it appears as if Sitges has resumed its construction boom, stifled since 2008.

It's hard to imagine, just a month ago the focus was the national political landscape, primarily of its lack of strong government leadership and corruption scandals; whereas, today the seasonal focus is food, fun and fiestas. All are welcomed to join in here, where Sitgetanos blame bankers and corrupt politicians for the crisis as opposed to foreigners. Our arms are open wide to receive tourists, quite the juxtaposition to the racist backlash against refugees fleeing their war-torn countries in the broader European context. 

Los Indignados de Sitges 2011

I must mention here how the momentum of the Indignados movement of Spain has incredibly morphed into Podemos, which has become a national electoral force; unlike in the US where its' equivalent movement, Occupy Wall Street, essentially initiated a national conversation (albeit a vitally needed one) about the desperately wanted change to their social structure.

Take a Closer Look... on the street & on the sea

Yes, the streets are abuzz with movement and the hum of human interaction permeates the air, even above all the activities along the seashore.

The Trends

for Men...

European men are increasingly daring in their grooming and fashion choices these days. Full beards are still going strong since sprouting a couple of years ago – I guess it takes time to cultivate growth worthy of Papa Noel! Conversely, the buzz cut on either side of their heads lends the eyes focus on the lengthy hair coiffed into a little bun atop the crown.

And large floral prints adorn the torsos and hips of the most masculine of physiques this summer.

... for Women

              

Women retain their femininity in the heat by covering their cleavage with peasant blouses which give healthy glimpses of their midrifts as the wind takes the fabric to flight. And gold, silver and copper enrich the straps of sandals with metallic brilliance, whether they're flat, on white-sole platforms or on the prevalent wedges seen step by step around town.

All the while, water shuttles and taxi-boats take passengers up and down the coast, between Barcelona - Sitges and Vilanova.

                             

"Voyage to Sitges"
@thesitgesquarterly
www.instagram.com/thesitgesquarterly

This is just some of what can be glimpsed, heard or noticed in the oasis that is Sitges this summer of 2016. 

Summer of Light & Shadows, pt.2

Anyone familiar with the television series, Cheers will know exactly what to expect of the atmosphere of Casablanca in Sitges. Upon entering, Brandon and Joan welcome you to this gem of a bar in the old part of Sitges.

This little space in time offers refuge to all, away from the millennials who bombard the bars throughout town. Here you’ll find a more mature crowd of gay, straight and bi—all colours of the rainbow shine here; locals, expats, and vacationers lucky enough to have found it along one of the towns most charming little carrers, Carrer Pau Barrebeig.

“The owners, Brandon and Joan, made us feel very welcome in Casablanca's diverse 'family' ”… review from Trip Advisor

Throughout the year Casablanca hosts a myriad of characters. On the winter weekends and holidays the fireplace heats the place and literally warms the locals into song! Needless to say, the cocktails do the rest. It is a place unlike any other…

                 

Again, José Uríszars’ paintings will grace the walls of the bar this August.

From the top of Carrer Pau Barreig

 

Carrer Pau Barrebeig, 5

08870 Sitges

Tel. + 34 938 94 70 82

Summer of Light & Shadows, pt.1

Summer of Light & Shadows

As we experimented with different columns and features in the pages of the Sitges Quarterly Magazine over the years we have had the honour of including Jose Uríszar as one of our contributors, namely his column, “From Our Vines” (*in SQ2—see below).

José Uríszar has visited Sitges several times a year, over the last 17 years. He hosted a live radio show—a food and wine program that was on the Cadena SER radio station, on Wednesdays. The program was called Ser de Vinos, where he conducted live wine tasting on each show.

“Among his artistic talents is also being a connoisseur of wine…”

This month, Uríszar has teamed with eatery, La Picara to exhibit some of his watercolours of Sitges scenes. Seven in all, his use of colour and shadow captures Sitges as only he can on canvas.

                                

La Picara—Conchi and Poala run this small place of great joy and atmosphere, located in the heart of Sitges, where you can taste wines from the major appellations of origin in Spain (especially La Rioja and Catalunya), to be accompanied by homemade Riojana-style tapas.

                     

Carrer Sant Pere, 3

08870 Sitges

Tel. +34 938 11 02 85

www.lapicarasitges.es

Next month, the exhibition continues with more paintings of various sizes to Casablanca.

*Scribe Note: José’s critique of La Blanc Subur

(not to be confused with the Malvasia de Sitges)

MALVASIA DE SITGES 2010
D.O. CATALUNYA 13.5% VOL. BLANC SUBUR

Colour: Medium intensity, clean, bright and transparent.

Pale lemon yellow with turquoise soft touches, very subtle; when tilting the glass, towards the edges, the colour intensifies approaching golden hues.

Thick and smooth legs run down the glass when gently tilted.

Aroma: Medium-high and with intensity; when shaking, the various characteristics stand out—white fruit, exotic touches and a whiff of citrus (grapefruit).

Taste: It makes a good initial impression on the palate with a silky and glycerol taste; white flowers surround a pleasant hint of fruit—apricot and lychee.

Dry in character, with a light but present tannin.

Aftertaste: High persistent flavour returns as if on its’ way over the palate again. It has a substantial difference from inland Malvasias, in its nice hint of salt.

With its quality and features, it is an ideal wine to drink as aperitif (chilled) and to accompany rice, noodle dishes (fideuás) and fried fish.

The Third GSL-Vision Magazine 2016

V3 Editorial

Visibility

1.    the state or ability to see or be seen, 

2.   the quality or state of being known to the public,

3.   the degree to which something has attracted general attention; prominence.

 

Model Angel Gabriel
photo courtesy of Jorge Pereira

In this issue, we take a close look at what it means to be visible as an LGBT person and the consequences of acceptance in society. Being seen is the key. It breeds familiarity, which is really the gateway for empathy.

The normalization of homosexuality is occurring throughout western countries at a fast pace. Having said that, now that same-sex marriages are becoming increasingly accepted, the light now seems to be shining on the transgender struggle.

Transgenderism today is more visible than it has ever been, yet is still considered a “gender identity disorder” in many countries around the world. For those who experience profound inner discontent due to feeling that their physical body is not in sync with their inner self, life can be unbearable. They get verbally abused and have received death threats just by walking through the street. Fortunately, this is the LGBT frontier that is being addressed.

GSL as an association exists to assist the LGBT community in a myriad of ways. Among its goals are to develop and strengthen relationships with many local, and national organizations and businesses that are committed to furthering our mission of creating community and improving the quality of life for LGBT people.

And here we introduce the GSL-Visión magazine motto—

All Inclusive, All Together.

Come Out, Come Out, whoever you are…

In life you can never have too many out and proud individuals—the visible.

See you around town,

Cheyenne

The Anarchist in Me

For this months’ post, I highlight a short film made by the assistant editor of the Sitges Quarterly magazine, Gloria Gannaway. Although uploaded on YouTube roughly two months ago, it is a very interesting proposition in light of the political situations in Spain, Britain, the European Union and in the United States.

Of course, any government of a “western” country uses a system of governance (democracy, communism etc.), and employs an economic system based on the main ones taught in school being, capitalism or socialism just to name a few. One such ideology missing from my education was Anarchism.

Anarchism is the belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion.

It wasn’t until I saw “The Anarchist in Me”, when I realized what a philosophy or movement it was. The film presents many personal perspectives and ideas people have and incorporate into their way of living.

According to Gannaway—“The Anarchist in Me” is a thirty-minute documentary about the Bound Together Anarchist Collective Bookstore and annual San Francisco Anarchist Book Fair in San Francisco, California. It takes a look at anarchism today in the U.S. through interviews with people of diverse age and background who are involved in the bookstore or the book fair. They talk about the importance of the bookstore and the book fair, what anarchism means to them, and why they call themselves anarchists.

The Bound Together Bookstore

Given the misleading stereotypes of anarchists disseminated by the media and the general lack of knowledge about or interest in anarchism in the U.S., this short film can serve as an introduction for people by listening to a variety of anarchists speak briefly and simply about their own ideas and personal objectives.

A common response among those who have seen the film is that it has made them interested in anarchism and made them want to learn more. It was surprising to some in that the ideas of anarchism are so familiar to them, and not so far removed from what they themselves think.

Bound Together: The Anarchist in Me

Where we are today, politically…

In Sitges last May (2015), Miquel Forns was re-elected to serve another term running until 2019. He has formed a new coalition municipal government for the legislative period 2015-2019, overseeing social policies, economic development, culture and sovereignty consisting of five regidores (councilors) from his party, Convergència i Unió; Sitges en Positiu, Capgirem Sitges and ERC have three regidores each, Nou Horitzó has two regidores, while Sitges Grup Independent and the PP each have one.

The Caramelles de Sitges

Yesterday I witnessed an event and learned something new about Sitges.

As I worked at my computer, I heard rather loud music emanating from next door. And although this occurs periodically, this particular afternoon it seemed louder than normal; so I investigated… I followed the music and out on my terraza. And it turned out, instead of coming from next door, I looked down on carrer de l’Estalvi and discovered a group of people singing, accompanied by a band.

What was the occasion I asked myself? And remembered it was the end of Easter week, known here as Semana Santa.

What I observed were the Caramelles de Sitges, Catalan songs sung by a group of men to announce the start of Easter and the end of Holy Week. It is a tradition celebrated around the Catalan region. Yesterday, being Easter Monday (el Dilluns de Pasqua / Lunes de Pascua), different groups of singers from around town begin their tour of song on the evening of Holy Saturday (el Dissabte de Glòria / Sábado de Gloria) and sing again all day, today.

A Barretina

It should be noted that the first performance is held at the Town Hall (Ajuntament) before going further a field. 

A group of men wearing the typical cap—la barretina*, go from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and house to house offering a repertoire of songs. These performances are sung to women in the Spring or today, lyrics can be dedicated to Sitges. They are always sung in Catalan.

The group always carries a very long pole with a basket which is decorated with ribbons, bells and carnations. This is used to reach the balconies of houses and apartments in order to collect gifts of food. Historically, Caramellaires would visit houses to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection of Christ and in exchange for the news, people would give the singers eggs, sausages and other foods, which indicated that Lent was over. There is evidence that the tradition here dates back to the seventeenth century, although it was different to today. Over the years it has lost some of the religious aspects and the lyrics gradually have included different themes.

One of the most difficult times for the tradition was at the outbreak of the Civil War and the early post-war years. It was a time when music didn’t fill the air and caramelles almost disappeared. But they were recovered in 1941 thanks to a group of young Sitgetans, and former caramellaires active before the war, who got the permit to return to publically sing caramelles. Remember, Franco banned the Catalan language and as a result, caramelles were included in his edict.

Time marches on and in recent years a welcomed evolution in the tradition has occurred—some groups in Sitges have accepted women. So at this time of year, walk around town and hear the music now sung for and by all—the tradition lives on…

Here is a performance posted by Monica Gallardo last Saturday, March 26^th, 2016:

Caramella played by les Caramelles Sitgetanes.

Lyrics and music by Jordi Benet Centaur Pañella.

*Note: A barretina, no longer used in everyday life, is still considered a Catalan symbol and used in traditional fiestas of cultural identity, such as in Sardana dance or by figures seen in nativity scenes.

The book, Les Caramelles de Sitges by Albert Soler Marcé

Published by Grups d'Estudis Sitgetans in Catalan

Well Done!!

Well Done!!

A few days ago I received an email from the staff at Issuu congratulating me (with a warm, “Well Done!) that the third issue of the Sitges Quarterly magazine I uploaded last year was chosen to be included in their Stack categorized under “Sitges”.

third issue of the Sitges Quarterly magazine 

Included in the stack are publications such as The Sitges Flyer, The Sitges Annual, Vacation Rental Travels magazine* and the Agencia de Promoció Turisme de Sitges’ multilingual promotional booklets.

 Issuu (issuu.com) is a free electronic publishing platform for magazines, catalogs, newspapers and more. As a digital newsstand with over 21 million publications and 85 million active readers, it features leading and emerging titles in fashion, culture, arts, and local content, all of which are accessible on any device. 

“From giants of the publishing industry to art-school graduates seeking a first job, issuu gives anyone with digitally bound content the ability to upload and distribute their publications worldwide”.

Sitges Annual 2014/ 2015

Their Stacks are an easy way for readers to discover content in one place. It's similar to a bookshelf in that a user who clicks on that Stack will be able to see many publications, usually categorized by date and subject. The “Sitges” stack is comprised of 27 publications related to our beloved town. [Unlisted publications that are added by members are only viewable to them, the publisher, and not all readers]

September / October 2015 Issue

We are honoured to have been chosen to be included among these other publishers and also very happy that the Sitges Quarterly magazine will now reach the Issuu membership and an even greater global readership.

*Note:

Vacation Rental Travels Magazine covers the best, most unique, quirky, beautiful, amenities-laden homes for rent to vacationers. “Whether you’ve found the joys of staying in a home yourself or are new to the concept- this magazine will delight and surprise you with visually evocative photos of homes and destinations, as well as practical advice you can use to plan your own escape”.

See the September/October 2015 issue of the magazine:

www.vacationrentaltravels.com/2015-09/VRT-2015-09.pdf

Read the article written about Sitges: “Spellbound by Sitges” on page 15.