My favorite Photographer of the Week portfolios normally feature images of unusual subjects captured in less well-known dive destinations and that is most certainly the case with our latest participant Marc Casanovas from Vilassar de Mar in Spain Marc has been diving and taking pictures underwater since 1996 and although he has visited many famous dive destinations around the world in the past 20 years he spends most of his time below the surface in his own country where he scuba dives all year round and is considered a specialist in the Mediterranean Sea and its fauna His selection of images includes some excellent wide-angle shots of local jellyfish species while his macro work also catches the eye with some perfectly executed portraits of a longsnouted seahorse and the ugly but strangely appealing greater weever fish Every one of these images was captured somewhere in Spain and his collection serves as a spectacular showcase for diving in the region To see more of Marc’s awesome images from Spain and beyond, check out his website or Instagram page Country music is all the rage in Europe and Barcelona is no exception a country dance style was born more than 20 years ago dozens of people gather to practice this dominant dance throughout Europe In Barcelona they do it on the outskirts of the city in industrial buildings that have been transformed into Yankee saloons It is usual to practice in municipalities near Barcelona such as El Masnou This dance style was born and grew as part of a subculture fascinated by subway country Those who practice it are now fascinated by the music but also by all the clothes and accessories they have to wear to be part of the Catalan style embroidered patches to cowboy hats and buckles for leather belts are all part of the American country music theme In Barcelona there is a wide offer of these items especially a variety of comfortable and spectacular cowboy boots Whether you are a beginner or an advanced dancer you can find outfits and accessories for men and women that will make you the queen or king of the dance floor Stock images by Depositphotos La venta de la nuda propiedad Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media Floral to have its inaugural edition from May 20 to 22 this year Catalan singer Judit Neddermann has created the Floral festival Set to take place in late May in Vilassar de Dalt and Vilassar de Mar the headliners feature an array of talented female artists such as mother and daughter jazz duo Rita Payès and Elisabeth Roma producer Clara Aguilar and vocal quartet Seasons As well as a line up showcasing these musically talented women a feminist talk is also scheduled to take place The festival takes this gender perspective and shows that there is still a way to go before we reach gender equality in the world of music "It should be normal to come up with a line up with mainly women not an exception or novelty," say the organizers Another aim of the festival is to better connect the two neighboring municipalities up the coast from Barcelona Floral wants to be "Vilassar's first music and cultural festival an event that links the two municipalities of the same name through art and cultural and historical heritage The name even refers to one of the main traditional economic activities of the area: flower farming The concerts will take place across the two municipalities in venues such as the Torre d'en Nadal 16th century tower in Vilassar de Mar and the La Massa Theatre in Vilassar de Dalt Núria Graham and Clara Aguilar will be performing followed by Rita Payès and Elisabeth Roma the following day before closing on the 22 with Clara Peya and Seasons Tickets are already for sale online and start at €15 Floral is just one of many outdoor music festivals scheduled to take place in Catalonia in the next few months, as they are finally able to take place free of any major Covid restrictions, although some will have capacity limits. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone With just over two months to go before Barcelona becomes the global capital of nautical sports thanks to the 37th edition of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup the presence of the world's most important regatta in the Catalan capital is felt more and more each day Following the launch of the new AC75s from the five Challengers who are already sailing the waters of the Front Marítim Emirates Team New Zealand with their brand-new AC75 Taihoro and the arrival of the 'Auld Mug' in Catalonia the 173 year-old silver ewer around which the world’s oldest sporting event revolves after more than two years since Barcelona was designated as the host of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup all the essential elements for its celebration will be in place In keeping with its commitment to bringing the 173-old history of the event closer to the public in collaboration with the Generalitat de Catalunya and the local yacht clubs have scheduled an exhibition tour of the America’s Cup originally the ‘RYS £100 Cup’ along the Catalan coast For America’s Cup Event CEO Grant Dalton taking one of the world’s oldest and most iconic trophies on the road and to the yacht clubs plays a fundamental role in educating and inspiring the next generation of  sailors “The America’s Cup is the pinnacle event in sailing worldwide and the 37th edition of the event is being held on the doorstep of the people of Catalonia so being able to take this iconic trophy to the yacht clubs  is really special.” the official Trophy Tour of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup will stop at seven Catalan clubs starting in L’Escala on Tuesday and each club will arrange for on-water and off water events including at L’Escala a showcase of disabled sailing as well as various training regattas in the Optimist and Laser classes inspired by the America’s Cup The planned route for the famous silver ewer will see it make stops at the ports and yacht clubs of Palamós before its final journey to Barcelona on July 1st 2024 where it will be displayed alongside the other three trophies of the official regattas of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: the Puig Women's America's Cup the UniCredit Youth America's Cup and the Louis Vuitton Cup As the America’s Cup makes its journey the Presidents of the clubs will officially welcome the trophy and representatives of America’s Cup Events alongside Mayors of the town and the surrounding areas Presentations around the key facts of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup and its unique features including the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup will be made At each destination there will be an information area where the public can enjoy a free immersive experience and emulate the best sailors in the world at the controls of a simulator while learning about the history and other key aspects of the competition such as the roles within the crews the specifications and technology of the AC75 or the celebration of the first women's regatta in history the Puig Women's America's Cup and the regatta for young sailors (18-25) - the UniCredit Youth America's Cup beaches and cliffs of the Catalan coastline as a canvas and the fast patter of the dockside fish auctioneers as the soundtrack the visit of the oldest trophy in the world will be a recognition of the seafaring towns and villages of Catalonia which will be especially decorated to welcome the America’s Cup trophy in a cultural exchange that will have the sea and its people as the main protagonist Local gastronomy will also play a prominent role in the America's Cup Trophy Tour on the occasion of the designation of Catalonia as the first territory in Europe to be distinguished as a World Region of Gastronomy for the year 2025 This is a recognition of the dedication of these territories in favour of traditions maintaining and promoting the seafaring vision that makes them unique.  37TH LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP TROPHY TOUR: The America’s Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in the world of sport Initially known as the ‘RYS £100 Cup’ it was designed and crafted in 1848 by Edmund Cotterill of the appointed Royal silversmiths donated it to the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes for a race around the Isle of Wight held at the same time as Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition of 1851 The purpose of such a prize was originally to attract international participation particularly from the United States and indeed Russia the silver ewer was designed as a cylindrical silver vessel open at both ends and incapable of holding liquids standing 27 inches tall (approximately 69 cm) with a body circumference of 36 inches (approximately 91 cm) and a weight of 134 ounces (approximately 3.8 kg) After the schooner America’s victory in the first race on August 22nd 1851—which prompted the famous "Ma’am there is no second" from Queen Victoria’s signal-master on the Royal yacht Victoria & Albert —the Cup was awarded to the six syndicate owners of the yacht America They exhibited it in rotation at various celebratory dinners the most famous being at the Astor House Hotel in 1851 after discarding the idea of melting it down to create commemorative medals George Schuyler one of the surviving members of the America syndicate renamed the trophy as the America’s Cup before transferring its custody to the New York Yacht Club as "a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations" under a strict set of conditions established in the Deed of Gift of the America’s Cup This marked the beginning of the thirty-seven subsequent editions of a unique event that encapsulates the spirit of competition  From Pyrenean peaks to flamingo-dotted deltas a new tour draws visitors away from busy Barcelona narrow street decorated with wrought-iron balconies in the small Catalonian city of Solsona local guide Ivan Viladrich has just pushed open the unassuming wooden door of an 18th-century building Hidden inside are two pairs of intricately sculpted gegants (Catalan dancing giants) whose history goes back to the late 17th century there’s a 330-year-old wooden dragon (the Drac de Solsona) surrounded by all kinds of other mythological animal figures They have all just been twirled and paraded around town during the Festa Major “Solsona might not have big sights like Barcelona but it does have many small points of great interest especially the old town with its intriguing architecture and Romanesque-origin cathedral,” says Ivan who has been leading tours here with Solsona Experience since 2016 He explains how the city’s cultural heritage is one of its key tourism attractions before pointing out gurgling gothic fountains curiously carved wooden beams and the weekly market as we stroll through the cobbled centre Solsona, capital of Solsonès county, which lies between Barcelona and the Pyrenees, is one of many lesser-known regional stops on the just-launched Grand Tour of Catalonia a project devised by the Catalan tourist board the Grand Tour aims to decentralise the region’s Barcelona-focused tourism industry encourage visitors to explore during quieter seasons and shine a light on its cultural Catalonia’s capital (population: 1.6 million) received around 32 million tourists – and only 13.9 million of them stayed for one night or longer (still a record number) There were also growing concerns about irresponsible tourism (particularly boat parties) damaging the Costa Brava’s fragile natural environment Then everything came to a sudden standstill around 90% of international tourists to Catalonia headed for Barcelona and only 10% explored the interior,” says Aicard Guinovart director of the Catalan Tourist Board in the UK over breakfast at Hotel 1882 Barcelona 1882 stay on for a few nights exploring nearby Solsona and Cardona (rather than day-tripping from Barcelona) the cultural and economic benefits of tourism will be felt more widely across this central region of Catalonia more in-depth trip is what people are looking for as we emerge from the pandemic.” View image in fullscreenVilassar de Mar on the Costa Maresme Photograph: agefotostock/AlamyThe Grand Tour loops all around Catalonia and is divided into five main sections small-scale businesses and local culture and traditions but it can also be cut down or built around a particular theme (gastronomy Soon to follow are electric-vehicle guides (with mapped charging points and recommended car-hire collaborators) and options for enjoying the various itineraries entirely by public transport Top of my list among Catalonia’s lesser-visited corners is the secluded which is around 80km south-west from Tarragona and borders the Valencia region to the south At the mouth of Spain’s second-longest river waterways ripple among electric-green rice fields windswept Mediterranean dunes and marshes where flamingos splash about Much of this area has been a protected parc natural since 1983 and devoured paellas at laid-back riverside restaurants You can also sail out to a floating mussel farm for lunch try kitesurfing and kayaking or rock climbing spot some of the delta’s 330 bird species (especially during the autumn migration season) and even join a local family to learn about rice-farming View image in fullscreenDelta de l’Ebre Photograph: Ignacio Ruiz Casanellas/AlamyUp in the Pyrenees Lleida province’s remote Val d’Aran is another surprise when a tunnel was carved through the mountains south from Vielha town it wasn’t even possible to get here by road from the rest of Spain While the area’s upmarket ski resorts now buzz in winter there is plenty more to enjoy through the year French-influenced restaurants and lovely stone villages filled with geraniums you’ll reach the Pyrenees’ beautiful Vall de Boí which I have fond memories of stumbling down into after hiking more than 20km from the not-so-neighbouring town of Espot This mountainous pocket reveals some of the most important Catalan Romanesque churches still standing – slender Unesco-listed creations dating from the 11th and 12th centuries whose interiors were originally filled with rich religious art (most of it is now in Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) Erill la Vall – are among northern Catalonia’s most striking View image in fullscreenSant Joan Photograph: Imagebroker/AlamyThe Boí valley sits on the western edge of Aigüestortes Walking trails thread through this high-mountain wonderland dotted with pine forests remote refugis (mountain refuges) and sparkling lakes And if you swap the high-summer season for autumn between Cerdanya and La Seu d’Urgell; and much more past Cardona’s imposing ninth-century castle towards glitzy Sitges on the Costa del Garraf for the final night of my trip I spy the foothills of the Pyrenees looming in the distance and instantly get cracking on planning my next adventure around Catalonia The only problem is that I’m spoilt for choice The trip was supported by the Catalan Tourist Board; for more information see catalunya.com and grandtour.catalunya.com Up and down the slopesDeep-winter skiing, peaceful villages and hikes into the region’s only national park are among the draws of Val d’Aran, the adventure-loving Pyrenees valley. Casa Irene (doubles from €120) is a stylish Sample a dropIf you’re keen to dive into Catalan wines in a slightly quieter setting, head to the prestigious grape-growing Priorat hills west of Tarragona, where Lotus Priorat (doubles from €80) is a charming boutique place to stay First TeamRubi 'the legend' returns to UD Almería The Vilassar de Mar native head coach inspired the Rojiblancos to finish Segunda Division champions in the past 2021/22 season and in the following to stay up in the Primera Division of Spanish football Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia is the new UD Almería head coach as he begins his second stage at the helm of the Rojiblancos team after a first stage marked by promotion and top-tier league safety Club's CEO Mohamed El Assy defined 'Rubi' as a 'UD Almería legend after winning the first title in history -Segunda Division champions in 2021/22 - plus securing Primera Division safety in the driving seat of the team So 'the legend' returns to once again lead an ambitious and exciting project with which the aim is to fight to reconquer the top flight of Spanish football The Club and the Vilassar de Mar native head coach have agreed on a three-season deal with a termination clause of €10 million A very marked methodology is part of Rubi's sporting DNA in addition to a balanced style on the pitch where organisation coexists with association the new Rojiblanco gaffer imbues his players with certain guidelines and behavioral patterns that manage to increase the strength of the group as a differentiating element Rubi firmly believes in the word team and cultivates it day by day before Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia arrived at UD Almería in the final stretch of the 2020/21 campaign - Matchday 37 - where he recorded only one defeat and ended up competing in the play-offs for promotion to the top tier Rubi not only achieved the desired long-awaited promotion to the Primera Division but also went down in UD Almería history lifting the Cup that accredited him as Segunda Division champion This is the first and only title in the Rojiblancos' history his contract came to an end after fulfilling the objective of league survival - and he bid an emotional farewell to the devoted fans The last dugout on which Rubi sat will be the same one he will occupy again after a season without coaching any other team despite the numerous and important options he has had to do so UD Almería and Rubi join forces again to work in tandem Now it's officially official: the 2024/25 season in the second tier has just started Registration has been successfully completed Make a new account if you don't have one yet Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com Junts suffers a major setback from the left in Vilassar de Mar | en.e-noticies.cat POLITICS CUP and PSC Agree to Oust Junts and Take Over a Mayoralty in CataloniaThe left-wing parties take revenge on the post-convergents in Vilassar de Mar11/03/2025 12:20:00h by Redacción Municipal politics is becoming an interesting battleground in Catalonia Ripoll became the epicenter of Catalan politics due to the failed motion of no confidence against Sílvia Orriols Now the left is taking their revenge by ousting Junts from the mayor's office of another town Junts won the 2023 elections with 9 councilors and obtained the mayor's office thanks to a government pact with ERC the three republican councilors left the government in January Now they have joined the motion of no confidence by PSC and CUP to oust the post-convergents and form an alternative government Laura Martinez (Junts) | en.e-noticies.catThe motion of no confidence is led by the five councilors of Babord the brand under which CUP and Comuns ran together in the last elections The three councilors from PSC and the three from ERC give them the sufficient majority to push for the change The promoters of the motion refer to a "process of deterioration" and a "lack of leadership" that has led to a "governability crisis." Junts governs in the minority and has no budget which is why the left signed a pact this Tuesday to carry out the motion of no confidence The signatories establish as a priority the formation of a broad government with the maximum possible consensus Their goal is to address the most urgent tasks The formation of the new government will be debated on March 25 It is inevitable to think about the national implications of this operation It should be remembered that it was Junts who thwarted the assembly of a majority to oust the mayor of Ripoll last February The situation in Vilassar has provided the right context to take revenge on Junts and oust them from another mayor's office Junts's position is further weakened at the local level after losing much of its territorial power in the municipal elections of May 2023 Jordi Turull was one of the main figures blamed for the disastrous alliance strategy that left them out of the majority of mayor's offices and provincial councils Losing a new stronghold further exposes Junts's leadership This motion of no confidence highlights Junts's isolation in the current Catalan political landscape where the Junts members have been isolated Without allies on the national front due to their conflict with ERC Carles Puigdemont's formation is at the mercy of the left