Autumn Festival in Girona Salt

What is there in common between the painter Salvador Dalí, the writer Vázquez Montalbán, the journalist Josep Pla and the singer songwriter Carmen Amaya? Well that they all lived (or live) trapped in the surroundings of the Olot region in Girona, and bathe (or bathed) on its beaches that hardly appeared on the maps, hidden away in the Baix Empordá and its enviable microclimate which has for decades attracted intellectuals and artists from around the world.

Ivette was writing her dissertation on the influence of the countryside on modern art and wanted to take advantage of her getaway to Catalonia to catch the essence of this relationship. Almost by chance she discovered an incredible Autumn Festival focused on her second great passion: the theatre.

The so-called ‘Escapada Escénica’ invades the pretty Girona with posters, flyers and confidences in the bars between snack and snack and always with one recommendation, a ‘must go’. To care for her appetite between the raising and falling of the curtain, Ivette can't resist trying the different versions of the typical local dish, ‘mar y montaña’ which, depending on the village, can be lobster with snails or lobster with chicken.

But let's go back to the theatre, also known as the Festival Temporada Alta (High Season Festival). This festival was born in 1992 with just 4 shows, and boasted 76 performances in 2010. Amongst the countries feeding the program this year, we find Canada, Poland, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, United Kingdom… All of the city's stages are involved: the Teatro Municipal del Girona, the Teatro de SALT (which gave the event its original name), the Sala La Planeta, the Auditorium…

Ivette has decided not to miss five performances of this autumn's program: the long awaited performance of Henry V by the company Propeller of the United Kingdom; Waiting room.0, by the Polish Krystian Lupa; the Mexican assembly of Lagartijas tiradas al sol; the San Jerónimo by Angélica Liddell… And a gift for her never concealed passion for flamenco: the presentation of Niña Pastori’s record, La orilla de mi pelo.

Ivette tries out her Catalan at a bar in a restaurant, killing time before the next performance.

- Waiter, voldria una llagosta amb cargols (Waiter, could I have lobster with snails?)

The waiter smiles, passes on the order and the cook takes a lobster out of the tank and sets about preparing it with the movements of a sea surgeon. The snails are ready…

I need Spain

Spain