Aitana Bonmatí is the Ballon d'Or and to celebrate the fact
FC Barcelona and the local council surprised the Barça Women player with a mural in her home town of Sant Pere de Ribes
After arriving from Switzerland where she helped the Spanish national side to a 7-1 on Tuesday
the best female player in the world took the time to visit the art work created for her in person
The Barça midfielder was welcomed by the Sant Pere de Ribes mayor
they discussed the work and its inspiration with Aitana adding her signature to the artist's creation
The Catalan footballer posed for photographs with the Ballon d'Or trophy and with the artist
local residents were allowed to have their photographs taken with the home town hero who also signed shirts for the fans
Aitana looked almost as pleased with the mural as she was with the Ballon d'Or
I had seen it on social media and it seemed magnificent and the artist is a great one
from who I was to who I have become," she beamed
I have always considered myself to be an ambitious person and the consistency and demands on myself have been worth it
Tough moments are what make you better and I am still anxious to keep improving and bring joy to Culers around the world," she said before concluding: " I am really looking forward to bring the Ballon d'Or home to the Estadi Johan Cruyff this Sunday to share it with the fans."
It has been quite the challenge – a marathon a day to get from his birthplace in Catalonia back to near his home in Battersea
But the ‘tough and incredible adventure’ was all done for a worthy cause
started out a month ago on March 8 in Sant Pere de Ribes near Barcelona and has averaged 50km a day on his great hike
He finally rolled back into Battersea Park yesterday evening after completing his 1,600km trek in 32 days
having run between six and eight hours most days
Week one saw him work his way through the Pyrenees and some of the toughest elevation days
Weeks two and three incorporated southern France and the famous fortress town of Carcassonne
the last leg included Paris up to Calais before the final stretch from Dover to London
Cain’s motivation not just about pushing physical limits but also about breaking down barriers to sports access for disadvantaged and disabled young people in aid of Access Sport – a national charity which equips and supports community sports clubs
with disadvantaged kids the target benefactors
grew up in Spain with British-Cypriot roots
and says sport has always played a huge role in his life and he hopes to have raised £25k for the cause
he said: “It feels amazing and surreal to complete this challenge back in London surrounded by so many friends and family running and cheering the final few kilometres
“It’s been a tough but incredible adventure and I’m particularly grateful to my parents joining me the whole way as the support team
“Sport had been a huge part of my life and allowed me to meet so many friends
and I recognise how important Access Sport’s work is to allow others less fortunate to do the same
“I’ll enjoy a day or two off but may have to start thinking about the next big thing.”
he said: “I’ve been incredibly lucky to try my hand at many different sports
and they’ve played a huge role in shaping who I am today
But not everyone gets those same opportunities
and lack of inclusive spaces mean they are often left on the sidelines.”
surrounded by friends and well-wishers at the end of his run from Iberia (Picture: Cain Christoforou)
Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"
Para leer en Español, haz click aquí
I remember watching the games from a bar in Sant Pere de Ribes
call it “Ribes.” To us locals that’s very important
hahaha.) I would zoom in on Xavi and Iniesta: How they moved
how they scanned the space around them before receiving the ball
Iniesta was always driving the ball forward
Today I feel I have the same way of understanding the game
I am happy — except if it is against Barça :-D
Everybody dreams about playing at the Camp Nou
But when I say that everybody dreams about playing there
There was definitely no chance of women playing at the Camp Nou
the best female teams in Spain were not professional
I couldn’t see a way of making a living off football here
I didn’t know much about women’s football elsewhere in Europe
and after that you could have a professional career
My parents and I were even talking about the University of Oregon
Then when I was 17 and playing for the second team
Barça suddenly made the first team professional
The year after I was promoted to the seniors
They are teachers of languages and Catalan literature
they were obliged to put the surname of the father first and the surname of the mother second
I don’t know if there was any real reason for it
they took part in a big effort to get the rule changed
This willingness to fight for women’s rights
I felt that the Spanish football federation needed to invest more in us
Certain changes needed to be made if we were to win big tournaments
During the season — and I can only speak for myself here — I had some meetings with the federation
Both parties agreed and accepted that some things had to change in order for me to come back
At that moment I was hopeful that the federation would give us the backing we deserve
I don’t want to dwell on this any more for now
I’m just super excited about this tournament
And I feel confident that I made the right decision
We had already played there with Barça Feminí
but the stands were closed due to the pandemic
When they moved us back there for the Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid last year
but we are used to playing in front of a few thousand people
since I have so many friends and family members in Barcelona
I was following the social media account to track the ticket sales
I’ll be giving 200% to help the team at this World Cup
A full house would mean that we’d break the world attendance record for a women’s match
I was convinced that many people would not turn up
I got goosebumps when we lined up to hear the Champions League anthem
The first is when I scored the goal that made it 2–2
The second is when the stadium announcer said something like
“Today we are 91,553 people at the Camp Nou
my mind raced back to the final the year before
when Lyon scored in the sixth minute and we lost 3–1
There is actually a video of me where you can see me go
Then the next moment I begin running towards our goal to find the ball and get it ready for kickoff
Tullio Puglia/UEFA via GettyWe missed and missed and missed
when I came into the dressing room at halftime
We had learned what we did wrong against Lyon
Australia and New Zealand are amazing places
At the 2019 World Cup we lacked experience
This time we have a core of players who have won everything with Barça
it’s logical that the national team improves
We have done a lot of physical work at Barça
and we have built a much stronger mentality
My favourite way to disconnect is to travel
A few years ago I was trekking in the Vietnamese mountains by the rice fields
and I saw some kids running around on the sharp rocks
And they were sitting on the edges of some seriously tall cliffs
their parents would have run after them screaming
GET DOWN FROM THERE!!” But these kids were just smiling and chillin’
but we always think about what we don’t have
So many people have to leave their homes without wanting to because of war
and they arrive in places like Spain and Italy with no money
no friends and without speaking the language
We know about Ukraine here in Europe because it’s close to us
but there are so many people struggling in all corners of the world
Women in Afghanistan cannot go to university or even leave their home alone
Every year the goal is the same: Win everything
Tragedies like this make me realise how privileged I am
Last year I began working with the UN Refugee Agency in Spain
They arrange football training in Barcelona for female refugees to give them a support network here and help them integrate
I always ask my teammates for spare boots and clothes that they can have
but I already think it has improved quite a few lives
I’m going to travel the world for a year or two
and immerse myself in places like Colombia and Japan
that you have to demand the best of yourself every single day
I’ll be out there playing the football I learned from Xavi and Iniesta
This Is For KatieNaomi Girma pens a letter to Katie Meyer: “There are friends
You Can't Get Rid of Your Girl That EasilyI know this might be my last ride
it was Alexia Putellas’ dream to play for Barcelona
she’s a Barça midfielder and a Ballon d’Or winner
© 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved
An abandoned house integrated into its environs has been refurbished by occupying the ruin and expanding a series of interwoven interior spaces and gardens. Generating a counterpoint with the tower of the neighboring house, the stone, mud, and concrete ensemble is organized under an inversely surrounded roof, which compresses its center and enlarges the rooms along the perimeter. These are interlaced with fragments of the garden.
Sorry, there arent any match using your search terms, please try again using other terms.
Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker
The Roaring Twenties were the last time the Sitges-Terramar race track heard the roar of engines. It opened on the 28th of October 1923, but a failure to pay the construction workers for an unforeseen overrun in construction costs, led to them seizing the money that was taken at the gate, and left the organizers with no money to pay the drivers.
This disastrous inauguration, led to an immediate ban on the track hosting international events and while a few local automobile clubs held a few races here, they were unsuccessful, and the track was closed by 1925.
The track has changed hands a few more times over the years, and despite a short lived revival in the 1950s, it has long served as a chicken farm and a place to graze sheep.
The Autodrome has seen no structural intervention in the last 90 years, but has held up incredibly well, testament to the quality of its original construction. In fact, despite its degradation, Red Bull sponsored a circuit as a showpiece in 2012.
Today, the track can be viewed from the road, surrounding hills and footpaths. It's overgrown, banking corners reminiscent of dams that have long since cracked and displaced their water. It is rumored that the current owner is seeking funding to repair and reinstate the Autodrome, but only time will tell.
This is private land; access is restricted, and the venue is fenced off. It can be viewed in parts from the C-246a between Sitges and Villanova, behind the Rocamar Urbanisation.
The overgrown remains of one of the premier auto-racing speedways in the Midwest—and also one of the most deadly.
One of the world's largest automobile junkyards is a unique landscape of metal and moss.
A peat bog in southern Sweden provides a cozy and photogenic home for junked Volvos, Saabs, and the occasional American muscle car.
An old locomotive hides deep in the forest.
Trek up to an abandoned fire lookout from the 1930s for an unimpeded view.
A surreal abandoned mining site near West Africa’s tallest mountain.
Hidden deep in the Joshua Tree Wilderness, this 1940s miner's cabin built into a gap between two mega-sized boulders.
First published: January 16, 2024 06:10 PM
Catalan police – the Mossos d'Esquadra – and Spain's Guardia Civil arrested at least four people in a joint operation against suspected jihadist terrorism on Tuesday.
From 6:30am, police entered and searched properties in three Catalan towns – Rubí (Vallès Occidental), Martorell (Baix Llobregat), and Sant Pere de Ribes (Garraf) – as well as in the city of Mérida, Extremadura, in southwest Spain.
One of the individuals arrested is an inmate at Brians 2 prison in Catalonia. Other suspects were arrested in Martorell, Sant Pere de Ribes, and Merida.
Police did not find the suspect they were searching for in Rubí.
The operation is part of an investigation by the Spanish National Court.
Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone
v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved.
Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, Spain
Eclectic
Rustic
Vintage
3
“We are French and had been living in Barcelona for seven years
and with our 4-year-old daughter at the time
we felt a need for more nature and less pollution.”
Keep up with our latest house tours each weekday with our House Tour of the Day newsletter
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
our brother-in-law mentioned this village he had just discovered
which was very close to Barcelona and had charmed him
but this village was 40 minutes to the south
The atmosphere here is very international and welcoming
the village itself is absolutely delightful
surrounded by vineyards and just a five-minute drive from the sea,” Ohannessian continues
“The house itself was nothing like what we were looking for
But we feel wonderfully at home here because it’s so cozy
and the garden is large with immense tropical trees
It’s like yin and yang between the inside and outside
There’s this patio with soft terracotta colors in between
and dinner at least eight or nine months of the year
It shields us from the summer heat and winter cold
We feel good here and can easily host parties,” Ohannessian describes
We needed two key things: Caroline’s studio for work
So we demolished the garage in the garden and built something new from scratch
I’m an interior decorator and knew exactly what I wanted,” she explains
it was crucial to respect the soul of the existing house
we even found old floor tiles by chance from a neighbor who had extras from his project
reminiscent of traditional styles but revisited
I wanted to create a built-in bench connecting the two French doors.”
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity
Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form
Read the commentsFiled in:Vintage The home you love starts here
The home you love starts here
Apartment TherapyThe wordmark for the Apartment Therapy brand.More From Us
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The recent flooding in France has claimed another victim
according to reports by Agence France-Presse
Early on 08 June a man was found dead in his vehicle in flood waters in Epineuil-le-Fleuriel
Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France
It is thought the victim’s vehicle was dragged away by flood waters from the overflowing La Queugne river
has continued in France and at least two people are thought to have died in flooding in the last two days
flooding has now affected areas of southwestern France
heavy rain from 05 June to 06 June caused major flooding in parts of northeastern Spain
Storms have affected much of northern and eastern France since late May. France’s Ministry of the Interior said that, since the severe weather began on 25 May
emergency services have carried out over 8,000 flood and severe weather related interventions
Earlier this week the Brittany town of Morlaix was devastated by flooding after a month’s worth of rain fell in under 1 hour
The next day a man died after his car was swept into flood water in Piseux, Eure department, Normandy
after 70 mm of rain fell during the night 04 to 05 June
heavy rain and flash flooding have affected wide areas of the country
Le Monde said that in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
Deux-Sèvres recorded 83 mm of rain and Charentes 70 mm of rain between 05 and 06 June
Yesterday the body of an elderly woman was found near the Lot river which runs through Casseneuil
in the Lot-et-Garonne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Depuis le 25 mai, l'ensemble du territoire métropolitain est confronté à une situation météorologique particulière ⚡️⛈️ Les services de secours ont mené 8000 opérations et ont engagé près de 7000 sapeurs @PompiersFR.Comme ici dans le département de l'Eure ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ja39boNwUa
— Ministère de l'Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau) June 6, 2018
Depuis le début de l’intense épisode orageux qui a traversé notre pays, près de 7000 sapeurs-pompiers ont été engagés sur 8000 opérations de secours.À Breteuil-sur-Iton, je salue le dévouement de nos forces de secours mobilisées auprès des sinistrés.L’État est à leurs côtés. pic.twitter.com/vlAffDGtrw
— Gérard Collomb (@gerardcollomb) June 6, 2018
Heavy rain also caused flooding in parts of southeastern Spain
in particular in El Garraf comarca (county) in the province of Barcelona
said that 78.6 mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Sant Pere de Ribes
about 3 km inland from the resort town of Sitges
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) reported 53.8 mm of rain in 24 hours to 06 June in Igualada
Emergency services in Catalonia received over 300 calls for assistance during 06 June
and further along the coast in areas around Sitges
where roads were inundated and police were called on to carry out at least 2 rescues
Els aiguats d'aquest matí a #Sitges encara ben visibles. La Riera de Ribes baixa amb alegria al seu pas per la població. Gran feina dels serveis d'emergència @policiaSitges @BombersSitges. pic.twitter.com/uPPeCLEgAN
— Meteo Garraf (@meteo_garraf) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/DelGarraf/status/1004289354964094976
Pues así hemos amanecido, Sitges abnegada. Y sigue lloviendo sin parar pic.twitter.com/cfGuBu16ua
— Marién Piniés (@marie_pi) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/MRodriguez_Cs/status/1004301855839617024
— POLICIA LOCAL SITGES (@policiaSitges) June 6, 2018
— Meteocat (@meteocat) June 6, 2018
Breaking NewsFranceSpain
Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news
Why Puerto Rico’s Death Toll From Hurricane Maria Is So Much Higher Than Officials Thought
Kenya – Number of Flood Deaths Rises to 186 After Highest Rainfall in 50 Years
Cookies | Privacy | Contacts
© Copyright 2025 FloodList
Aitana Bonmatí became the second Spanish footballer to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or Feminin award
Bonmati began her football journey in the famed FC Barcelona youth academy
The club officially launched its women's section in 2002
she made her professional debut wearing the iconic Blaugrana jersey
the midfielder has been instrumental in Barça's near-dominance of European football in recent years
They have won four consecutive Spanish Liga F titles and two UEFA Women's Champions League crowns in three years
Bonmati and Alexia Putellas made Barça's midfield tick, and both found the net, as Chelsea were vanquished 4-0 in the final of the 2021 UEFA Women's Champions League
That was the side's first Women's Champions League crown and, after being beaten by Lyon in the 2022 final, they regained the title with a 3-2 victory over VfL Wolfsburg in 2023
Putellas won the Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022 but
after she suffered a serious knee injury in July 2022
Bonmati filled the gap by moving into a more attacking role
She has since blossomed into the best player on the planet with Putellas now playing as a forward to accommodate her teammate
Bonmatí has also been a cornerstone of the Spanish national team, contributing significantly to their success in major tournaments. She scored three times in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and received the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player as Spain claimed a first women's world crown in New Zealand and Australia
An extraordinary 2023 for club and country was capped by Bonmati succeeding Putellas as the winner of both the Ballon d'Or Femenin and FIFA Best awards, cementing her position as the world's best player.
Barça midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was honoured with the biggest individual prize in football
the Ballon d'Or presented by France Football
the club teamed up with artist FERT.ONE to create a mural in the player¡s hometown of Sant Pere de Ribes
The image is packed with references to her personal and professional life and ensured an emotional homecoming for the all-conquering player
The design combines urban artist FERT.ONE's usual style with Barça iconography
Aitana appears in her current self holding the Ballon d'Or trophy
along with her younger self and a series of zig-zags that reflect the ups and downs in the player's career
which could quite as easily be used to depict the life of anyone else on the journey to the top in any particular field
It also includes the letters "AI-TA-NA" in yellow in the style of typical tags used by authors of street art
One of the most prominent features is a line that Aitana has uttered so many times of the years
and which has become her kind of catchphrase: “Win or learn
which is such an inspiring message to new generations
Not forgetting the words ‘Made in La Masia’
honouring the amazing talent factory that is the Barça youth system
with its unique style and values and of which Aitana is one of the finest exponents
The mural can be admired in one of the main streets in the town
and has been supported by Sant Pere de Ribes Town Council
Aitana Bonmatí has made it three years in a row that a Barça player has been name the best women footballer in the world after Alexia Putellas took the title in the two previous years
she was also named UEFA Player of the Year
after winning the UEFA Women's Champions League with Barça and the FIFA Women's World Cup with Spain
Hispano Suiza has dropped a new teaser of the compelling Carmen Sagrera
an updated version of its electric hypercar set for launch at a special event in Sant Pere de Ribes
The Hispano Suiza Carmen has always been a bit of an oddity and while this new version is based on the standard car
Changes made to the exterior are immediately apparent
We caught our first glimpse of this in February when the first teaser of the new car was released
It is made from carbon fiber and rocks gold accents
Read: Hispano Suiza Is Officially Back In The USA After Its First Delivery To Michael Fux
The new teaser also appears to show that the Carmen Sagrera will include aerodynamic louvers on the front wheel arches
but the Sagrera will probably have more power than both
The company will also make a few revisions to its hypercar’s cabin
although Hispano Suiza simply described the interior as undergoing an “evolution,” without providing more details
Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
I live south of Barcelona in a little town called Sant Pere de Ribes
and we've been in lockdown due to COVID-19 for more than 30 days
Sant Pere de Ribes went into lockdown really, really fast. We were told that schools would close on March 13 and that on March 16 restrictions would be put in place. But then the government moved those restrictions forward to March 14
We aren't able to leave the house except for shopping
and the community spirit here is brilliant
Straight away people were offering help to older and more vulnerable people
So we started holding themed nights straight away after lockdown was announced
mainly because it was my son Oli's ninth birthday
He was a bit upset because we'd ordered a huge cake for his class
We normally do breakfast in bed for a birthday
but we did a little extra because Oli wasn't going to see his friends—a whole buffet breakfast
we've done everything from a bowling alley to a 'beach' day indoors
I'm a qualified teacher and with a friend, decided to open CatVana Learning Centre in the middle of the town to offer a lunch club with English lessons
Setting up the business took six months of constant meetings in three different languages
and it then had to close after just three months
let's do something fun and different every day
and then we've got something to look forward to
Bowling was brilliant because it was quite easy to set up
we were lucky because we had lots of blue blankets and blue tarpaulin in our house
It's a huge distraction from the fact that we can't go anywhere
and can only see people over Zoom or FaceTime
Going bowling and having an 'American' diner where we could eat burgers made it feel like we had left the house and done something different
I'm sure it's the same for everyone the world over
we've missed holidays with friends and family
And then when you have your children missing out as well
you're just trying to make it as nice for them as possible
Luckily we've used stuff we've been able to find around the house
Our Mexican night was Father's Day (El Día del Padre) here in Spain
so while he was upstairs the boys and I decorated the house
so I have access to things like tissue paper in my house
But I made the Mexican flag with a combination of scarves and blankets I have
with our name on it—'Hirschwood Bowl'
Unless you're in a situation where both parents are working from home
in which case you might just want to do themed nights on the weekends
I think the one thing everybody is going to have is time
But you may have to be a bit more imaginative
you just need to find something round that you can roll down a hallway
And you need something you don't mind knocking over
We've surprised the kids with a few of them
my son Seb got a hoverboard for his birthday
Tom had this brainiac idea of turning our garden into a racetrack—it's just a tiny loop with a wiggle in it
The kids weren't allowed to come down until it was built
We made 'hook-a-stick' instead of 'hook-a-duck'
We also had target shooting with Nerf guns against little targets
and a 'bouncy castle' which was just our trampoline
In the days you're teaching your kids at home
you don't necessarily have all the time in the world anyway
Initially, I was just sharing the themed nights on Facebook, but then I was getting lots of positive comments from it. People were like, "oh my god, I'm going to take that idea!", or, "that's brilliant!" and so I thought I would write a blog with the themed night ideas detailed
and there are lots of families there who don't have computers in their house or internet
we opened our home wi-fi for everyone around us
The town is hoping to open up wi-fi for everyone
The idea was that when schools 'went back' on the week beginning April 13
as many children as possible could access school from home
CatVana wasn't going to run an Easter camp
but we wanted to help the people here and take some of the burden off parents
So they can just plonk their kid in front of the computer and we can entertain them for a small while
Hopefully that will relinquish some of the stress people are feeling in their houses
The most important thing is that you need to take care of your mental health
and you need to be as calm and as happy as possible
Cat Saunders-Hirsch is co-founder of CatVana Learning Centre
an English learning hub with qualified British primary school teachers
The views expressed in this article are the author's own.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground
Newsletters in your inbox See all
The Town Hall – drawn up as a distortion of one of the built sides of the public square by which it stands – is a new reference point in the area, an element to link up the self-built neighborhood of the 60s and the city expansion.
Santiago Loperena, Jordi Julián Jené, Javier Baqueró, Cristina Ferrer
Jesús Jiménez, NB-35 (estructura structure); Josep Martí, Miquel Camps, OIT (instalaciones mechanical engineering); Bet Figueras (paisajismo landscaping); Toni Cumella (cerámica ceramic)
ACN | Sant Pere de Ribes
Legendary Catalan luxury carmaker Hispano Suiza presented its latest exclusive model in Sant Pere de Ribes
on Tuesday amid much expectation and media excitement.
has devoted itself to creating hyper luxe vehicles
and the 1.5 million euro before tax and 100% electric Carmen Boulogne
made in Barcelona, is no different.
"Hispano Suiza has always been using the latest technology
Sustainability is very important to us," Sergio Martínez Campos
Named after the granddaughter of the Hispano Suiza Founder and former company president
there will be 5 of these exclusive vehicles on the market by the end of 2020 for the lucky few who can pay their steep price.
The car can reach incredible speeds of up to 290 km/h
accelerating to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds.
Hispano Suiza’s newest car was supposed to be launched at the Geneva automobile fair the same day at the same time it ended up being presented in Sant Pere de Ribes
but the Swiss event ended up canceled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The company learned the event had been canceled when their cars were already at the French border en route to Switzerland and opted to present them to the world in a live-streamed event in the small Catalan town instead.
the FC Barcelona and Spain midfielder looked back to her roots in Catalan grassroots football with CD Ribes
It was 2005 and a seven-year-old Bonmatí had caught the attention of the town team, CD Ribes, located in Sant Pere de Ribes 41km down the coast from Barcelona.
She had to fight for her place in a male-dominated environment, such as her parents’ battle for their child to sport her mother’s surname first rather than the Spanish norm of having your father’s surname ahead.
That was the first step of what has turned out to be a glistening career, later moving to CF Cubelles before going on to join FC Barcelona’s famed ‘La Masia’ academy aged 14.
She has been at Barça ever since, and the rest is history.
⚽ Relive the best football moments from Paris 2024 🏅","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"football","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=football&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.olympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-games%2Fparis-2024%2Fvideos" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer">Love football
⚽ Relive the best football moments from Paris 2024 🏅
Bonmatí won the Ballon D’Or 2024 on Monday (28 October) for the second consecutive year
named the best women’s footballer over the past 12 months in an award ceremony in Paris
Olympics.com showed the midfielder a photo of her playing days at Ribes
“Today I hope to be a role model for many girls starting out,” Bonmatí said
“I hope that this can reach many households and that many girls and boys see themselves in me
“I hope to be able to inspire many young girls and boys too
who definitely needed female role medals and did not have any at the time.”
Bonmatí was a crucial cog of the Barcelona team that won all four major titles that they contended last season
including a third Champions League title where she scored the opening goal in the final
“I always like to remember where I come from,” Bonmatí continued
in all those years that I played with boys
I see this full journey that I have had up to this day.”
ExclusiveAitana Bonmati (ESP) | Football | Athlete ProfileWorld champions Spain suffered the heartbreak of missing out on an Olympic medal at Paris 2024 in a dramatic defeat by Germany in the bronze medal match
Aitana Bonmati (ESP) was one of their standout performers
with key goals and assists throughout the tournament
Bonmatí scored 19 goals in 40 appearances last season for Barça as they won a fifth straight Spanish league title.
Her standout performance came in the Champions League final in Bilbao, where she scored in the 2-0 triumph against Olympique Lyonnais.
An old construction on the premises of the agricultural cooperative of Flix – a municipality in Ribera de Ebro, a comarca of the province of Tarragona – has been turned into a cultural center. Counting a built area of 524 square meters, the new space highlights the heritage building, whose rectangular main hall, a high uninterrupted space, has been fitted out to accommodate a variety of events.
Arquitectos ArchitectsArquitecturia /Josep Camps Povill, Olga Felip Ordis
Three people have been killed across Catalonia during the eve of Sant Joan
Known as the 'revetlla de Sant Joan,' the eve of Sant Joan on June 23 is traditionally referred to as "the shortest night of the year," although this is not factually accurate.
a 26-year-old Colombian was stabbed and passed away instantly
while local Guàrdia Urbana police arrested a person allegedly related to the events
The Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police are investigating the crime
The events took place at the Passeig Joan de Borbó boulevard
which was crowded with hundreds of people at the time
police are looking for the alleged responsible for the death of a 48-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman in the Font de la Pólvora neighborhood
The events happened around 11 pm at 8 Acàcia Street
Sources said it all started with an argument between two women
Bullets reached the two victims and a child
The woman was also run over by the alleged perpetrators when they were running away
She passed away at Girona's Hospital Josep Trueta
many relatives and friends of the victims tried to force their entry to the hospital
which saw dozens of anti-riot police deployed to the site to avoid them accessing the health center
police set up a large operation to try to find the alleged perpetrators
as they believe the perpetrators had left to go to Granada
a Spanish city in the southern region of Andalusia
as they were last seen in the town of Santa Llogaia d'Àlguema
Sources believe the main perpetrator is a well-known arms dealer
were deployed at the Ribera beach in Sitges
was moved to the Sant Camil hospital in the town of Sant Pere de Ribes
this is the third person drowning in the Catalan shore
Mossos d'Esquadra police arrested 55 people throughout the night: 18 regarding crimes against heritage sites
law enforcement agents did 1,340 alcohol tests
with 79 people testing positive and 11 of them having a penal offense
There have also been 11 drug-positive tests and three fines
No fatal accidents have been reported despite 19 crashes with 10 people injured
the 112 emergency hotline received 4,566 calls
with Barcelonès county the one with the most calls
were related to small fires such as in containers
firefighters across Catalonia had to work on 833 different emergencies
The most virulent fires were in Torredembarra
No people were injured as residents were outside in the garden
firefighters in Lleida worked to extinguish a blaze in two manufacturing houses
Sant Joan is one of the most celebrated days in Catalonia, with bonfires, firecrackers, a dessert called coca, and loads of open-air partying and dancing to celebrate the summer solstice. Fireworks are also one of the main ingredients of the night.
Around 70,000 people celebrated Sant Joan's Eve on Barcelona beaches, around 10,000 fewer people than last year.
Authorities consider the long weekend and lower temperatures to be the main reasons why the number has decreased.
Despite the deadly stabbing, there were no other major injuries or events during the night. Most of them were small fires due to the fireworks, which prompted firefighters to intervene in 78 acts throughout the city.
Meanwhile, the city's cleaning brigade collected around 57 tons of garbage from the beaches.
To learn more about Sant Joan, have a listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink of 2023.
Regulated by Solicitors Regulation Authority
BBC drama The Split returned to our screens over the Christmas period with a storyline centring around the marriage of Nathan and Hannah’s daughter
With a stunning destination wedding in Barcelona on the cards
and a considerable level of inherited wealth to take into consideration
the characters are seen negotiating the terms of a pre-nuptial agreement right up until the day of the wedding
with Liv making it clear that she was not interested in signing up to the agreement
it is certainly not reflective of good practice
For a pre-nuptial agreement to be upheld on a divorce in England and Wales
it should be entered into freely by each party
The agreement is only likely to be upheld if it can be demonstrated that the parties fully appreciated the implications of the agreement when they entered into it (this includes having an understanding of the overall financial landscape and taking independent legal advice on the terms) and where the court agrees that it would be fair in the circumstances prevailing to uphold the agreement.
To be considered a ‘qualifying nuptial agreement’
and to give the agreement the best chance of being upheld
the agreement should be entered into in good time ahead of the wedding (being agreed and signed at least 28 days prior to the big day)
parties to the agreement would be well advised to execute a further copy of the agreement after the wedding itself (a post-nuptial agreement)
Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements have equal legal status and should not be treated any differently by the courts on a subsequent separation
With the characters in the dramatised scenario spanning at least two jurisdictions (England and Spain)
it is also important that the legal implications are considered in each relevant country and localised
Whilst pre-nuptial agreements are growing in popularity in England
they are far more commonplace across much of Europe where their legal status has been long established
The drama also features an historic pre-nuptial agreement signed by Liv’s prospective in-laws on the night of their engagement
the relevance of which becomes central as the drama unfolds
would go some way to informing a court of the parties’ intentions and discussions at the point at which they got engaged almost three decades earlier – with consideration to the above factors – it is unlikely to be upheld if it were litigated in England
The document may have been signed in the presence of a (newly qualified) solicitor and friend
but it is unlikely substantive advice was provided nor any financial disclosed exchanged
it was clear that the parties had not taken any steps to review the terms of their agreement over the duration of the marriage
it is clear that the intention across both generations of pre-nuptial agreement is to protect inherited wealth
Whilst inheritance is generally considered ‘non-matrimonial’ in nature (irrespective of whether a pre-nup has been entered into)
the family court in England and Wales has a discretionary jurisdiction
and far-reaching powers to re-allocate familial wealth on divorce where ‘needs’ dictate and/or where the assets have been mingled with matrimonial assets
Entering into a properly negotiated pre-nuptial agreement that adequately provides for both parties’ needs on a separation
is the best way to protect family wealth from a divorce
For further information about pre-nuptial agreements, the requirements and how our team can assist you, please take a look at our article here: What is a pre-nup? – Trethowans
This information is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice
We recommend seeking professional advice before taking any action on the information provided
If you would like to discuss your specific circumstances
please feel free to contact us on 0800 2800 421
but imaginary architecture is a crucial support for many stories
from Jane Austen’s Pemberley to Kafka’s Castle and Ballard’s High-Rise
Rather as everybody supposedly thinks they have a book in them
I wonder if every novelist thinks their mind holds unbuilt architecture
The trigonometry and structural engineering
I mean the exciting freehand sketching bit at the start
The dreaming into existence of a building that didn’t exist before
conjuring fictional structures on the page is about a lot more than simply satisfying unrealised ambitions: buildings have done an awful lot of work in many a fiction
My debut novel, Peterdown, involved imagining many such buildings
a new five-runway airport has been built in the Thames estuary
and work is about to start on a Japanese-style bullet trainline that will connect the airport up to the regions
Peterdown has been chosen as the site of the railway’s splitter station
but to make way for the station a building in the town will have to be knocked down
On the shortlist – alongside a digital arts centre
and a dilapidated football stadium – is the Larkspur Hill
a sprawling brutalist housing estate that I was free to dream into existence without having to worry about budgets
or whether or not it might blow over in the wind
the estate is in fine company when it comes to fictional buildings
1. Howards End by EM ForsterOne may as well begin with Howards End
one of the most lovingly described buildings in all literature
and altogether delightful – red brick… there’s a very big wych-elm … leaning a little over the house
and standing on the boundary between garden and meadow.” It is modelled consciously on Rooks Nest
the house in Hertfordshire where Forster lived as a child
it: “carries as great a structural load of values as any house in fiction.” Forster was unambiguous as to its significance to his vision: “In these English farms
one might see life steadily and see it whole.”
2. High-Rise by JG BallardForster was not alone in believing that buildings are places that can condition the characters of the people that live in them
a 40-storey behemoth in glass and concrete
a couple of miles west of the City of London
its hundreds of cages stacked above each other”
doesn’t stop the residents descending into a state of orgiastic dog-barbecuing savagery: “In many ways
the high-rise was a model of all that technology had done to make possible the expression of a truly free psychopathology.”
View image in fullscreenTall storeys … the 1949 film of The Fountainhead. Photograph: Album/Alamy3. The Cortlandt housing project in The Fountainhead by Ayn RandThe architect behind Ballard’s high-rise is given a rough old time
His masterpiece is the Cortlandt housing project
each made in the shape of an irregular star with arms extending from a central shaft … The buildings
were a complex modelling of simple structural features; there was no ornament; none was needed; the shapes had the beauty of sculpture.” Unfortunately
when it is realised it has been traduced by a bunch of “second-handers”
being one of Rand’s typically ameliorative and compromising sorts
4. Mr Biswas’s house in A House for Mr Biswas by VS NaipaulNot all fictional buildings would require dynamite to knock them down
A single well-aimed kick would probably do the job for Mr Biswas’s house: “two of the wooden pillars supporting the staircase landing were rotten
whittle away towards the bottom and green with damp … at the lightest breeze the sloping corrugated iron sheets rose in the middle and gave snaps which were like metallic sighs.” For all its faults
Biswas’s house is evidence that he is modern man
and it means he won’t have lived “without even attempting to lay claim to one’s portion of the earth; to have lived and died as one had been born
View image in fullscreenClassy … the Lyme Park estate in Disley, Cheshire, which stood in for Pemberley in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters5. Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenIt’s impossible
with her keen eye for property and its central role in the British class system
but Darcy’s pad Pemberley gets the nod: “It was a large
and backed by a ridge of high woody hills … Elizabeth was delighted.” And who wouldn’t be
7. The Ministry of Love in Nineteen Eighty-Four by George OrwellYou get a better sense of the architecture of the Senate House-inspired Ministry of Truth – “an enormous pyramidical structure of glittering white concrete” – but it is The Ministry of Love
“It was a place impossible to enter except on official business
and then only by penetrating through a maze of barbed-wire entanglements
and hidden machine-guns nests.” The building has no windows and is home to the most famous room in all literature
as deep down as it was possible to go.” It is
Room 101 and “the thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.”
8. 11 rue Simon-Crubellier in Life: A User’s Manual by Georges PerecIt was hard to leave out the old tenement in Tom McCarthy’s splendid Remainder
but when it comes to buildings in experimental fiction it is difficult to look beyond the apartment block at 11 rue Simon-Crubellier
Using a staircase “of questionable cleanliness”
the reader roams around the building from the grand apartments of the lower floors with Louis XIII armchairs up to Smautf the butler’s servant’s quarters in the eaves
The effect is akin to a cutaway illustration of a building where the front wall is removed allowing you to peer in at the outsized characters within
Read more10. The Cathedral in The Spire by William GoldingIt’s a shame that Lord of the Flies swallows all the oxygen when it comes to William Golding because his other books deserve a lot more attention than they get
Almost all the action takes place in a fictional cathedral on to which a monomaniacal dean
is demanding that builders graft a new 400ft spire despite everyone warning him that the building’s foundations will never support such a weight
the reader perceives the cathedral from the dean’s reverent perspective
Peterdown by David Annand is published in paperback by Corsair (£8.99). To help the Guardian and Observer, order your copy from guardianbookshop.com
The historic Veritas store in Sitges opens its doors with a renewed image
The aim is to offer a new shopping experience more comfortable and satisfactory for all its customers
as well as an organic “forn” of own production
The new supermarket will also have a click and collect system
the leading chain in the distribution of organic products in Spain
has carried out a complete renovation of its historic store in Sitges
offering a new and more complete personalized shopping experience
this store has been refurbished under sustainability and energy efficiency criteria incorporating the Veritas Pure Air system
The air purification system is designed to eliminate bacteria
viruses and contaminating gases so that workers and customers can breathe air of maximum purity
“Coinciding with Veritas’ 20th anniversary
we have carried out this refurbishment in Sitges with the aim of maintaining our commitment to offer organic food and promote a healthy lifestyle
offering a much more convenient shopping experience
The entire refurbishment revolves around the customer and their personalized attention
bringing certified organic food even closer to everyone and for every day,” says Roger Ripoll
which has been open to the public for more than 13 years
Accessibility and convenience in the purchasing process are reinforced by a pricing policy that makes organic shopping possible for everyone
It has more than 5,000 certified organic products
many of them from local suppliers and Km 0
or the wide range of fruits and vegetables
always respecting the seasonality of crops
together with the stores in Sant Pere de Ribes and Vilanova i la Geltrú
Veritas strengthens its presence in the Garraf region with its three stores of the highest quality of local
an innovative space that offers a bakery section and a pastry offer of own elaboration using only organic ingredients of natural and sustainable origin
It will have healthy desserts made in the most natural and careful way
will also be open on Sundays with the intention of offering a tasty and healthy offer every day
Following this philosophy of convenience and service
the Sitges store will also feature Cuina Veritas’ own prepared dishes
it will be possible to use the “Click and collect” shopping service
and order request through the WhatsApp channel
improving the convenience of shopping at the store and offering an almost exclusive service for this location
Veritas group is the leading supermarket chain in Spain committed to people’s health and sustainability
with the aim of bringing the best possible food to everyone
it already has more than 80 stores including the online store
Andorra and Ecorganic in the Valencian Community and the Basque Country
Veritas manufactures the bread and pastries that it sells in its own stores
the Group distributes to groups such as schools
hospitals and companies and to hotels and restaurants throughout the peninsula and the Balearic Islands
Veritas is a pioneer in the introduction of products with organic certification
the environment and responsible consumption
Not only for residents but also for casual visitors
residents of surrounding towns or indeed anyone with an interest in Sitges
We offer information and answers to all issues that may arise when living
visiting or planning to live in Sitges – all on one site
To receive regular information on the cultural and festive activities happening in Sitges as well as current promotions, kindly subscribe to our newsletter.