Catalan Day in Lloret de Mar

11th September is the national day of Catalonia, so there were all kinds of activities taking place in town today. Here's just a few photos of today's events near the Town Hall. All along the paseo were stalls selling local food produce, and local arts and craft items.

Land of the Giants!

The temperature today was 28ºc which I'm sure must have made it hard work for the Catalan ladies who sat there most of the day demonstrating their lace making skills.

Homemade pastries

Hand decorated glass and ceramics

Catalan meats

Lace making

Death in Barcelona after being hit by a falling sofa.

A 48 year old man died in Barcelona today, Friday, after being hit by a falling sofa last Wednesday. He was hit by the sofa, which had been hurled from a balcony during a private move.
It happened in Calle de Sant Pau in the Ravel area of the city, and the sofa had been thrown down by a friend of the victim from the second floor balcony above. It seems the friend below was trying to warn the friend above that there were people walking in the street when the piece of furniture hit the victim on the head.

He was taken to hospital in a serious condition, but died there on Friday.

It appears that after the two men established that the sofa did not fit down the stairs, so they decided to throw it off the balcony.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_31887.shtml#ixzz1XUYY4Vqr

Lloret de Mar - Just a bit of news!

An anonymous investor is seeking permission to build a new luxury disco / nightspot on the edge of Lloret . If planning is granted its reported that this new nightspot will cover an area of 5,000 m2, employ about 2,000 people and cost €11 million and could be open as early as next summer!

*************************************************************

The town council of Lloret are at last trying to do something about the sale of those annoying megaphones which we have had to listen to for the last 2-3yrs. They cant actually ban the sale of them but its hoped they can persuade the Indian / souvenir shops to rethink the items they are selling in their shops. Other items they hope to curb the sale of are the lasers, beach towels and T shirts etc with slogans of heavy drinking, sex and bad language!

Lloret de Mar Shopping

This Sunday 4th September is the day that all the shops will be bringing the last of their sale goods out onto the street stalls to make way for their new winter stock. Stalls will be found around some of the main shopping streets as well as around the church square and in front of the town hall. You can come and join in the hunt for the best bargains from 10am onwards.

One downside to this very popular and successful day for the stores is that the town council has this year doubled the cost they charge store owners for allowing them to sell on the street. Surely there should be no charge to the store owners, after all they are going through a very difficult period with their businesses and should not have to pay for the privilege of doing a little bit extra trade!
One of the regular stall holders Kevin of Busco Books will not be paying what he considers to be an 'excessive charge' but he will still be open for trade on the day at his original 'English Bookshop' behind the church. The shop will be open from 10.30am - 8pm.