02.08.11 -----------------------------------------------------------

The 22 Primary Attention Centers (CAP) of the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) in Girona are delivering to their patients this Monday an informational invoice with the real cost of the prescribed treatment and its specific contribution, generally 40%.

Rice Dishes and Fideuas of Costa Brava in Europe. The Girona company "Just Married" has for more than four years canned arroces (rice dishes) and fideuas of the Costa Brava. Their precooked selections, which include a score of recipes, now have been sent abroad and can be bought in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Portugal.

Moroccans are the group of foreigners most numerous in the comarcas of Girona, now being some 40,000 persons scattered in practically all towns. Specifically, in 67 of the 221 localities of the province they are the principal foreign group, including the city of Girona, Salt, Figueres, Torroella de Montgri, Blanes, Palafrugell, Roses, La Bisbal d´Empordà and Palamós, among others. That is to say, the Moroccans are the largest group in the majority of the most populated towns, and results in the final accounting, that they are the ones that add thousands more residents.

Soon the population of Salus/Camallera-Llampaies plans to launch a Center of Services for older people which has been developed beside the municipal clinic.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres has given the green light to works of the project to transform the old slaughter house of the city into the new Center of products of Empordà. The first phase of this initiative has a budget that reaches 1,118,965 euros.

Castell d´Empúries destines ground for an ambulance station. The plot is situated next to C-260, at a point considered strategic for this service.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres has incorporated Virtual Office Access in the municipal web, a new tool that moves the municipal portal toward on-line administration. At the moment in Virtual Office two operation can be done: electronic invoices and telematic registration.

Starting in March, the municipal daycare "El Franquet" of Roses will incorporate for the first time a new classroom destined for the course corresponding to P0, which is to say, for children between 16 weeks and a year of age. In total 8 places will be offered, and the period of inscription will begin next February 11 at the Department of Education of the Ayuntamiento of Roses, located in the Casa del Mar.

The Museum of Anchovies and Salt has inaugurated this Friday an exposition with some fifty unpublished photographs of one of the principal photographers that la Escala has had, Juan Lassús. These are the latest glass plates that have been developed by this author, which are exhibited for the first time and which reproduce local scenes of the years 40 to 60, such as the carnaval, the old port, Empúries, offices and people.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses just approved the project of rehabilitation of the building el Faro de Roses (constructed in 1864), with the objective of adapting it for public cultural use, maintaining the necessary spaces for the functions of maritime signaling. The project will be sent to the Port Authority of Barcelona to obtain the cessation of use of the space in favor of the town.

The architect of the Dalí Museum of Florida, interested in rehabilitating the birth house. The Ayuntamiento has approved this week the executive project of rehabilitation.

The events room of the Ayuntamiento of Roses has played a leading role in the emotional act of recognition of the work of 6 residents of Roses, by birth or adoption, that make up the permanent staff of el Bulli for more than 10 years.

The medical dispensary of Empuriabrava not only has not been closed, as some voices assured months ago, but the facilities has been expanded and improved. The work of reform and improvement has displaced the office of tourism to another location. The move has allowed the improvement of the facilities for attention to visitors, giving more space and modernizing the office.

02.02.11 -----------------------------------------------------------

Representatives of the eleven hotels and restaurants of Figueres met Friday, January 28, in a known establishment of the Alt Empordà capital to establish a line of action to protest what they consider unfair competition from the new School of Hotel Arts (Hospitality) of Alt Empordà. The affected ones affirm that, during the inauguration and the time of open doors of the center, the mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, explained to them that large official dinners would not be held in these installations.

Renfe will convert its freight train division to take advantage of the opportunities that the stretch of European gauge between Figueres and Perpignan offers.

A new control system will facilitate visits to tourism offices. The department of New Technologies of Castelló d´Empúries has developed a made-to-order program for information points. A touch screen is used, which when pressed, brings up the first page with the possibility of chosing if the consultation is made by postal mail, Internet, in person or by phone. Once chosen, the same screen gives options to chose the origin of the visitor by provinces if from Catalunya, by autonomous communities if from the rest of Spain or by nationality if a foreigner.

The wind tunnel is closer. The Ayuntamiento of Castelló has approved a new application and, if Urbanismo gives it the green light, the business has everything ready to start.

Thanks to the agreement signed this Monday between ONCE (National Organization of Blind Spanish Persons) and the Foundation Gala-Salvador Dalí, projects and specific programs will be carried out, like the organization of guided visits adapted to facilitate the access of blind persons and visually handicapped in the Castle Gala Dalí of Púbol, in the Theater-Museum Dalí of Figueres and the Casa-museum of Portlligat. Also training courses will be given, organized by ONCE, about techniques of accompanying persons with blindness and visual deficiency directed to the personal of the Foundation Gala-Salvador Dalí.

The use of the Internet continues growing in Catalunya. This growth for 2010 resulted in an increase of consumption of digital information medias--traditional in the network or exclusively digital--up to 32% of the population. This follows from the summary 2010 “Communication in Catalunya” which The Barometer of Communication and Culture published, in conjunction with the Institute of Communication.

This Saturday has begun the 1st Cycle of Historiography Sardanista, organized by the L’Escala, Pubilla City of the Sardana 2010, and with the goal, on part of the Agrupación Sardanista Escala Avi Xaxu, that it would be the first of a series of cycles dedicated to diffuse or spread studies made in the world of the sardana to provide new data for discussion and reflection about the present and the possible future that the Sardana, National Dance of Catalunya, could enjoy.

Five artists of Empordà exhibit in the Celler Espelt of Vilajuïga. The exposition will be inaugurated next Friday, February 4.

The ecologic Platform Salvem l´Empordà yesterday cut the C-31 highway at noon near Ventalló to protest “unmeasured or excessive” urban growth in the comraca under the theme “A comarca for a decent future.”

01.25.11 -----------------------------------------------------------

The public bus service of Figueres, managed by the municipal business FISERSA, has increased the number of passenger again this year. Specifically, 2010 has closed with an increase of 4.37% of users with respect to last year, reaching the figure of 544,326 trips. It should be recalled that in 2005 this service closed with less than 400,000 users.

The trawling fleet of the Girona coast will carry out a Biological suspension or halt to regenerate the stock during two months. It is the second time that the boats of the Gironan seacoast have made a biological stop to permit a regeneration of the catches, above all the shrimp which at this time are too small and have little commercial value. The first boats that will be anchored in port will be those of the Cofradia of Palamós, during the month of January and in February the halt will be made by those of Llançà, Port de la Selva, Roses, and Blanes. According to the president of the Territorial Federation of Cofradias of Fishermen, Antonio Abad, it is done this way to “not neglect the markets nor the clients.”

The Ministery of Environment has planned to pull down in a few days, as confirmed the Ayuntamiento of Colera, the old Hostal situated at the edge of the sea. The action is the beginning of work of reform of the maritime walkway which is expected to be finished before the tourist season. The works have a cost of 1.4 million euros and while they are in progress it will not be possible to access this part of the sea coast.

In the course of the dance at the fiesta mayor, Llançà chose the pubilla and the heredero of 2011 in an event held in the Sports Pavillion. Miriam Pascual Gómez, of the Agrupación Sardanista Llançà, is the new heredera while Eric Tramuntà Juanola, of the Asociación Ball-lan has been proclaimed heredero. Lanzó held the election by popular vote. Some 70 pubillas and herederos from all over Catalunya and even from Andorra, participated in this event.

The Poker Championship of Spain, sponsored by the poker room at the site www.EuroSuperPoker.com, begins its sixth season in the Casino Castell of Peralada, which will bring together the best players until January 30.

Endesa has finished recently the work to improve the low voltage network of the town of Agullana, Alt Empordà, with a total investment greater than 25,000 euros, supplied entirely by the company.

The Official Bulletin of the State publishes in the Monday edition the awarding of various contracts for the construction of the connection in Tarragona of the Mediterranean Corridor with the High Velocity Line Madrid-Barcelona-French border. The total budget of the awards reaches 205 million euros.

The councillor of Environment of Figueres, Richard Elelman (ICV), is meeting with various businesses dedicated to renewable energy with object of working together in the future Technological Park of the city.

A man has fractured his leg, and possibly also a rib, after falling this Friday at midday on the coast trail (camino de Ronda) of Roses, according to the Bomberos of the Generalitat.

01.18.11 -----------------------------------------------------------

The owners of houses and lots in Empuriavrava don´t hide that they are indignant and that they feel "attacked" after the Law of the Coast finally provides the marine-terrestrial demarcation of public domain of the marina. The process has been concluded with the signing, on part of the director general of the Sustainability of the Coast and of the Sea, Pedro Antonio Rios Martínez, which establishes that the owners lose the private character of mooring or of docks, taking in account that the edge of the marine water should be public domain. The news came last Friday and altered the calm waters of the small Venice. Some aspects of this order of demarcation have left the owners perplexed: the properties are affected by a transit easement of six meters from the edge of the canal, with the aim of facilitating possible access directly to the sea. And this means that the affected line crosses gardens, pools, and even parts of houses, and also private nautical garages.

Twin city status between Figueres and the American city of Saint Petersburg. Thursday of last week the agreement was signed in the US city with the presence of a municipal delegation from Figueres. The two cities are now working to seal the first accords of collaboration that have resulted from the meetings held in the last few days. Next autumn an official delegation of the city of Saint Petersburg will travel to Figueres, probably headed by the mayor.

The Ayuntamiento of Vilajuïga has convoked this Saturday, January 22, a technical conference about dry rock and mountain crops, which features the collaboration of the Department of Agriculture of the Generalitat and the association Via Pirena. Dry Rock is the common architecture work, generation after generation, the people of the land utilized to transform the Rodes mountain range, rocky and beaten by winds, into cultivatible ground. First removing rock from the terrain and accumulating the rock in piles and then selecting the rock to make terraces, huts, bridges and roads, they converted the mountain into a garden of vines and olives and into a means of subsistence.

The work on the sport port in Llançà is reducing commercial activity. The choice to do the works during the winter has been made to avoid possible damage to businesses and restaurants. Of the 400 boats moored in the port of Llançà not even one remains. Their movement to nearby towns like Portbou, L´Escala or l´Estartit has left part of the port a little more lonely than usual. The cause is the work that is being done in the port intended to modernize the infrastructure to convert it into a benchmark within the Catalan environment.

Tobacco shops in the demarcation of Girona foresee a decline of between 12% and 15% in the sales of tobacco because of the implementation of the new antitobacco law that entered in effect two weeks ago. The president of the guild of tobacco shops of the Girona comarcas, Jaume Gou, assures that the new regulation is one of the 'toughest' of Europe and that Spain has passed 'from one exteme to the other.'

The chef Ferran Adrià assures that the next revolution in the world of gastronomy will revolve around the new project of the foundation "El Bullí", which will start up in 2014 and will create a totally new vanguardistic scenario, dedicated completely to gastronomic creativity.

According to data made public this Monday morning by the Ministry of Foment, the general index of the price of housing has registered in the fourth trimester of 2010 a fall of 0.4% with respect to the previous trimester, and 3.5% with respect to the full year. Thus, the average price per square meter is situated at 1,825 euros with respect to private housing.

Roses destines more than 800,000 euros to entities. These subsidies, that can be applied for until March 30, are for the development of cultural, educational, sport and social activities.

The Moscovite chef Elena Tsipshenko now is in l'Escala as the second recipient of the first edition of the International Scholarship Ferran Adrià. During the next two months, Tsipchenko will get to know the principal products and the cuisine of Catalunya, to finish by presenting a menu that takes into account the acquired knowledge.

Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested three people in Pont de Molins, which had stolen a load of diapers from a truck.

01.11.11 -----------------------------------------------------------

El Espacio de Arte of the Celler Espelt begins its season of expositions with an unusual collective show of 16 artists of Girona, for many of which it is the first time that they have exhibited in this space.

The US city of St Petersburg, Florida, this Tuesday, inaugurates a museum of more than 6,000 sq meters dedicated to Salvador Dalí. In 1982, this city opened a museum space where the private collection of the Morse family, friends of Dalí, was shown. Now almost 20 years later, the city opens the doors of a much larger new space expressly planned to exhibit the 94 oils of the artist and other drawings and water colors. The depth of the second most important Dalí museum of the world—it receives more than 300.000 visitors each year—reaches 2,000 pieces. Taking advantage of the occasion, a delegation from Figueres will travel to the US to formalize the relationship that has as its primary objective the interchange of students and athletes.

The new law of sanitary measures to combat tobacco addiction that prohibits smoking in all closed public spaces and some open air areas like parks and places of recreation will take effect this Sunday in all Spain, with the opposition of restaurants and discotheques. The new law, 42/2010, expressly prohibits smoking in schools and hospital areas and has as its priority the prevention of tobacco addiction in minors. In the field of the hotel industry, smoking will be permitted only in open air spaces, which are those that correspond to the definition of “all space not covered, or all space that, being covered, is surrounded laterally by a maximum of two walls or similar structures.”

The Ayuntamiento of Roses has doubled their effort to try to save the fourth floor of the Royal Marine II building of Santa Margarita, affected by a judgment of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalunya (TSJC) which obliges its destruction. At the moment, the necessary applications are being made which require the resolution of the judge and a budget has been presented of the cost of the removal valued at 2.1 million euros or what is the equivalent, approximately 100 euros for each resident of Roses.

The city of Figueres has added itself to the manifesto of the European lobby FERRMED which calls for prioritizing the creation of a Mediterranean corridor, as a part of a grand corridor which would connect all of continental Europe. To make this support public, the mayor Santi Vila will be present next Wednesday in Brussels where a representation of the political, business and social class of different countries will ask the European Union that construction of rail corridors be made a priority, among them the one of the Mediterranean.

Alt Empordà is the comarca where unemployment increased the most. In Cadaqués the rate grew 32.41%, while in Vilajuïga it fell -23.61%.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres approved yesterday in the full council to ask the central Government that the new Regulation of development of the so-called law of foreigners would establish the necessity that the report which the Ayuntamiento issues of residence would take into account serious or very serious infractions of municipal ordinances that regulate coexistence and citizenship.

The tourism office (clinic) of Empuriabrava will be ended this month. The population of residents increases significantly in Empuriabrava, each day there are more people that reside all year in the urban center, therefore one of the priorities of the municipal Government is “to give Empuriabrava more and better municipal facilities”, as expressed through a press release.

CapCreus is going on vacation for the next few weeks.  We are returning very soon with the promise of renewed energy and important changes for our magazine in 2011.  All the team at Cap Creus wishes our readers happy holidays and a fantastic 2011!

12.14.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Meteorological Service of Catalunya has advised that wind gusts higher than 90 km/hr could be produced this Tuesday night and through Wednesday in the northern comarcas of the country.

The Council of Spanish Ministers met this Tuesday afternoon in extraordinary session in Congress and approved asking the Lower Chamber to extend the state of alarm decreed the past 4th of December after the wildcat strike of air controllers until after the holidays, according to government sources.

The municipal budget of Roses for 2011 confronts with austerity the current setting of general economic crisis and specific lowering of municipal income, and directs all its efforts to maintain and prioritize the quality of services, to avoid the increase of debt in municipal coffers, and to provide contents for the new facilities incorporated in the city, fruit of financing obtained by other administrations.

The Local Police force of La Jonquera has, since several days ago, a new police vehicle, a Citroen van, which is equipped in its interior with all the gear that makes up a breathalyzer for legal evidence, as published in el Semanario EMPORDÀ in its Tuesday edition.

The municipal government of Figueres has reached an agreement with the owner and renter of a property in calle Nou which will permit expansion of the Gardens Puig Pujades by some 1,300 square meters. To make possible this expansion, the Ayuntamiento is going to acquire the interior garden of the cited property with the advantage that it will open a restaurant building, a business that will have access from calle Nou and from the gardens through a terrace with tables and chairs.

There remains only one week for the drawing of the Lottery of Navidad of this year. The drums now are prepared in the new headquarters of the drawing in the Palace of Congress in Madrid.

12.9.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Strategic Plan that the Figueres Commerce Association has made and which will be presented in full next Monday, December 13, includes the proposal to raise an Exposition Palace next to the new cover of Plaza Catalunya, specifically where the Ayuntamiento has planned to put the second library of the city.

The Federation of Hostelaria of the Comarcas of Girona has made public the occupation data of the long weekend. The most important days have been Saturday the 4th to Monday the 6th of December. The hotel operators of the zone of the Costa Brava Center Alt Empordà have obtained a tourist occupation of 75%, about as had been forecast. As far a Girona and surroundings, one of the zones most affected by the strike of controllers, finally today the tourist occupation has been 66%.

The Generalitat is finalizing negotiations with Ryanair to close the agreement with the company before Christmas to assure that the airline remains at the airport of Girona. In declarations to Europa Press, the secretary of Mobility, Manel Nadal, has assured that the accord is “imminent” and makes clear that ”there is no pressure” on the part of the Irish company, after it had blocked the sale of flights starting March 27, when the new summer season of the airports began.

The magazine Playboy is putting on sale in New York 125 works of its collection, among which is highlighted a painting by Salvador Dalí. The offering, which will take place in the New York headquarters of Christie´s, will accommodate part of the works of art owned by the veteran leader, Hugh Hefner, founder in 1953. Among the highlighted pieces is the famous Playmate painting, which Dalí made in 1966 on request of the magazine, and which was included in its edition of January 1967. Until a short time ago, the painting was hung in the bedroom of Hefner, in the famous Playboy mansion in Beverly Hills. The painting is valued between 75,000 and 113,000 euros.

Packages of the major brands of tobacco will cost 35 or 40 centims more starting now, fruit of the increase in special taxes for tobacco that the Spanish government approved last Friday and which entered into effect this Wednesday. With this measure, the State hopes to collect 780 million. Some 150 tobacco shops of North Catalunya and other points of France have cut the road near Pertús in protest of the price of tobacco. The demonstrators criticize that, on both sides of the Pyrennes, the difference in a package of cigarettes now reaches 50% and they ask for equalizing the price of tobacco in all Europe to avoid the massive purchases in La Jonquera and el Pertús.

The mayor of L´Escala, Estanislau Puig, has initiated a round of direct conversations with the representatives of different political groups with municipal representation to show them what is the plan that is made for the budget for 2011 and to hear proposals that they can support.

Lost mushroom hunters increase like mushrooms. In ten months firefighters have rescued 71. During only the second half of October 29 mushroom hunters had been lost. In Ripollés, a destination chosen by many Barcelonans, holds the record of rescues with 15. The profile of a lost mushroom hunter does not have specific age or sex, but usually comes from the city, without mountain experience, goes equipped with clothing from big-box commercial stores and begins the hunt in a group led by a guide—who results being as inexpert as the hunter himself--and without knowing the names of any of the towns nearby. Each hour that the firefighters spend looking for lost people costs some 3,000 euros to the Generalitat.

1,530 Gironans have lost the license to drive during the last year, according to data of the Dirección General of Trafico (DGT). The number corresponds to those drivers that have been left without any points and those for whom the withdrawal of permission has been made effective. In effect, this means that they cannot use any vehicle during half a year and that they must pursue a course of driving reeducation before returning to sit at the wheel.

‘The Spanish economy approaches dangerously close to disaster, but it seems that at least one sector—prostitution—is doing very well.’ Thus the ironic and blunt beginning of the article about prostitution in Spain that the British daily ‘The Independent’ publishes this Sunday. The paper dedicates a two-page special to sex and wonders if Spain is ‘the world capital of prostitution.’ The text makes reference to the recent opening of ‘the largest brothel in Europe’ in La Jonquera.

11.30.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Change of president and government in Catalunya. José Montilla (Socialist Party of Catalunya--PSC) lost the elections held last November 28 to Artur Mas (Convergence and Union—CiU). The three parties of the left that formed the current government experienced a significant decrease, losing in some cases up to half of their representatives in the Catalan chamber. The big winner has been the conservative party and its number one, Artur Mas, who will govern comfortably during the next four years, receiving an absolute majority.

The Ayuntamiento of Borrassà starts up a new information channel to improve information for residents and to be able to take advantage of an archive of videos of the most relevant events that happened in the town. It is a local television channel on-line, Borrassà TV, which has been inserted in the web site of the Ayuntamiento and access is free. The videos also are stored on YouTube.

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation is pleased to inform of the success and impact of the international expositions that took place in Italy and in the United State dedicated to Salvador Dalí. Specifically, the Palazzo Reale of Milan held the show “Il sogno s’avvicina (The dream approaches)”, from September 22 until January 30, 2011, and now has received more than 136,000 visitors in only two months. For its part, the High Museum of Art of Atlanta (Georgia) is the seat of the Dalí exposition. Later work of Dalí can be seen from August 7 until January 9, and now has been visited by 173,000 people in almost four months.

Llançà will confront the second consecutive budget without committing even a euro to investment to pay down debt, which is around 6 million euros. The municipal indebtedness is situated around 70%, a number much below the 120% at which the law obliges asking permission for new investments.

Headed toward Martinica. The navigator of L´Escala, Rafa Mundet, puts himself out to sea with the “Delhire” making a stop in the Canary Islands. This personal project was born at the end of the summer of 2009, as the protagonist explained in the newspaper EMPORDÀ. The adventure began this past Saturday November 13, in the Club Náutico of L´Escala. He left, taking advantage of the celebration of the Ruta de la Anchoa (Route of the Anchovy). The return is planned for the end of the month of April, navigating more to the north to arrive at the Azores Islands and from there to L´Escala, where it is planned to arrive in the first part of June, 2011.

The municipal government of Roses has applied a double measure of savings in relation to the Christmas lighting of Dalian character that is installed in Figueres during the fiestas. On one hand, this year the Ayuntamiento has destined 85,000 euros to this concept, while in 2008 the investment was 203,000 euros, which signifies a saving of 55%.

The next week, the booth of the Generalitat of Catalunya will promote the ports of Roses and Palamós in the convention of cruises Seatrade Med, which will be held from November 30 to December 2, in Cannes (France).

A collection of 271 works of the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, until now unknown, have come to light after a retired French electrician tried to obtain certificates of authenticity from the heirs of the artist, as revealed in the newspaper “Liberation.” It is about works painted in the first third of the past century and the value is around 60 million euros, added the daily. Among the works discovered are some rare ones, such as new “cubist collages” painted at the beginning of the second decade of the century, a period of which many of the works of the artist were lost and valued at some 40 million euros. But also a watercolor of his blue period and goauche on paper paintings, studies painted on canvas, in addition to several hundred drawings.

This puente of Purisma, from December 6 to 8, Roses will again dress for a party to welcome the best sailors of olympic classes of Spain. The Championship of Spain Laser sail 4.7, organized by the GEN Roses, will have this long weekend more than 500 people.

Ryanair announces that from midnight today November 29 it will put on sale a million seats at only 6 euros to travel Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in January and February. These low tariffs “all included” will be available for more than 500 European routes of Ryanair if they are reserved at www.ryanair.com before midnight Thursday, December 2.

A hundred photographs related to the three areas of the Dalian Triangle have participated this year in the ninth edition of the prize PhotoDalicatessen, organized by the cafeteria Dalicatessen in the plaza San Pedro in Figueres. The first prize of 2010, of 40

11.23.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

A few days ago the trains of the rail line between Portbou and Figueres saw their normal schedule altered since the trip of the first train that leaves in the morning from Portbou and the last one of the day that leaves from Figueres have had to be covered by buses.

The winner of the First International Scholarship Ferran Adrià, the Quebec chef Justine de Vilacourt, has had the opportunity this Sunday to share the work day in the restaurant El Bulli and to meet personally Ferran Adrià, recognized as the best chef of the world. Ferran Adrià has pointed out that the scholarship which carries his name and has its seat in l´Escala should be “a reference” to follow to raise awareness of Catalan cuisine in all the world. “This scholarship should be a reference and should be continuing to invest in it”, stated Adrià, who considers that initiatives such as this—encouraged by the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala, Prodeca and Jóvenes Cocineros (Young Chefs)—are much more useful to make the cuisine and products from here known than to send Catalan chefs to teach in other countries.

On November 17 a representation of SEBRAE (Brazilian Service in Support of Pimes (Small and Medium Businesses), an entity that gives support each year to 460,000 businesses) visited Figueres. Specifically the Ayuntamiento of Figueres and CIE (Center of Innovation and Entreprenuers) were visited by a representation of the same SEBRAE and seven mayors of Brazilean cities which were winners of the prize Alcalde Emprendador (Entrepreneur Mayor), an award that recognizes those mayors that favor the Pymes and innovation.

The Area of Youth of Ayuntamiento of Llançà powers up nighttime recreation putting into action the new musical proposal called TOUR MUSICA EN VIVO (Live Music Tour). It will pass through 13 locations and more than a score of acts will be programmed with musical styles that go from jazz to pop-rock going to metal, funk, and rumba. The concerts are scheduled between November 26 and December 11.

Two people detained for burning cars in Figueres. The police don´t rule out that the arrested ones would be implicated in previous cases of burned cars in the city. Agents of the Urban Guard have arrested, this Thursday early morning, two people, as presumed authors of a crime of damage caused by fire. The arrested are F.J.C., resident of Figueres, 31 years old, and A.S.J., 20, also of Figueres.

The new law for tourist establishments focuses on quality. The Government is expected to approve today the new Decree of tourist lodging establishments, a text that simplifies the thirteen standards of the 1980´s that regulated the Catalan tourist panorama until now. The principal novelty of the ordinanace is that it simplifies to a single immediate step the administrative procedures to implement a tourist activity, establishing the ayuntamientos as the “unique window.” The other novelty is a new categorization of hotel facilities, pioneer in Europe, where the square meters are set aside to keep in view other aspects of quality such as offering products of the land for breakfast, tourist information of the zone, or two types of pillow for sleeping.

To go from Figueres to Perpignan in the AVE will cost 5 euros. The new line has a special promotional tariff for the trip on the international stretch between the 2 cities. The official arrival of the AVE Alt Empordà now has the date December 19. Two days later, freight trains of the Mediterranean corridor also will traverse for the first time the international tunnel of Pertús. Travellers of the Barcelona-Paris line will find themselves in the new station in Figueres-Vilafant to make the transfer necessary to continue the voyage. Those coming from France will come in high-speed trains. Those coming from Barcelona and Girona will do it in conventional trains with the modern 449 units, which entered service months earlier.
Mini-Group Tariff: One of the most important novelties that should be made known with the opening of the international stretch of AVE directly affects the relations between the Ampurdan and north Catalunya, since RENFE and SNCF have created the tariff called Mini Group, which is, according to the Spanish company “a special introductory offer, so that users that live near to the link can discover the new rail connection with France. The routes that are being put on sale start at 5 euros per person between Perpignan and Figueres, and starting at 8 euros to Narbonne. This offer is valid until February 24.”

11.18.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The work to recover the space of Tudela, in the Natural Park of Cap de Creus, now has been finished, after having removed the buildings constructed by Club Med and having removed invasive animals. Specifically, 443 buildings of the old Club Mediterranée have been taken down which has generated 44,000 cubic meters of debris, and more than 3,000 tons of invasive vegetation have been extracted, a quantity that is equivalent to 20 hectares. The councilor of Environment, Francesc Baltasar, has stated that this Monday is a day of “great happiness” because an objective “very important for the Cabo de Creus and for the country” has been achieved.

Next Thursday, November 18, starting at 8 pm, the Art Space of the Cellar Espelt in Vilajuïga will hold the second of the tertulias programmed for the month of November. Specifically the journalist and writer Josep Playà will speak with the ex-mayor of Figueres, María Lorca, about the “Enigmas of Dalí”. María Lorca was direct witness to many of the experiences of the Figueres artist in his last years, especially at the moment of his death and subsequent burial under the dome of the Theater Museum.

First Fiesta of Empordàlia in Pau. The 1st Fiesta of Empordàlia ended with the celebration of a public dinner, which brought together about 400 people. Clients, providers and members of the cooperative met at the same table to celebrate the arrival of the oil and the new wine.

The Ayuntamiento of Cadaqués has received a grant of 250,000 euros from the General Budget of the Spanish state for the construction of a youth hostel, the second one in the comarca after the one in Empúries, according to Semanario of Alt Empordà in its Tuesday edition.

Internet and advanced technologies will be “vital” in the new “El Bulli” which Ferran Adrià projects, a center of creativity and innovation that will come to light in 2014 and which will have the support of Telefónica thanks to an alliance that one of the best chefs of the world has signed with the multinational. Adrià and the General Technical Secretary of the Presidency of Telefónica, Luis Alegría, have presented today in a press conference this strategic accord, which includes diverse projects, such as a world tour for Adrià, which would make him an international ambassador of the telecommunications company.

The 16th edition of the gastronomic show Firatast of Girona plans to close its doors this Sunday with an “absolute record” of visits, as the president of the organizing company, Josep M. Matamala, reported. More than 12,000 persons now have passed through the show since Thursday, the day of inauguration, and it is foreseen that this Sunday some 5,000 visitors will try the more than 300 tastings that are there. The cause of the growth has been that this year around thirty restaurants have participated in the show. Among the products that visitors have enjoyed most are highlighted the camel hamburger, which has been the star product of the show, rabbit sausage and the traditional caracoles and panallets.

About a thousand residents of Figueres have enjoyed the last days of the guided visits to the Riera Galligans, where it passes through the Rambla. An initiative so successful that the areas of Tourism and Mayor´s Office now are working on a second edition of visits in this emblematic and renovated space of Figueres. Remember that the visits to the Riera Galligans have taken place the last three Saturdays, October 30, November 6 and 13, and that for questions of security and organization, the visitors go down in groups of between 20 and 25 people accompanied by a service of guides.

The events room of the municipal library Victor Catalán of L´Escala, opened this year, has been baptized with the name Sala Victor Mora, in honor of the writer who created the personality of Captain Trueno and who has established in l´Escala the foundation that carries his name and which has just had its fifth anniversary.

11.09.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The suspicion that a stolen vehicle might contain explosives caused the closure of access to the surrounding area of the Dalí Museum of Figueres Saturday afternoon. A trained dog detected indications of explosives in the vehicle. Therefore the area of the Theater Museum Dalí was kept cordoned off which closed access to the public before closing time. Around 4 pm a Tedax team inspected the suspected car without finding any explosives in the interior.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses has received all 7 of the plans of employment solicited in the call of the Project Impulso, issued by the Service of Occupation of Catalunya of the Generalitat. These plans will generate throughout 2011 in the town a total of 58 positions of work of six months duration, directed to the unemployed that don´t receive unemployment benefits.

Two of the geniuses of the imaginary world are the stars of the documentary “Dali & Disney: a date with Destiny”, which is based in the film “Destiny” that Savador Dalí and Walt Disney began to produce in 1946, but because of economic problems was not a reality until the year 2003. The documentary also contains nine photographs that show the relation that the two artists had. Also, the Dalí Museum houses a show where works of the Catalan painter are shown, such as ten unpublished sketches about the creative process of the film. The director of the Center of Dalian Studies, Montse Aguer, highlights that the relation between Dali and Disney was like love at first sight ‘as both felt attraction’ for the work of the other.

This Saturday Las Muses ARTS inaugurated its new exposition. Marga Grima, after having her paintings on the walls of the restaurant el Molí of l´Escala during Gastromusical 2010, returns to l´Escala with a show varied and full of life. The exposition will be open from November 6 to January 16, both included, and can be visited during the commercial hours of the Espacio Activo Las Muses ARTS (Fridays from 6 to 8 pm, Saturdays from 12 to 2 pm and 6 to 8 pm and Sundays from 12 to 2 pm).

The Department of Culture and Means of Communication has destined 1 million euros to the improvement of audiovisual technical resources of 82 municipal cultural facilities, aid that was awarded this year for the first time. It is the first step in networking through the Cultural Ring, to which has been destined 200,000 euros for cultural activities. For territorial areas, the comarcas of Girona are the ones that will receive most aid, with a total of 21 facilities.

Next Friday, November 12, el Espacio Cultural La Ciutadella will inaugurate the exposition “Jaume Turró. Xameca. Retrospectiva 1955-2005”, first of the events that the Ayuntamiento of Roses has prepared to recover the figure of this artist born in Roses, and to show a global and precise vision of a work loaded with personality. The show will remain open until February 13, 2011, and it will be accompanied by the edition of a catalog, a round table, recreational visits to the show and workshops of painting for the public of all ages.

11.02.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The memories of the Route of the Exile: Wednesday, November 3, “Danos memoria (Give us memory)” begins in the Theater El Jardi in Figueres with the recording of testimonies and the digitizing of photographs, objects and documents that residents bring. This campaign, which is an initiative of In Albis, Association for Cultural Diffusion and Education, will pass through Figueres (Theater El Jardi, from 3rd to 5th of November), Agullana (tour of various historic spaces of the town, November 6), La Jonquera (Memorial Museum of the Exile, 12th and 13th of November), Girona (Casa de Cultura, from 25th to 27th of November) and Granollers (Can Jonch, Center of Culture for Peace, from 16th to 18th of December). Emulating campaigns for collecting blood, the Association In Albis puts in motion a campaign of collectring unpublished historical memories: Danos Memoria. A mobile team will move through the territory during the months of November and December with the goal of bringing to light testimonies, images, objects and private documentation about the route of exile before the historical emergency of its possible disappearance. The oral testimonies will be recorded in video and all the material will be digitized and returned to its owners for its future conservation.

The group La Puerta de los Sueños (The Door of Dreams) passed the whole day Saturday in l´Escala to record in it the first videoclip of its latest disc, “Aire Libre (Free Air)”. Specifically, the song in this videoclip with the same name as the album and the filming raised much expectation among the pedestrians that encountered it.

Some forty persons have presented applications to be able to have access to the purchase of one of the official protected flats that will be built in l´Escala. The period ended today and now all the proposals presented will have to be analyzed to see if they comply with the established requirements in the call before the drawing which will be held next November 27 to establish the order of preference of the time of choosing one of the 24 flats that will be constructed.

Figueres will have a new ordinance of circulation starting November 3, which will include among other measures, the creation of green parking zones, according to information from the council. Thus, there will be special rates for residents of the city in the paid parking areas. In the comarcas of Girona this system now is established in Banyoles, and in Girona it has been pushed ahead, although in this case, it still has not been created. On the other hand, the ordinance prohibits practices such as reserving a parking space while waiting for the arrival of a vehicle, to avoid the conflicts that this can generate.

Pope Benedict XVI will make his second official visit to Spanish territory next week. The Pontiff will be received in Santiago de Compostela Saturday and in Barcelona Sunday and the two cities are finishing their preparations to receive him. It will be the second occasion in which the Pope traveled to Spain after his previous trip to Valencia in 2006. In Barcelona, it is expected that the Pontiff will consecrate the temple of the Sagrada Familia, where he will officiate a mass in its central nave. Before that, Benedict XVI will have traveled to Santiago de Compostela to celebrate the year of Xacobeo (Jacobean year).

Catalan ski areas are preparing to open their doors in the puente (long weekend) of December, when they expect the snow conditions will be appropriate to start the winter season, and after a joint investment of 20 million euros, as various areas informed Europa Press.

One person suffered light intoxication from smoke inhalation from the fire in a cabinet full of books in a house on the ronda Empúries de L´Armentera, as the Firefighters of the Generalitat informed Europa Press.

From the 1st to the 15th of November, in the exposition hall of the Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà, exposition of the Competition of photography of heritage CCAE, thematic sun dials, under leadership of the Service of Culture and Education.

From the 16th to the 30th of November, in the exposition hall of the Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà, exposition of painting and sculpture by Frank Carbonell.

LA JONQUERA—EXPOSITION: During the month of November, los Porches of Can Laporta house the exposition of paintings and sculptures “Cosas y Momentos (Things and Moments)” of Wernher Cools.

In Agullana on November 6 at 11:30 am, the plaza Mayor will be the meeting point for the “Historic Tour through la Agullana of 1939” led by the historian Enrique Tubert. At 7 pm, in the Multipurpose Room of the Ayuntamiento, projection of the documental “Doblemente olvidados (Doubly forgotten)”, by the Foundation Andreu Nin.

Figueres will celebrate the first Fair of the Pumpkin (or Squashes) and Artesan Products November 14 in Avenida de Roses, en la Marca de l´Ham.

10.26.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

RENFE reports that at 8:08 am rail service on the Barcelona-Girona-Portbou line has been normalized. The line functioned abnormally from 6:30 pm on Monday, when the rail company had to establish a connection by buses between Figueres and Portbou (both in Alt Empordà), due to the strong winds.

The vice mayor of Figueres, Francesc Canet, attended this morning the signing of an agreement with the Generalitat of Catalunya in the matter of public spirit. Specifically the subsidy is 29,133 euros and is the first time that the Ayuntamiento of Figueres opted for this aid.

With the task of removing the large-sized boats that has taken place in Santa Margarita during this week, the removal of the boats abandoned in the waters of the canals that began early in October is finalized. During the next days, these last items will be scrapped and sent to the landfill, tasks which will bring to termination the first action of improving the canals under the charge of the Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works of the Generalitat.

The high concentration of cyanobacteria is the cause of irritations that some swimmers suffered this summer in the Rio Muga, where it passes San Llorenç de la Muga. According to the results that Dipsalut made public on Thursday, the lack of flow and renewal of the water caused the presence of this bacteria that liberates toxins that can provoke rashes. Therefore, Dipsalut has recommended to the Ayuntamiento that it facilitate the circulation of water in this swimming area. For its part, the council has assured that the fall floods reached the wall that makes the water stagnant, but due to the drought that the watershed of the Muga suffers, the renewal of the water at this point has not been sufficient.

The radio stations Flaix FM, Radio Flaixbac and RM Radio disappeared from the airwaves of Perpignan on September 20. The Superior Council of Audiovisual (CSA) French, solicited by the Regional Technical Committee (CTR) of Toulouse, sent a formal letter in Spain, this past month of August, ordering the stations to stop transmitting in the French territory, alleging interference with the stations Radio Nostalgia and Radio Catalogne Norte.

The dolphin that was found earlyMonday morning on the beach of Port de la Selva has died, as confirmed by the center of Conservation and Recovery of Marine Animals (CRAM). Members of CRAM had tried since 7 am to revive the dolphin that had been found hours before in the sea a few meters from the beach of Port de la Selva, but finally toward midday the animal was not able to recover and died.

A load of 873 kilos of marijuana was intercepted in the autopista A9, near Le Perthus, during the night of Thursday-Friday on board a truck that left from Girona, as was made known this Saturday. A judicial source of north-Catalunya highlights that the material could be seized during a specific control in the area, where the stops for cars at the border will be obsolete at the end of the year, after the dismantling of the police and customs booths.

The Mossos d´Esquadra are investigating an assault that took place this weekend in a jewelry shop on calle de la Jonquera in Figueres, where some unknown persons, after entering the establishment in a spectacular fashion, have taken all the contents of the safe and the jewels that were in storage.

10.19.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Tickets for French high velocity trains that will connect Figueres and Perpignan at the end of the year will be on sale November 12. Although initially the railway company SNCF had announced that tickets could be acquired this Wednesday by Internet, in the end the start of sales has been delayed a month. The circulation of these trains will permit putting into service the international stretch of the AVE, which includes the tunnel of El Pertús which was finished in 2009. It is planned to have two trains run daily, which will end their trip at the temporary AVE station in Vilafant (Girona).

French customs agents have paralyzed this morning the work of dismantling the police offices at the border on AP-7 in El Pertús. The protest has served to highlight the displeasure of the 60 agents that work in this area. The agents maintain that, until now, no one had informed them officially of nothing, and they fear that once the structure disappears many will lose their jobs. For this reason, they ask that exclusive lanes be prepared for the control of trucks on both sides of the autopista. The work of dismantling, which began last week, costs 17 million euros and the French state pays it fully after Europe filed a complaint for not complying with the Schengen Treaty.

Last Sunday, October 17, the composer from Manresa, Dolors Viladrich i Pasqual died in the hospital Josep Trueta in Girona. The composer suffered a heart attack while she attended the 35th Aplec de Sardanas held in Escala last Saturday, October 16.

Castelló d´Empúries congratulates the 99 years of age of Joaquim Vergés, who has reached today 99 years, almost a century with very good health and very good humor. Today the first deputy mayor, Dolores del Fresno, congratulated in the name of the town of Castelló d´Empúries this significant anniversary.

The parliamentary group in Congress of ERC-IU-ICV will present a non-binding proposition for the recovering of the beaches of the seashore affected by the storm of the east during the puente of Pilar, so that it would be debated in the commission of Environment, Rural and Sea.

The gas stations of La Jonquera (Alt Empordà) are fuller than ever. Many French citizens are accustomed to come down to this town, the last one before the border, because they find fuel cheaper than in France. To this is added now the protests against pension reform in France, which now has lasted nine days and which has blocked all the refineries of the country making the price of fuel go up.

The largest house of prostitution in Europe opens in La Jonquera. The long litigation between the Ayuntamiento and the company is finished after the TSJC (Supreme Court) obliged the council to grant the license. The house of prostitution could open its doors next Thursday, October 21, after a judicial battle between the Ayuntamiento and the company La Vimetera.

Work of restoration was just finished on the cannon that was moved from the Paseo Maritimo of Roses to the Cultural Space of La Ciutadella in February of the past year, after it was the object of vandalism in which it was painted with color sprays. The piece, together with another cannon taken from the paseo to avoid its deterioration, will be exhibited soon to the public.

The TGV station will be named Figueres-Vilafant. According to publicity of the PSC in its webpage this morning a meeting has been held in the Ayuntamiento of Figueres in which participated the mayors Santi Vila and Consuelo Cantenys and the deputy in the Congress of Figueres, Montse Palma.

10.12.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Council of the Local Government of the Ayuntamiento of Figueres (Girona) presented this Monday an appeal by the contentious-administrative path against the area of priority development of the wind energy Euskal by the Generalitat in the comarca of Alt Empordà. In a communication, the council has clarified that it has opted for this path after the Generalitat had rejected the appeal presented by the local government in August and therefore the administrative paths have been exhausted against the Catalan wind map.

In L´Escala the new streets of the development Closa del Llop, in the area developed by Incasol, now have names. This morning the official baptism has been made of the avenues Països Catalans and Dr. Fco Javier Irurita and Calle de Almedinilla.

Rescue teams are looking for a man of 39 years that disappeared this Monday in the early morning when he entered the sea at Collioure (France), despite the strong storms there at the time. As explained by sources of the service Department of Fires and Lifesaving in Perpignan, the missing man was accompanied by another man of 29 years, and the two supposedly went to the beach in a drunken state and entered in the water. This took place around three in the morning. This Monday at the first hour, the labor of search has been suspended because of bad weather conditions.

The company Megatel in Girona has signed an agreeement with the Generalitat to share telecommunications infrastructures. The agreement will permit expanding wide band coverage at a low cost in some zones of the comarcas of Girona. The agreement between Megatel and the department of Governing and Public Administration form part of the project “Catalunya Connects”, which the Secretary of Telecommunications and Society of Information concluded. The project intends the expansion of the coverage of TDT services, wide band, and mobile telephone, property of the Generalitat as well as private operators.

Agents of the team of Technical Specialists in Deactivation of Explosive Artefacts (TEDAX) of the Mossos d´Esquadra have recovered today a hand grenade, presumibly from the civil war, which a mushroom hunter found in the forest of Agullana (Girona).

The city of Figueres has been one of the leaders of the Europe Open Days summit, a meeting held in Brussels, which in its 8th edition has brought together cities, regions and politicians of European scope to deal with different themes of continental environment.

Pont de Molins will have available wide band service at a low price. The company Megatel and the Generalitat will share telecommunications infrastructures.

The program of fall 2010 will bring to the Municipal Theater of Roses a fortnight of shows and will encompass a wide artistic spectrum, which will run from classical music to heavy metal, from the classics of the theater to contemporary creations with introduction of new technologies, through dance and children’s offerings. First love of Samuel Beckett, under the direction of Alex Ollé and Miquel Górriz and with the interpretation by Pere Arquillué, Cyrano de Bergerac of Edmond Rostand, directed by Pep Pla, with Eduard Muntada and Ares Piqué, and the traditional Pastorets of the Theater Group of Roses, are the offerings in the theater section.

The Australian soprano Joan Sutherland, one of the great female voices of the 20th century, has died at the age of 83 years after a long illness. The singer died in the early morning Sunday, according to her family, informed the Australian newspaper “The Sydney Morning Herald”. It is believed that at the moment of her death she was in Switzerland, where she lived—specifically in the area of Las Aventis, near Montreux—with her husband, the orchestra director Richard Bonynge.

Justine de Vilacourt, winner of the scholarship Ferran Adrià. The Canadian will learn Catalan cuisine and products in the next weeks. The winner of the first edition of the International Scholarship Ferran Adrià, Quebec chef Justine de Vilacourt, now has begun his training stay.

The Comarcal Archive of Alt Empordà, with the collaboration of the Institute of Ampordian Studies, is organizing a Course of introduction to genealogy to offer knowledge about this discipline. The classes will be held the Fridays of November 12 and 19 in the archive from 5 to 7

10.05.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The mayor Santi Vila (Figueres) asks the ministry of Fomento (Promotion) that the new AVE station carry the name Figueres-Girona. Vila explains that the presence of the name of the city is necessary in the face of efficient management of the economic potential of the city.

Emergency services are looking for a man of 65 years who disappeared last Tuesday in Empuriabrava (Alt Empordà). His family presented a declaration of disappearance and since this Monday the local police, Mossos d´Esquadra and Firefighters of Catalunya are looking for the disappeared man.

From October 9 to the 12th in the streets of medieval Castelló d´Empúries you will discover corners full of art. Twenty-one spaces of the village will show you sculptures and paintings of 72 artists connected with Empordà, and also you will find municipal museums with open doors, conferences, concerts… with all the activities free.More information at 972 15 62 33 and in the web www.rutadelart.com

The twentieth anniversary of the Fiesta of the Anchovy has been a new success. The fiesta began with the opening speech and the delivery of the Anchovy of Gold in the event hall of the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala full to overflowing. The central event, as always, was the tasting of anchovies at the beach. Some 15,000 fillets were prepared, which permitted serving some 4,000 portions. Anchovies were served accompanied by pan con tomate (bread with tomato) and a glass of wine.

Telefónica and the reknown Spanish chef Ferran Adrià have signed today in Madrid an alliance for the next four years which will permit the chef to undertake the transformation of his restaurant in Roses, “El Bullí’.

The demolition of two buildings that were at the sides of the church of La Jonquera now has left uncovered a part of the apse that until now has been hidden, according to information published in the paper edition of the Semanario of Alt Empordà.

Sixteen sunken boats in the canals of Santa Margarita are removed. The Ayuntamiento of Roses and the Generalitat confront a cleaning demanded for a long time.

A man of 76 years has died of drowning this Monday afternoon in the beach of Roses (Alt Empordà). The incident occurred around four in the afternoon when the chief of the Fire station of Roses was going on the street where he was stopped by a person that alerted him that a man was drowning in the sea.

Services of emergency and public security of Catalunya and France now are testing the viability of the tunnel of Pertús to check that all is ready to be able to begin running the High Velocity Train (TAV) starting in December.

Some forest property owners are complaining that more than half a year after the great snowfall of March, they still have not received subsidies to clean the affected forests.

09.28.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Access to the beach of los Palangreros of Roses will be improved soon with the creation of a recreational garden zone, which also will incorporate an access ramp to the beach that will eliminate the current architectural barriers. Specifically, the space that will be habilitated will be that between the parking area and the beach, works that will have a budget of 45,000 euros.

The mayors of Banyuls-sur-Mer (Rosellón), Jean Rede, and of Portbou, Antoni Vega, have been present this Saturday in the first of the two towns where begins the “Ruta Walter Benjamin”. The excursion, organized for the 70th anniversary of the death of the Jewish German philosopher in Portbou, has had the participation of some thirty persons. In parallel, an International Colloquium Walter Benjamin also has been started, which plans to recover the memory of the thinker, victim of Nazi persecution and dead in turbulant circumstances in Portbou after crossing the border. To raise public awareness about the consequences of antisemitism, two routes Walter Benjamin exist.

The councillor, Joaquim Nadal, has signed today with the mayor of L´Escala, Estanislau Puig, the agreement of collaboration that will permit pushing ahead the program of comprehensive rehabilitation of the antique center of the town, which will have an investment of 6.3 million euros in the next few years (between the Generalitat and Ayuntamiento). The project of comprehensive rehabilitation of L´Escala takes in practically the whole of the antique center of the village, which still concentrates an important part of the nearby businesses and of the population that resides in the town during the year.

The alleged perpetrator of homicide in Sant Pere Pescador has returned this Monday to his house in handcuffs and escorted by Mossos d´Esquadra for the visual inspection of the place where they found a cut-up body. The woman killed in Sant Pere Pescador, the dismembered body of whom was found in the freezer, is of Belgium nationality, as is the man arrested in relation to this case, Daniel Pierre I., as was confirmed today by his attorney Carles Monguilod.

The town of Figueres will host the construction of the first eco-neighborhood in Catalunya, fully thought from the perspective of sustainability and which claims to be a reference in the establishment of means which serve for evaluating the degree of respect for the environment that can be used in other neighborhoods. The project, which has been presented this Monday by the secretary of Housing of the Generalitat, Carme Trilla, includes transportation and mobility as two of the most innovative axes, since the neighborhood is planned as a space without cars, with parking in specific buildings, informed the Council of Environment and Housing in a communication.

The labor union Ustec-Stes criticized that eight of each ten high schools in Girona province enrolled in the program of computers in the classrooms still are waiting the laptops for the students.

The municipal service of biking of L´Escala has had more than a thousand users in July and August, which represents an increase greater than 6% with respect to the previous season. After three years, this summer service is demonstrating its consolidation, with more and more people interested in renting one of the municipal bikes to be able to visit the town in a comfortable and healthy way.

Thirty-five stands of producers of farm foods, tourist agents and artisans will fill Bergabolet, the fair of mushrooms which will be held in Berga (Berguedà) this coming weekend.

Figueres will triple the number of buried containers in 2012. The eleven spaces of underground containers that are currently in Figueres will increase to 30 in the next two years.

09.21.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The labor strike in France which will take place from this Wednesday at 8 pm until this Friday at 8 am will alter the circulation of international trains that connect Catalunya with France, Italy, and Switzerland, according to a communication this Tuesday from the National Network of Spanish Railways (RENFE).

Castelló d´Empúries holds the Week of Safe and Sustainable Mobility. From the 22nd until the 29th of September is being organized a series of activities and initiatives that encourage those that want to commit themselves to the cause and to enjoy bicycling.

The story behind the arrival of the AVE (High Speed Train) to the Station of Alt Empordà, situated between Vilafant and Figueres, has not only begun but now gives evidence of being at the point of being finished. With an eye to the hypothetical December 12 as the date of functional inauguration of the international stretch, since the past week can be seen the constant comings and goings of a train with 2 engines from TGV which manages the French society SNCF, a model with the same characteristics as the high speed trains that make the regular run between the station of Perpignan and Paris.

The electric tariff of last resort (TUR)—the only one that the Government fixes and which can benefit almost 27 million of homes will rise a little more than 2 percent in October, according to calculations made by the sector from data of the auction of energy carried out yesterday.

The campaign initiated at the beginning of the summer to try to eradicate the excrements of domestic animals in the streets and public spaces of L´Escala is giving fruit, in the form of an important decrease in the number of units that the municipal cleaning services have to pick up. In the month of May when a motor-vacuum was acquired to facilitate the process of collecting the wastes, they collected more than nine hundred units in a week.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses just approved the finalization of the works of development of the industrial sector of the road of Vilajuïga carried out by Incasól. Thus a long process is ended that began in the year 2001 and which has had to adopt modifications and complementary projects to preserve the natural environment that surrounds it and to arrive at its current configuration.

Saturday of the past week the vineyards and Mas Espelt of Vilajuïga were the stars of the campaign of grape harvesting like old times, a harvest that was a fiesta for remembering and keeping alive one of the agricultural traditions of the comarca as was done in the old days. The harvest as before united more than 400 people of all ages, young and old and whole families with three generations, gathered at 10 am in front of the Ampurdan cellar, to go by foot from there to the vineyards, accompanied by the horns and the drums of the “Grallers del Montgri”, with a score of musicians that led the group toward the vineyard.

Figueres has debuted this Saturday the Route of Patrimony of the Historic Center. An itinerary which, by means of eleven informative signposts, passes through the spaces most emblematic of the city center.

Combating plagues of insects with the use of other insects is possible. This is demonstrated by the company Agricamp of Vilamalla (Alt Empordà), which more than ten years ago introduced beneficial species in green houses, gardens and trees in public streets, among others. It is what is known as biological fight, more and more accepted to be more respectful of the environment than chemical products, and for a greater effectivity in some cases. The ayuntamientos of Girona, Figueres, La Bisbal d´Empordà or Banyoles are found among the two score that utilize these services of Agricamp, which last year reached a billing of 4.6 million euros, and despite the crisis this year expects to increase 5%.

The volume of savings that residents of Girona have deposited in financial entities, especially in savings banks, have seen their volume of deposits reduced significantly. According to data from the Bank of Spain, at the end of June, the residents and businesses of Girona accumulated deposits with value of 14,846 millon, which is a decrease of 55 million euros with respect to the data at the close of the past year.

This Sunday, the Ayuntamiento of Roses will celebrate the end of the works of recovery of the Castle de la Trinidad with the popular fiesta “Todo el mundo en el Castillo (Everyone in the Castle)”, integrated with different acts and entertainment that will permit all the public to come near to the monument from a perspective of family recreation and fun.

09.14.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The 26th edition of the Wine Show of Empordà closed its doors yesterday with a notable success of participation. In total 68,000 tastings have been served, which caused that they almost ran out of the cups of wine prepared for the occasion.

The Institutute of Empordan Studies, the Association Via Pirena and the Semanario of Alt Empordà, with the collaboration of the Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà, the ayuntamientos of Llançà, Palau-saverdera, Pau, Rabós de Empordà and Vilajuïga, the cellars Empordàlia and Espelt and the DO Empordà, are organizing the first conferences about “Empordà, the Land as Economic Activity.” These conferences will be held the Saturdays September 18 (Vilajuïga), September 25 (Llançà), October 2 (Palau-saverdera) and October 9 (Pablo), jointly with a program of guided visits to the four places emblematic of the comarca: The agricultural park of dry rock of Vilajuïga, the monastery of Sant Quirze de Colera, the Torre Mornau and the Cooperative Empordàlia.

The Mossos d´Esquadra have arrested two young residents of Roses accused of being the authors of the robbery which took place in early morning of the past September 7 and 8 in the Ayuntamiento of this town, from which they took the portable computer of the mayoress, Magda Casamitjana, and that of a councilor.

The next Saturday, the 18th, Vilabertàn celebrates the FIESTA OF SAN FERRIOL. At 5 pm, at the Paraje de la Fuente (Place of the Fountain) a children´s show will take place given by Fefe & Cia. At 6 pm, in the Plaza of the Monastery, there will be an Audition of Sardanas by the orchestra Selvatana. At 6 pm, in the Civic Center, a talk “Perspectives and use of Trichoderma spp” in horticulture given by the Union of Farmers and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Action. At 7 pm, in the Plaza of the Monastery the Concert of the Evening by the orchestra Selvatana. At 11:30 pm, in the Plaza of the Monastery, Baile de Noche (Night Dance), end of the fiesta by the orchestra Selvatana and Disco Móvil.

The extravagant proposals of the president of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, to reduce costs of the airline, are not to the liking of its employees. In response to the idea of O’Leary to eliminate the copilots, a pilot in charge of the instruction of personnel of Ryanair has written an ironic letter to the British newspaper “Financial Times” in which he proposes to replace O’Leary with a flight attendant, who normally makes some 13,200 euros net per year.

08.31.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

This Wednesday the Acústica de Figueres 2010 begins, a musical festival fully established that attracts public from all Catalunya. In this ninth edition, from the 1st to the 5th of September, more than thirty performances have been scheduled distributed among seven stages in the area of the Dalí Museum.

The events of the fiesta mayor of L´Escala again start on Wednesday, September 2, with sardanas and theater—led by Dosics. The celebration ends on September 5 with the traditional fireworks next Sunday at 10 pm in the Platja.

Today in the Sala del Patronato of Torre Galatea (Figueres), the Foundation Gala-Salvador Dalí has presented the latest acquisition of the artist´s work, a tempera on cardboard titled “The Fairs of Figueres”, which is now seen in the Theater-Museum Dalí as a temporary loan and which just came from Paris, where it has been the leading attraction of the exposition Dreamland held in the Pompidou Center in the French capital. The presentation was by Antoni Pitxot, director of the Theater-Museum Dalí and by Montse Aguer, director of the Center of Dalian Studies.

A score of boats in the “Bajada de patos (Duck float)” of Pont de Molins. The river Muga has been the scene of this activity of the fiesta mayor.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJaqH9Ix7M&feature=player_embedded).

A man has died from drowning this Sunday morning at a beach of Empúries, within the municipal boundary of L´Escala. According to the Mossos d´Esquadra, it was a man of 55 years of Spanish nationality. The man was at the beach of Rec del Molí accompanied by his family members when he entered the water and drowned. From this newspaper and in the view of the little vigilance existing at the beach, where according to witnesses present the appropriate flag was not placed, we advise to not swim at this beach on days of the tramontana. Unfortunately, this has not been the first accident like this at this beach.

The opening of the festival Visa pour l´Image, this Saturday in Perpignan, will be visited by Frédéric Mitterrand for the second consecutive year. The minister of culture will pass through the Convento de Minimos (Agreement? of Minimums), the principal space of the exposition. In addition to a series of views about the conflicts of the world, environmental challenges, and the disturbing traffic of contaminated metals from Chernobyl, the festival will be dedicated to photographs showing human spirituality.

This Saturday, the 28th, is closed the third edition of the Festival Surpas of Portbou with new and surprising performances. The inauguration took place Thursday with the opening of the exposition. Vida Local of the Finnish photographers Peka Turunen, Ritva Kovalainen and Sanna Seppo and with a very special performance in the tunnel of Portbou of Teho Mäjämaki Tappan Rinne where the two musicians played in acoustic interacting with the geography of the space and of the movement and interruptions of the public.

“Sólo se vive una vez (You only live once)” is the title of the film that Bollywood has made this last week in Empuriabrava, specifically in the skydiving center. The production has tasks for 150 operators. According to spokespersons of Skydive (Empuriabrava) the activity of these film professionals has been very high and during a good part of the day they were recording various scenes that made the daily activity of the skydiving center difficult in peak moments. Actors of reknown in Bollywood have participated in the film, some of them with thousands of followers in the world. A dance group formed by 80 dancers composed the typical dance which was recorded in the center and which characterizes the majority of these films.

Unpublished images of the First World War in an exposition in the Museum of Exile in La Jonquera. The exposition integrates a hundred photographs coming from the collection of the General Archives of the Palace. What makes this exposition special this is that the majority of the images, which are supplied by the German agency Bild-und-Film Amt -one must say that also there are English and French-, were brought together by the Spanish king Alfonso XIII (1857-1885), who created in those years the so-called Oficina Pro Cautivos (Office for Captives), in collaboration with the International Red Cross, destined to look after humanitarian petitions of volunteers and combatants of that war.

08.24.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

After two days with temperatures that reached 38 degrees since Saturday in various comarcas of Girona because of the heat wave, it will be prolonged during the week, reaching the highest temperatures of the whole summer according to the Meteorological Institute of Catalunya. For those oppressive moments we recommend seeing this excellent video: http://vimeo.com/11575356.

Nightly stays in the hotels of the province of Girona increase in July. The hotels of Girona are saving the season thanks to local tourism, against the decrease of foreign tourism. The growth experienced by the hotels of the Costa Brava as well as the whole province of Girona is explained only thanks to tourism from the province, which in the face of economic crisis has opted for taking vacations close to home. Thus, the nightly stays in all the establishments of Girona have increased in July by 2% with respect to July 2009 and those of the seacoast by some 3.3%.

The snows of the month of March have delayed this year the beginning of the grape harvest of the bodega Espelt Viticultors of Vilajuïga (Alt Empordâ), the largest extension of the Denomination of Origin Empordâ, with 250 hectares which represent 12% of the total.

The president of the Generalitat, Pepe Montilla, will be in Roses this Tuesday, August 24, to participate in a popular sardinada organized by the coalition of PSC on the maritime walkway (in front of the monument to the fisherman), starting at 7 pm. The mayoress of Roses, the socialist Magda Casamitjana, president of the coalition, will accompany the president.

Camping Laguna (Castelló d´Empúries) has signed an agreement of collaboration with the energy company Endesa which includes the purchase and installation of 290 photovoltaic panels to reduce its emissions of CO2 by 33 tons.

The man that was injured by a lightning strike last Thursday died this Monday in the Hospital Josep Trueta, according to sources in the health center.

Roses will fine the buyers of the “top manta (mobile street sales)” because, with their consumption, also “they encourage the illegal sales”. This is one of the points that the ordinance of civil behavior will include which is foreseen to be one more tool for eradicating the illegal mobile street sales in the city.

Last Thursday, August 19, technicians of DipSalut took samples of mud, earth, water and the surrounding area of the river Muga where it passes through Sant Llorenç de la Muga where cases of dermatitis have been detected among the bathers.

The head of the Program of Maritime Lifesaving of the Spanish Red Cross, has asked the parents that spend the summer with their children on the Spanish beaches that “they do not give example” with practices such as making holes in the sand to avoid people dying from being buried, a situation that has caused the death of two minors this summer in Spain, one of them in Castelló d´Emúries at the end of July.

08.16.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Last Sunday the twentieth edition of the Collective Show of Painters of Portbou took place. It was a show in the open air, in the Rambla de Catalunya, during all the day. The influx of people was very considerable. In the Show painters from Portbou, from the comarca, and even from France were exhibited. In total, a score of painters exhibited more than a hundred works of all styles.

The third edition of the festival PORTalBLAU of L´Escala closed this Saturday with the performance of Miguel Poveda and the appearance of rain as an uninvited guest. The sprinkling obliged stopping the concert almost an hour, but afterwards it was able to continue normally. Also affected by the rain was the summer concert of sardanas of the CER and the habaneras of Montgó.

Caminos de ronda (coastal pathways), the task awaiting the Costa Brava. Walking along the Costa Brava to contemplate the coves and beaches from the cliffs is not always easy. Although there are improved stretches, many coastal paths are closed for the lack of security and the risk of rock falls, or simply just don´t exist. To this situation, one must add the imprudence of tourists, who risk themselves by walking at the side of the cliffs or rock slides despite the warnings of danger. From Alt Empordà to La Selva, the ayuntamientos criticize that there are stretches where for two decades no improvements have been made. In fact, the Generalitat still has works pending in the territory since 2007 and many items included in the state budgets are just left in the “cash drawer”.

As we announced some days ago in this newspaper, this past Saturday, August 14 at 6 pm, in Vilajuïga the first day of open doors took place to visit and enjoy, including the interior, of the emblematic Castle of Quermançó. The event had the presence of the owner of the castle and the mayor of Vilajuïga and some 200 people, coming from diverse points of the province of Girona and its capital to Vilajuïga.

Rural Agents ask for exemplary punishments against coral harvesters without licenses. Currently when agents take into custody a fisher of coral with illegal catches, they open an administrative complaint. This means that the cases end with only a fine and with confiscation of the coral and the material used by the poachers in this illegal activity.

It was the information bomb of the weekend, the declarations of the minister of Fomento (Development), José Blanco to the European Press in which he stated that the Spanish taxes are “very low” and indicated that in the future one has to think of looking for formulas to “approve the same (taxes)” to the average of the European Union with the objective of obtaining services and infrastructures of first class.

The group Salvem l´Empordà demonstrated in front of the castle of Quermançó (Vilajuïga) to draw attention to the environmental impact that is implied in the construction of wind parks and the lack of participation of the territory in the process.

A man of French nationality and 60 years old is in a critical state after being struck by lightning while he was on the beach of Rubina in Castelló d´Empúries. The mayor of the town advised that it is not a good idea to be on the beach on days of storms.

The locality of Beziers, in the comarca of Languadoc, is disposed to hold the bull fights of the region, after the Catalan Parliament prohibited them in July.

Last lap for the discoteque Passarel·la. Pasarela, a classic of festive summer nights, will say goodbye next year just when it completes a fourth of a century since its birth. For the part of the Ministry of Environment there is no intention of extending the concession in the same place, and in principle, the discotheque, the pub Marbar and the pizzeria that are just to the side will go to the ground together with other buildings.

The Department of Education of the Ayuntamiento of Roses continues pushing its project of gratitude and universalization of textbooks, subsidizing part of the cost of textbooks of students of the town of obligatory school age and incorporating new material in the Book Bank, created two years ago. These actions have a total investment of 205,000 euros.

The population of Sant Pere Pescador, located in the north of the Costa Brava, lives for and by camping according to a study by the firm Exedra Capital commissioned by the local association of these establishments, which shows that almost half of the PIB of the town comes from this business.

08.09.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

With tickets sold out for the concert of Els Pets, the International Festival of Music of Cadaqués closed yesterday the best attended edition in its history, with 20% higher attendance than last year.

A young woman was gravely injured this Sunday at midday after falling in an area of rocks near the Cala Rovellada, to the north of the town of Colera (Alt Empordà), according to a report from the Fire Department of the Generalitat.

The tiger mosquito has colonized a dozen towns of the comarcas of Girona, mainly those of the Selva seashore that borders with Barcelona. In these towns was where the first arrival of the tiger mosquito was detected and now it is a part of the habitat. Additionally, specimens of this insect, which is characterized by being very aggressive and by making painful bites, have been detected in some thirty other communities. Above all are the comarcas of La Selva, and Alt and Baix Empordà. The Service of Control of Mosquitos of the Bay of Roses and el Baix Ter asks residents that they adopt all the measures of prevention possible to avoid the continuing extension of the species.

In Figueres there are four museums: the Museum of Toys of Catalunya, the Museum of Empordà, the Museum of Technology of l´Empordà, and of course, the Theatre-Museum Dalí. These museums are normally open winter and summer, but now is when they have more relaxed and extended schedules, and a greater influx of visitors. One does not need excuses to visit, however, some are organizing special activities to attract more public.

The US airline company Delta Airlines has wanted to pay tribute and homage to the universal Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, for the occasion of the opening of an exposition of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, dedicated to the genius of Cadaqués. To commemorate the beginning of this exposition, the company Delta Airlines has painted the fuselage of one of its airplanes with the characteristic mustache of the artist from Empordà. Thus, now a Boeing 757 of Delta Airlines sports an enormous mustache in memory of Salvador Dalí while it crosses the skies of the USA. The exposition of Dalí which will be held in Atlanta will open its doors this Saturday, August 7, to close after Christmas, January 9, 2011.

The Columbian singer Shakira has spent the last week in the studios Music Lan of Avinyonet de Puigventos. The popular artist also has taken advantage of her stay in Empordà to visit, with all her coworkers, the Theatre-Museum Dalí. She did it Wednesday night and was there until the time of closing at 1 in the morning. Shakira, responsible for “Waka-Waka”, one of the official songs of the World Cup in South Africa, that many heard this summer will begin her world tour “Tour de las Delicias (Tour of the Delights)”, in the middle of September. November 24 she will be in the Palau Sant Jordi of Barcelona.

For the first time in five years specimens have been found of the type of locust “Plegamans” in Catalunya. It has been the Natural Park of Cap de Creus (Alt Empordà), which has an appropriate habitat for its reproduction, since it is an open area with roses and heather and not forested with brush. This ortoptero, characterized by measuring up to ten centimeters, is protected at the European level because of its extreme rarity. Also it has the ecological function of eating other types of locusts, which deters possible plagues. The Department of Environment and Housing announced that it will make a follow-up of the populations of the Plegamans locust to try to recover it.

Llançà-The Nautical Club receives certificates of quality. The dining room of the bar-restaurant of the Nautical Club of Llançà welcomed yesterday the act of presentation of the certifications ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 to the cited institution.

08.04.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Airport of Girona-Costa Brava recovers starting today the direct access to the passenger terminal by the principal road. It is an access for vehicles that consists of 2 lanes of four meters each with a new gateway of vertical signage to indicate the location of the terminal building and the entrances of the parking garages, P1 and P2.

The young composer, singer and bass player of the USA, Esperanza Spalding, accompanied by three equally talented young musicians-Dana Hawkins, drums, Leo Genovese, piano, and Ricardo Vogt, guitar-offered almost two hours of concert magic in the festival of Music of Cadaqués.

The singer Miquel Gil will perform this Wednesday in the festival Gastromusical put on by the restaurant Molí of l´Escala.

The Fiesta Mayor of Roses is celebrated from the 7th to the 15th of August with more than fifty activities. The booths take absolute importance and are consolidated offering 9 nights of diversion and 16 concerts. The program can be followed on the internet at: http://www.emporda.info

Underwater cleaning of the seashore of Llançà. The Nautical Club mobilizes its members for the 14th consecutive year. This Saturday, some fifty members and helpers of the Nautical Club of Llançà, aboard a dozen boats approached the beach of Canyelles, where they anchored the boats to create a zone of security, to protect the divers while they proceeded to clean the depths of the beach.

The interventions of the Red Cross in the Costa Brava have decreased 30% in July in comparison with the same month of the past year. Up to the 25th of July, the lifesaving teams have made some 3,558 assistances. The intention of this campaign is to promote the service of prevention and warnings and to introduce new flags so that users can identify the danger that is each beach.

The Ayuntamiento of L´Escala has begun various actions to reinforce the local emergency plan and to guarantee the proper functioning of the principle public services in any situation. In this sense, it has been decided to acquire various sets of electrogenerators, the first of which has begun to be installed this week.

The Fundation Gala-Salvador Dalí and the association Comercio Figueres have signed an agreement of collaboration. The objective is the reinvigoration and promotion of the commerce of the city, such as the diffusion of the Theatre-Museum Dalí at Night, which opens its doors in the night schedule from 10 pm to 1 am during the month of August. Specifically, the Foundation collaborates by furnishing tickets to the Theatre-Museum at Night, which will be awarded by a drawing among the users of the Tarjeta Comercio Empordà.

The group of camping organizations of Castelló d´Empúries and Empuriabrava, which includes Almatà, Castellmar, International Alberes, Masnou and Laguna, has denounced the restrictions included in the Special Plan of the Natural Park of los Aiguamolls of l´Empordà.

07.27.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Joan Manel Serrat has returned to a Girona stage, this time in the Festival of Peralada, to give homage to the person of Miguel Hernández. Through a recompilation of thirteen poems, the same thirteen that make up his new work “Hijos de la Luz y de la Sombra (Children of Light and Shadow)”,

The first project of microcredits in Alt Empordà is pushed ahead. MicroBank, the Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà, Red Cross of Girona, and the ayuntamientos of Roses (Alt Empordà) and Figueres have signed this Monday their first agreement of collaboration, with the aim of facilitating the access to financing for those who need it and to contribute to the startup of new businesses.

The Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador (Astana) has been proclaimed for the third time in his sports career the winner of the Tour de France, after finishing the twentieth and final stage of the celebration leg between Longjumeao and Los Campos Eliseos of Paris, where he climbed the podium escorted by Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Dennis Menchov (Rabobank).

Aqualia, the business that manages the service of water supply in Cadaqués, made during the year a total of 2,355 analytic tests of the water, in which a total of 127 parameters were monitored, physiochemical as well as microbiological, a number above what is expected in current legislation. This exhaustive control over the quality of distributed water is maintained in the summer season, the time in which the town grows by the influx of tourists, maintaining the necessary guarantees to give effective service in the town.

The promoter of the concert that David Bisbal will offer in Roses, ATA Productions, has reported that now a total of 2,500 tickets have been sold for the spectacle which will take place in the Ciudadela next August 12. This number represents half of the capacity foreseen for the concert in Roses, which, together with Barcelona and Torredembarra, has been the town chosen by the singer to bring to Catalunya the direct and live presentation of his latest work, “Sin Mirar Atrás (Without Looking Back)”.

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation is pleased to announce that this year the Dalí museums have received up to July 21 a total of 655,745 visitors, a number that shows an increase of 5.13% with respect to the same period last year.

The Acústica festival comes to the ninth edition dodging the crisis and presents a broad and eclectic program. The festival will fill the center of Figueres with live music from the 1st to the 5th of September.

Ryanair gives tickets to Barcelonans for going out for tapas. Next Wednesday, July 28, Ryanair will hold a drawing for 20 tickets completely free in the beach of Barceloneta (Barcelona).

The definitive location of the private Montessori school center is outside of Figueres and could be located in one of the neighboring towns of the Ampurdian capital, specifically in Peralada. The negotiations between the promoters of the teaching center and the Ayuntamiento of this town are very advanced.

The area of Social Wellbeing of the Ayuntamiento of Figueres has published in Braille the “Guide to Municipal Services for the Third Age” and the “Guide to Services for Infants from 0 to 3 years old”.

Excavations in part of the Greek city of Empúries have resulted in the discovery of a Greek bracelet of the fifth century before Christ, to which curative properties were attributed. The amulet, of polished black stone, was round and is decorated with different incisions. “The Greeks put it on the wrist and attributed mystical powers to it,” explained one of the archeologists of the museum, Quim Tremoleda.

07.14.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The president of the government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, affirmed that the title of champion of the world won by the Spanish football team is of the 23 internationals that played in the World Cup of South Africa, but also of the hundreds of internationals that have defended the “roja (red)” and “of all Spaniards.”

The artist Jordi Gispert will present next Thursday, July 15, a show of his latest creations in the Art Space of Celler Espelt in Vilajuïga. Gispert, son of Salt and with residence-studio in Gariguella has various years in which he did not have showings in the comarca, and for this occasion he has wanted to present unpublished works, recent works in painting and sculpture inspired by a trip to Tunisia.

Record number of raids and captures by hunters of Girona during the 2010 season. The overpopulation of wild pigs and the problems that they bring in destroying cultivated fields and in causing accidents in the roadways has obligated hunters of the comarcas to intensify the harvest to bring down the population.

The Museum of Cadaqués presents an exposition that revisits the history of the town from a hundred years ago with focus on the stay that Picasso made in the summer of 1910. Unpublished photographs , works of artists that represented the town in paintings and a dozen reproductions of works of Picasso are put at the disposition of the public starting this weekend and until January.

The company Endesa is inspecting by helicopter more than 2,500 kilometers of the medium voltage electric network of Girona. The apparatus, equipped with an infrared camera, follows the 160 lines that are in the demarcation and takes different readings to detect weak points, which is to say, those where the temperature is higher than normal and where there is risk of breakdown. Until now, Endesa has found some fifty (in the network renewed after the snowstorm as well as the old).

Sixteen Catalan comarcas have a high risk of fires this Monday, according to a report of the Service of Prevention of Forest Fires of the Department of Environment and Living. Among these are found both Alt and Baix Empordà.

Colera will reform and expand the school Puig de Asquers with a project that has a cost of half a million euros. The works began this week and will be divided in two phases, the reform of the building which is scheduled to end in the summer for the beginning of the school year.

The councilor of Territorial Policy and Public Works, Joaquim Nadal (PSC), assures that the level crossings in Figueres will be eliminated, but that this will be when the work of the TAV is ended in 2012.

Rosas projects an amusement park and a large sports complex with a wind tunnel. The park will be constructed at the entrance to the town and will open from June 15 to September 15. The wind tunnel will be situated on land near the company Zodiac.

The Llançà will open a new building for firefighters. The new facility will be situated across from the football field and will multiply the current space by ten.

Since last Friday in Cadaqués the new regulation for parking spaces has begun operating in the area of the Riera de Sant Vicenç. From now on, only residents who pay the tax of circulation in Cadaqués and which carry a sticker which the Ayuntamiento gives free to its residents will be able to park.

Four ports of Alt Empordà obtain the blue flag of quality for their waters. These are Llançà, Port de la Selva, Roses, and L´Escala. Currently the distinction of quality is awarded by the Association of Environmental Education and of the Consumer—European Foundation of Environmental Education.

A representative of the Club of the most beautiful Bays of the world visited Roses to study if the town met the requisites necessary to form part of the association which includes the most spectacular bays of the planet, such as Mont Saint Michele (France), the bay of Ha Long (Vietnam), or San Francisco Bay (USA).

The full session of the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala awards the first 17 parking places of the new garage inaugurated a few days ago in Plaza Catalunya.

This weekend, July 16 and 17, Llançà will give honor to the oldest residents of the town with the celebration of the Fiesta of Carmen, a marine festival that features the traditional procession of the Virgen of Carmen through the streets of the town.

07.06.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Last Friday night, a joint operation involving local police, Mossos d’Esquadra, and the Guardia Civil took place in Roses against illegal sales which resulted in the seizing of 250 kg of material.

The subterranean parking at Plaza Catalunya in L’Escala opens its doors this weekend, with an offering of 205 places next to the urban center of the town. The act of inauguration has been Friday, and this Saturday and Sunday one was able to park without charge, to make the new infrastructure known.

Roses will be converted this summer, together with Barcelona, into one of the Catalan stages chosen by the singer David Bisbal to present his latest work “Sin Mirar Atrás (Without Looking Back)”. The concert, for which now a total of 10,000 tickets (25 euros) have been put on sale, will take place August 12 in the Cultural Space of the Ciutadella, as a part of the Fiesta Mayor program of the town.

The councilor of Environment and Living, Fransesc Baltasar, has assured that the new water purification plant of Colera (Alt Empordà), inaugurated Friday morning, will guarantee “forever” the supply of water to the area and will improve its quality.

The ecological group Salvem l´Empordà cut the highway C-31 at midday yesterday near Ventalló to protest against the unchecked urban growth of the comarca under the theme “A comarca for a future with dignity.”

The forests of the Albera park show tourists how cork is obtained. The Bodega de Vino Espelt of Vilajuïga plans guided excursions to learn the fabrication of cork bottle tops.

The fishermen of Roses distribute about 2,000 servings of fish suquet. Ferran Adriá participates in the fiesta and delivers the distinctions or honours of the gastronomic campaign.

The expansion of the bridge over the river Fluvià in Sant Pere Pescador enters into service. The new bridge, which has a bicycle lane totally separated from car traffic, has won in esthetics and safety.

The heat of last week has raised the temperature of water at the beaches. On average it has risen from 18º to 20º. At the beaches of Empuriabrava and the mouth of the Muga river, sea water presented a green color due to the proliferation of microscopic algae.

Cadaqués was two days (last Friday and Saturday) without telephone service. The company Movistar had a breakdown that left the town without service of fixed or mobile phone or Internet.

Change of location of the staging of the festival of the Castle of Peralada with a double motive: to reclaim the Renaissance façade of the castle that up to now was covered and to put emphasis on the gardens that make the environment so special. Until now the stage was set up next to the castle, but starting this year it will be placed at a far corner of the garden.

06.29.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The occupation in the Girona coast during the 4-day weekend of Sant Joan has been situated between 80 and 90%.

Motodescoberta SCP, a small business created last year in Empordà, has presented a project called MotorbikeXperience, which advertises the street motorbike as the best means of discovering the territory.

The Ayuntamiento of Figures has finalized the work of test installation of a new group of underground trash containers in the plaza Ernest Lluch. With this there are now three groups that have been installed this year in Figueres.

The Guild of Itinerant Merchants of the comarcas of Girona have planned to begin a series of demonstrations to demand that the Thursday market in Figueres return to be held in the barrio of Poble Nou, specifically in Avenida de los Països Catalans.

Rosas claims the Suquet de Pescado (Fish Stew). The kick-off of the campaign takes place next July 2, coinciding with the popular tasting that the Cofradia of Pescadores offers each year.

A band of thieves that worked in Roses is broken up. Six people have been detained as presumed authors of eleven robberies in houses, most of them second homes, which occurred since the past month of March.

The councilor of Innovation, Universities and Business, Josep Huguet, has inaugurated this Saturday in Vilajuïga the second Center of Tourist Housing (CAT), which is being put into operation. This CAT, which has seen an investment of more than 800,000 euros, is dedicated to sacred hiking trails, taking advantage that Vilajuïga is located near the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes.

A wine cellar of Cadaqués plans to live a direct experience about the world of wine. Ten years ago the family Martin Faixó recovered the tradition of family wine-making on some lands in the middle of Cap de Creus. Near this place, in 2003 they acquired Mas Perafita, a masia of 1,800 square meters from the 14th century which they converted into a bodega where they make the wine Cadac y Perafita. Now also they offer a plan of wine tourism, which combines housing with an introduction to the world of wine.

The sailing ship Nessum Dorma will set sail this midnight in the port of Roses with the objective of making a tour of the world, sponsored by the Board of Tourism Costa Brava.

Catalunya is preparing to confront one of the summers with greatest risk of fires in the last few years. The snows of March 8 and the various episodes of wind have left some forests dirty, with very dangerous conditions.

The members of the full council of the Ayuntamiento of La Jonquera have passed a resolution to reduce the salary as an anti-crisis measure and also as a gesture of solidarity for the officials.

A team of architects and draftsmen from China have visited Cadaqués to photograph its corners and recreate them in Xiamen, in a project of construction of a city of vacations inspired by this town of Empordà.

Friday July 2, the mayor of Llançà inaugurates the School of Art of J. Martinez Lozano in la calle de La Creu, 11, at 7:30 pm.

Also on Friday is being organized a popular session of aerobics in the Plaza of L´Univers a 7 pm in L'Escala.

The same day, July 2, Roses plans to celebrate the day of San Pedro with a popular Suquet de pescado (fish stew) in the plaza of Sant Pere at 5 pm with the local Cofradia of Pescadores in charge.

06.23.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries, meeting in regular full session on May 27, 2010, approved UNANIMOUSLY supporting the allegations presented by the Association of Campings of Castellón before the next approval of the Special Plan of the Natural Park of the Aiguamolls of l´Empordà.

The cruise ship The World has made its first stop in the port of Roses this Monday with 241 passengers aboard. This ship has apartments available in which the passengers are owners or renters, which permits it to be a floating residence and to travel by sea to different countries of the world. The port of Roses is becoming the second port of the Costa Brava that receives cruise ship traffic. The tourists that arrived today aboard the cruise ship have planned to walk through the town and to visit the Dalí museum and the city of Girona, among other points of the Costa Brava.

After months of debate and of making a survey of the residents of the residential marina of Empuriabrava, the new group called Unidad y Defensa de Empuriabrava (Unity and Defense of Empuriabrava) (UDEM) has been inscribed in the registry of political parties this month of June, presided by the activist Joan Augé.

The ground floor of the municipal building in the street del Puerto, 49, now is the headquarters of the Collection of Malacologia Matilde Espinosa. It was opened this Sunday and permits educating about mollusks of 400 different species of the world.

In summer, guided visits in the Club Med. Although the zone still is not open publicly, this summer, from the Natural Park of Cap de Creus, guided visits will now be made, which will serve as a pilot test.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres will modify the Ordinance of Civility and Coexistence so that citizens could not wear a face covering in municipal buildings and facilities, the use of the Burka being prohibited in this type of installation.

Again this year, the Council of Culture of La Jonquera has organized, with the collaboration of the Photography Section of the ACEJ, the Photographic Contest of the Albera, with the aim of stimulating artistic creation toward the values of this natural park.

The chef from Quebec Justine de Valicourt and the Moscovite Elena Tsipchecko have been the winners of the first International Scholarship Ferran Adriá. The scholarship allows a stay in the Casa de los Forestales of Sant Martí d´Empúries, l´Escala, to develop their projects.

Between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries existed in Europe and also in Catalunya the so-called witch-hunt. An exposition of the Museum of History of Catalunya analyses this phenomenon uniquely and suggests some explanatory hypotheses. The show in itinerant format makes a stop in the Canónica of Vilabertran where it will remain until October 17.

The rehabilitation of the center of Roses continues. The Plan of Neighborhoods has a total budget of 8.63 million euros, supplied in equal parts by the Ayuntamiento and the Generalitat, for the four-year period 2009-2012.

06.15.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres and representatives of the hotel establishments of the city have decided, after different meetings held in the last months, to work on initiatives that would serve to promote and extend the stays of visitors in Figueres. The first of these actions, worked on by the municipal area of Tourism and the hotel sector, has firmed up a new tourist package that includes: a stay in one of the hotels of Figueres, entrance to the Theater-Museum Dalí, a guided visit to discover all the corners of the city, as well as discounts in the rest of the cultural installations like museums and the Castle of Sant Ferran.

As of today´s date the beaches of Alt Empordà are free of jellyfish according to the latest reports of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). The quality of the water is excellent at 100% of the Catalan beaches. The temperature of the water is between 19 and 20ºC at most of the beaches.

Selective collection of municipal trash in the comarcas of Girona remains stable. In 2009, 28.5% of the trash generated was collected selectively, a number similar to that of 2008 but below the Catalan average.

The school Jaume Vicens Vives of Roses will begin the new school year next September, introducing new classrooms and spaces destined to the smallest students of the center.

The Commission of Patrimony asks the owner of the Castle of Vallgornera of Peralada that an archeological survey be made in the works that have been done without permission. The works of adaptation of the monument into a hotel have been done without the obligatory agreement of the Commission, and despite that the Ayuntamiento of Peralada has asked that the works be legalized, Patrimony has not done it. Now the case remains in the hands of the General Direction of Cultural Patrimony of the Generalitat which will take adequate measures after knowing the results of the survey. However, the director of territorial services of Culture, Miquel Sitjar, now has announced that a sanctioning action could be initiated.

Sunday, the 20th, a very interesting exposition can be visited in L´Escala. It deals with one of the most important collections of Catalunya of malacologia (study of mollusks), a private collection of mollusks of Matilde Espinosa, which can be seen in the Sala Emilia Xargai at 12 noon.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres will present an appeal against the agreement of the government of the Generalitat, approved the past June 1, in which are delimited the seven priority zones of development for the installation of wind generation parks in Catalunya.

The Englishman Andrew Gourlay has been the winner of the tenth edition of the International Competition of Orchestra Direction of Cadaqués after surpassing his rival, Venezuelan Domingo Garcia Hindoyan, in the final test. This competition, which has been held between the 3rd and 8th of June in Cadaqués and the Auditorium of Girona, has been convoked since 1992 with a biannual frequency with the objective of discovering and promoting young directors and to offer them the opportunity of having a tour with some thirty of the most important Spanish and international orchestras.

The Ayuntamiento of Perpinyan has approved unanimously a motion to convert Catalan into the language co-official language, together with French, in the territory of Catalunya del Norte.

This past Tuesday the Association Tramuntanets, association of parents of handicapped children and young persons of Roses and surroundings, and PRODER SL, a municipal business charged with the management of the Municipal Pool of Roses, signed an agreement that permits the access of the members of the entity to the sport installation through some special conditions.

An assassin in Darnius inspires a novel. The writer Llorenç Capdevila, known for his historical stories such as “Serrallonga, el Ultimo Bandolero (the Last Bandit)”, puts aside the genre and, starting with some real facts, constructs his new title, “Bajo la piel (Under the Skin)”, a black novel, with an important psychological component and some characters on the edge of the abyss.

PORTalBLAU – Festival of Music and Arts of the Mediterranean, of L´Escala, organizes the 1st conference of debate Cultural Cooperation in the setting of the Mediterranean. It deals with a series of debates and activities that should contribute a point of reflection and of interchange among the festivals that are held in the different shores of the Mediterranean.

Next Saturday, the 19th, Cadaqués organizes a festival of Urban Music in “La Sala” at 10 pm.

Also Sunday at 10:30 pm in Llançà a concert of Habaneres takes place at the ermita of Sant Silvestre.

Roses organizes a guided visit to Cap de Creus—Punta Falconera Saturday the 19th at 10 am. It leaves from the road of Cala Montjoi.

06.08.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Foundation Gala-Salvador Dalí has incorporated in its collection 19 drawings, more than twenty manuscripts and sixty photographs of the surrealist artist for excellence. Some new additions are outside of the spectacular field of oils and canvases but which will serve to deepen even more in who was Salvador Dalí and what he means to the surrealist movement.

The summer campaign begins with 100% of the beaches with excellent quality. It is planned that during the season some 16,000 inspections of the Catalan beaches will be performed, a minimum of 4,500 samples of swimming water analyzed and about 1,200 weekly mailings of the results. Also a videocamera will be installed in the aircraft that will record all the flights of control to analyze the presence of jellyfish in the open sea and to be able to evaluate with more precision the observation of the coast.

The crew of Thalassa celebrate 20 years with events in various towns among which is el Port de la Selva, where the ship moored yesterday afternoon, and where diverse activities will be done such as a sardinada, habaneras, or visits to the ship. The town has been the stage for reporting on various occasions.

The entrance of the economic crisis has made fall by 17% the profits of the 100 companies of Girona with the greatest billings. So a study finds, made by the consulting firm KPMG and the University of Girona (udG), which analyses for the first time the principle economic indicators of the group.

The average price of renting in Catalunya has fallen for the sixth consecutive trimester and has been situated at 823 euros monthly, 6.5% less than a year ago, according to the Department of Environment and Living. Thus, the price of the rentals continues the tendency downward that started 18 months ago, when it was 926.3 euros per month in the third trimester of 2008 and has continued decreasing to arrive at 823,29 euros.

The latin-rigged sail boat San Isidrees, with capacity for 30 persons organizes excursions in the Natural Park of Cap de Creus. They will have departures from Roses and Cadaqués with those that seek to diffuse to people on board the knowledge acquired in navigation, in artisanal fishing and the history of these coastal cities. Also, they will be able to sample specialties typical of the area, such as suquet, fideuá, anchovies and sweets of Cadaqués or Cremat.

Two thousand years ago, during the era of the Romans, the towns of L´Escala (Alt Empordà) and Port-Vendres (Rosselló) had a fluid commercial relation by sea. Olive oil, wine or salted fish filled hundreds of amphoras in the boats. Now 2,000 years later, the two ayuntamientos have been united to begin a tourist route that brings visitors by boat from one town to the other. A trip of some two hours during which the tourists get to know details not only historical about the commercial relation between the two ports but also about the geography of the coast. The routes begin in July and, each Saturday, also permit the visitors to stay to pass the day in one town or the other.

Figueres projects to install towers in roundabouts with wind turbines to generate electricity. A wind turbine company has proposed the system based in small wind generators that could supply current to 20 houses.

They place the first stone of the visitor´s center of Empúries. The restoration of the Roman forum of Empúries permits knowing about the vital center of the ancient city.

The first inhabitant of Castelló d´Empúries discovered. Only her legs were uncovered but it was sufficient to determine, four years after the excavation, that it dealt with the first person of Castelló. A girl buried between the years 659 and 778 in the subfloor of the antique pre-Romanesque church of Puig Salner. With the analyses of carbon-14 in hand it has been possible to determine that the remains of that skeleton belong to the Visigoth era and therefore are the oldest ones found up to now in the municipality of Castelló d´Empúries.

The ayuntamiento of Sant Pere Pescador, the Comarcal Council and the company Sersall1995 SL have presented publicly the implementation of trash containers Easy in this municipality.

06.01.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The delinquency rate is reduced in a spectacular form in Perpignan. The services of the State in northern Catalunya communicated Tuesday the decrease of 38% in the delinquency rate since the month of January in the disadvantaged neighborhoods La Real and San Mateo, near the city-center of Perpignan. The forces of development and of strategy of the state police, above all technologies, such as the cameras of vigilance installed by the Ayuntamiento of Perpignan, form part of the plans officially promoted.

Roses will recover the old laundry rooms of the Riera Ginjolers. The old laundry rooms, situated at the street Puig Rom, were constructed in the times of the Second Republic (1932), with the municipal purpose of making them available to the most disadvantaged families of the population, that did not have available a living space with running water nor the space necessary to do the washing:

Only one of each ten vehicles that have passed by the radar controls in l´Escala surpassed the permitted velocity limit. In the last three months, there has been a campaign of information, during which the velocity of 2,740 vehicles has been measured. Of these, only 273 circulated above the maximum velocity marked in the street, but much less (1%) were the ones detected by the radar at a speed that could be considered dangerous, which is the attitude that is claimed to be achieved with these controls.

The council of Castelló d´Empúries and the Guild of Artisanal Breadmakers of the Comarcas of Girona have presented the project of production of artisanal bread in the setting of the 9th Intra-Comarcal Conference about herbaceous cultivation, that was celebrated in the IRTA Mas Badia, de Canet de la Tallada. On the order of 200 attendees were able to know first hand the challenge of achieving an artisanal bread starting from antique and traditional varieties of wheat of the agrarian space of Natural Park of the Aiguamolls de l´Empordà. The activity permitted a very close relationship with agriculturists of different comarcas of Catalunya, that they were able to taste and take away bread that recovers the textures, aromas, and odors of bread before it was a product of innovation.

Ecotourism in Llançà. The Area of Tourism of Llançà has put into action initiatives such as gastronomic conferences and routes through vineyards and wine cellars.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres will install security cameras in the street after an avalanche of robberies in cars parked in the city has been registered in the last weeks..

The Audiencia of Girona has absolved the hotelier of Cadaqués (Alt Empordá) Joaquin Martinez Miró, accused of defrauding the personal secretary of Salvador Dalí, John Peter Moore. The accused faced a penalty of 21 years in prison, accused of abusing the confidence that the secretary had in him to cheat him and make him sign a document of rent to gain control of the hotel that Moore had in property in Cadaqués, ´La Residencia´. The ruling, however, dispels doubts, it is believed, point by point in all the version that Miró gave during the trial and absolves the hotelier of all charges. The Audiencia emphasizes that there is no proof to conclude that the signing of the rental contract was obtained by means of fraud.

The Department of Environment has announced a new economic item to continue the work of cleaning in the forest zones affected by the snow storm of March 8. In this way, the five million to recover forest trails one must add 3.5 million more to continue the tasks beyond next June 15.

The ecologic group Salvem l´Empordà yesterday at mid-day cut the highway C-31 near Ventalló to protest against the “unchecked” urban growth of the comarca under the slogan “A comarca for a dignified future.”

05.25.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The group Salvem l’Empordà has held this Sunday at mid-day a protest demonstration about C-31 where is passes Ventalló in protest against the new roadway that connects Figueres and la Bisbal, and the project of installing new wind turbine parks. The event lasted about an hour and brought together more than a hundred people.

Sunday, during the whole day, Castelló d´Empúries held the 13th Fair of bread, flour, and wheat during the weekend “enfarina’t!”. A fair for smelling, trying out, touching, dancing, playing, learning…. Bread, buñuelos, food, sticks of bread and cheese, Catalan bolos, country, and games have been the leading players. And a market with the most diverse products!

The Art Space Espelt of Vilajuïga opened this Friday its doors transforming its space into a type of gigantic box full of imagination, creativity, and fiesta. The aim is quite simple, since has been inaugurated the exposition “Ventura & Hosta machés: 30 years”. An anthological exposition in which is collected much of the work of these art masters of paper maché since its beginnings in 1980!

The Ayuntamiento of Roses applies starting this Monday new improvements in the reduced tariff that it offers in regular transport service of travelers between Roses and Figueres to those greater than 65 years old, such as a cheaper price or the creation of an identification that will permit the recharge of trips and does not need to be renewed. Starting this Monday, May 24, the users that benefit can present themselves in the bus station to apply for the new card. The application of the new improvements permits the beneficiaries to make the trip Roses-Figueres o vice-versa for only 1 euro.

The beach of Empuriabrava continues to obtain certifications of quality. A few months ago the main tourist beach of the town obtained the prestigious recognition of the Institute for Spanish Tourist Quality, the Q of Quality. Now the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries has worked intensely to obtain two new certifications that accredit as the System of Integrated Management of Quality and Environment, ISO 14001 and the EMAS.

The second edition of the Fiesta Andaluza organized by the football club based in Roses has had a great success of participation this weekend. The event with most attendance was the outdoor Mass.

The bicycle lane of the seaside walkway of L´Escala is safer than ever since this week. After putting it to the side of the walkway to avoid crossings with motor vehicles, now has been placed a system that marks and separates the lane from the cars.

Catalunya has received during this month of April a total of 1.13 million tourists, 7.2% less than the same month of the past year. The closure during a number of days of the airspace of Europe because by the volcanic ash cloud has been one of the causes of this decrease of tourism in our country, which has been aggravated in the rest of the State, where the fall in tourism in April has been 13.3%.

The Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Action (DAR) in colaboration with Education and Health and with the associations of fruit producers Catalunya Quality and Asofruit, will promote in the next school year the consumption of fruit and vegetables among students of primary schools of Catalunya.

This Sunday, May 23, has been held in Perelada the second Meeting of Classic and Antique Cars. This event has brought together the owners of more than 50 antique cars—up to 100 years—and classics—up to 25 years—which were exhibited in Avenida Constitution.

05.11.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

In Roses they have just finished the works of expansion of the municipal cemetery with the construction of 44 niches. With this project, it is wanted to give response to the needs of the Roses cemetery, which currently has about 3,000 niches, to be able to meet demands in accordance with the forecasts and the current occupations.

The mayoress of Roses, Magda Casamitjana, has suffered this Tuesday morning an aggression with a knife while she breakfasted in an establishment near the ayuntamiento.

The Ministry of Environment has licensed the works of reform of the maritime walkway of Colera for a total of 1,414,530 euros. The time foreseen to finish is 5 months, and the resulting walkway will have a length of 175 meters and a width of 18 meters. The current one was constructed in the 70’s and since then there have not been improvements.

The works of remodeling of the Ribes of Cadaqués that the State just finished will oblige restricting access to businesses intermitantly for a question of security, while machines proceed with the demolition of the litoral to replace the services (restrooms). The work, which now suffers delay, should be finished before June 15.

The port of L´Escala again is the showcase of the boat. This refers to the Floating Show of New Boats, which this year celebrates its 2nd edition, May 8 and 16, thanks to the work together among the association L´Escala and the nautical businesses of the zone.

Santa Margarita distrusts the municipal proposals. The residents of the residential marina do not see clear the posture of the Ayuntamiento of Roses. None of the three times of meeting in different languages that the Ayuntamiento of Roses convoked last week in the Municipal Theater have served to change the attitude of the residents of Santa Margarita about the situation of the delimitation with the Law of the Coasts.

The last episode of rains has augmented the reserves of the reservoir of Boadella, the only one of the Catalan reservoirs that since months ago drags in a precarious situation. The water that has fallen in the last hours has permitted the stored volume to surpass 22 cubic hectometers, and the reservoir now is found at 36.6% of capacity.

Cadaqués celebrated the centenary of Rosa Leveroni claiming the health of poetry. The winners of the Literary Prizes were Montserrat Riba, Antoni Clapés and Victoria Palma.

The Roman Forum of Empúries of the municipality of l´Escala, recently restored, will receive, this summer, the third edition of the PORTalBLAU-Festival of Music and Art of the Mediterranean, with an ambitious goal of improving spaces and programming. Miguel Poveda, one of the great figures of contemporary flamenco, will be the headline of the poster of the festival.

The councilor of Fiestas of Figueres, Joaquín Felipe, reports a positive balance of the Fairs and Fiestas of Santa Cruz. “Despite the inclement weather we were able to speak of a positive balance of the fairs just finished”, explains Felipe who adds that “the majority of the sports and street events that were suspended the first weekend because of rain have been able to go forward, as is the case of the children’s street.

Castelló d´Empúries receives an important resource from the XVIII and XIX centuries. The family Mayor has given a collection of books and notarial documents of great historical importance for Castelló. The destination of this documentation is the Municipal Archive of Castelló d´Empúries, where these documents will receive adequate treatment, will be elaborated in the corresponding catalogs and will be put at the disposition of investigators and users that consult the Municipal Archive.

05.04.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The fishing sector loses about 200,000 euros because of the tramontana. The sea storm and the strong tramontana that affected the Costa Brava have left practically 100% of the fishing fleet of Girona moored in the ports. The intense waves and the gusts of wind, which have reached 169 km/hr, have made it such that few of the 200 boats of the fishing guilds of the Costa Brava would dare to cast their nets.

The electric company Endesa will compensate residential clients with 60 to 80 euros per day that they passed without supply of power because of the snow storm and wind of March 8, excluding the first 24 hours of outage, informed the company, which also will create a fund of 1.5 million for the ayuntamientos of the affected towns.

Next Friday, May 7, a hundred students of the Isla de Rodas Institute of Roses, culminate the work carried out in preparation for the Day of Europe of this year, with an intense academic and celebrative program, in the Ciutadella of Roses

The Ayuntamiento of Roses will approve in the full council of May a new ordinance that regulates the activities permitted on the beach. The text places sanctions of between 150 and 6,000 euros for the illegal masseurs that have proliferated in recent year on the beaches of the town.

John Peter Moore

The hotelkeeper of Cadaqués, Joaquin Martinez Miró, was during years “the handyman” of the personal secretary of Salvador Dalí, but the relation was deteriorating with the passage of time. So much, that it has just reached the courts this Tuesday. The Audiencia of Girona has judged Martinez Miró who the couple formed by John Peter Moore and Catherine Perrot accuse of swindling, coersion, undue appropriation, usurpation, false documentation, and injuries. The prosecutor does not see indications of crime but the particular accusation asks that he be condemned to 21 years in prison. According to the pair, the accused took advantage of the confidence and of the age of Moore to cheat him and to make him sign documents that benefitted him (Martinez Miró).

The number of participants in the different competitions of the Marathon of Empúries has reached 1,420 persons this year, some 45% more that the past year (1214 have finished the races).

04.27.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

Public roads in danger in the comarca of Alt Empordà. It raises the question by the 2 weeks they have closed the neighborhood road from La Jonquera to Espolla in the town of Cantallops at location of the limits of the place of la Corpella and the place of Bell-lloc. This attempt against the rights of passage and public roads, defined and achieved in a secular manner, is found just to the side of a controversial street recently paved and a few meters from a newly constructed road and in judicial process.

Next Friday, April 30, the nocturnal walk “Claro de Luna” through the megalithic zone of Roses, will initiate the programming of the 2010 edition of Megalithic May that each year is held in the town. The events will follow the next day, Saturday, May 1, with the family activity “Ruta con mochila megalitica (Route with megalithic backpack)” and will include May 23 with the popular Megalithic Festival el Mas Marés.

The eve of Sant Jordi, last Thursday, April 22, in the evening, was the date chosen by Brau editions to present a round table in the setting of the Art Space of Celler Espelt, in Vilajuïga, with aim of the presenting the book “Ernest Lluch and the Economy of Empordà”, by Joan Armangué.

Toni Nadal, the meteorologist of TV3 gave the starting shot of the 7th Fair of the Countryside of Catalunya in Palau-Saverdera with a talk about the weather, titled the “Tramuntana”. The Fair has lasted all weekend and had its ending this Sunday with a Round Table about “The Tramuntana and our Health” and the closing musical of the Trio Musical’s.

El Bulli of Roses (Girona) has ceased to the best restaurant in the world. The prestigious list San Pellegrino of the 50 best eating establishments of the planet is headed now by Noma of René Redzepi in Copenhagen (Denmark), which last year occupied second place.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres, through an agreement of the Local Government Council, has approved the creation of 94 new jobs with a contractual duration of 6 months. The contracts will be from June to December of this year and a total of 658,000 euros are destined.

La Jonquera will have a police station of the Mossos d’Escuadra in 2012.

The Cultural Association Project Desat’Art of Figueres and the Glam Group have begun the promotional events of the Glam Festival that will be held next June 26 in the Ampurdan capital, a festival of contemporary art with artist booths from all Catalunya.

The artist Antonia Vallejo shows a dozen works with the principal theme based in images of the Ampurdan capital in the Café París of Figueres.

The president of the Sardana Federation of Catalunya, Bartomeu Duran, has proclaimed L’Escala as the 50th Cuidad Pubilla of the Sardana, Capital of the Sardana during all of 2010.

The project to install a Montessori school in Figueres has raised the interest of up to four towns of the urban area of the city. However, if there is no unexpected change at the last moment, the Montessori will not be moved from the capital.

The organization of the Marathon of Empúries, which will be held Sunday May 2, makes this year a jump ahead for opening itself to the maximum number of participants possible. In this sense, in addition to the marathon (42.195 km), there will be a half marathon and a popular race of ten kilometers, leaving eliminated the third marathon that had been done in past years.

04.20.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The programs of the Fairs and Fiestas of Santa Cruz 2010 include few new items with respect to other editions, above all, for the budgetary cuts that the representative municipalities have placed at 30%. The total quantity of the events also has been reduced, passing from 150 in 2009 to 100 this year.

The Spanish Congress of Deputies has approved this past Wednesday a proposition not of the law in which the Government is asked to freeze the proceedings of demarcation carried out by the Ministery of Environment in the Empuriabrava marina.

The past Friday, April 16, the Espacio de Arte del Celler Espelt, in Vilajuïga, held the event of inauguration of three expositions related with the 50 years of fairs in the street of the Casino Menestral of Figueres. The poster of this year´s fair was presented, work of the artist of Les Preses, Miquel Duran, as well as a small show of his work. Also was inaugurated the show of photographs of Josep Algans, but especially significant was the presentation of the commemorative picture of the 25 years of the Fair of Drawing, which was begun in 1985 by the artists of the “Grupo 69”, which is to say Ricard Ansón, Daniel Lleixà, Ramon Pujolboira, Josep Mistral and Lluis Roura, who also exhibit different works of each of them in a collective show, the first in many years of the group of Ampordan artists.

The administration of the lottery number 1 of L´Escala, known popularly as “La Anchoa Millonaria (The Millionaire Anchovy)” is selling Christmas Lottery with date of the final of the Champions League. The administration of L’Escala has also the number 22510 for the drawings on Saturdays. La Anchoa Millionaria now has begun to receive requests from different points of Catalunya and the rest of the State to buy decimos (lottery ticket shares).

The Empordan business Miquel Alimentactió Grup has announced that it will initiate a plan of expansion of the Spar supermarkets that will open 500 stores in all of the State in the next 5 years.

The past Sunday, April 18, 2010, the pianist and composer Josep Vicens Busquets left us at the age of 92 years, grandson of the prestigious musician and composer of L´Escala, Josep Vicens Julio, “Avi Xaxu (Grandfather Xaxu)”. Destiny made it that Vicens y Busquets would die on the same date as his grandfather, which happened April 18, 1956.

The Mossos d´Esquadra have arrested José R. M., resident of Malgrat de Mar, age 41, accused of a crime of robbery with force. The accused attacked telephone cabins in Roses and the material damages caused surpassed 700 euros.

The Department of Culture definitely authorizes the works of expansion of the Hostal d’Empúries in L´Escala after the commission of Patrimony received the results of the study recommended by archeologists of the department, where it was confirmed that they do not affect the archeological remains.

It has taken 5 months for the architect of Figueres Jordi Cuadras to construct in three dimensions the cathedral of Castelló d´Empúries. The result of the intense work takes practically the aspect of an aerial photograph with all kinds of detail: the flying buttresses, buttresses, roof tiles, apse, side chapels, bell towers, etc. (http://www.castello.cat/upload/Flash/basilica.swf)

04.13.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The Andalusian airline company Andalus has suspended ¨temporarily¨ the routes that unite Girona and Maón, Palma de Mallorca, for the ´very low demand´ that it has had this month of April according to the head of Marketing and Sales of the company, Juan Hidalgo.

They begin to install the restrooms in the parking area of Plaza Catalunya of L´Escala. The structure is just about finished with the covering of the access ramp.

After long and intense meetings between the Ayuntamiento of Figureres and the promoter business Promo Artes Music, this Monday has taken place the signing of the agreement that guarantees the continuity of the Acústica Festival in Figueres during the next 3 years.

The Generalitat has activated four new transmission centers for Televisión Digital Terrestre (TDT) in the comarcas of Girona. The action is laid out in the plan Catalunya Conecta. The new transmission centers have been activated in Begur and Calonge, in Baix Empordà, and in Olot and Pont de Molins, in Alt Empordà. The new equipment gives coverage or expands what already exists.

Three of each four persons of Empordà recycles. 19.2% of those surveyed try to purchase products with the least packaging possible.

They enhance the image of the nautical sports in the Costa Brava. To make known the nautical activity in the comarcas of Girona is one of the priorities that has marked the Board of Tourism Costa Brava Girona for the new edition of the International Salon of Tourism in Catalunya, which will be held in Barcelona from April 15 to 18 and where it will participate accompanied by 14 businesses and entities of the touristic sector of Girona.

The Area of Environment of the Ayuntamiento of Roses is implanting a system of control of seagulls to minimize to the maximum the bother that these birds cause on flat roots and elevated zones of the buildings of the town. The placement of devices on the public facilities and the loan of a service of assessment to private persons form part of this campaign, subsidized by DIPSALUT.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses will be present next April 16 and 17 in the tent that will be installed in the plaza of the Constitution of Girona with motive of the realization of the exposition “La Europa Social (The Social Europe)”. During the event, Roses will present the project “ESF6 CIA”, consistent in the study of the procedures and resources that help with labor insertion in agreement with the new parameters of the European labor market.

The works on the crossings of the streets of Figueres enter into their final stage. The Area of Mobility of the Ayuntamiento guarantees the opening of all streets during the fairs and fiestas of Santa Creu.

The organization of Public Health of the Diputation of Girona (DipSalut) and the Service of Mosquito Control of the Bay of Roses and the Baix Ter put into operation the second phase of the “Program of Vigilance, Monitoring, and Control of the Tiger Mosquito” so that the ten municipalities of the comarcas of Girona where the mosquito has been detected can combat it with effectiveness and to raise awareness even more of the population.

The Foundation RACC (Royal Auto Club of Catalunya) has collected the complaints of citizens about mobility, and among the most numerous is found the absence of pedestrian crossings in the highway N-II, where is passes through La Jonquera. The Foundation has claimed that residents play with their life in many cases in crossing the road.

Next Friday, April 16, in Roses prizes will be awarded to the best photographers of the recent Carnival at 7 pm in the Municipal Library.

L´Escala is organizing an interesting guided visit to the megalithic grouping of Els Estanys Mas Baleta (La Jonquera-Catallops) and to the Dolmen del Barranco of Espolla. It leaves from the Museum of L’Anxova next Saturday, April 17, at 9 am.

Castelló d´Empúries is organizing a walk against Cancer Sunday, April 18, from the football field of Empuriabrava starting at 10 am.

04.07.10 -----------------------------------------------------------

The tourist operators of Girona province have managed to avoid the crisis this Semana Santa. Hotel occupation, in the coast as well as the mountains, has satisfied the most optimistic expectations.

In Garriguella, in the comarca of Alt Empordà, has been celebrated the now traditional Fair of Garnacha and el Buñuelo. The buñuelo, very appropriate for Lent, is made with a dough of egg, milk, flour, and water, which goes to the skillet to be fried. It is a dessert proper for Lent. In addition to trying the buñuelos and the Garnacha, also it was possible to participate in the competition of tasting of Garnacha, an exceptional sweet wine, typical of the area, warm and silky.

The Living Way of the Cross (El Via Crucis Viviente) of L'Escala occupied the streets of the old town center this past Friday evening, with some 130 actors involved in the presentation. This is the second year that this spectacle has been presented, organized by the Cultural Association El Rosetón, and which incorporated some new items in some of the eight scenes.

Zodiac is organizing in its factory in Roses from the 7th to the 9th of April, a conference directed to the principal merchants and distributors of the military and professional sectors. On the occasion of this event, the company will carry out demonstrations of its new boats from the Port of Roses, which will serve to make the equipment known among professionals that have come from all the world.

The workshop in Llançà of Martinez Lozano is being converted into a school of art. The classes begin in June and four professors will give them, three of which were students of this charismatic painter. The painter Martinez Lozano lived during many years, traveling between Montblanc, Terrassa and Llançà. In his later times, however, the town of Alt Empordà was his principal home until the artist died in 2006.

Cap de Creus and la Albera, candidates for European Heritage. The Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà presented at the end of the year in the European Union the candidates for selection to the seal of Patrimonio Europeo (European Heritage). At this moment, they are completing the requirements that have been sent to them. Initially, the candidacy had been put together for selection for Patrimonio Mundial (World Heritage), but it was withdrawn before Unesco took the final decision because they had the certainty that it would be rejected for some deficiencies.

The mayor of Palau-Saverdera, Narcis Deusedas (CiU), confesses in an interview that the Semanario of Alt Empordâ publishes this Tuesday that the problem generated by the decree to destroy the Sun Village complex has brought upon him many personal conflicts, even to the point that he was ready to present his resignation, which was not accepted by his party.

Álvarez de Castro and his time (1749-1810) is the exposition that is installed in the Sala Martin Zermeño of the Castle of San Ferran of Figueres, until June 18. It deals with an anticipated representation of what should be the future Military Museum of Figueres.

Endesa guarantees power for Semana Santa. The Generalitat approved this past Tuesday a decree of help for those affected by the snow storm, according to an announcement today by the councilor of Governing (Interior), Jordi Ausàs, in Girona, where Endesa has guaranteed to businesses and storekeepers the supply of electricity during the next vacations of Semana Santa.

This Friday has been celebrated in the Celler Espelt of Vilajuïga the inauguration of a collective exposition with the title of “9 Arte Nuevo (New Art)” with the presentation of the works of four young artist of the comarca. Among them Elena Kudry, Russian creator established in Vilajuïga who has exhibited in different galleries, among them, 3 years ago, in the same space Espelt and who now will present us her latest creations for the “Legends of Catalunya” and a show of a great literary-pictorial project for the Canadian and North American market.

The Area of Environment of the Ayuntamiento of Roses is finishing the installation in three central locations of nucleus of the town, new containers destined to the selective collection of used vegetable cooking oil. The objective of this new service is to increase the collection of this type of residue putting the points of deposit near the residents, and to thus make possible its later reuse for obtaining ecological biodiesel fuel.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres will initiate the steps for the installation of citizen security cameras in three specific spaces of the city. The measure is taken as a reaction to the increase of theft in vehicles parked in the public streets. The points where it is planned that the citizen security cameras be installed are the street Rubadonadeu and the public parking areas of los Fossos and of the Polideportivo (Multisport).

This Monday evening, the Espacio de Arte Espelt, in Vilajuïga has held a new edition of the “Citas con … (Appointments with …)” in which running through the different sessions have appeared outstanding persons of the world of culture, gastronomy, and the world of wine. In this occasion, it has been the turn of the reknowned chef Sergi Arola (Barcelona-1968), who before some 400 persons has explained his life and experiences in the world of cooking.

A strike in the French railway company SNCF between this Monday at 8 pm and this Wednesday at 8 am will alter the circulation of the long-distance trains between Barcelona and Milan, Zurich, and Montpellier, as has explained Renfe, which will put into effect an alternative service by highway.

Cap de Creus and las Medas, setting of a game for the Wii, “Dive: The Medes Islands Secret” tells the story of a treasure hunt in search of the secret of Martin I “The Human” and the mysteries of his order.

The new institutional book of the capital of Alt Empordà “Figueres in first person”, published less than a year ago, has been distinguished by the Visual Awards 2009. Organized from the prestigious magazine Visual, the book Figueres has been distinguished with a diploma in the category of institutional / promotional / business book. Also it has been finalist in the category of photography.

The Generalitat has opened a notice of subsidies to facilitate for those citizens that live in urban areas and rural zones that have a total or partial lack coverage of TDT the acquisition of equipment to capture the signal of digital television via satellite (TDT-SAT).

The consequences of the snowfall are still present. Although Alt Empordà has not been punished as much as other areas of the region, such as Baix Empordà, there are still problems in diverse zones with fallen power lines that provoke intermitent cuts in electricity. Normality is being recovered progressively and it is hoped that this week this sad episode can be left behind. A total of 111 mayors of Girona province now have signed the manifesto that demands measures of the electric companies and the Government to avoid the situation that the towns have lived through after the snow storm “is not going to be repeated ever again.

The Generalitat of Catalunya is added to the legal measures against the expropiations in Empuriabrava initiated by the Ayuntamiento of Roses headed by its mayoress, Magda Casamitjana.

The businessmen of the hotel industry face Semana Santa, which this year is celebrated from the 1st to the 4th of April, with a “very low confidence” in many zones of the coast of Andalucia and the Eastern Peninsula due to the fact that the beaches and seaside have been seen very affected by the storms. As far as the controversy over the increase in the IVA, the businessmen assure that they should be able to pay from their “theoretical profits” the recapture decreed by the government of 1% that applies to this activity, which is currently 7%.

The snowstorm produced a landslide on the road that unites Llançà and Port de la Selva. The two towns are without communication until road crews of the Ayuntamiento reestablish traffic.

The works of reform on the Casino Menestral of Figueres are under way again after the signing of an agreement between the Ayuntamiento and the constructor. According to the mayor of the city, Santi Vila, the reforms could be finalized by the summer of 2011.

The Ministry of Defense will begin the works of rehabilitation for the future military museum in the castle of Sant Ferran of Figueres next year. Thus announced yesterday the Director General of Infrastructure, Mónica Melle, during a meeting in the fortress where she also explained that the reform implies an investment of 9 million euros and that during this year the architectural and museographic projects of the space will be brought to a conclusion. The edifice of the Casa del Gobernador (Governor´s House) will house the museum in an total area of 2449 sq meters distributed in 2 floors.

The services of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalunya have begun to delimit the area of protection for the Ruins of Empúries by means of different judicial, archeological, and urbanistic studies. In this sense it has been decided to freeze the works of expansion of the Hostal Empúries, just a few meters from the ruins, until technicians can make opportunistic archeological examinations, something that has not been done and which would be difficult to carry out with adequate guarantees given the very advanced state of the works. (foto)

Castelló d´Empúries has restarted the project of regeneration of the beach of la Rubina and the State will invest 500,000 euros in the works. The first phase will consist of construction of a parking area and an elevated walkway.

The Castle of Púbol reopens its doors with the temporary exposition of the book “les chants de Maldoror”, a book illustrated in the year 34 that combines the text of the author with heliogravures.

Perelada offers the possibility of again enjoying the pleasant movie “Un Chien Andalou” within the cycle of Cultural Experiences of the Museum of the Castle of Perelada next Saturday the 20th at 11 am.

Port de la Selva is organizing an excursion to the natural park of Cap de Creus Saturday, March 20. For more information, you can call 972-529-360.

Figures is organizing the first urban race of San José Sunday, the 21st. The race will begin on the Rambla at 10 am.

The snowfall of last Monday in the comarcas of Girona provoked chaos without precedent in Alt Empordà as well as in Baix Empordà. In a few hours, from the middle of the day on Monday until nightfall, between 20 and 50 centimeters of snow fell in practically all the towns, even those on the coast. It was sufficient that the most important highways, N-II and AP7, were blocked for hours. Hundreds of vehicles were trapped and their passengers had to spend a horrible night enclosed with the heat on maximum in the hope of being rescued, something that did not happen until Tuesday morning.
Three towers of the High Voltage line that came down on AP7 made enormously difficult the deployment of the services prepared by the plan of the Catalan government, to now sadly known as NeuCat, which did not function at all.
As a consequence of the fall of the towers and of numerous electric poles, the large majority of the towns of Empordà lost their electric supply—specifically around 3pm on Monday.
Without power, without heat, without hot water and in some cases without water, we have lived these last days. The majority recovered, in a stepwise manner, the supply yesterday, Wednesday, around 7pm. More than 2 days in darkness that many took advantage of to flee to the house of relatives or friends, leaving towns empty with stores closed and with a ghostly aspect.
Today, still there are important towns such as Lloret, Sant Feliu de Guixols or Platja d’Aro that hope the supply to be restored, something that seems only possible if electric generators are put in place, since in the Costa Brave south the electric infrastructure is very damaged and it could take even weeks for it to be repaired. According to the electric company, today still 30,000 people continue in darkness.
As far as mobility, today important retentions still exist to cross the border at La Jonquera although traffic has been opened and it is possible to circulate.
RENFE still accumulates important delays in its lines that circulate from Girona toward the north. Today, Thursday we have to lament the first death, which deals with a resident of Ultramort (Baix Empordà, near Verges) who has died because of inhaling smoke from a home generator.

This weekend more than 400 persons met in the Rancho del Carnaval in Garriguella (Alt Empordà), where the typical breakfast was made to say goodbye to the carnival and to give way to the days of Lent. Also Peralada, Fortià, Garrigàs, Darnius, Maçanet de Cabrenys and Tortellà have celebrated the carnival this weekend.

Tourism raises its head lightly and who knows if it will again descend, but for the moment the data corresponding to hotel occupation for the month of January permit a certain optimism. While nightly stays have increased in Spain an insignificant 0.3% and in Catalunya a notable 15.6%, for the hotels of Girona province the increase has been a more than hopeful 33%, even though January is the least touristic month.

This morning has taken place in the Ayuntamiento of Roses the signing of the agreement of collaboration between Dipsalut, the Ayuntamiento of Roses and the Roses Foundation Against Cancer for the study about the use of alternative complementary therapies with cancer patients. The project, which foresees that it will last until March 2011, will be carried out with patients of the Catalan Institute of Oncology submitted to treatments of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical interventions.

The Ministry of Fomento (Promotion) considers as priority the construction of the European gauge railway between Figueres and Portbou in “a very short time”, according to words of the secretary for Mobility of the Government, Manel Nadal, who has pronounced this Friday a conference titled “The Intermodal Platform of l’Empordà”.

More than 2,000 Gironans wait for operations. The waiting list of patients to be operated in the Health Region of Girona maintains itself in relation to 2008.

The organization of the Fair of Leisure Boats Port Empuriabrava now has good part of the preparations ready to celebrate this reknowned competition of the sector of leisure boating. However the characteristic poster that will announce the fair now has been designed and very soon will be distributed in all Catalunya. This year there is no lack of boats, the sea and unequivocal elements of Empuriabrava, as well as the silhouette of the tower of the nautical club. It is planned that in the edition of 2010 will participate 34 professional businesses of the zone which will offer more than 500 second hand boats at very interesting prices for negotiating the times of crisis.

The police have accused 6 people in Empuriabrava of having simulated robberies. In the first case, it had to do with five tourists that pretended a robbery with force in the dwelling where they stayed in order to collect insurance and, in the second case, it dealt with a seller of lottery tickets that claimed that he had been victim of a robbery with violence and intimidation in the street.

The users of the CAP of Empuriabrava should direct themselves to Castelló d’Empúries while the works of remodeling are finished.

The new office of tourism of L´Escala situated in the zone of Riells will be 10 times larger than the current one and will be inaugurated this Semana Santa.

Cadaqués adds itself this year to the Picasso Network and recalls the stays of the painter in this area. In the next days will be celebrated a commemorative exposition and the signing of an agreement with the Picasso Foundation.

Port de la Selva organizes a voluntary donation of blood today, Tuesday, March 2, starting at 6 pm in the Sala Ball del Moll.

Next Friday, March 5, in Figueres is to be inaugurated the exposition “Lyric Constructions. Man Ray/ Leandre Cristófol. The object and the spirit dada” in the Municipal Theater El Jardi.

The wine cellars Espelt de Vilajuïga present a collective exposition of paintings and photographs about Sant Pere de Rodes until the 14th of March.

The Watercolor Museum of Llançà plans an exposition of the artist Rosa Grau until the 28th of March.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses will appeal to the Spanish National Audience the decision of the Ministry of Environment approving the demarcation of the canals of Santa Margarida. The ministry has rejected the allegations that the ayuntamiento had presented against the proceding. Facing this situation, the ayuntamiento has opted for the judicial path because the administrative one now has been exhausted. The resolution of the ministry has approved the demarcation of a total of 13,791 meters of length of the marina of Santa Margarida, awarding the condition of goods of public domain maritime-terrestrial.

The magazine that the airline company Ryanair distributes monthly to its passengers of all its flights will include in its pages of the publication of the next month of March a report about the population of Roses. The promotion is carried out jointly with the towns of l’Escala and Castelló d´Empúries, and shows the readers the cultural, natural, and leisure opportunities that are offered in the Bay of Roses.

The Ayuntamiento of L’Escala has sent 3,820 euros to the Catalan Fund of Cooperation for Development for making tasks of aid to ones disadvantaged by the earthquakes of Haiti. The municipal groups renounced their allotment of the month of January to participate in this cause.

A man died of drowning when his car fell in the principal canal of Empuriabrava, Castelló d´Empúries. The vehicle, with French plates, has been extracted with a tow-truck at the middle of this day.

Portbou and La Jonquera want the State police to patrol the streets and they affirm that the current Mossos d’Esquadra are not sufficient.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres approved yesterday the recognition of the invoices not admitted from 2009 for a total of 337,855.95 euros, of which 224,616 are entered in the area of Culture. The rest, with value of 113,239 euros, correspond to other councilors. The secretariat has issued a report in which it says that the contracts of Culture do not comply with the standards and the PSC defends its management.

The unions of professors have convoked today a strike for next March 17 against the policies of the Councilor of Education of the Generalitat, which Ernest Maragall directs.

The informative session about the 28 flats of official protection that were constructed in L’Escala now has a date. It will be held Tuesday, March 2, at 7 pm in the event hall of the Ayuntamiento.

More control to avoid the use of mobile phones at the wheel. The Mossos d’Esquadra have iniciated this Monday a campaign of control of the use of mobile phones at the wheel. This infraction is sanctioned with a fine of 150 euros and the loss of 3 points in the license.

The arrival of foreign tourists grew 0.9% in Catalunya during January, according to the Survey of Tourist Movements in the Border (FRONTUR). As far as the countries of origin, the French market has continued its recovery and has returned to show an increase in the number of arrivals with an increase of 5.5%, although the United Kingdom and Germany—despite having negative percentages—continue being the origins most relevant.

Almost a thousand and a half persons have enjoyed this year of the Carnival of Castellón. A good time accompanied the four pasadas that were organized in Empuriabrava and Castellón, making the Carnival a true fiesta of music, light and color.

Foreigners affiliated with Social Security fall 5.88%. In all of the State there are 1,806,873 foreign contributors, 3.7% less than in January of the past year.

Professors of the University of Rome and the International Organization of Museums have visited the Ciudadela of Roses this week.

The closing of the restaurant “El Bulli” will not be temporary, but definitive. Thus explained the chef Ferran Adrià in the newspaper “The New York Times”. The chef has decided to close the restaurant forever because he and his associate, Juli Soler, lose on the order of half a million euros each year. The decision not to open the establishment again in Roses, which is the best in the world according to some critics, has been taken this week, according to the explanation of the north American paper. Adrià and Soler have decided to replace the restaurant with a center of studies of high cuisine. Adriá announced the past month of January the closing of the famous restaurant of Roses from 2012 until 2014, with objective of opening a period of reflection.

El Espacio de Arte Espelt, in Vilajuïga, will hold next Friday, February 19, starting at 8 pm, a double cultural encounter. On one hand, the presentation will take place of the novel “Tras los Muros (Behind the Walls)”, by Núria Esponellà. In parallel a collective exposition will be inaugurated of different artists which, with the title of “Visiones de Sant Pere de Rodes”, offer us their particular vision of the monastery in painting, sculpture, and photography. The participating artists in this collective show are Sebastián Agell-Sastre, David Ansón, Ricard Ansón, Carles Bros, Carme Esmerats, M ª Pilar Farrés, Yvonne Heinert, Elena Kudry, Daniel Lleixà, Francisco Moreno-Jiménez, Joaquim Pedret i Rovira, Monse Plan, Begoña Ramos, Lluis Roura and Jaume Simón. The exposition can be visited in the Espacio de Arte Espelt until Sunday, March 14.

This Thursday, February 18, the new installations of Emergency Service of the Hospital of Figueres enter into operation. Starting at 7 am the persons that need this help should be directed to the new unit, located in the East Building and which has its own access from the Ronda Rector Arolas.

A project for a cross-border ring of cyclo-tourism. The proposal, called “Enlace (Connection, Link)”, consists in creating a cyclo-tourism route between Catalunya and France of 400 km that would take advantage of networks of green routes and cyclo-tourism and that would unite the Catalan speaking territories on both sides of the Pyrenees.

A project driven by the Diputación of Girona and “La Caixa” has permitted environmentally recovering grounds of the natural park of Cap de Creus affected by fires. In all, 6,500 cork oak trees have been planted in the area of the trails of Santiago and of the Dólmenes, in Vilajuïga, with the objective of recovering the forests of this species that had been in the zone.

All the artists that have participated in the 29th Mini Print International of Cadaqués will begin to receive this month the catalog of this edition. This shows the six winning engravings at real size and the reproduction to scale 40% and color of all the engravings that have been exhibited in this edition. The catalogs also are sent to relevant institutions, museums, coworkers and MEDIA especialized in all.

The Ayuntamiento of Llançà has projected to locate solar panels in two of the municipal buildings, the multi-sport pavilion and the football field, for supplying hot water.

The Comarca Council of Alt Empordà values positively the implantation of wind energy in the comarca in fulfillment of the principles of sustainability and the fight against climate change. However, it asks that the model of implantation would minimize the territorial, environmental and socioeconomic impact. For this reason, the travel corridor of the autopista AP-7 has been chosen as the priority sector to delimit the installation of future wind parks in the comarca.

In the hope that the ministry of Environment would initiate the project of the second phase of the maritime walkway, the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala will invest some 150,000 euros to complete and improve the emergency works that were made last year.

The new daycare nursery of Castelló d´Empúries has begun to be constructed, therefore the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries has initiated a campaign to find the best name for this future education facility.

Alt Empordà Tourism has attended, this past weekend, with its own booth and under its own logo in the Salón de Tourism Mahana of Toulouse, with the participation of the offices of tourism of Llançà, L´Escala, Empuriabrava and Figueres.

A decision of the Superior Court of Justice obliges the Ayuntamiento of La Jonquera to give, in the period of 15 days, permission to continue the works of the macroprostibulos (brothels) stopped in 2006. The Ayuntamiento denied the license basing it on a report of the Mossos d’Esquadra that affirmed that the local could bring problems of traffic and crime.

The period for enrolling to participate in the Carnival of Castellón and Empuriabrava now has begun and will end next Tuesday, February 16. Until then those clubs, groups and floats that want to participate can enroll in the department of fiestas of the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries, by means of telephone 972-250-429 or by electronic mail festes@castello.cat.

The mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, has decided to suspend the councilor of Culture, Ciro Llueca, of his functions. The decision has been motivated by the relation of invoices from the year 2009 without budgetary appropriations originating from the area of Culture.

A vehicle cleaning company of Llançà, Ecowash, has launched a new product to wash cars without water, biodegradable, harmless to the environment, which generates no waste, and which does not require energy consumption, permiting saving between 100 and 250 liters of water.

The mayor of La Jonquera, Jordi Cabezas, is blunt when he says that his town has many more possibilities than the city of Girona so that IKEA would decide to install itself in his town. Jordi Cabezas affirms that La Jonquera gives many more urban facilities to the Swedish chain and one of the giant steps that has been taken to appear more attractive in the eyes of the managers of IKEA has been to rezone some rural lands without development that are industrial so that they can be converted to commercial uses.

The temporary move of the Thursday clothing market in Figueres will be a reality next February 18. During recent weeks all the applications that remain pending to start the works of construction of the underground parking of the Paseo Nuevo have been released, which will oblige moving the booths to the neighborhood of Poble Nou.

Starting tonight, and progressively along the whole week, the Ayuntamiento of Roses is beginning to retire the trash containers in the area of the Paseo Maritimo, from the Ronda Miquel Oliva i Prat, from the street Bernat Metge and from the streets La Lonja—Cap Norfeu, for putting in operation the new underground containers installed in the town during recent months.

Sant Pere Pescador has held the event of inauguration of the new mulituse sports pavilion presided by the vice-president of the Government, Josep Lluis Carod-Rovira.

The reservoir of Boadella is 20 percent below the average of the last 10 years.

The famous meteorologist of TV3, Tomàs Molina, offered last Saturday in the hall Pere de Noves of Garriguella a discussion about meteorology before 200 people.

Figueres has been designated by the European Commission (CE) as leader of the Project Imagine, a task that it will develop together with the French city of Rennes, and which will fall upon the councilor of the Environment, Richard Elelman. “Our work as leaders of Imagine will be to promote the interchange of environmental experiences and initiatives among the public and private sectors”, explains Elelman.

The mayoress of Roses, Magda Casamitjana, received the Certification of Family Tourism Destination for the town of Roses, in the framework of the celebration of the Fair FITUR that took place in Madrid and which ended the past January 25. Roses thus becomes part of the destinations of the province of Girona accredited with this distinction, which until now only Blanes and L’Estartit boasted, with which is certified their specialization in family tourist housing.

Perpignan and Figueres will be connected by AVE before the end of the year. Thus assured the president of the company SNCF (French railway operator), Gillaume Pepy. In an interview, Pepy has assured that in 2012 the high velocity train will be a reality between Barcelona and Perpignan and will have 18 trains daily, 9 each way, between the two cities. Two years later, in 2014, the new stretch between Montpelier and Nimes will be finished. This said, the stretch from Montpelier to Perpignan will not be finished until 2020. It will not be until then that you will be able to go from Barcelona to Paris in only five hours. Until that moment arrives, the president of SCNF asks ¨patience.¨

A workshop of the Educational Plan of Environment of Roses plans the creation of a musical group with recycled material. The workshop will take place starting next February 5, every Friday, in the Activities Center of Roses (CAR). To be able to participate, it is necessary to enroll on February 1 (from 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm) in the Department of Education of the Ayuntamiento on the street Tarragona, 83.

Roses now is a member of the Spanish Association of Nautical Stations. In a meeting held the past Tuesday in Madrid was accepted its entry and the obtaining of the certificate that accredits it as Nautical Station, a tourist travel mode that in Europe moves some 18 million people.

The military zone of Sant Climent puts at risk a possible tourist future for the Alberes. A military base at the foot of a natural park creates a certain ideological opposition, added to the list of small incidents that have accumulated in the memory of the residents of Sant Climente over the years, makes some residents of the small nucleus of Vilartoli, a neighborhood next to the field for military exercises, question whether this activity is compatible with the future development tied to ecological agriculture and perhaps rural tourism.

Roses is preparing to receive the first tourists that will arrive by sea on a cruise ship. At the moment, there are three that have confirmed their stopover this summer. The first to arrive will be “The World”, one of the most exclusive and luxurious in the world, June 22. The city will debut itself as a destination for small luxury cruise ships, of up to 300 passengers, without even having the new dock.

Almost one of each three people that have died on the roads of Girona have been victims of traffic accidents on National II. During 2009, there have been a total of 62 fatal victims on the interurban roads of the province, of which 18 have lost their life on this highway.

The castle of Sant Ferran of Figueres is holding starting this Friday a photographic exposition about the daily life of six homoparental families.

The Department of Environment has pushed forward new projects and work for the prevention of forest fires in the Natural Park of Cap de Creus, which will affect an area of more than 32 hectares.

Thousands of people (15,000 approximately) attended this Sunday in the area of Espolla in Alt Empordà the Fair of Olive Oil and Olives. Most of the visitors came from Catalunya and also the south of France to see and, in some cases, to buy in the most important fair of olive oil in Catalunya.

The full assembly of the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala has approved this Friday, unanimously, the project of constructing the new municipal daycare nursery, a proposal that is desired to be an example of sustainability and of the use of renewable energy, an objective especially important for the installations destined to the early training of the smallest residents of the town.

The citizens of Castelló d´Empúries will be able to request a protected housing unit from the ayuntamineto. Once the petition is formalized, the person receives a temporary code for access to their application. At the moment that there is a movement in the process of award, the Administration puts together a list according to the type of housing (for youth, for older people, for example), the type of award (rent, buy, or rent’to’buy) and the location, and finally holds a drawing.

After the work of closing the Municipal Multisport Track (Pista Polideportiva) of Roses located on the road Mas Oliva, a project that was just finished, the Ayuntamiento of Roses is preparing now its adequacy as Municipal Multiuse Space. The objective is that the building could be used during all the year, for sports activities as well as other social events, parties, etc, that are held in the town..

Portbou is holding an exposition of photographs about the withdrawal of the republicans and the exiles after the Civil War.

The campaign of Navidad closes with fewer sales. Figueres Comerce Association situates the fall between 5 and 10% and forecasts the season of rebates to be similar to that of the past year.

The La Molina ski area has registered an influx of 6,000 skiers daily on average during the holidays. Visitors have responded massively to the variety of activities offered that the area has presented for these dates.

The Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries sees a positive balance in the flow of people that have taken advantage these past Christmas holidays to visit the town. As always, the tourist offices are a good indicator, taking note of the consultations that they receive during this period. Of the statistics prepared, it should be highlighted the 894 consultations made between the two offices, increases in the number of visits received in the historic center and maintaining those of Empuriabrava with respect to 2008. 53% of the consultations made represent the French public, and the rest are Catalans, Germans, and the rest Spanish.

The Technical Specialists in Deactivation of Explosive Artifacts (TEDAX) of the Mossos recovered and destroyed in a month, before the recent holidays of Navidad, a total of 945 explosive artifacts from the Civil War in a forest of the town of Capmany.

The second phase in the shutting down of analog television in the comarcas of Girona will begin this Wednesday, January 13. Although TDT is practically guaranteed in all areas, there are up to 28 inhabited nuclei of 17 towns that do not have sufficient coverage in the province and they must wait for TDT to come to them by satellite. In Alt Empordà, we find 3 whole towns situated in a dark zone without TDT coverage, which are Biure d´Empordà, La Selva de Mar, and Terrades.

The French film producer, Eric Rohmer, has died today at age of 89 years, according to information from the radio “France Info”. Born in the city of Nancy in 1920, Jean-Marie Maurice Scherer, this was his real name, was one of the principal producers of the genre called “Nouvelle Vague”.

The total prohibition of smoking in entertainment venues in Spain will penalize around 70,000 establishments that carry out reforms for a value of some 1,500 million euros to adapt to the regulations that came into effect in 2006, as has criticized the Spanish Federation of Hosteleria and Restauración. However, during the first days of 2010, the prohibition seems to have little repercussion in the venues of Empordà. In the majority of the establishments where it is permitted to smoke, smoking continues, above all in bars and nighttime venues.

The Ayuntamiento of Portbou plans to start the last works on the Sala Teatro (Theater Hall) La Congesta which should permit definitely opening it.

The town of La Jonquera has seen how since the month of July—when it began to apply the new civic ordinance that prohibits prostitution—the number of women that work in the urban nucleus has been reduced by 80%, going from some 30 prostitutes to 5. The Municipal Police have sanctioned some 20 clients that have been trapped “en fraganti”. (in the act).

Motor fuels have risen 3% the first week of the year. Once more the counter of euros goes faster than the one for liters of gasoil (Diesel fuel). And again, to the disgust of consumers, gasoil increases. A liter of this fuel surpasses again the euro in some gas stations.

The Camino de Sant Jaume will reach the urban section of El Port de la Selva after the works finished by the town council with the objective of avoiding that its beginning and end would be at the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. The avenue JV Foix of the center will be the physical point of arrival and departure of the emblematic Sant Jaume, which will be marked with a monolith of identification. Moreover, the Generalitat has edited a guide of this space of the section between the coastal town and Montserrat.

Peralada will hold on Sunday, January 17, the traditional Fiesta of San Antonio Abad during which there will be a gathering of the herds in the Paseo de la Principal of Peralada and afterwards the horse ride through the streets with the accompaniment of a band to the church of Sant Marti, where the animals will be blessed. The fiesta will be accompanied by other sardana bands and a popular dance in the afternoon.

L’Escala is organizing a day of blood donation next Friday the 15th in the Multipurpose Room of the Casal of retirees, starting at 4 pm.

Llançà is organizing an act of finalization of the year Amades next Sunday, January 17, in the Plaza Mayor at 12 noon.

There will be a pilot test to introduce “el bicing” (rental bicycles) in Figueres. The Ayuntamiento will put at the disposition of government employees 20 bicycles so that they can move between the municipal buildings and evaluate the possibilities of the service.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres has made known this Monday the numbers of the budget for 2010, a year still marked by the economic crisis and therefore with measures of contention. The total number reaches 55.9 million euros, numbers fairly similar to those of the year 2009, which were 54.7 million euros.

The Reyes Magos (Magi) arrive in Cadaqués this Tuesday January 5 at 6:30 pm at the entrance of the town. In Llançà they do it half an hour earlier, at 6 pm, and in this case they do it by the sea, in the port of the town. Two hours later they arrive in Roses, at 8 pm in the Plaza Federic Rahola.

The Generalitat has proposed that an important center be made in L´Escala for the interpretation of natural and socio-econmic means that connect the natural park of los Aiguamolls de l´Empordà and the future natural park of the Montgri, las Medes and the Baix Ter. The department of Environment highlights the strategic importance of L´Escala as a municipal boundary that ties the two parks together and solidifies the interest for making this center of interpretation in Mas Vilanera.

Again this year the three Kings (Magi) from the East will arrive in Castelló d´Empúries by sea. They will disembark from their boat in the sport port of Empuriabrava and will attend to the boys and girls in the Plaza de las Palmeras. At 7 pm their majesties will arrive at the historic center by the street Santa Clara with all the royal court, offering a short journey by the streets until their arrival at the Plaza de la Catedral. In case of rain, the receptions will be held in the civic center and in the municipal salon.

To confront the urban growth that Roses experiences, the Ayuntamiento has initiated the process of renumbering the streets of the town with the objective of solving the lack of signage and numbering that some streets present and thus avoid the problems of that this fact implies to the residents. The Ayuntamiento brings this project to a close to facilitate the locating of properties of Mas Boscà, Mas Matas, and El Cardo.

The Cultural Association Project Desat´Art of Figueres inaugurated this past Saturday the first of the expositions that form part of the new season 2010, in the café Paris of the central rambla of Figueres.

The famous Hotel Terraza of Roses is 75 years old. The commemoration has begun Saturday January 2, 2010, with the presentation of a book and a DVD.

Prices rose almost a point in España in December. The harmonized IPC is situated at 0.9% in the month of December, 2009, after rising a half a point with respect to November.

A study ordered by the Generalitat of Catalunya reveals that Alt Empordà is the comarca with the most sport anchorages of all Catalunya while that Baix Empordà is the one that offers the most places of tourist lodging.

A young man of 23 years was evacuated yesterday morning from the Cave of the Infierno, in Cadaqués, after suffering an accident and needing the assistance of fire fighters to remove him.

The Urban Guard of Figueres will increase the use of mobile radars during 2010. The presence of this type of radar will be situated principally in the main roads of access to the city according to a report from the Ayuntamiento.

This Tuesday a new parking area with 416 spaces will open behind the Hospital of Figueres. The new parking area can be seen on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd1tfrB9jgY.

The Generalitat has invested more than 6 million euros to fix direct damages that the storm from the east of the past year caused in all of the Costa Brava. Puertos of the Generalitat foresees putting in action two large works to update the ports of Blanes and Llançà. At root, the storm the has accelerated the process. In Llançà, an exterior dike will be constructed to reinforce the current port, which will have a cost of 4.7 million euros. However, Portbou, Llançà and Cadaquéz continue with damages still to be repaired. In this last case, the force of the waves destroyed the fish auction house, leaving it unserviceable and making necessary the construction of a temporary auction house and the dike of the port of Llançà also remains gravely damaged.

The municipal budget of the Ayuntamineto of Castelló d´Empúries forecast for the year 2010 is placed at 20,303,000 euros, 6.2% more than the previous year.

The comarcas of Girona will have a network of cooperatives throughout 2010 so that groups most disadvantaged by the crisis will be able to acquire food at a better price.

The citizens of L´Escala have given a warm welcome, this day of Sant Esteban, to the Roca del Fraile. A storm from the east knocked over this emblematic rock 27 years ago. The rock had to be put on a pedestal of concrete and the point has been marked in the ground from which one has to look to see the figure of the fraile, since it is visible from only one specific angle.

Cadaqués is organizing its New Year´s Dance in the municipal pavilion on the 31st at 12:15 in the night.

Roses is celebrating the end of the year with a fiesta in the plaza Federic Rahola at 12:30 with the presence of the popular discomobile Gres-K. Admission is free.

Next January 2, 2010, Llançà plans the traditional concert of Navidad in the Casa de Cultura at 12 noon and with the performance of the group Musijoves.

The first day of the year is received in Perelada with the performance with live actors of a living nativity in the gardens of the Castillo at 7 pm.

The administration of the lottery L´Anxova Milionària of L´Escala dealt out more than a million euros in the last drawing of Navidad. Among the prizes awarded, the most important was for the number 09994 which matched the termination of the first prize of 78294.

El Port de la Selva will save 700,000 liters of water when the new tank of reclaimed water enters in operation. Situated in the zone of el Mirador II, the water from the tank will be used mainly for the irrigation of gardens, industrial use and cleaning. The cost of the installation has had a cost of 452,000 euros.

Sant Pedro Pescador approves a new plan of housing of immigrants. In the town, 3 of each 10 inhabitants are immigrants.

The Fair of Aceite (Olive Oil) will be held in Espolla next January 17. Among the parallel activities of the fair, horseback rides through the historic nucleus of the town have been organized.

Hunters in Capmany complain that numerous motorcycles are destroying forest trails and paths without any control.

Until January 30 the new exposition which the Gallery Marges-U of Cadaqués is presenting can be visited. Once more the gallery shows works of numerous artists that have been invited during 2009.

A record cold. This is the title that the last days of autumn have left in the comarcas of Girona, and it is that the low temperatures of the last weekend do not have recent precedents in the region. The temperatures of the weekend have been the lowest of the last 29 years.

L´Escala is awarding anticrisis subsidies to 235 people. A good part of the aid corresponds to dealing with urgent situations, especially in problems of being able to pay expenses connected with housing or evictions.

Endesa has expanded the electric substation of Figueres to reinforce service to 15,228 clients of the populations it serves, which are part of the capital of Alt Empordà--including the center of Vilatenim--and Llers.

Two entities of Castellò d´Empúries that represent more than 500 residents have presented arguments at the inicial approval of the POUM (Urban Plan), asking that it would be stopped to avoid irreversible damages. It has to do with the Asociación de Empresarios Turisticos (Association of Tourist Businesses) of Castellò d´Empúries and Empuriabrava – “Tot Comerç” – and the Agrupacion de Defense del Nucleo (Association of Defence of the Nucleus). This last one has collected 440 signatures in a month.

Some 16% of the reservoir of the Muga is affected by the invasive species of the American cane. Also it can be found in a good part of the marshes and lakes of the Catalan coast, including the marshes of Empordà and the wet zones of the delta of the Llobregat and the Ebro.

This Saturday, January 19, the city of Figueres held the official act of closing as the Capital of Catalan Culture 2009, sixth capital of Catalan culture in the history after Banyoles in 2004. Although formally Figueres will be Capital of Catalan Culture until December 31, the mayor of the city, Santi Vila, today passed the baton with reference to all the region of Catalan language, in the presence of Xavier Tudela, president of the organization Capital of Catalan Culture, the mayor of Badalona, Jordi Serra, the city that next January 1 will begin formally as the cultural capital for 2010.

Llançà opens its children´s Christmas park this Wednesday, December 23, in the Municipal Pavilion. The park will be open in the morning as well as the afternoon.

The traditional Misa del Gallo (Mass of the Rooster) takes place in Figueres at 11 pm next Thursday, December 24, in the chapel of the school La Salle in the city.

Darnius offers a Christmas concert next Saturday, December 26, in the church of the town. The music will be under the direction of the Polifónica of Figueres at 7 pm.

Llançà also has a pesebre viviente (living nativity pageant) that can be visited starting next Saturday, the 26th, in the center of the town, starting at 6 pm and 7 pm.

Sant Llornç de la Muga presents the traditional Catalan Christmas theater work “Els Pastorets” (The Shepherds) next Sunday, December 27, in the Societat Fraternal starting at 8 pm.

The Meteorological Service of Catalunya issues an alert of an important decrease in the temperatures for the next few days. Even in populations on the coast the minimum temperatures could be below 0 degrees.

A resident of Castelló d´Empúries has created in 3D the cathedral of the town in Google. The American multinational of software products has delayed almost 3 months in accepting the plan but finally has included it in the tools of Google Earth. Thanks to Jaume Mach of Castelló, the cathedral of Empordà has from today an important presence in three dimensions in the visualization information product of the territories of Google. The cathedral was recreated “thanks to the hobby of drawing and to the personal interest for the promotion of the town”, explains its author.

Only about 3,000 citizens of Alt Empordà, 14.5% of the those with the right to vote, have participated this Sunday in the sovereignty referendums organized in seven municipalities.

The Association in Defense of Animal Rights (ADDA) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have delivered this Monday to the Parliament a total of 127,500 signatures against bull fighting events.

The average price of renting in Catalunya has dropped to 852 euros monthly in the third trimester of this year, which puts the prices at the same level as those of the middle of 2007.

The Ayuntamiento of L'Escala will equip the municipal police with a new mobile radar for speed control on the principal roads of the area.

Mollet de Peralada is preserving its history in a book. The volume, edited in the collection Notebooks of the “Magazine of Girona”, was under the direction of Érika Serna and Rosa M. Moret. The book, as all those in the collection, includes 40 chapters in double pages with old images given by the residents and the mayor Claudio Puig.

Cabin crews of the airline British Airways (BA), which has agreed to a merger with the Spanish airline Iberia, voted today in favor of a strike of 12 days in December and January, according to the union Unite. The stoppages will begin on December 22 and will last until January 2, a measure that will affect thousands of passengers and could leave hundreds of flights on the ground in one of the times of greatest traffic in the airports.

The work of improving the urban stretches of C-260, N-260, and the South Ronda of Figueres is provoking long backups to enter and leave the city. The accesses east of Figueres, the roads C-260 and N-260 and the South Ronda suffer notable traffic retentions because of the works that are being finished in the three roads of entrance and exit of the capital of Alt Empordà.

The Mossos d´Esquadra, in coordination with the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), will put into effect, starting tomorrow until December 24, a traffic campaign to reinforce alcohol and drug controls, taking aim at the lunches and dinners that businesses organize for Christmas.

Figueres stops an increase of the IBI of 18% at the last moment. The government team of CiU, PSC and IC-V slows down, under pressure of the ERC, its own proposal that pushed for a record increase in the municipal environment to counter the lack of income.

Next Friday, December 11, starting at 8 pm, the inauguration of a macro-exposition with the title “Ansón & Ansón” will take place in the Espacio de Arte of the Celler Espelt, reuniting works of two artists of Figueres. The exposition has to do with the paintings of Ricardo Ansón who will present us with his latest works, some of them in large format, and of his son, the sculptor David Ansón, who in this case will present us a complete range of his recent sculpture works. The two artists have conceived an exposition of their works, thinking especially of the salon where the show takes place.

Work has finished on the road GIV-6211, which unites Figueres and El Far d’Empordà, a route that in the last few years has experienced an important increase in traffic which, added to the deterioration of the road, showed a clear need of improving it.

The state police have arrested in the station of Portbou an attacker looked for by Swiss police and who carried 70,000 euros on himself.

The reform of the meeting hall of the Society of Friendship of Cadaqués now finds itself in the final stretch. After 12 years being closed for the supposed bad state of the building, the new council of the society has decided to open again. To make it possible, important works of improvement have been finished, such as the change of the electrical installation, and the adaptation of the space for handicapped persons or those with problems of mobility, with the incorporation of an elevator and ramps at the entrance.

At the beginning of next year, the works of reform on the Casino Menestral of Figueres will be renewed, after having been stopped since 2 years ago for lack of finances. As has assured the mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, all the problems of the contributions of the administrations and with the company awarded the work have been resolved.

The EcoMuseum-Farinera of Castelló and the center of services of Empuriabrava will be rehabilitated through the Feder fund with 809,023 euros of the 1,618,043 which are budgeted for the projects.

Cadaqués inaugurates this Saturday an exposition of painting by the artist Carles Rahola in the salon l´Amistat at 12 noon.

Next Saturday, December 12, in Roses a Christmas benefit concert takes place with the Chamber Orchestra of Empordà in the Theater of the city at 9 pm.

For those that want to learn new traditional dishes of Navidad, L’Escala is organizing Monday, December 14, in the CEIP Empúries at 7 pm the “15th Show of Cuisine of Navidad”.

Castelló d´Empúries plans a guided visit to the Torre del Vent (Tower of Wind) and the lakes of Palau next Sunday, December 13. The excursion is at 9 am and more information can be solicited in the telephone 972-454-222

The councilor of Environment of the Ayuntamiento of Figueres, Richard Elelman, announced this Monday that he will serve out the mandate as councilor until the last day, but that he will not again present himself as a candidate of the IC-V in the next municipal elections in 2011.

The Catalan Water Agency has begun recently work that will improve the sanitation in Empordà. More than 875,000 euros will be invested in diverse projects that will consist of the construction of 5,600 meters of the network of collectors. The works will permit improving the sanitation of the localities in Empordà such as Torrent (Alt Empordà) or Sant Sadurní de l´Heura (Baix Empordà).

This Navidad, the Association of Merchants of Roses, ACOR, proposes the use of the VISA Commercial Card which will permit collecting funds for diverse social entities, such as Cáritas and the Foundation against cancer, among others.

The works for the installation of the new islands for underground containers in the Paseo Maritime of Roses have arrived this week near the beach of la Punta. The work of placing one of these islands has made necessary removing two of the existing palm trees, which will be transplanted in the green zone situated in the same Paseo Maritime, facing the Avenida de la Playa de Santa Margarita.

The Hospital of Figueres has been distinguished with the Top 20 in its category within the best Hospitals of the Spanish State.

Point of information about the TDT in Castelló d´Empúries. All those persons that still do not receive TDT, tomorrow Wednesday December 2, will be able to ask their questions and raise their doubts to representatives of the TDT. The Ministry has chosen 3 dates for the town of Castelló d´Empúries, December 1, 13, and 24 of 2009. The first day the microbus will be located in the historic center, while the 2 remaining dates will be in Empuriabrava.

Consultations carried out by the news agency Efe among the deputies of the Catalan Parliament reveal that there are more parliamentarians against bull-fighting than defenders of it, so that, saving a surprise at the last hour, the antitaurina law, which probably will be voted on in the middle of December, has serious options of prospering.

The new route of the MAT makes the project cost more. The Generalitat proposes now an alternative which implies modifying more than 50% of the current project and which would move the high voltage line (MAT) away from urban centers a minimum of 500 meters and 100 meters with respect to isolated houses. It discounts, therefore, a possible alternative of undergrounding, such as had been asked by the affected ayuntamientos.

Members of the Platform of Users of RENFE of the Comarcas of Girona stopped yesterday, November 30, for the second time, a train in the station of Sant Celoni to protest the frequent delays of the line (basically, due to the work on the High Velocity Train, AVE) and the recent increments in the price of tickets that the company imposed and which they will increase on the face in 2010.

The director of the Natural Park of Aiguamolls of l´Empordà, Sergi Romero, reproaches the affected ayuntamientos and the sector of the rural workers for the criticisms of the special Plan which they have made before it has been drawn up.

3-D technology arrives at the cinemas of Roses. Room number 5 of the cinemas of Roses will introduce this new technology next December 4. The cost of a ticket will be increased about 2 euros.

The chef from Lançà, Paco Pérez has obtained the second Michelin star for his work in the restaurant of the Hotel Arts of Barcelona.

The art critic Eduard Camps will present number 2 of the magazine “Outer Horizon”, a publication driven by the Galería Horizon of Colera. This number is dedicated to the concept of space.

The first Sunday of every month, Castellò d´Empúries is organizing a market of ecological products in the portico situated next to the cathedral.

La Selva de Mar will represent for the sixth consecutive year the living nativity, with more scenes and a longer course. The town of about 150 residents, will display in the streets of the town more than 15 scenes of representations on which they are now working.

The controversial Ryanair Cabin Crew Charity Calendar 2010 is now available. As is the custom, the company again proposes photographs of the 12 beautiful women, that indeed for a good cause since the profits are destined to finance the beneficial association Kids which helps disabled children. The new calendar with images taken in the Costa Blanca of Almeria and of which can be seen the “making of” in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80b5Pm6sf34, can be acquired for 10 euros at http://www.ryanaircalendar.com/.

Fèlix Millet, accused currently in the case of the worst corruption in the last years in Catalunya, could have carried out real estate operations in Port de la Selva during the years 2007 and 2008 if the documentation brought by an anonymous person to the judges of Barcelona is confirmed. In the document presented it is explained that Millet used a third person to participate in the operations, for those that would have come to pay commissions in some ayuntamientos.

The ski area Courchevel in the French Alps, has installed 2 large surrealist sculptures by Dalí in its slopes to commemorate the death of the artist.

In L´Escala, trucks of more than 3.5 tons, buses and campers may only travel by the Ronda del Pedro in the direction of the schools toward Empúries since Monday, November 23. With this measure, it is intended to calm the traffic in this avenue and encourage the presence of pedestrians after the works of remodeling.

The Friends of the Castle of Quermanço and the Condado (county) of Empúries are organizing with the collaboration of the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries the 980 years of the archives of the condado of Empúries.

The Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries has invested 15,017.98 euros in works and improvements in the building of the CEIP Ruiz Amado.

The Sanctuary of the Mare de Deu del Mon will make reforms to be able to again exhibit the gothic polychrome image from the 14th century that currently is found in the Museum of Art of Girona.

The area of Culture of Vilafant is organizing a course of traditional Catalan cooking. Inscriptions can be made in the Ayuntamiento of the locality starting November 26 and until December 7.

An arsenal of the Spanish Civil War has been found in a forest zone of Darnius with 332 explosive devices. The Catalan police now have taken charge of the matter and have stated that most of the ammunition, composed of anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery was found in good condition which would make it a great danger.

An association of Castelló d´Empúries is collecting signatures to ask the Catalan Agency of Water that it would clean the Muga river and its tributaries.

The Association of Palau-Saverdera “Union for Palau” denounced the total disinformation about the actions that are being carried out to avoid the destruction of the development Sun Village.

The border post at La Jonquera continues being one of the most important points for entry of drugs in Spain. In only 2 days, the Spanish police have seized 7 kilos of heroin, 1.5 of cocaine, and 48 of hashish.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses has proposed saving energy these holidays of Navidad and has substituted a great part of the conventional nativity lighting with others that use LED technology. The installation of the new decorations now has begun.

This weekend, November 27 and 28, is taking place in the Municipal Theater of Roses the Festival of Children’s Movies with productions from all the world. There will be 3 sessions that will be free for children.

The municipal library of Llançà projects the second part of the International Festival of Children´s Dance of Shanghai this Sunday the 29th at 12 noon.

The vaccine against the H1N1 (Gripe A) Flu is now in the Centers of Primary Assistance (CAP). It seems clear that the virus of the new flu has in general a light affect on the population without basic infirmities, even lighter than the seasonal flu, but with the latest data in hand it is also evident that it infects many more people. Thus in the comarcas of Girona, the rate of incidence of infection by the virus is currently at 500 cases per each 100,000 residents, where the seasonal flu has registered in its peak incidences of between 150 and 200 cases per 100,000 residents in the last few years. The vaccine is indicated for people that form part of the groups of risk and that don’t know for sure that they have had the virus: patients with chronic infirmities (respiratory, cardiac, or those with lowered defenses) and personnel of health, emergency and security services. All these represent 20% of the population of province of Girona.

Starting on the next January 12, 2010, a total of 177 towns of the province of Girona and more than 641,000 people will cease to watch analog TV to move to receiving solely the signal of Terrestrial Digital Television. These towns form part of the second phase of the implementation of the TDT program that is being carried out by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Commerce.

Yesterday, Sunday, November 15, the mayoress Magda Casamitjana and the sculptor from Roses Narcis Costa, inaugurated the sculpture Far-Ziggurat, installed in the overlook where the Rambla Ginjolers and the Maritime Paseo come together. Constructed of iron and with a height of 12 meters, the sculpture offers the city a new beacon full of symbology, as a guide in the road toward tolerance, dialog, and living together.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres plans, according to informed municipal sources, to close today, Tuesday, November 17, the market of Los Encants for noncompliance with regulations relating to measures of security.

L´Escala will become in 2010 the world capital of the sardana. To mark this occasion and that the town is the 50th Cuidad Pubilla (Capital City) of the Sardana, it has been planned to install a commemorative sculpture. A unique feature of this project is that the residents can leave their opinion about where would be the best place for the sculpture. Your opinion can be left by clicking on: http://noticies.lescala-empuries.com/index.php?mode=ubicacio_ciutat_pubilla.

The Museum of Empordà of Figueres pays homage to the Catalan inventor Narcis Monturiol, inventor of the submarine. The exposition permits seeing handwritten letters and unpublished material of this important figure. The show can be visited in Figueres until February 21, and later until May 2010 in the Maritime Museum of Barcelona.

The multisport pavilion of Sant Pere Pescador, whose works are at the point of being finished, will house during November 20 and 21 the fourth Jornadas Ponte on the day of physical sports activities of school age in Alt Empordà, organized by the Sport Council of Alt Empordà.

The Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries has made up situational maps that are located at different points within the municipal boundary.

Fifteen towns of the province of Girona of less than 20,000 residents will have in the coming year an integral plan to improve the accessibility for people with difficulties of mobility to their buildings and public spaces. The initiative plans to destine 230,000 euros to the drawing up of these plans and to the training of municipal technicians.

The pre-alert for strong Tramontana winds, which have reached up to 170 km per hour these last few days, was deactivated this Tuesday as reported by the Civil Protection of Catalunya.

The mayor of Port de la Selva believes that the council of the Environment does not capitalize (take advantage of) enough on the Natural Park of Cap de Creus and that this is to the detriment of the towns around it.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres has presented this Monday the different allegations that have been presented in the pre-project of the partial territorial plan of the comarcas of Girona.

The Primary Attention Center (CAP) of Empuriabrava not only will not be closed, but the Ayuntamiento has projected to expand it to give more health services to the residents of Empuriabrava.

The Department of Social Action and Citizenship has promoted a pilot project of literacy in Catalan for people of foreign origin that do not know how to read or write. The courses have 40 hours duration and are given in groups of 10 to 20 people. In the comarcas of Girona, the pilot project is being carried out in Olot, Figueres, La Jonquera, El Port de la Selva, Ullà, Verges, Inglés, Breda, Hostalric, Calonge, Santa Cristina d'Aro, Llagostera, Quart , Serinyà and Vidreres.

Some twenty tourist boards of Catalunya, as well as 17 businesses of the country are participating starting this Monday in the World Travel Market (WTM), the most important fair of the sector in the world, held in London. During the year 2008 Catalunya received more than 2 million British tourists, which represent 13.5% of the total of tourists that came to Catalunya. The average stay of these tourists in Catalunya was 6 days, and generated more than 13 million nightly stays.

The hanging of private announcements on walls and urban buildings is ended in L’Escala. This is the objective of the campaign put in place by the Ayuntamiento in the last few days. The police will issue summons to all who do not comply with the regulations.

Since this Tuesday, November 10, starting at 8 pm, the Art Space of the Celler Espelt in Vilajuïga, will become the stage that will house the “Citas con … (Dates with …)”, which during various days will bring to the Ampordan cellar different personages of the world of wine and gastronomy.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses takes another step in the process for the implanting of the electronic administration offering a new service of transaction by internet that, thanks to the digital signature, permits, starting now, the presentation of applications and petitions on-line without the citizen having to travel to the municipal offices.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses just awarded the works for replacing the false ceiling of the municipal multisport pavilion.

Figueres is negotiating the purchase of the quarters of the Guardia Civil. The mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, is meeting this Wednesday with representatives of the Association of Orphans of the Guardia Civil to negotiate the purchase of the quarters situated in calle Nou of the capital of Alt Empordà.

The Department of Environment has conditioned 24.5 km of trails and forest paths within the Natural Park of Cap de Creus to serve for slowing fires.

Undergrounding the MAT (Very High Voltage Transmission) costs 14.2 million euros. The study carried out by the company CLIMA supports that the undergrounding is viable if the costs of overhead lines are taken into consideration, quantifies at 14.2 million euros the price of this option and draws a new route that takes advantage of future corridors of planned infrastructures.

The Multisport Pavilion of Roses will hold next November 14 and 15 two competitions of ballroom dancing that will bring together more than 600 participants.

The Trio Concordiae offers a concert of classical music next Thursday the 12th in the Cercle Sport Figuerenc.

Friday the 13th, the exposition of the painter Antoni Cano is being inaugurated in the Center in the Sala of Expositions of the Casa de Cultura of Llançà at 8 pm.

L´Escala awards the prizes of short and comic narrative Victor Mora in the Sala de Actos of the Ayuntamiento next Sunday the 15th at 12 noon.

Those affected by the documents of boundaries of the canals of Empuriabrava do not want to abandon the protests and, according to one of the spokespersons of the Association of Property Owners of Empuriabrava (APE), Tim Pelters, they are thinking of making European petitions to put their problem in the open. “Private property is sacred,” said Pelters, this past Wednesday during the demonstration that the APE called in Girona, before the subdelegation of the state government.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres is asking the Ministry of Development that the widening of the A2 autopista to the north of the city would imply the construction of a tunnel where it borders the Castle of San Ferran to disminish the environmental impact.

The electric company Endesa has invested 23,000 euros to improve the electric network of medium voltage for five towns of the comarca of Alt Empordà. The objective has been to reinforce the service to 1,102 clients shared between Boadella i les Escaules, Darnius, Agullana, La Vajol and Maçanet de Cabrenys.

Technicians of the Fauna division of the General Direction of the Natural Environment of the Department of Environment and Living observed this Thursday, October 29, in the framework of routine inspections of protected marine spaces of Alt Empordà a group of some 20 listed dolfins (Stenalla coeruleoalba) along the coast of the Natural Park of Cap de Creus. It deals with one of the groups most numerous and with several young ones, which have been observed after the epidemic (morbilivirus) two years ago and supposes good news for the population dynamics of the species.

The campaign of municipal help for the acquisition of schoolbooks has benefited a total of 675 boys and girls of Figueres.

The Generalitat of Catalunya awarded the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries a subsidy of 200,000 euros that will be destined for the urgent rehabilitation of the medieval wall, especially for the section at the Palace of the Condes (Counts) which is the most deteriorated part.

After suffering an important robbery in September 2007, the cathedral of Perpignan just suffered another attack the night between Wednesday and Thursday, when the central safe of the edifice, which weighs some 80 kilos, was pulled out and transported by one or two thieves, who failed when they tried to open it and left it in the street.

The sanction of the promotions of alcoholic beverages of “happy hour”, “open bar”, and “2 for 1” has entered in force at midnight this Friday, with fines of up to 600,000 euros.

The platform (committee) of La Jonquera that is organizing the referendum about the independence of Catalunya next December 13 has been constituted officially and has designated the leaders of the different subcommissions in which it is structured.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres delivered a notice to the business in charge of the market of los Encants, situated on the road del Faro and in the commercial space of the premises, alerting that if it does not comply with the regulations relating to security measures, it will be closed on November 16.

Ryanair celebrates today November 3 the beginning of operations that connect Girona with the airports of Oslo (Rygge) and of Edinburgh. These two new connections, which certainly will be a success for Ryanair in the airport, will transport some 80,000 passengers more each year in the airport of the Costa Brava.

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation has presented this Monday in Figueres the last work acquired of the Ampurdan artist, an oil painted on both sides. It is titled “Figura de espalda” (Figure of the back) on the front and “Ninfas y señoritas en la fuente de un Jardin” (Nymphs and women in the fountain of a garden) on the back. The work formed part of a private collection and can be seen in the Dalí Museum of Figueres starting the middle of November.

The penal judge number 1 of Figueres has condemned to 20 months in prison and to pay a fine of 5,400 euros the ex-mayor of Garriguella, José Antonio López de Pablo, accused of passing himself as a dentist despite not having the appropriate training.

The Ayuntamiento of Roses and the cultural entity Sociedad Unión Fraternal of Roses (SUF) have reached an agreement for the construction of a new civic center at the current municipal emplacement of this entity, situated in the Rambla Ginjolers.

The price of housing units has fallen up to 20% since the first of the year. As far as the rate of sales, it has been reactivated by 5% since the beginning of the year. According to the experts, “it deals with the accumulated demand that takes advantage of the opportunities because it is a good time for the turnkey buy”, and “in some cases it is not difficult to find good opportunities to buy”, in great part, due to “the pressure on the prices exercised by the banks and savings institutions to bring out for sale their own collections of properties.”

The survey about public security the counselor of Interior, Joan Saura, will present today to the Government will award the demarcation of Girona the worst score in citizen perception. Thus, and as has made public Radio Catalunya, the citizens of Girona are those that have the least sensation of security in all Catalunya, followed by the residents of the city of Barcelona.

Environment (agency) has initiated negotiations to acquire three properties situated in the Natural Park of Aiguamolls of l’Empordà. The three properties, 2 of them private and the third owned by Incasol, occupy a total area of some 150 hectares, and encompass the lakes Tec, Vilaút and Mornau, one of the most important wet habitats in Catalunya.

The Guide of Coexistence ‘convivimos!” has been published in Castelló d’Empúries in visual and iconographic format and in four languages. Its object is to avoid determined actions and behaviors that are bothersome to the rest of the population and to promote the values of coexistence and civic habits.

The Department of Health has begun an informative campaign in its web page with recommendations for avoiding that an excursion to the forest to collect mushrooms does not end in an emergency because of poisoning. http://www.gencat.cat/salut/depsalut/html/ca/dir1923/doc26375.html

The new guide Itinerànnia offers 2,500 kilometers of trails perfectly signed through 108 towns of la Garrotxa, el Ripollès and Alt Empordà. Hotels and pensions, rural houses, camping areas, albergues, restaurants, nature guides and complementary activities. Some thirty establishments (among tourist offices, specialized libraries and others) have available the map which is of scale 1:50,000 and pulls together 1,000 kilómeters of trails of Itinerànnia for Alt Empordà. The publishing house Alpina has made a run of 5,000 copies in Catalan, Spanish, English and French and has put them for sale at a price of 12 euros.

With the aim of slowing the expansion of Pampas grass (Cortaderia Selloana) in the area of la Rubina, the Ayuntamiento of Castelló d´Empúries asked the Ministry of Environment for the removal of this invasive specie, given the circumstance that the famous Argentinian grass expands rapidly and easily and reduces the possibilities of the rest of the native species.

Ports of the Generalitat has awarded the works that will permit constructing the new free (standing) exterior dike in the port of Llançà. The objective of this project is to give better shelter and to increase the conditions of general protection for the port, and thus to be able to offer better service to users. The project will have an investment of 4 million euros and will have an execution time of 5 months.

Figueres will have available starting in 2012 a university faculty centered in renewable energies

The Project of Comprehensive Planning of the Antique Center of Roses includes the area delimited by the streets Francesc Macià, Gravina, Riera Ginjolers and San Sebastián and signifies an investment of 8.63 million euros. It deals with revitalizing the urban center with measures that go from paving of streets to the construction of a cultural center and other spaces that favor social interrelation and cohesion.

The Natural Park of Cap de Creus, with the support of the Ayuntamiento of Cadaqués, has removed more than a hundred of the residues in the bay of Portlligat, in Cadaqués, to protect the fields of the marine algae existing in this area.

The Gastronomic Days of Suquet de Pescado (fish stew) has demonstrated that it is fully consolidated in the holding of the 15th edition. More than 1,5000 persons have tasted some of the menus proposed by some fifteen restaurants of L´Escala. This represents an increase of approximately 85% with respect to the past year.

The accident of an tourist bus that occurred this Monday in Bàscara, in which a Dutch student, 16 years old, died, is the second accident of this type of collective transport with Dutch tourists that has taken place on the highways of the Catalan coast in less than 3 months.

The Ayuntamiento of Figueres plans to transform the façade on the side of the Municipal Theatre El Jardí that faces the gardens Puig Pujades. The previous study of reform and expansion of the spaces joined to the edifice also include opening to the public and improving the access to the third floor of the building where is located the practice room. The objective is to be able to hold in this space spectacles of small format.

“Momentos Musicales” will begin this Sunday with an exceptional performance of guitar and piano given by the Andaluz duo “Hermanos Cuenca”, Francisco Cuenca on the guitar and José Manuel Cuenca at the piano. In addition to works by Albéniz y Tárraga, they will play the famous Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo. The concert will take place at 7 pm in the Municipal Theatre of Roses.

With more than 225,000 visitors the past year, the Archeological Museum of Catalunya—Empúries, is counted among the destinations most appreciated in all Spain as far as archeological tourism.

The association Progat (Pro Cat) repeats the campaign of sterilization of cats with the aim to keep the population of these animals under control in the streets of Castelló d´Empúries.

This past Wednesday the most important works in the history of Cadaqués were begun. It deals with reforming the face of the seafront known as Ses Ribes. Traffic will be cut. The works will be carried out in two phases and in both the access for pedestrians will be closed also. Only residents with no other means to reach their homes will be allowed to pass.The reform consists of reconstructing the road, improving the sanitary network, and dividing the roadway into 2 parts, differentiating a zone for vehicles and one for pedestrians. Merchants are uneasy about the accessibility to their businesses. Some will have to close in spite of the fact that the Ayuntamiento is studying creating some small passageways in the zones where the roadbed is safe enough to pass on foot, but the company in charge of the works has the final word. This supervision is written in the protocol of collaboration between the departments of Culture and Means of Communication, and of Territorial Policy and Public Works of the Generalitat of Catalunya, which has as objective to slow the progressive deterioration of ancient centers and the historic (monumental) environment of different towns of Catalunya. The execution of the works is scheduled for 7 months with an investment of 431,034.48 euros.

Hotel occupation in the Costa Brava has been 70% during this long weekend. Although the tourist sector has made a good evaluation, “In this season, people now begin to turn a little more toward the mountain,” the director of the Federation of Hosteleria of the Comarcas of Girona has said.

The electric line of the paseo of Empúries is buried. The works of developing the last stretch of the paseo of Empúries, between the beach of Portitxol and the bridge, are under way again, once the summer tourist season has passed. One of the important improvements which will be included is to take advantage to put the electric line underground where it passes the paseo and over the dunes of the seashore.

The mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, defends installing wind turbines in the area of the autopista and N-II. Vila recalls that Figueres opposed the project of the company Gamesa to install 64 wind generators in 32 towns of Alt Empordà, with a height of 184 meters and, in exchange, considers the best option would be to install the wind mills in the area of the transportation infrastructure of the comarca. The mayor made these statements during the inauguration of the International Days about the Environment which is being held in Figueres, until Saturday.

The historical municipal archive of L´Escala has received the photographic collection of Miguel Bataller i Fàbregas which gathers the history of the last 40 years of the town in more than 12,000 photos.

The attack of a dog on a 5 year old girl while she played this past Sunday in the patio of a restaurant in Sant Quirze de Colera has touched public opinion in the Girona province. The animal, a mix of different shepherd breeds, was tied up, had its shots and the census papers in order and was not included in the list of the breeds considered dangerous.

Plaza Catalunya of Figueres housed yesterday all day the 23rd Feria del Pilar de Coleccionismo (Collectionism) and the 4th Feria del Disco. Some 40 stands offered the possibility of buying, selling, and exchanging these materials and objects.

The 2nd Route of Art, Castelló d´Empúries from October 9 to 12, 2009. Through diverse works of art you are invited to take a walk through the network of medieval streets and discover the architectural beauty of the buildings in perfect balance between art and architecture. Rock and art will be fused in this cultural event which has been created with the idea of bringing out the beauty of the historical patrimony of the town.

The publishing house ExperienciasyMas, dedicated to the diffusion of hotels of luxury and enchantment, has given its Hotel Awards of Wine 2009 to the 10 best lodging and hotels of the south of Europe, among which there are 4 establishments in Spain. The Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf is one of the award recipients.

The works of the edifice that will house the new seat of the School of Hosteleria of Alt Empordá in Figueres will begin today, Tuesday, October 6, according to the report of the Chamber of Commerce of Girona.

Llançà teaches to navigate with light sail. The Nautical Club and the Ayuntamiento of the coastal town have begun the free course of learning with all the places covered.

In Roses, the balance of general occupation, according to data provided by the Office of Tourism, allows seeing that August of this year has had a hotel occupation (90.8%) a little better than in the seasons of 2007 (89.89%) and 2008 (89.02%). The camping facilities, on the other hand, have suffered a decline of more than 10 points in 2 years, in August, while the occupation of apartments has been higher than in previous seasons.

The works of expanding and reinforcing the bridge over the Fluvià de Sant Pere Pescador, which joins the main center with the rest of the towns of the comarca will begin early in December with the anticipation that they will finish before summer.

Coinciding with the declaration of the United Nations of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, the Cultural Space of the Ciutadella of Roses presents, starting Wednesday, October 7 and until October 24, the exposition “A Universe to Discover”. The show brings together a series of magnificent and surprising astronomical photos resulting from the study of the universe in which we live

Next December 19, Figueres will pass the baton in Badalona as Capital of Catalan Culture 2010.

The Association of Residents of Rosa dels Vents of Empuriabrava, which brings together some 500 members in its first year of life, has called all the residents of the residential marina Castellonina to an assemby of free attendence and participation which will be held next Friday, October 9, in the hotel Xon’s of Empuriabrava to propose the necessity of creating a political party that would defend Empuriabrava.

The Espelt Art Space, in Vilajuïga held this past Saturday, October 3, the inauguration of the exposition of sculptures of José Luis Pascual and the paintings of Victor Pérez-Porro, who assembled a good public participation, especially friends and many other resident artists of the comarca. The show of paintings and sculptures can be seen in Vilajuïga until October 25.

The mayors of La Tallada d´Empordà, Albons, Viladamat, Vilamacolum and Torroella de Fluvià have firmly defended this Friday the works of expanding the road C-31 between La Tallada and Torroella de Fluvià.

The 1st Open L’Escala Accessible –1st Catalunya Cup of Adapted Sail, held this weekend in the Empordan town, has been a rousing success, considering the level of participation as well as the organization. In total, a score of sailors took part, although the majority were Catalans, also there were sailors from different parts of Spain and Europe. As far as the results, Miguel Ángel Gómez has finished second in the class 2.4 mR and third overall.

On October 3 the inauguration took place of the biographical exposition by Joan Rimbau y Trull (1783-1854), “Simonet, Terror of Francés Empordà 1804-1814”, which the journalist Josep Playà presented before a room full of the public, in the Rectoria of Garriguella. At the end of the presentation, the “Making of” was projected of different clips of the documentary, which currently is in the post-production phase.

The citizens of Girona since some time ago have been able to ask for appointments for obtaining the Document of National Identity (DNI) and passports in the police offices of Girona, Figueres, Sant Feliu de Guixols and Lloret de Mar. To use this system, one will have to go to the web: www.citapreviadnie.es or to the telephone 902-247-364 where you will be given the day and hour to go to submit the application and pick up the corresponding document.

Eighty-seven percent of the recreational boats that the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil has inspected in the Costa Brava have committed some infraction. The majority of the citations are because the skipper did not have a nautical license, because he did not have the certificate of navigation, or because he did not have insurance. This year, the agents of the Maritime Service in Girona have made 102 inspections of recreational boats, nautical motos, and scuba divers, and, of these, 89 have ended with a citation for not complying with the regulations.

L’Escala wants to finish the new library in 7 months. The library until now occupied one the floors of this construction from the 70’s, in which historically also had been La Caixa Girona, which was the owner of the property. Once done with the works, all of the building will be destined to the library.

Figueres suffers a wave of vehicle robberies. The Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested 2 people who had assaulted dozens of cars in the Empordan capital during recent weeks.

The best artists in Castelló d’Empúries, from the 9th to the 12th of October. The city will house during 4 days the best expositions of the artists of the most renown and reputation in the world of painting and sculpture. The historic center of the town will put at the disposal of 72 artists a total of 20 spaces, among private and public, for showing hundreds of works of great professionals such as: Alfonso Alzamora, José Luís Pascual, Lluís Roura, S. Koyama, Jordi Gispert, Emili Armengol, Reina Saura, Pujolboira, Guerrero Medina, G. Carbó Berthold, David Ansón, Ricard Ansón, among many others.

With the desire of bringing more than ever to the Figueres public of all ages, the organizers of the fifth edition of the Festicurts of Figueres, dedicated to present new short films and which will be held from the 30th of September to the 4th of October, have created a very diverse and popular program which will shake all the corners of the city.

Cadaqués has given a rock from the Cap de Creus to the Dali Museum of St Petersburg, Florida (USA). The authorities of the city and the directors of the museum organized on the 25th of September a great ceremony, with the presence of 250 persons, among them the mayor of Cadqués, Joan Borrell, to celebrate the giving of the symbolic rock, which will form part of the new headquarters of the museum, now under construction.

The political group Ciudadanos (Citizens or C´s) consider “a joke” the complaint of the Board of Tourism about the error of Spanair which promotes the Costa Brava with an image of the castle of Tamarit of Tarragona. C’s recalls that the Board of Tourism was the first in using photographs that were not from the Costa Brava, specifically from the Bahamas and from Australia.

Gloria’s Swing offers a concert next Wednesday September 30 in the Soul Café of Figueres.

Next Saturday, October 3, will be held in Figueres for the first time the 1st Congress of Wikipedia in Catalan. At 12 noon in the school IES Ramón Muntaner.

The best yachtsmen of adapted sails of Catalunya have a meet in the Club Nautico L´Escala between October 2 and 4.

The Irish company of low-cost flights, Ryanair, has announced that starting February 7, 2010, it will unite the city of Girona with Brindisi, in the south of Italy. The flight will have 2 departures weekly and the company takes on the market with the forecast of having 30,000 passengers annually. Tickets for this destination can be purchased since the past Wednesday, September 16. Ryanair foresees to carry 67 million passengers in Europe in 2009.

The business Anchoas de L´Escala, S.A., has invested 3 million euros to remodel and expand the factory located in the business park of the town. The work has permitted doubling the area of the business, which will have 3,000 sq meters, and they are at the starting point of a project of internationalization.

The lack of teachers brings about problems in Vilafant and Peralada. The situation during the first week of the school year has caused some students to be left in the patio during the afternoon because there were no teachers to give classes.

Roses paves 30,000 sq meters. The carrying out of these projects of improving the asphalt and sidewalks entails a total investment of 1.35 million euros. The local municipal police will place signs and create bypasses to avoid the worst of the bother for users.

In the month of August, Spain has received 6.7 million tourists, which implies a decline of 8.1% with respect to the same month last year. The Ministry of Tourism has said that the cut in the number of visitors “continues moderating” with respect to previous months and has highlighted that in the overall period the decline is situated below 10%.

The prison of Figueres will use the sexual inhibition treatment within 2 years. The pharmacological treatment to inhibit sexual impulses of offenders with high risk of recividism could be applied to some four prisoners each year. The treatment always will be voluntary, since it is essential to have the cooperation of the prisoner, who will also follow a psychological treatment so that the drugs will have the desired effect and so that the prisoner also does not consume drugs with contrary properties.

Llançà organizes next October 4 the third march (demonstration) by bicycle against climate change and for sustainable transit. This activity is planned in the framework of the Week of Sustainable and Safe Mobility, which with the theme “Free Space, Free Air”, seeks to sensitize citizens about the environmental impacts of transport and inform them about different modalities.

One part of the residues removed from the demolition of the 443 bungalows of the old vacation town of Club Med of Cadaqués will be reutilized and the rest will be loaded on trucks to the dump. The reutilized part will serve for the construction of a dry marina in Roses promoted by a private party and which is anticipated to be constructed in the entrance of Santa Margarita.

The Department of Social Action and Citizenship will send this year 2,615,159.91 euros to the Council of Alt Empordà to finance its programs of social services for towns of less than 20,000 inhabitants.

The project of works and the museum director, which should convert the old city hall of Portbou into the center in memory of Walter Benjamin, will be ready next year.

The Festival of Contemporary Culture of L´Emporà begins this year a new phase with the name of “Ingràvid”, inaugurating a new location in Figueres. The objective of these changes is to enhance and to give outlet to the growth registered in the last few years by this offering of the latest artistic and cultural trends, with the addition of interactivity with the public. The event will take place from the 24th to the 27th of September in Figueres.

The wines of the DO (Denomination de Origin) Empordà are only in 43% of the restaurants. According to a study about the habits of buying and attitudes of the owners of restaurants and hotels of the Catalan coast toward the wine made in Catalunya.

The stench of the pump station in Empuriabrava generates neighborhood complaints. The company Aqualia recognizes that the works are not finished but that they have been put in service this summer to avoid worse problems in case of rains.

The president of the Generalitat, Pepe Montilla, has participated in the Centennial of the Costa Brava with a visit by boat from l’Estartit to L’Escala, passing by the Islas Medes and terminating at the Ruins of Empúies. In this place and before a full representation of mayors and tourist businessmen of the zone, Montilla has praised the Costa Brava as one of the “immense treasures” that Catalunya has, and has asked that it continue to be protected. “One must remember that the richness is not infinite and that the balance, at times, is fragile. Therefore, we cannot confuse improvement with exploitation, and even less with destruction,” the president said.

The 25th Wine Tasting of Empordà has served, in three and a half days, more than 60,000 samples, cups of wine, cava and tapas on the part of the 20 cellars of the DO Empordà and 10 restaurant businesses.

The Cellar Espelt organizes another Vendimia antigua (Grape Harvest). Starting at 10 am next Saturday, 19th of September, the cellar, the vineyards and Mas Espelt of Vilajuiga, will again be the stage that will house the second edition of the Vendimia Antigua. For a few hours, we will be able to return to years ago and recall one of the most important agricultural traditions of the comarca: the grape harvest.

Castelló d´Empúries begins a new school course (or year). Of the new course it is fitting to highlight the entrance in service of the new secondary teaching center that houses in Empuriabrava the first course of ESO (Obligatory Systematic Education) with two classes and a total of 53 students.

In the comarcas of Girona, it is forecast that there is a total of 118,652 students, among primary and secondary, some 2.6% more that the past year, and 7,839 teachers, 0.7% more, according to data of the Education Department. From the unions have been complaints that 64% of the education centers of Girona have unfilled staff positions.

Alt Empordà prepares referendums about independence. Following the example of Arenys de Munt (Mareseme), in various municipalities of Alt Empordà there are entities and associations that have begun to work to hold referendums about the independence of Catalunya.

The definitive moving of the bus station from the center of Figueres to Vilafant, to the area where the temporary AVE (High Speed Train) station is being constructed, will be done gradually and will depend on the schedule of trains of medium and long distance that stop in Vilafant.

Eleven years after its proposal and after intense debate, the new hospital San Juan of Perpignan will function from the 20th of October, but already it is open this weekend to the public for some days of open doors.

The rains recorded in the last weekend have diminished lightly the sanitary quality of the water at the beaches, according to a report from the Department of Environment and Living.

Jean Pierre Zingre exhibits a retrospective of his work in the exposition hall of the Ayuntamiento of L´Escala until the end of September. The hall remains open in the afternoon and the entrance is free.

The Association of Alzheimer Patients and Families of Figueres has organized a day of celebration and information about the disease that will begin on the 21st of September, coinciding with the World Day, and will end on the 26th.

Sunday the 20th of September, the 14th edition of the Artisan Cheese Fair of Catalunya will be held in Lladó. The event is one of the most important that is held in the State. An important quantity of people (between 15,000 and 20,000) visit the Fair. This is located in the ancient center of the village, around the church of Santa Maria and its structures that date from 1089.

Vilabertran holds for another year its days dedicated to the garden and this year also to stuffed apples. Next Sunday, 20th of September, and during all the day, the village will be converted into a great market where one will be able to buy and try out all types of products cultivated in the gardens of the area.

Roses holds a curious conference next Friday the 18th from 7 pm in the Ciudadela. Dr Joan Antón Ginestà will speak about “Surgery in the classical age”.

You will able to visit Sant Quirze de Colera starting this month. The historical buildings of Sant Quirze de Colera will be open starting next Friday, the 11th of September, through a service of guided visits that the ayuntamiento of Rabós d´Empordà and the foundation of Sant Quirze have put in place. Visits to the monastery will be offered each weekend, at 12 noon and at 1 pm.

Almost a hundred people among the friends, members and supporters of the Association of Friends of the Castle of Sant Ferran have participated for the third year in the cleaning of the road that leads to the castle.

Next Saturday, 12th of September 2009, the XII edition of the Fiesta de la Sal will be held in L´Escala. This year, on the occasion of the National Lottery, a demonstration of dances of L´Escala, Catalunya and Greece will be offered. The performances, which in the majority will be held on the beach of the town, recall the ancient trades of fishing for anchovies and their following preservation in salt.

Nine young Catalan photographers exhibit their work in the festival “Visa Pour l´Image” which is held in Perpignan. The Exhibition of Young PhotoJournalism Clic ´09 can be seen until the 28th of September in Perpignan.

On the occasion of the presentation in the gallery Cadaqués Dos of the monographic issue of the magazine Bonart dedicated to the artist and architect Lanfranco Bombelli (Milan, 1921 – Cadaqués, 2008), the director of the magazine, Ricard Planas, asked for the start of a foundation with the name of the architect to popularize the work of a distinguished character who established himself in Cadaqués and developed an artistic labor recognized worldwide.

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation has presented the latest acquisition of work of the artist: a drawing in pencil and pastel titled “The Surrealistic Piano”, which can be seen in Púbol until the 30th of September. The presentation was made by Montse Aguer, director of the Centro de Estudios Dalinianos.

The days 11, 12 and 13 of September, Castelló d´Empúries celebrates the annual fiesta “Terra de Trobadors” (Land of Troubadors). A festival dedicated to the medieval culture in which are represented markets, tournaments, and foods inspired by the medieval history of the comarca.

The Association of merchants of the comarcas of Girona has qualified as “nefasta” (sadly lacking) the management that the city council of Castelló d´Empúries applies to the Saturday market in Empuriabrava.

The line between Portbou and Barcelona will debut trains in October. The first four trains of the new fleet of Catalunya Express for the route between Portbou, Figueres, Girona, and Barcelona will arrive at the end of next month. These trains form part of the twelve that will replace the current trainsets, which since 20 years ago have been running this route.

The Democratic Memorial of the Generalitat, with the collaboration of the Comarcal Council of Alt Empordà and various city councils of the comarca, have placed signs at 28 points in 17 municipalities on the routes of the exile used during the Spanish Civil War.

The ecological organization Salvem l´Empordà has started a collection of signatures against the project of the company Gamesa to install 64 wind turbines 184 meters in height in 32 municipalities of Alt Empordà.

Until the 10th of January, you can visit in Cadaqués the exposition “Salvador Dalí – Enrique Sabater. Reciprocidades 1968 – 1980” in the Cadaqués Museum.

The Gallery of Arte Horizon of Colera plans until the end of September a collective exposition about the interpretation of space.

The distribution of 5,000 ashtrays in Roses this summer has managed to eradicate uncivil behavior of smokers that still throw their cigarette butts in the sand of the beaches.

A sailor from Figueres in the Llançà Nautical Club, Gerard Marin, is at the point of returning to cross the Atlantic solo, aboard his new boat of the class Mini 6.50, the 727, in the framework of the regatta TRANSAT 6.50 – 2009. The start from the French Atlantic coast of the Transat 6.50 2009 is set for next 13 of September and the race will terminate in Salvador de Bahía (Brasil) after a single stop in Madeira. Those of the Nautical Club of Llançà want to support the regatista and have provided a means to follow his participation in the regatta by the web site www.cnllanca.cat, where they have made direct access to this information in the page http://www.cnllanca.cat/mini/2009_transat_650.htm.

The Festival Acústica of Figueres has closed its eighth edition with an increase of some 5,000 spectators with respect to last year.

The library service on the beach that the city of Llançà put at the disposition of the tourists during this summer has received more than 7,000 people. Under the original concept of the space, the city council made its objective to facilitate for both visitors and residents access to the daily press, children´s stories, novels, and all types of books that make reference to the city.

According to the first forecasts, the quantity of grapes to be harvested will diminish 15% in all Catalunya since the grape vines have had a lower production. The past year 300 million hectoliters of grapes were collected, while this year´s harvest is forecast to yield some 250 million hectoliters.

L’Escala will invest more than 4 million euros in the Parking garage and the Library. The work of construction of the underground parking in the plaza Catalunya, with a cost of about 4 million euros and the new municipal library, with an investment of 600,000 euros, will commence this month in September.

The bay of Cadaqués held this past Saturday the meeting of latin rig sailing boats, which this year celebrates the 22nd edition. Most of the boats that were brought to the encounter came from diverse points of the Costa Brava as well as the south of France. The organization offered a dinner to all the participants.

Disagreement among the merchants about the location of the Thursday market. The city council of Figueres proposes to move the municipal market that is held on Thursday in the plaza dels Països Catalans.

The placing in service of the new digital radar for observing the airspace of the military base of Pení will cause the loss of 20% of the work positions that are currently there. This new system will permit substituting for the analog technology and will be located in a new sphere of glass that will permit eliminating the 2 round domes characteristic of the military base.

The Finnish videoartist Seppo Renvall, who in the next Bienal of Venice will present the largest sauna in the world, will construct in the Festvial Surpas of Portbou a prototype of the sauna made with recycled material. In this sauna will take place a surprise performance, according to the organizers of the festival of free and popular culture which will be celebrated between the 3rd and the 5th of September in the city on the border with France.

In Figueres until the 1st of October one can visit in the Café Hotel París in the Rambla, the exposition of paintings under the name of “Vivencias” of Francesca Escobar.

An operation against the street vendors in Roses has finished with the decommission of 500 kilos of falsified materials.

They are hanging posters for some works in the commercial center of Portbou. The neighbors complain that they want them to pay special contributions for some work that they have not ordered and that these amounts are excessively high.

The excursion center of Llançà organizes for the 27th of September an outing from Llançà to Roses, passing by the castle of Santa Helena de Saverdera. The price of the excursion is 5 euros and places are limited.

Roses proposes guided visits to the Museum of the Ciudadela every day. At 11 am and at 6 pm in French and English, and at 12 noon and at 7 pm in Catalan and Spanish.

The eighth edition of the music festival Acústica de Figueres begins this Wednesday. In times of crisis this event which last year brought together 30,000 spectators has all the attractions to reach similar numbers this year. Only 3 of the 35 programmed shows are for pay, the rest are free. The planning of the urban festival permits moving from stage to stage by foot and with distances never more than 5 minutes. This past Sunday, at the first hour of the morning, have been placed in the plaza of the Ayuntamiento of Figueres the main installations of the Acústica. On Friday will be featured the group of the Cataluña Norte Blues de Picolat (7 pm), the actor, imitator and musician Bruno Oro who will present his disc “Nápoles” (11 pm) and the singer of Els Pets Lluis Gavaldá who will make his first performance in solo (1 am).

Palau-Saveredra celebrates its Fiesta Mayor of Sant Joan starting next Saturday. The municipal pool will be the main stage of the activities directed mainly to children.

This past Saturday was celebrated in the church of la Selva de Mar a concert by the violinist Ala Voronkova, who interpreted the Capriccios of Paganini before a public that filled the church. Following the concert was inaugurated the exposition of the 24 Capriccios of Paganini, on the part of the artists Carles Bros and Abel Florido in the recently renovated Trull del Aceite.

According to the Fundación Mar, the lack of control in anchoring boats on the Costa Brava is putting the seafloor at risk. The lack of buoys makes boats throw their anchors and they destroy the fields of maritime vegetation. During the summer, the problem is aggravated by the tourist pressure.

Cataluña registered in the month of July a level of hotel occupation highest in the Spanish state, at 67.3%. Only the Balearic Islands are ahead in this ranking with an index of 81.5%. The data of the first half of August show a decline of only 3% with respect to August of last year.

L’Escala celebrates its Fiesta Major from the 2nd to the 5th of September. This year, in addition to the traditional acts of the fiesta (sardanas, water fiesta, fireworks, etc…) are proposed different activities, for example observing the moon thanks to the Agrupación de Aficionados a la Astronomia de Girona who will show the craters of the satellite to the curious.

The city council of Roses has approved the project to change the false ceiling of the municipal sports pavilion, which shows signs of deterioration due to the use of the installations, impacts of balls, etc. The renovation will have a budget of 115,000 euros.

The EcoMuseum, Farinera de Castelló d´Empúries , holds until the 30th of September the traveling exposition, Habita et Labora, organized by the National Museum of Science and Technology of Cataluña. For more information or consultation, go to the following address: http://www.mnactec.cat/expo/fes_turisme_industrial.html.

Figueres will hold the festival of contemporaneous culture of Empordá, la Ingrávid, from the 24th to the 27th of September, as a part of the acts of Figueres Capital of Catalan Culture. During 4 days will be placed in different points of the city, such as the Rambla, the plaza Josep Pla and the houses of Fages de Climent and Narcís Monturiol, interactive installations, performances, round tables, workshops, projections, video, children’s films, music and poetry, all with the objective “let the people interact”, as has explained the co-director, Esther Pujol.

With 10 seconds of difference with respect to the second place, the Xon’s Rem Empuriabrava won in Roses their second title this year, the Championship of Catalan rowing.

The parking area that is on the way to the cemetery of Sant Llorenç de la Muga should be transformed very soon to a small center of trash collection. Everything is ready for the awarded company to begin the works for the installation in this area of collection of special residues.

The distribution group Bon Preu has signed an agreement with the French supermarket multinational Intermarché for buying their Spanish network.

The city council of Castelló de Empúries offers the possibility of presenting a claim for the inconveniences and losses caused by the constant cuts in the electric supply. For more information you can call the Department of Citizen Participation and Relations with Citizens, 972 25 04 26 or go to participaciociutadana@castello.cat.

The city council of Port de la Selva has removed 3 tons of trash from 3 of the most important Calas (coves) of the town.

The Meteorological Service of Catalunya communicated by its website that the majority of the comarcas of Girona (Alt and Baix Empordà, Pla de l'Estany, Gironès and La Selva) are found at alert Level 2 for the “very high” risk of high temperatures. In these areas it is forecast with much confidence that the maximum temperatures can exceed 35 degrees, mainly between 2 pm and 8 pm.

This next Wednesday, the 19th of August, begins the Schubertiada 2009 in Vilabertran. The inaugural concert offers the pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja who will interpret works of Schubert, Monpou and Chopin. With a total of 11 concerts held in the romanic buildings of Santa Maria de Vilabertran, this year’s edition ends on the 5th of September with the concert given by the Chamber Orchestra of the Schubertiada, directed by the prestigious Catalan Antoni Ros Marbà, and which will offer works of Schubert, Toldrà, and Schönberg. Tickets can be acquired through the site http://www.schubertiadavilabertran.cat/eng/index.html and do not cost more than 35 euros.

The numbers of visitors from the United States has doubled with respect to 2008. Although American tourists only represent 3.17% of the total, diverse tourist sectors are satisfied and surprised by the increase.

The works of the first phase of the Parque de los Olivars in Figueres have been started. The park, with an extension of some 17,000 square meters, will unite the triangle that the neighborhoods of Olivar Grande and Poble Nou form together with Avenida Salvador Dalí. Also the quality of the adjoining neighborhoods will be improved, giving a new image to Figueres.

The Museo de la Acuarela (Watercolor) of Llançà celebrates its 20 years and celebrates it with a collective exposition of local artists. Now until the 15th of September, the museum opens its doors daily except for Monday.

An elephant, property of the American Circus, escaped from its cage this past Sunday in L´Escala and during some 10 minutes roamed through the areas near a road until the local police and the animal tamer managed to return the animal to its home.

The French are the principle users of the tourist offices of Castelló d´Empúries. Tourism in the city has diminished some 8% and coincides with general data in Catalunya, although this circumstance has not kept the inquiries in the tourist office from increasing, probably due to the bad weather. By nationality, the most inquiries have been made by the French, followed by Catalan-Spanish, and Germans. The nationalities that have decreased most are the British and German, which makes clear the economic recession and the strength of tourism from nearby countries.

L’Escala will hold the National Drawing of the Lottery next September 12. The famous administration of the lottery L’Anxova Millionaria will be in charge of organizing the national drawing which will be celebrated in the area La Punta. The drawing will distribute 42,000,000 euros in premiums, which will go for a single décimo.

Police arrested in La Jonquera a band which had stolen 72 boat motors in the Catalan coast.

The operations of selling living units in the comarcas of Girona fell this June 34.25% in relation to the same month of 2008, according to publication of the National Institute of Statistics.

The Fiesta Mayor of Garriguella begins today the 18th of August. A series of activities has been programmed in the town, among others, a foot and bicycle race suitable for all the public—for the children less than 6 years old, a “lighter course” of 200 meters has been designed—as well as a zone of children’s games with inflatables and a course for quads and sardanas.

The second edition of the festival SURPAS (free and popular culture) arrives in Portbou the 3rd, 4th and 5th of September 2009, an interdiscipinary festival, with artists of different backgrounds and training and under the umbrella of copyleft (the free creation, distribution and promotion of artistic works) and of inter-culturality.

The Denominación de Origen of Empordà, with 41 cellars, forecasts for this campaign of grape harvest to collect some 70,000 hectolitros, a number similar to that of last year.

The city council of Roses will fix up the trail that runs between the calas Montjoi and la Pelosa with the objective to improve and regulate the accessibility to these spaces included within the natural park of Cap de Creus

Ryanair will eliminate the flights between Girona and Manchester. The airline cuts 600 jobs and suspends 9 of 10 routes that operate from the British city.

“La Acustica” will be celebrated from 26 to 30 of August with some 35 performances of which only 3 are not free, Jorge Drexler, Pedro Guerra y Josep Punti in the Cloister of the Instituto Ramon Muntaner. The rest will be distributed among different stages in the center of Figures with names such as Lluís Gavaldà, Bruno Oro, Sidonie, Labuat, Beth, The Pepper Pots o Giulia y los Tellarini. The festival pays tribute to Sau with a half dozen voices of catalan pop and will be inaugurated with the debut of the spectacle “50NC, Letra y Musica” by Marc Parrot to commemorate the half century of new songs. The past year “La Acustica” reached 30,000 spectators. In parallel, “La Feria de Comidas del Mundo” will be held and will offer Hindu, Mexican, Ecuadorian, Venezuelan, Colombian, Tibetan, Argentinian and Sephardic foods, among others, also there will be a creperia of Breton and a French one.

The International Festival of Music of Cadaques closed its 38th edition yesterday with its continuity guaranteed, according to the mayor of the town, Joan Borrell.

This summer some of the seating on the beach of Port de la Selva has been renewed. The city council has replaced the 3 showers and has placed 10 new trash receptacles. Finally the central piece of the children’s play area has been renewed.

Castelló d’Empúries will say goodbye to the fiesta mayor of Sant Llorenç Friday, August 7. The fiesta highlights much live music directed to all ages and interests.

The city council of Sant Pere Pescador has asked the residents of the city to bring images of the period from 1930 to 1945 to make a book about the history of the town.

Endesa has invested recently a total of 200,000 euros to reinforce the quality and continuity of electric service in Alt Emporda. The most emblematic work is the construction of the infrastructure which supplies electricity to the group of historical buildings at Sant Quirze de Colera.

The Museum of Toys in Figures now has available audio guides which inform the visitors in Spanish, Catalan, French and English.

The zone of night leisure activity “Els Arcs de Empuriabrava” will not have cameras of video security, as was asked by the city council of Castelló d´Empuries and the Federation of Associations of Recreational Musical Activities (Fecasarm) to combat the lack of security in the zone, location of various fights and acts of vandalism. The Commission of Seguimiento of Video Security in Catalunya has denied permission to install them because it considers the right of privacy should take precedence over that of security.

A band of robbers was found in Figueres that disguised themselves as police. After numerous complaints, the police arrested yesterday a pair of individuals that, passing as police, robbed purses and wallets of tourists.

According to the Catalan Agency of Water, the Bay of Rosas is found to be free of jellyfish this year. At this time of the summer the encounters with these animals have been very punctual with respect to past years, so it is expected to be a very calm season in this sense.

In Port de la Selva, a boat of medium size fell from the trailer in which it was being transported in the street Lloia this past Thursday. Since then it remains impeding the normal traffic and causing great surprise to pedestrians.

The success of “KiteSurf” in Sant Pere Pescador is causing numerous inconveniences between the bathers and the sports people. The city council has announced that for the next season it will regulate the practice of this sport more strictly.

The Nautic Club of Darnius recalls the history of the reservoir of Darnius-Boadella with a monographic exhibition in the Municipal Museum from the 6th to 20th of September. The exhibition let´s visitors discover a part of the region of the Arnera forty years after construction of the dam.

A free provisional parking lot is now in service behind the Park Sol in Figueres. This parking area will serve visitors to the regional hospital and the municipal sports center.

Empuribrava is a destination of sports tourism thanks to sky-diving and football. Now the city hall of Castello d´Empuries will try to promote sailing, with the inauguration of the Municipal School of Sailing, situated in the ¨petita¨ beach of Empuriabrava.

The repairs of the Maritime Paseo of L'Escala will be partially finished this week. From then the new Paseo will be open to the public, at reduced level.

The association of fishermen of L´Escala has created the first center of interpretation of the fish (Maram). It is located in the fishing port and it is hoped will atract school groups and adults who are interested in learning more about the world of fishermen

The neighbors of Bon Relax in San Pere Pescador demonstrated Saturday demanding the awaited connection to the waste treatment center of Albons. They also demand a higher level of cleaning service in general, and an effective system of limiting speed in the urbanization.

The French Ministry has decided to greatly reduce the number of Honorary Consulates in the world. Closure of the Honorary Consulate of the Alt Emporda will be effective at the end of the year and will affect the offices of Figueres and Roses.

The City Hall of Roses has installed machines that dispense plastic bags to assist the responsible civic behavior of people with dogs.

During the month of August the Espai Cultural Center of the Ciutadella of Roses offers guided visits to the megalithic and visigothic centers. All activites are free. Prior registration is required for attendance, and can be made by calling 972 15 14 66.

The Exile Museum of La Jonquera will show until the 27th of September Ëls diaris de Josep Franch-Clapers¨. The idea is to show this pictorial work, completed in great part in the internment camps, as if it were a personal diary and showing the dignity and strength that resulted from the suffering.

Next Saturday the exhibition of Alex Nogue, ¨Registres I posicions, will open at the Galeria Horizon in Colera. It consists of a showing of drawings related to the theme of the tree.

John Malkovitch opens the Peralada Festival. The actor was accompanied in the performance by two sopranos, Bernarda Bobro and Aleksandra Zamojski, and by the Orchestra Wiener Akademie, interpreting music of Vivaldi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Gluck, Boccherini and Webber, under the musical direction of Marin Haselböck.

The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation has presented the latest acquisition of work of the artist, an oil titled ¨Banyistes des Llaner, that has previously been displayed publicly on few occasions. The presentation was organized by Montse Aguer, Director of the Center For Dalian Studies.

The Catalan coast has experienced a very difficult month of July, after the economic crisis and decline of foreign tourists has resulted in falling occupancy rates that have reached 15% in some zones. Nonetheless, they are hoping for a much better August, including occupancy rates that reach nearly the same numbers as the previous year, as many Spanish tourists will opt for remaining in closer locations instead of travelling to beaches further away.

There have been no surprises. The new council of Perpignan chose Jean Paul Alduy, 67, mayor of the city for the fifth time in 16 years. Alduy had collected 43 votes to 9 votes for the Socialist candidate Jacqueline Amiel Dado and three blank votes, corresponding to the three directors from the list of Jean Codogno, who has decided not to be present at the installation.

Members of the platform for users of the Renfe line Barcelona-Portbou have met with the railroad company for the fourth time without having reached any meaningful agreement, beyond the company's commitment to advance ten minutes the first train.

The Sicilian town of San Vito Lo Capo, in the coastal province of Trapani, has hosted a weekend show devoted to cooking tuna. The IV show “Bonton” had this year an international focus, for which was desired to support the initiative for the commemoration of the centennial of the Costa Brava with the presence of a special guest to represent the destination: Oriol Blanes, gastromonic coordinator of the “Aula Gastronomica de l'Empordà”.

The II RAPID MARATHON IN PAINTING in Figueres and Vilajuïga: organized by the Friends of the Castle of Sant Ferran and the Friends of the Castle Quermançó takes place on 13 and 14 of this month.

The Catalan Government has given the green light to the establishment of a commercial center of factory outlet stores in La Jonquera (Alt Empordà) with an area of 10,000 square meters. The new center is located at the Oliveres industrial area with parking for 700 vehicles.

THE HOTEL EMPORDÀ GET THE "Q" for tourist quality. These certifications, governed by the UNE 182001:2008 and UNE EN ISO 9001:2008, ensure compliance with legal requirements that apply to the catering sector. It implies that the establishment maintains good environmental practice, a system of customer satisfaction, identifies and properly manages its processes and requires a continuous improvement in all services of the establishment.

On Wednesday July 1 began in the residential area "Les Palmiers" at 21:30 the nights of Flamenco with the group "Canela Pura". You can attend these aminated night parties at Crta. Llançà of Port de la Selva Km.5, 5 C / Roses, sector Fane de Baix. Tel: 972 12 14 04.

L'Escala has finally moved the Cobla of Bronze, monument to the copla (folksongs), work of Francesc Anglès, from the beach to the end of the street Lluís Albert. The sculpture was relocated after the Ministry of Environment along the coast required its removal from the beach for having been installed without permission.

Investigation of rental fraud of apartments already occupied. The alleged fraud affects foreign nationals with the intention of renting a villa for holidays in the Costa Brava. The tourists pay in advance for apartments that, on paper should be available, but on arrival find that the property is already occupied by other tenants.

On Friday, Llança will launch the summer bus routes until August 23 to link the beaches, harbor and town. The main novelty of this year is the stop at Cap Ras and Cau del Llop to access the major developments in the municipality.

The demolition of the City Club Med vacation village is an issue that has been dragging coinciding with the political changes both in Catalonia and in the Spanish government. Gradually, the site of Tudela Cadaqués, within the beautiful Natural Park of Cap de Creus, is recovering its original wild appearance, free of buildings. A few days ago, the Directorate General of Coasts, Ministry of Environment ordered the entry of the machinery to demolish the 443 bungalows of Club Mediterranee left standing.

Monday July 6, Llança has begun an extensive program of free guided tours, which go under the name of the Descubreix Nostre Territori. You can travel from Valletta to St Sylvester in a carriage drawn by horses, visit Cap Ras, the medieval center and the port and go by boat to Cap de Creus, among other options.

Since last Friday the blue flag waves on the beach of Empuriabrava, a signal that certifies the quality of water and services around the beach. The City of Castelló d'Empuries decided to advance the act “to be able display the flag almost a month longer since up until now it was done for the festival of Carmen and the flag remained hidden in the drawer until then" says the Mayor, Salvi Güell.

Figueres in 2010 will offer 45 Internet access points for free. To comply with current regulations, it will limit the timing and speed of transmission. The projected budget amounts to 360,000 euros.

Castelló d'Empuries reopens the public pool in El Cau. To enter the facility, which has lifeguards, it costs 1.5 euros for children between 5 and 12 years and 3 euros for adults over 12. Retired, disabled and children under 3 years are free.

The XVII Schubertiada Vilabertran of this year is celebrated between August 19 and September 5. The pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja was chosen to inaugurate the Festival which takes place in the church of Santa Maria. More information in Catalan: http://www.schubertiadavilabertran.cat

In L'Escala will be held the 3rd edition of Gastromusical, a unique proposal in the summer program in Costa Brava that unites music and cuisine. In this edition, to be held on July 31 and August 5, 12, 19 and 26, will participate artists such as Roger Mas, Libert Fortuny, Pascal Comelade or Enric Casasses.

Fishermen in the region take advantage of the good condition of the reservoir of Boadella and the river Muga to enjoy a great season. The association of fishermen looks for income to continue releasing small fish and thus to contribute to the regeneration of freshwater species.

El Castillo de Peralada music Festival devotes attention to great voice recitals, symphonic choral concerts, operas, interdisciplinary performances of music and theater, dance, jazz, pop music concerts, chamber concerts and family shows. The program this year, to be held in July and August, has a total of 31 performances among which are highlighted the Catalan singer Joan Manuel Serrat and the duet Luis Eduardo Aute / Joan Isaac. Moreover, on this occasion has been organized a series of quartets in the church of Peralada. John Malkovich will open the Festival with an lyrical performance in which the actor is the narrator of the story of an English serial murderer, with music by Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven, and the voices of two sopranos.

The Environment Ministry will invest 2.3 million euros in the project management of the maritime area of Cadaqués. It will build a beach walk 2 meters wide for pedestrians and a one-way street 3 meters wide.

The problem of anchoring boats in coves and beaches continues to create uneasiness among the private owners of boats. At present it is almost impossible to anchor without paying the appropriate fee. This is the case with all the beaches and coves in Roses, where the City has increased the number of pay buoys, forcing boats wishing to anchor safely to pay for the service.

The Memorial Museum of the Exile in La Jonquera in collaboration with the National Archives of Catalonia, holds an exhibition of the artist Josep Franch-Clapers (Castellterçol 1915 - Baux de Provence, 2005).
This exhibition, led by art historian Pere Rubio Parramon, aims to show artwork that sheds light on the difficult circumstances of the internment camps in France during World War II.

In Garriguella are being shot the first scenes of the new documentary "Simonet, terror of the French." The research work carried out by Pep Puig and Jaume Simon in the Municipal Archives of Gerona has discovered the story of Joan Rimbau i Trull, victorious soldier from Garriguella who participated in 58 actions of war against the invading army of Napoleon. For more information see: www.simonet.cat or www.emporda.info.

The City Council of Figueres is developing an updated inventory of Francoist symbols that are still in their streets. In this manner is expected to begin proceedings to remove the symbols from plazas and public roads.

By the summer of 2010 the Bay of Roses could be considered a new nautical station, because it meets most requirements called for by the Federation of Spanish coastal municipalities that opt for this category. To be a nautical station will involve receiving a number of people in this sector throughout the year and a financial and promotional budget. The regent of Economic Development and Tourism of the City of Roses, Gaspar Gallego, said the nomination of Roses was accepted by the Spanish Federation of Nautical Stations on last May 29 and is now working on the certification process.

The Owners Association Ampuriabrava (APE) has recently filed a legal complaint that the concessionaire of the canals, Cegra International SL "intimidates the residents and threatens to withdraw moorings, demanding exorbitant fees without any legal basis." The APE will transfer these protests to the Government.

The Municipality of San Pere Pescador has prepared a study on strategies for land revitalization and tourism, and recommends making better use of the Tourist Office which was opened three years ago and also publicizing the town as a second entrance to the natural park Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, something that could be achieved, according to the study, by creating a network of bike paths and trails.

The night de San Juan, the night between June 23 and 24, is the shortest night of the year ... each town offers different proposals for people to enjoy the night. Figueres will experience the arrival of the flame of Canigó. Later the party will continue with the castellers of Figueres, the Polifónica, the Giants ... New this year is that the flame will arrive for the first time at the Sanctuary of La Mare de Déu del Mont.

The promenade of L'Escala is expected to open to the public in early July, after some unfinished renovations.

The Pilans Civic Center of the L'Escala city council has been opened. It is managed by the association of residents of Camp dels Pilans—Les Corts which will organize activities and events to encourage the exchange of knowledge and experience among residents and the municipality.

Around the town of Maçanet Cabrenys there are some 60 gardens cultivated by families of the village. Thanks to Plan Zapatero the water supply from the stream of Fraus has been financed, and an improvement of the irrigation system. In this way, reserves of water are insured in the driest months.

The Civic Platform, People for Ventalló, opens contact with the Catalan Government for Urban Management Planning (POUM). The residents find unjustified putting an industrial park in an area of high risk because of the danger of flooding, have doubts about how the infrastructure will be financed by the POUM and wonder how the town will be socially if all public services are moved to one place.

Bomb disposal experts from the Navy and the civil guard exploded a mine last week, which a diver found on the beach of Almadrava de Roses, about 6 meters deep. The experts took the bomb of 150 kg out to sea and did a controlled detonation to avoid causing damage. This is the second submarine mine found on the Costa Brava.

The town hall of Castelló d'Empuries investigates the cultivation of new products in organic farming. Currently it has half a hectare sown in chickpeas in a plot owned by Aiguamolls de l'Empordà and is expected in the coming years to create stable agricultural systems that generate workplaces and enable people to settle in the territory.

On Saturday 29 will be inaugurated Mini Print International of Cadaqués. This is an international exhibition of engraving in small format. The exhibition is organized by the Taller Galeria Fort, with the participation of 662 artists from 54 countries on all continents.

This Saturday at nine p.m. The Polyphonic Choir of Figueres organizes its 22nd "Trobada of Corals of San Pere.” On this occasion five choirs will meet in the church of San Pere de Figueres to offer an evening of choral singing for all those who want to enjoy it.

The recreation area in Figueres Firal offers tonight for San Juan a live concert of the New Oldies band, playing versions of hits of the 70's, 80's and 90's and a spectacle of acrobatics and pyrotechnics.

The festival of San Pere Pescador this year will include performances by three local groups, a choir singing and shows where water is the protagonist. During these four days of celebration, all events are free.

The municipal law is very clear regarding the occupation of public streets during the summer. In Roses, the council only authorized occupation of the streets of the Riera Ginjolers and the church square for artistic activities, specifically painting, portraits, caricatures and the like. According to municipal sources have denied requests to install stands and to make braids, tattoos or massages ...

On the beach of Rubina, in Castelló d'Empuries, parking areas soon will be improved. This is to preserve this natural area, especially the dunes and flora so characteristic of this place and prevent the complete extinction of some endangered plants. Signage of services will be enhanced, and panels will indicate different areas and access such as areas of dogs allowed, prohibited and permitted areas, the area of kite-surfing and information signs of the Natural Park. In total, between inputs from the Ministry of Costas, the Diputación de Girona and the city of Castelló, Rubina will have 200,000 euros invested.

On Thursday, June 18 is scheduled the opening of the Lidl supermarket at the northern entrance to L'Escala.

The Municipality of Palau-Saverdera has already approved the project to convert the basic environment of Can Lluent into a plaza with a play area for children and a parking area.

Camallera this summer will have a new hall. The old movie theater Sonora has been restored and will seat 250 people.

In Cadaqués the public agency Adigsa drew lots on Friday for five flats of government protected rental units for young people.

The hotel Figueres Parc opens its doors this June to the restaurant DADA. Located in the hotel along NII in Hostalets de Llers, it offers us a new concept of cuisine. DADA cuisine ... fun, fast and fresh.

Last week the new roundabout on the road GI-623 went into service, which improves access to Vilademat.

The municipal group ICV in Llançà, in opposition, calls for a calculation of water demands and requests to undertake specific action to reduce water consumption since with the new Plan it is suspected that the increase of water used under the current rate will be 29.10%.

The mountain of Rhodes has always been rich in pastures and orchards, but during the twentieth century those fertile lands were being lost by the abandonment of agricultural activity. Now, the City Council of Vilajuíga intends to recover this agricultural use. In addition to working the land, the City Council intends to promote products that are generated, such as oil, wine and honey.

The Environment Department will use satellites to detect banks of jellyfish that approach the beaches.

The Special Nature Reserve Plan of Aiguamolls Empordà attracts more opponents. The Farmer´s union also rejects expanding the park. The Brotherhood of Fishermen in Roses said that the new plan does not respect the traditional fishing grounds.

In the Citadel of Roses is the exposition "Common Lives, Different Cultures." Maria Velasco uses photography to banish intercultural prejudices. This exhibit can be seen until mid-July among the acts of the Fiesta Popular of Roses.

Sunday June 21 the Fiesta of the Tree will be held in Vilabertran for the first time in 100 years. The event will attempt to recreate the fiesta of that time. At 10h30 will be a popular breakfast and afterwards dance performances, poetry readings and finally the castellers of Figueres.

The Fair of Honey in Colera, is also this Sunday. For those interested in the life of the bees there will be talks and !Yes! the sale of real honey from Colera of excellent quality.

The Working Group La Kamada will conduct a Sport Dog Trial on Saturday 20 and Sunday June 21. On Saturday we will work Obedience from 18.00 h. On Sunday, Tracking exercises will be conducted in the vicinity of the complex from 08.00 am and after a break, on the premises, Protection will be the work, starting at 10.15 h. All activities will be conducted in the facilities that La Kamada has at Crta Figueres to La Bisbal 26.7 km, 17474 Torroella de Fluvià.

The choir Palandriu of Llançà has just celebrated its first ten years of existence and calls for incorporating youth voices.

The tourism industry receives a good dose of morale these days with a notable increase in visitors. The beaches are filled as if it were summer, thanks to the fact that Monday was holiday in many parts of the country and abroad. One of the beaches where this fact has been noted is Platja de les Barques of Escala.

They come to rob jewelry by sledgehammer blows in L' Escala, taking the most expensive. In the past year there have been two more cases in Lloret and Salt.

The City of Roses does not begin to apply the ordinance to regulate the occupation of the road by the shopping center until the autumn once the tourist season is ended. As intended, this allows more time for merchants and residents to submit claims to the proposed municipal project

Employers in the tourism sector across the region gather in Rosas with the objective to learn how technology can help improve and save costs.

Figueres. The replacement of analogue television by digital terrestrial television (DTT) will take place on December 31 this year in Alt Empordà. At the state level, the final blackout will be April 3, 2010.

A total of 35 beaches and Girona ports have been honored by the Association for Environmental Education and Consumer with the blue flag for their good quality and sustainability. In Alt Empordà it has been awarded to the main beach of Portbou, and those of Grifeu, Llanca port, the beach of Port de la Selva, Empuriabrava and the one in Castelló d'Empuries. It was also awarded to Llanca port, Port de la Selva, Rosas, Navy and the port of Empuriabrava Escala.

The Government together with the Catalan Sailing Federation are working to develop specific rules for the practice of kitesurfing. It is intended to authorize other beaches to avoid all the pressure of this practice resting solely on the beaches of San Pedro Pescador.

Market Portbou Sea will be held between 12 and 14 June in the Rambla de Catalunya Portbou.

Llançà. VI Jornades Peix Palangre. Llançà´s ten restaurants that offer their best dishes with longline fishing as the main basis are: Can Narra, Miramar, can Quim, The Vaixell, La Vela, La Brasa, Gri-Mar, Club Nautic restaurant, Els Pescadors and Hotel Grifeu .

Port de la Selva. Rescue teams worked tirelessly in the search for Noema German girl, aged 6, who disappeared on Wednesday last week when she was with her family at the Hermitage of Sant Baldiri within the nature reserve of Cap de Creus in Port de la Selva. The body was found Thursday in an area of difficult access.

Capmany. L'Associació Cultural d'Esbarjo Capmanyenca organizes this Sunday June 7 the second mountain bike tour, one of the most interesting sports done in the area of Albera. This tour will pass through the municipalities Capmany, Cantallops, La Jonquera, Agullana, Darnius, Biure d'Empordà, Masarac-Vilarnadal and Sant Climent Sescebes. The march will start at 9:30 in the morning from sports Capmany. In this second edition are expected more than 250 participants.

A group of eight prominent American wine importers visited eight wineries in the region, accompanied by the Chamber of Commerce of Gerona.

The terms for the Urban Management Plan Municipal (POUM) from Ventalló have just been submitted.

34th Aplec of Sardana a L'Escala. Days 6 and June 7. This weekend fans of sardana have an engagement at Escala. Escala has already prepared for Ciutat Pubilla in 2010 and has set up an organizing committee with a program based mainly on the world of sardana, although there will also be all sorts of cultural activities planned throughout the year.

Terradas. 13th Cherry Fair, on Sunday, will have more than 3000 kilos of cherries to sell. Also, various products by artisans will be sold. The sardana Cobla Principal Porqueres will be heard as well.

The reconstruction of the round Pedro de L'Escala has finally ended. It previously had 86 parking spaces and now has 89. In addition to these three parking places, a tree-lined sidewalk that allows pedestrians to walk safely has been built.

The walk from Port de la Selva to Llanca will be ready in 2010. When finished, it will be 4'23 km. long.

Ernst Witzel (right) with its great friend and husband of our collaborator Anick Delchambre.

ERNST WITZEL loved Llançà and the Costa Brava. He first came to Llançà as a young child when his family took their holidays here. He was always interested in promoting his adopted home and first published Mañana a magazine on paper. But, he became aware of the power of the internet and began Cap de Creus on-Line around 1998 to reach more people. Ernst was the heart and soul of Cap de Creus on-Line . . . he encouraged a team of translators to make his information available to everyone interested in the Costa Brava, in Catalan, Spanish/Castellà, French and English as well as his native German. I had the honour to assist Ernst with the English edition. Ernst was a very happy and generous man. He had met and encouraged his old school friend Christel Arnold to join him in Llançà and they were married shortly thereafter. This week they were in Germany for an exhibition of Christel’s artwork. On Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Ernst Witzel suffered a fatal heart attack. Ernst will be missed by his friends who knew him and by thousands of readers of Cap de Creus on-Line who became aware of Ernst’s zest for life and for his love for his fellow man. Paul A. Hoffstein Llançà, Catalonia Annapolis, Maryland, USA

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L´Escala. The Department of Coasts of the State thinks to finish to the second phase of the coastal path of Empúries in a time record, since the works have just started and have to finish before the arrival of the tourists. The work that is being carried out consists of illuminating the section along the beach of Rec and installing a new wooden walkway that goes from this beach to the Ampurias hostal. With these works, the project that was designed for the Olympic Games of 1992 will be finished.

The city council of La Jonquera will sanction with fines of up to 3000 euros for prostitutes, their clients and ambulatory salespeople. This new decree expects to prohibit sex in the street with even higher fines if the transaction takes place in public where there are minors. Also it tries to prohibit illegal sales by vendors on foot in the streets.

An economic restructuring will allow restarting the works of the casino Menestral de Figueres this summer.

The Environment area of the city council of Castelló d´Empúries initiates a campaign of compost with great success. Ninety compost receptacles have been distributed and has been a great attendance in the two informative sessions.

The Catalan Agency of Water has decided to increase the release of the water of the Darnius-Boadella reservoir so that farmers can water without restrictions. The reserves today are more than sufficient to assure a summer season with abundant water.

In Portbou, space was dedicated to the Democratic Memorial to the exodus of the exiled persons of the Spanish Civil War in the emblematic pass of Balitres, border point between Portbou and Cerbere.

In Rabos, representatives of the Public Work Department have visited the Monastery of Sant Quirze de Colera to see the state of the works. It is hoped to be able to open it to the public in the next few months.

In Llancà experts in explosives are searching some coves of Llancà looking for ammunition of the Civil War. A local resident located four howitzers and twenty-five anti-aircraft projectiles half-buried on the seabed between beaches of l´Arguilera and Grifeu.

Gastronomical days of the Fish of Palangre in Llancà. Since 2004 every year ten restaurants of Llancà offer menus with fish caught by line instead of net in Llancà. More than 1400 meals were served last spring.

The company Celler Espelt, of Vilajuïga, is among the 250 most dynamic companies of the country according to the department of Innovation, Universities and Business. Their sales grew over 20% annually between 2004 and 2007.

In Ventalló the group Save the Terraprim this past Sunday protested against the construction of a wind turbine park between the mountain range of Ventalló and Gran mountain.

Sant Martí d´Empúries (L´Escala) welcomes the second vitivinícola fair Arrels of Vi. A dozen warehouses with Denominaciò d´Origen Empordà participate this weekend in this vitivinícola fair presenting varieties of wines of the high range and new activities related to the vinícola culture.

The XII Fair of bread, flour and wheat is celebrated this Sunday the 31st of May in Castelló d´Empúries. During the day, the public will be able to taste bread of different types at the fair.

The users of the Barcelona-Portbou line return to protest the service of RENFE. They use handkerchiefs and adhesives with the image of a turtle as emblem and threaten undertaking more forceful actions starting in June.

The exhibition of paintings of Guerrero Angel can now be visited in the coffee shop of the Paris Hotel of the Rambla in Figueres.

Football Fever:  The Barcelona-Manchester football game will be shown live from Rome on a Jumbotron in Figueres on Wednesday, May 27th.  Different 2, a real estate company in Empuriabrava and Cafetó are sponsoring a huge projection screen.

The government has published in its bulletin of information their intention to repair the canals of Santa Margarida and the wharfs.  There will be an opportunity for public input.  The government estimates the routine costs to be about 60 million Euros which are principally the responsibility of the future concessionaire. This would signify the final financial responsibility of the beneficiaries, namely on the owners of anchorages in the canal. The concessionaire will act over the next few years to focus on renovating the critical parts of the canals, and thence to proceed to the entire project.

Castelló d’Empúries will pave the direct street connection between the old part of the town and Empuriabrava. During the construction work the passable stretch will be from C-260 and the traffic circle of Castelló Nou.

Roses begins a campaign to encourage the traders and the citizens to dispose their waste at the Sunday market in a correct and environmentally friendly manner.

In L'Escala the new weekly market location has been opened. Now the market is again directly by the sea, principally on plaça de l'Univers. About 90 traders set up stands every Sunday in the market.

The V FIRA D'INDIANS of Cadaqués begins on the 12th of June at 22 o'clock 30 with the motto “1900: un Americano a Cadaqués”.  There will be music from the Mediterranean area and Havaneras. The Fiesta will run until 14 June.

Llançà will arrange a bus to bring fans to the AC/DC concert at the Olympic stage of Barcelona on the 7th of June.  The bus will also stop in Figueres to pick up additional passengers.  The roundtrip cost will be 15 Euros.

In the cloister of Vilabertran the renovation of the rule hall and the lower floor began in the palace of the abbot. Once completed, probably in November, the rooms will serve public purposes.

On the 14th of June the Carrer major of La Jonquera will be the scene for a market of art and trade, from 9 to 20 o'clock.

Sant Climent Sescebes will organize on the 30th of May from 16 o'clock 30 a Paint ball session. The minimum age of the participant is 15 years.  The price for 150 balls is 20 Euros.

In Llançà beginning on the 28th of May will be the days of "Peix de Palangre," fish which was caught with the Palangre. The Palangre consists of a line and fishhook that is place on the seabed. In contrast to a towed net, the fish is not dragged along the seabed and the resultant fish are less stressed and of better quality and consistency. Most restaurants in the port will join in the campaign to offer special set fish menus.

Moped drivers can have their mopeds inspected on the 22nd of June by a mobile technical inspection (ITV) in the sector Sant Carles in Llançà. This inspection is required.  The check-up will cost 19 Euros.

The Diputació de Girona promises 400,000 Euros for the continuation of the renovation work on the emblematic building casino Menestral in the centre of Figueres. The work was interrupted in 2007 due to a lack of sufficient funding.

The Rambla of Figueres on the 21st of May will be the scene for "Festa del Joguet" where a group of about one hundred exhibitors and sellers will show their varied toy creations.

The show of swimming new boats in the harbour of L'Escala closed with a positive balance. The organizers expressed satisfaction with the quantity of visitors as well as the resultant sales.

The "Pla Especial de Cap de Creus" developed in 2006 is, according to a court order incorrect because he did not include the small village Vall de Santa Creu in Port de la Selva within the nature protection zone. The ministry of the environment is now considering how to remedy the situation.

In the harbour of Portbou they are still cleaning up after the destruction caused by the Christmastime storm. Two of the sunken boats were rescued as wrecks; a third one was declared lost because it had sunk in water too deep to justify recovery.

Figueres begins a new series of Catalan pop rock. The concerts will take place in the Molí de l'Anguila, on 15, 16, 23, 29 and 30 May. The entry costs will range from 5 to 10 Euros.

From the 16th to the 24th of May the hotel Xon in Empuriabrava (Castelló d'Empúries) will be the venue for a chess tournament (25è campionat de Catalunya). The organizers expect more than 100 participants.

Because of too much Spam in our mailbox, CapCreus online must periodically change our e-mail address. Now it is one of those times . . . our new address is shown in the left column, toward the top.

The  “Club Esportiu Europeen Loisirs et Pétanque” in Empuriabrava was given its own field by the municipality.   The new court is near the mouth of the Muga. The Pétanque game, also called "Boule", is not only the French national sport. Worldwide the Pétanque federations count more members than in the world’s football associations.

	The 17th of May is international museum day, and most museums in our region will offer free admission.
Ecocmuesu-Farinera, Castello d'Empuries

Roses installed in the traffic spinning top to Santa Margarida a diagram which appreciates the merits of the restaurant El Bulli around the promotion of Roses. The El Bulli has been chosen regularly during the last years by many publications and associations of the catering trade as the best restaurant of the world.

Roses offers student's groups discounts for cultural and sports activities.

Llançà organizes a full-day competition on the 31st of May, for amateur fishermen.

In the port of L'Escala the club Nàutic organizes until the 17th of May a new boats show. In the water are boats offered by five firms located in L’Escala. There are also five land-based tents to help describe the boats.

Soon the seafront of L'Escala will be back to its normal width.  While the needed work will not be completed, the construction activity will be stopped on the 15th of July and will recommence in September.

Cadaqués established a new general land-use plan (POUM).  The current POUM dates back to 1986.  The new plan’s goals for the municipality are to reduce urban growth, to maintain the picturesque character of the place and to promote it.

The exhibit "Porta del cap de Creus" with photographs of Yvonne Heinert in the citadel of Roses will continue until the 28th of June.

The specialist shop for amateur fishermen in Llançà, Casa de Pesca Eduard, will soon be offering its articles on a new on-line-shop.

“XII Megalithic May” will end on the 29th of May with food in the civic centre of Garriguella.

On Sunday, the 24th of May 2009 at 6 PM a Concert will take place in the church Santa Maria of Roses. Director Holger Stein presents the choir Miscel.lánia, along with choirs from Selva de Mar and Llers. The program will offer Catalan, Spanish as well as international songs. Everybody is welcome, and the admission is free.

Ventalló plans a joint project with the  "Federació Catalana d'Esquí Nàutic" to install a water-ski centre on its lake. The existing lake will be enlarged and a second lake will be developed. However, the project still needs administrative approvals. 

La Jonquera will organize on the 14th of June along its streets of the city centre the "Mostra d'Art i Comerç", a market with artistic and commercial products.

In Figueres the attractions of the "Fires i Festes de la Santa Creu" will remain on the fairgrounds one week longer than originally planned. The city hall decided on this time extension because the bad weather had attracted fewer visitors during the Fiesta.

Roses plans the construction of a congress centre in the sector Mas d'en Puig.  There will also be a commercial zone as well as a boarding school with a French high school.

On the 10th of May, beginning at ten o'clock, a rowing regatta of the Catalan league will take place on the bay of Empuriabrava.

In Llançà the friends of the Sardana will appear on the 10th of May in the Hermitage Sant Silvestre, for the XXX Aplec de Sant Silvestre. The event begins with a breakfast at 10 o'clock.

Castelló d'Empúries begins an informational campaign to remind dog owner of their responsibilities. An important goal is to have all owners remove their pet’s excrement from public streets and places.  After an introductory period there will be a penalty of 100 euro for those failing to comply.  Owners of dogs registered in the municipality will receive a free kit for the disposal of excrement.

L'Escala will be the Sardana Capital in 2010 (Ciutat Pubilla del in 2010).  The last time this honour was in the Alt Empordà was in 1991 when Llançà was the Capital.

The city hall of Roses plans to provide a transportation service to the airport Girona. At the moment it is negotiating with bus enterprises and with services interested in attracting air travellers, such as hoteliers etc.

The camping site Laguna in Empuriabrava received the top recognition -- 5 stars -- from the German camping club.

L'Escala celebrates the memory of his forefathers with a traditional Greek-Roman party from the 1st to the 10th of May.  The focus of the “XIV Fira Grecoromana triumvirate Mediterrani” will be the food of the Roman epoch. A part of the Fiesta will be a simulation of a Roman military camp. 

The V FIRA D'INDIANS of Cadaqués on 12 June will use the motto "un Americano a Cadaqués ".

	Roses and the Southern French town of Céret signed an arrangement for the two city halls to collaborate.  The first contact will be a program for youngsters of both places between the ages of 12 and 15 years.
Céret

In Llançà a 31-year-old inhabitant was arrested and charged with three break-ins of private houses. He had, in each case, broken a window with a stone, had entered the house and had stolen small electrical appliances.

The journalist Marga Figueras received, in Cadaqués, the Carles Rahola award for the article "L'última gent salada" published on the 28th of November in the newspaper Presència.

The harbour of Llançà will add a new protection dock to shield the harbour facilities and the fishing cooperative auction hall from storms. At Christmastime last year the protection proved useless against a strong "llevante" with meter-high waves. Various plans were considered, including maybe moving the hall to another location.  Finally the ministry of the environment has decided on the new dock.  There are additional approvals needed, from many agencies, before construction can commence.

The courts has levied a fine of 4,860 Euros and 3,5 years of prison for the real estate agent Thomas Höffken from Roses. In 2001 Höffken sold an apartment in Santa Margarida, but failed to deliver the proceeds to the sellers.   First he offered bad checks.  Then, the arrangement was arbitrated by the peace judge of Roses whereby the broker agreed to pay the money due, plus interest within ten months. Nevertheless, the seller was not paid.

The government has passed new regulations of the Llei de l'Habitatge (apartment law). This defines apartments, which are not constantly occupied, but are rented temporarily to tourists, as "habitatges d'ús turístic", apartments for tourist use.  These apartments must be registered by the municipalities. The municipalities must assure that the apartments meets the minimum requirements, and will then issue a "licencia municipal" which is required before renting. The municipalities are not pleased with these new tasks because they do not have the infrastructure for such a large administrative task.

The union of citizens and businessmen of L'Escala encouraged the city hall to renovate the streets Roca Maura, l'Església, Pintor Mascort, Eivissa, Víctor Concas and avinguda de Roma – but the projects are now on “hold.”  The association argues that because of the economic crisis the extra taxes due for this are not reasonable.

The Fiesta mayor of Figueres, "Fires i Festes de la Santa Creu" (until the 3rd of May) is a little simpler than in prior years.  Bad weather hampered the few attractive programs and the fair must get by with a budget 40% smaller than originally planned.

Llançà will organize on the 1st of May a full-day competition for sports fishermen.

Every 20th of April of the year the Restaurant Magazine published in Freemason's Hall of London presents the list of the best restaurants in the world (The World's 50 Best restaurants, see  http://www.theworlds50best.com/2009_1_50.html).  The top winner, for the fourth time in a row is the El Bulli in Roses.  In addition the Celler de Can Roca in Girona was the largest climber, moved up to fifth place.  Thus, two of the five best restaurants in the World are in the province of Girona  . . . right in our back yard.   There has been increasing media awareness of Spain, and Catalonia has been touted as the new gastronomic centre of the world

The comment period to voice objection to the new land-use plan of Roses (POUM) has ended.  The city hall received 206 comments.

Roses will invest 5.2 million Euros in the rebuilding its old city hall and the construction of a civil centre at the riera Ginjolers. Urban services will be relocated to the old city hall.  The new civil centre will house the tourism office.

The government administration has developed the "Mapa Eòlic Marí", a map of Spain, which describes where the installation of wind generators on the sea is possible and meaningful, and where it is not.  The Costa Brava is included in the favourable areas, but not the region around the Cap de Creus.

Long-distance calls from the landline, to and from countries of the EU have become cheaper, once again, for users of the Call-by-Call service.  During the day on weekdays the conversations will cost 5 cents per minute, between 18 and 20 o'clock 3.5 cents, and from 20 o’clock to 8 o'clock, as well as all day on Saturdays and Sundays the cost per minute will be only 2.9 cents.

Anyone with a Spanish e-mail address should not be surprised to receive messages, supposedly from banks, which asks the recipient to reveal accounts data. These spam messages should be moved to trash, or you will risk losing all your money in that account.

The fishing cooperatives of the province Girona are seeking a regulation change concerning the catching of anchovies. Up to now “anxoves" over 9 cms in length may be marketed. The fishermen want the minimum size increased to 11 cms, to allow the species to regenerate.

The artificial lake of Portbou will be administered in future by the "Agència Catalana de l'Aigua." Heretofore the administration has been by the municipality. The small reservoir is currently losing about 30 thousand litres of water per day and, so needs urgent repairs.

In L'Escala the seafront repair work of the Christmas storm damage is progressing quickly.  At the old "Passeig" only minor evidence of the damage still exists.

	The marathon run in L’Escala (3rd of May) starts and ends at the excavations of Empuries. The organizers expect at least 1000 participants.
Empuries

The American actor John Malkovich opens on the 18th of July at the  “festival Castell de Peralada, “ with a lyrical evening, accompanying musically works by Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven.

The foundation Fundació Mar in Begur estimates that between the Cap de Creus and Sant Feliu de Guíxols about 30 and 40 leisure boats sink each year.  However, a wreck is not always the cause. Many boat owners are scuttling their unwanted boats to save the cost, and then reporting the loss as an accident to collect the insurance proceeds.  The trend is increasing, but the ability to prove the reason for the “accidental loss” is unlikely because of the high cost of raising a boat that has sunk.

Cap de Creus

On the 24th of April at 20 o'clock the citadel opens the exhibit "Roses: Porta del Cap de Creus" with photographs by Yvonne Heinert.

Bad weather depressed the mood of the holidaymakers during the Easter holidays. Rain and blasts of wind, overcast sky and temperatures around 10 degrees saddened the many tourists who had hoped for sunny skies, and they tended to leave Costa Brava early -- again. So, the end-of-holiday traffic in the direction of Barcelona and France on Easter Monday was very quiet. However, there were beneficiaries of the weather; the ski areas in the Pyrenees were beckoning. They enjoyed snow, instead of rain, and many of the hotels were booked up.

	One Good Friday, in the small town of Garriguella (731 inhabitants in 2006) the rain was better, it was raining money!  At the blind person's lottery ONCE 10,830,000 Euros was won by many of the town’s inhabitants.  48 of them each won 35,000 Euros, one person won 150,000 Euros, and the lion's share, 9 million Euros, was won by the happiest inhabitant in town.
Garriguella

At the fair for used boats in Empuriabrava 78 boats were sold. The buyers were interested either in small boats or big yachts, but the mid-level boats, priced between 40 and 70 thousand Euros mostly failed to find a new owner.

The towns of Cadaqués, Puigcerdà, Sitges and Vielha-Mijaran founded a new tourist association "Viles amb Personalitat" (towns with personality). They want an affiliation with the association to be seen as a seal of a quality tourism destination.

	The gallery Marges-U in Cadaqués will show until the 24th of May an exhibit of works by the artist Rafael Bartolozzi (1943 - 2009). Bartolozzi had lived, from time to time, since the sixties, in Cadaqués where he met his wife Núria Aymamí.  He unexpectedly died in March of this year.
Rafael Bartolozzi

 The Can Laporta in La Jonquera will exhibit from 20 April until the 3rd of May the work of the painter and sculptor Jordi Gispert.

In Cadaqués work has began to remove many exotic plants from Portlligat.  These invasive non-native plants are a serious threat to the eco system of the Mediterranean coast.

The "Centre Cultural Sant Domènec" in Peralada is now presenting the exhibit "La costura a mà i a màquina", a collection of historical sewing machines, until the 3rd of May.

After four months of modernization work the watercolour museum has re-opened in Llançà. One change is the installation of a new lighting system with halogen lamps, which reduce the reflections on the protective glass in front of the watercolours.

The fountain at the park in front of the railway station in Figueres is again in operation.  The renovation includes a re-circulating water system.

In Cadaqués the damage from the 26th of December storm have been removed. Also, the boat washed onto the beach has been taken away.

The fishermen of the province Girona caught 12.058 metric tons of fish during 2008, 25% less than in the year before. The decline was partially compensated by higher prices.  The best selling harbour was Roses.

The city hall in L’Escala estimates that the cost to reorganize the seafront will be about 10 million Euros. According to the plans the new "Passeig" will be moved about three meters further from the sea and will be 500 meters long.

L'Escala offers a reduced parking rate during the summer months for his citizens at parking spaces (zona blava).  The special rate of one Euro per day is only available to persons with residence in L'Escala who also pay taxes for residential property or have registered a vehicle.

Last weekend about 20 dolphins romped around the Cap de Creus.

The committee for Urbanism in Girona approved the special land-use plan for the centre of Cadaqués. This plan specifies what will be permitted to be built in the future and what cannot be built, with a strong emphasis on the preservation of the historical feel of the town.

The Patronat de Turisme, together with Turespaña have developed an international advertising campaign for the Costa Brava, with pictures from Monells, Calella de Palafrugell ¸ illes Medes and the beach Aigua Xelida in the Baix Empordà as well as Tossa de Mar in la Selva. Our region, the Alt Empordà, is represented only by Portlligat in Cadaqués. The campaign is funded with a budget of 600,000 Euros.

L'Escala adjusts its city centre on Good Friday the cross way for Jesus scenically, with 90 participants, and 8 scenes. The event begins on Plaça de l'Església with the condemnation of Jesus.

After a number of break-ins, Colera has engaged a private security service, which should help assure safety.  However the "departament d'Interior" has informed the city hall of Colera that this is not permitted. Private security services may operate only on private land, but may not patrol on the streets. Now, Colera is considering their options, including a local police force.

One result of the real-estate crisis is an increased demand for rental apartments.  And, because the demand rises the prices have remained relatively stable. In Catalonia an apartment costs, on average 908 Euros per month, but this is skewed by the rates in Barcelona, which are very high. In Figueres the average rent is 608 Euros per month.  The most expensive apartments in the Alt Empordà are in La Jonquera, with rent exceeding 1,000 Euros per month.

A private investor intends to establish a leisure park in L’Escala near the camp dels Pilans on 8.337 square meters. The city hall has already given the green light for the project.

The small, direct street between Castelló d'Empúries and Empuriabrava is closed top traffic during the next months because of construction work on the bridge over the Mugueta.

The Sunday market of L'Escala returns at the middle of the next month, directly by the sea, between Plaça de l'Univers and the end of the Passeig de Mar.

From the Easter week until the summer the tourism information in the Port de Llançà parking lot is opened on the weekends, from 10 to 14 h and from 16 a 19h.

The music festivals of the Empordà have announced their programs. Despite the economic pressures the majority of the festivals have not made any significant modifications, at least not any diminishment that would be painful for the audience. Peralada, for example, will operate with the identical budget as last year.  Still the Peralada sponsors express some caution, and at the same time have increased the number of concerts what might generate some additional income. The successful program structure of the past few years will not be changed from its mixture of classical, opera, jazz and pop, but this year there will be added emphasis on Catalan songwriters of the Nova Cançó, with interpreters such as Xavier Baró, Dani Flaco, Ester Formosa, to Sílvia Comes and Miquel Gil.

Peralada

Similarly the Cadaqués will not make significant changes. The program will begin, as usual, on the 1st of August and will be comprised of 9 official concerts. Because the festival has made a few spatial and artistic changes last year, this year will be more of the same.

Roses has declared the olive grove Gran Vila as a new urban Green zone. The area between the streets Arquímedes and Almogàvers had been bought from the municipality some months ago. The first works to restore the area have already begun.

In Castelló d’Empúries more than 400 pets, mostly cats, were sterilized during a three-day free program by the Associació Comerç de Castelló and per Gat i Gos Ampuria.

The strong storms at Christmastime last year allowed scientists to learn more about the many galley hulls that are hidden under the sea.  So far more than 200 objects from the Phoenician time up to Roman epoch have been registered, in Roses, Sant Martí d'Empúries, L’Escala and illes Medes in L'Estartit. It is planned to digitize the "Bahía" as a three-dimensional map to mark the findings.

In the cloister Santa Maria de Vilabertran restoration has again begun.  This phase will deal with the rule hall with its special Gothic architectural elements.

After this summer the renovation of the building l'Alfolí de la Sal begins in L'Escala will be available for cultural purposes.

The prices of existing apartments fell in the first trimester of the year in Catalonia by about 1.8%.  On average, the price is about 3,017 Euros per square meter. In the province Girona only Empuriabrava (+1.8%) and Llançà (+0.1%) were able to counter this trend.

The local budget of Cadaqués will be 7.3 million Euros this year, 16.96% more than for the prior year.  This increase became necessary because Cadaqués needs urgent renovation work on the street along the sea, which had been partially destroyed during the Christmas storms. However, the 1, 3 million Euros necessary for this, is taken over to the majority from other administrations.

Colera has opened, after eight months of renovation work, its social centre El Trull. There older or handicapped persons can be better served and in the hot months there will be air-conditioning.   

The mayor of Figueres, Santi Vila, announced during the Fira Gust on the Rambla the new plans for the former slaughterhouse. Soon, the building will serve to introduce food products of the Empordà and to provide for their commercialization.

The sales of properties within the new industrial area of Roses in the street to Vilajuïga were delayed about three months until June because some modifications of the plans still had to be completed. Then, plots will be offered which are smaller than originally planned and correspondingly less expensive.

The "Culinary Institute of America", the most important American cooking school has elected Ferran Adriá (El Bulli, Roses) as the chef of the year. Adriá will receive, during a gala in New York, the "Augie", named in honour of the French master's cook Auguste Escoffier (* 28th October, 1846 in Villeneuve-Loubet; † 12th February, 1935 in Monte Carlo), once named  “the cook of the emperors and the emperor of the cooks.”  His book "Guide Culinaire" is regarded as the basis for all 20th century cooking.

Auguste Escoffier

The concert by the Catalan songwriter Joan Manel Serrat in the theatre of Figueres on the 1st of May is nearly sold out.

Now, after thirty years of dispute Torroella de Montgrí and L'Escala agreed on their duties and responsibilities concerning the beach Cala Montgó. The beach lies on the border between the Alt and the Baix Empordà and belongs geographically to both places. Therefore, Torroella de Montgrí will be responsible for the cleaning of the beach and its security. L'Escala will provide the cleaning of the parking lot and the seafront, and provide security and will organize a weekly market.

The temporary fish auction room, installed in portable buildings in the port of Llança, has begun operation. Now the 80 fishermen of Llançà no longer have to go to the auction room in Port de la Selva to sell their catches.

The foundation Gala Salvador Dalí ended 2008 with a profit of 4.2 million Euros. Its income came from royalties and visits (1.274.554) to the three museums of the Dalí triangle (Figueres, Púbol and Cadaqués).

The Ecomuseu-Farinera in Castelló d'Empúries is holding an exhibition entitled "Terra d'aigua, vent i cereals. Els molins fariners de l'Alt Empordà" (Land of water, wind and cereals: the corn mills of the Alt Empordà) until the 31st May.

L'Escala is calling on the environment ministry to reduce the area of the planned nature reserve "Montgrí, Illes Medes i Baix Ter" by about 290 hectares. Its concern, on this occasion, is an area to the east of L'Escala currently used for agriculture.

The marina at Roses has begun a campaign "Soc sostenible" (I respect the environment) directed at boat owners and other users of the marina not to dump waste in the sea.

Sant Pere Pescador has opened a new post office at c. del Carme, 10-12. Full disabled access has been incorporated.

In Colera eight robberies have taken place in only two weeks. The thieves have taken furniture, an inflatable boat, a boat engine and looted the money from a slot machine in a bar. As a result, the local council of Colera has decided to engage a private security firm.

The Pro Gat i Gos association from Castelló d'Empúries has provided a free cat sterilisation service for three days. Per Gat i Gos was founded in 1993 and since then has taken care of stray pets, especially cats and dogs. The association is financed from private donations.

L'Escala is now definitely going to build an underground multi-storey car-park under the Plaça de Catalunya; work on it will begin after the summer.

12 oarsmen and women from the club Xon's Rem Empuriabrava have been selected for the Catalan national rowing team.

Last year, 8,884 residential units were sold in Girona province. 28% of the buyers came from Barcelona, and 1,372 apartments changed hands with foreign owners. Coastal properties were particularly sought; Roses on this occasion was the front-runner with 565 units.

The week after Easter, work will start on demolishing the 443 bungalows still standing at  the former Club Med site at Cadaqués. The work will take at least a year, but will be suspended during the summer months.

Roses is undertaking a thorough renovation of the old part of the town. The work will last until 2013. Part of the cost of 8.6 million euros will be financed by a subsidy through the Llei de Barris to the tune of 4.31 million euros.

The Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation in Figueres has acquired a new building, which on completion will accomodate the management. This will free up space in Torre Galatea square for the enlargement of the Dalí museum.

Tuna may no longer be caught by amateur fishermen on the Catalan coast. The people affected, however, do not agree at all with this new order. They admit that the tuna is a threatened species; however, they point out that their catch, which amounts to 0.006% of the professional total is vanishingly small in comparison. Negative economic consequences of the order are also forecast, because many tourists visit our region for the tuna fishing.

To date, more than 2,000 residents of Empuriabrava have submitted their responses in protest to the establishment of a public zone along the canal sides. Now the committee for the Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries has added its voice to the proceedings. It is suggesting to the Spanish state that the plans be frozen because of the enormous social and economic consequences, with more than 5,000 people being affected. This means that there is still no clear solution; however, all those involved have been assured that no existing canalside structures will be demolished.

The council of Castelló d'Empúries has installed new public benches for relaxation at 20 noteworthy or useful points in Empuriabrava.

The government is inspecting food and drink establishments in the region regarding their use of the Catalan language within the scope of a campaign of information. The law intends that in every establishment at least one employee understands Catalan, although he or she need not be able to speak the language. Also the menus and the complaints book must exist in Catalan.

Roses town council has dissolved the Roses Historia i Natura to take over its work. The council has done this with the aim of more financial transparency and better management. The opposition does not agree with this decision. Among other criticisms, it points out that this change prevents the receipt of private donations and the previous exemption from value-added tax.

Castelló d'Empúries is working to improve the "zona de la Musclera". This area of the canal area of Empuriabrava was in a state of neglect.  It is now thoroughly cleaned.

On Plaça la Palmera in Figueres Max Rubert presents "Marsyas", ten big pictures related to Figueres as the Catalan cultural capital of 2009.

Cadaqués will recall its long history with Cuba on the 6th June with V FIRA D'INDIANS.

Cadaqués will build a new bus station on 3,000 square meters surface at the entrance to the village. It should be finished for the 2010 season. Then Cadaqués will be the smallest place of Catalonia with its own bus and railway station. The new railway station twist, however, is in someone’s imagination.

In L'Escala the seafront is being repaired from the huge storm damage that occurred on 26 December of last year. The work is expected to be completed by the summer season.  The project’s cost, as estimated by the city hall will be about 3.7 million Euros. By the beginning of May the weekly market will be able to return to the  "passeig".

Rabòs will move its old cemetery to a new location outside of the village.  Archaeologists expect to learn more about the medieval church Sant Julià de Rabòs that was on the land occupied by the cemetery.

The 17è festival de jazz de Figueres begins on the 28th of March with the New York standards quartet.  The final concert will be on the 1st of May on the Rambla.

Roses wishes to establish itself as a centre for smaller to mid-sized congresses.

Figueres has completed its electric bus’ trial period and has brought the vehicle into normal operation.  The bus is the first of its kind in Catalonia. The bus is not only environment-friendly; it also spares the city branch. It costs only 7.50 Euros, until the batteries are charged for one day.

In the small town of Palau saverdera (6 km from Roses) a different kind of storm is brewing: the city hall has written to 42 mostly foreign owners of apartments in the Sun Village and asked them to approve their buildings being torn down at their expense, within six months. The history: the ground of the Sun Village was only approved by the town’s architectural planning board for the construction of a hotel, but not approved for the construction of condominiums.  Nevertheless, 42 high-quality residential units were built.  They gained permission to build by the city hall. In this respect the buyers acted in good faith when they bought their apartments.  The transaction was completed by the notary and the deed was properly registered.  After the discovery of the discrepancy the affair was considered by several court authorities, until the uppermost court of Catalonia (TSJC) definitively declared that the Sun Village must be razed, because the urbanization conditions had not been met. Since then the city hall of Palau saverdera has attempted to prevent this -- in vain. Now, the owners are reacting to the destruction by demanding that the city hall pay them 12,6 million Euros in compensation, which is the value of the apartments at the time of the judgment by the TSJC, three years ago.

In France the 100th edition of the restaurant guide Guide Michelin has been published. For this occasion the publishing house published a jubilee edition in which all the three-star restaurants of the world are listed. In Catalonia the Michelin 3-star restaurants are El Bulli (Roses), Can Fabes (Sant Celoni) and Carme Ruscadella-Sant Pau (Sant Pol de Mar)

The town library of Roses ended the year 2008 with a very positive status. The library attracted 13% more readers than in the prior year, and nearly 40% of the citizens of Roses are members of the library.

The mayors of the region and the police are concerned about a significant increase of property crimes.  They assume that the increase is related to the economic crisis. The culprits are very often persons who were here-to-fore not involved in crime. Their motives are simply economic need.

In La Jonquera a park with seventeen wind generators will be developed between "coll del Portell" and "coll de Panissars". The firm Windmaster had begun this project ten years ago; in the intervening years the administrations have declared that the wind generator park was a public necessity. The owners of the affected property have been informed that their land will be expropriated.

A new regulation requires that mopeds in Catalonia must have periodic technical inspections (ITV). This applies to all mopeds over three years of age.  To facilitate the inspection process, since mopeds rarely venture as far as the ITV facility in Vilamala or Girona, the ITV will offer mobile control units that will come to a place nearer the moped’s home base.

The small street between Castelló d'Empúries and Sant Pere Pescador is the street on which more traffic accidents with animals occur than any other in Catalonia.  Collisions occur with horses, deer and wild boars, in that order.  Officials of the natural park Aiguamolls that borders the street as well as other administrative jurisdictions have tried in the past --  without appreciable success -- to prevent the accidents.  Now the Mossos D'Esquadra (police) will try to sensitize the road users of the dangers. Temporary radar checks will also be installed to control the speed of the traffic.

Aiguamolls

Roses advertises its cultural program on three square advertising pillars, which are located at Plaça Catalunya, Plaça del Teatre and Plaça Llevant

The centres for primary care medical assistance (CAP) in Peralada and Portbou reduce the visit times.  Anyone who needs help in Peralada during the night, on weekends or holidays must turn to the urban hospital of Figueres. In Portbou the CAP of Llançà is responsible after 15 o'clock for medical emergencies.

The American wine guru Robert Parker published his annual list of (113) best Spanish wines.  Within the ranking by the critic are wines from the DO Empordà, the Martí Fabra Selecció Vinyes Velles, 2005, by the wine producer's Martí Fabra in Sant Climent Sescebes. Martí Fabra's wines are rarely found in local retail establishments.  It is recommended that one should visit the winery.

Ryanair will probably close their airport counters for check in.  If a traveller has only hand baggage they must check in via the Internet.  The only Ryanair counter will be for checked baggage.  Ryanair will save some expense.  Currently only every fifth Ryanair passenger uses the airport check in.  The others bring only hand luggage and complete the registration process on Ryanair’s easy to use web page.

L'Escala will completely rearrange its tourism office in Riells.  During the summer the tiny 5 square meter office attracts throngs of visitors. Soon there will be a better facility with 60 square meters.

Roses will re-numbers some of its houses.  In the past the addition of a new building resulted in an inconsistent numbering pattern.  The first street to be subjected to the remedy will be the Gran via Pau Casals with its 96 buildings.

Roses has included in its new land-use plan (POUM) a leisure area to be established behind the citadel. There should, according to the interest of local enterprises, be various leisure offerings including some a fairground stands.

In Empuriabrava the first work has begun, and during the next few weeks the beach La Rubina will again be pushed back into a better condition.  However, for the time being the improvements will be limited and will not bring everything back to its former shape. For caravan and motor homes there will not be any space on La Rubina, as there had been, previously.

To mitigate the building trade crisis construction is planned, almost everywhere, for publicly financed apartments.  Even small towns such as Boadella and Les Escaules have joined the trend, as they build four apartments, which will be offered for a moderate rent.  The secondary benefit will be that these subsidized apartments may encourage young residents to remain in their small towns.

The state government granted Castelló d'Empúries 1.881.208 Euros to subsidize the fund for local investments. Thus 14 projects are to be promoted and it is expected that they will eventually employee 21 out of work citizens.

Good news for beer drinkers: a study of the university Granada proves that after strenuous sports activities three quarters of a litre of beer is needed to replenish the body.

The tourism office of Port de la Selva has been moved from the city hall to Carrer Illa, number 13, near the post office. Also the phone number has changed: 972 387 122.

The tourism trade of the Costa Brava is preparing itself for a meagre season.  The estimate is based upon the expectations of holidaymakers from Spain itself.  Last year the tourists from within Spain fell by 5%. According to a survey by the Internet travel portal Trivago the majority of the Spaniards (85%) want to be more economical in their holiday travel during 2009.  And the other 15% plans not to travel.

Even the airport in Girona is beginning to feel the economic pinch, in spite of the really low-cost Ryanair flights, which is the major carrier at the airport. For the first time in a very long time the airport has reported a decrease in passenger traffic; in January of this year the activity was about 14% less than last January.

	In Llançà  “club d'Amics de Sau” recalls the pop singer Carles Sabater who died ten years ago. The very popular singer had lived for a long time in Llançà.
Carles Sabater

In spite of the tense economic situation Roses has plans for 2009 to modernize its streets and walking track.  The areas affected are in the downtown as well as the urbanizations. The planned work should cost about 1.6 million Euros; 1.35 millions will be financed by subsidies of the state.

The city hall of L'Escala has forced the removal a large advertising board between the Carrer Empúries and the Ronda Pedró. This sign had been installed by an advertising firm on a private property without the necessary approvals from city hall. Because the advertising firm refused to remove the sign, the city hall arranged for the removal.  The city hall has sent the bill to the advertising firm.

The exile museum (MUME) in La Jonquera offers every last Sunday of the month at 11 o'clock a free guided tour. One should make a reservation at the phone number 972556533 or by e-mail (info@museuexili.cat).

The tax authorities plan to prosecute all owners of illegally built huts or residential units within the nature reserves Cap de Creus or Aiguamolls.  Penalties can be imprisonment for one year or more as well as fines between 2,700 and 4,800 Euros.

The club Nàutic of L'Escala will organize between 9 and 17 May an exhibition of new boats in the water. Space is planned for 25 boats up to 12 meters and place for 5 tents on land with 750 square meters of display space.

	The “Ports de la Generalitat” named Joan Pere Darbra to be responsible for the harbours of North Catalonia. Specifically he is responsible for the ports of Llançà, Port de la Selva, Roses, L’Escala, L’Estartit, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Blanes.

Since the high-speed train TAV connects Barcelona with Madrid, the night train “Estrella Costa Brava” from Portbou to Madrid is being used much less. However, the railroad company Renfe assures us that the Estrella Costa Brava will continue to operate, despite rumours to the contrary. The train from Portbou to Madrid takes eight hours and is much cheaper than the TAV.

The opposition party ERC presented to the city hall of Pont de Molins 200 signatures of citizens who do not agree with the new land-use plan. The plan will allow the number of inhabitants of Pont de Molins to grow to 1900 by 2017.

Roses wants to study its future vis-à-vis the tourism trade. The city hall has advertised for a firm to conduct the study.

Japan invited the best chefs of the world to participate in the culinary forum Tokyo Taste. The Spanish participants are Ferran Adriá (El Bulli, Roses), Juan Mari Arzak and Andoni Luis Aduriz.

Currently there are 44.735 persons on the jobless rolls in the province Girona. However the labour office (SOC) can only identify 139 job opportunities. Also, the transport trade is suffering from the economic crisis. Of the 3000 truckers in the province Girona about one quarter are idle because there is not enough work.

At the moment the government is debating plans on how to support the fishing trade. One of the suggestions is that the fish boats may only go out four days per week. This could apply to all of Catalonia. The plan is based on a reduction of the supply of fish to increase in the price. Most of the fishermen of the region have review the proposed plans and remain sceptical. They note that bad weather, especially when there is a Tramuntana, has often prevented their fishing and yet they cannot recall auctions resulting in higher prices because of the decreased supply.

Because the concert by the Australian group AC/DC in Barcelona on 31 March was promptly sold out, a second concert has been set for the 7th of June, in the Olympic stadium, with a capacity of 60,000 persons. The tickets are 65 Euros. Llançà and Port de la Selva are jointly offering a bus for this concert at a price of 15 Euros.

The track for the high-speed train between Perpignan and Figueres is complete. When trains will run along this track remains an uncertainty.  The earliest date, however, would be in 2010. On the route passenger trains and freight trains will be able to run at a maximum speed of 350 km/h.

 The country road C-31 between Ventalló, Torroella de Fluvià and Vilacolum is being widened along 16 kilometres of roadway.  The road construction activities are already in operation.

Figueres has begun using the first electrically powered bus in Catalonia. At the moment the vehicle is only in the test phase.

Sant Climent Sescebes plans the construction of a thermal bath.

The state funds dedicated for local investment are expected to create about 2600 new jobs in the province of Girona. Girona will gain 650 positions and Figueres will gain 117 positions.  Also, some of the smaller towns will feel the benefit, such as Roses (114) and L’Escala (75).

Ryanair announced that on its flights the hand luggage limitation of 10 kilos would be strictly enforced.  Overage will cost 30 Euros.

In Cadaqués the "Servei Maritims de Cadaqués" has been established. This agency will administer the renting of buoys and the resolution of questions pertaining to the underwater world. The service acts as an independent agency within the city hall government structure. Its membership is made up of council members.

The city hall of Castelló d’Empúries planned to equip the nightclub zone Els Arcs in Empuriabrava with surveillance cameras to provide better security.  It seems that all parties were in agreement, but the plan was rejected by the "Departament d'Interior", because, they felt that the cameras were intrusive of the public’s privacy.  The city hall fails to understand this reasoning since surveillance cameras have been installed at many other similar public places.

The French and the Spanish state jointly plan the creation of a maritime protection zone to extend from the south of France up to the Cap de Creus – an area of 10,000 square kilometres. Indeed the project still is its infancy and will only become a reality if the local stakeholders, such as the federations of fishing cooperatives and diving schools, can accept the scheme.

The committee for town planning in Girona has stopped, at least for the time being, plans to build a five-star hotel, with five floors, at the entrance to Empuriabrava.

Sant Pere Pescador and the neighbouring town l'Armentera are now connected to the sewage system from L’Escala. Up to now both places had treated their wastewater and dumped it into the riu Fluvià.

The night bars of Castelló d'Empúries, L’Escala, el Port de la Selva, Llançà, Roses and Cadaqués have applied to the government to be allowed to open their establishments with longer hours during Easter and the summer months.

In Roses the streets Mimosa, Els Grecs and Aristòtil will be renovated during the next ten months. They will be asphalted, new road lighting will be installed and cables will be placed underground.

The exile museum in La Jonquera plans to commemorate the seventy years of the exile from the Spanish civil war with seven exhibits and twenty festival acts.

The president of the fishing cooperative of Roses, Antoni Abad, was elected president of the umbrella organization of the fishing cooperatives in Girona. He succeeds Antoni Negre from Llançà who had had held this office for the past five years.

The repair or reorganization of the seafront of Cadaqués should cost 3.4 million Euros and last about six months. This project scope will include the streets along the sea; about 700-meter in length, as well as the seawall, which is 200-meter in length.

The government invests 5 million Euros for the improvement of the water supply of the Alt Empordà. The waterworks from Peralada to La Jonquera supply six municipalities from two wells, and another four wells will serve Garriguella, Vilajuïga and Pau with four wells. Colera will also get three new wells.

Figueres will improve its sports complex near the hospital to include an outdoor swimming pool and a covered basin.

The military bunkers within the limits of La Jonquera have been declared a cultural asset with local interest (BCIL). These fortifications had been built shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war and are also known as the “Line P”.

The restaurant El Bulli in Roses is already full up for the 2009 season (from the 16th of June to the 20th of December).  However, the gourmet temple controlled by Ferran Adriá with three Michelin stars promises in their website that there is always a chance for a cancellation and you may still be able to dine at one of their exalted tables.

Because the demand exceeds the supply, the private senior's hostel Europalau in Palau saverdera will be enlarged, soon, to offer more places.   22 new residential unities are built, raising the capacity from 34 to 78 places.

The area of the former Club Med in Cadaqués, which has been closed for the past four years, and is now controlled by the Spanish state, should be soon returned to its natural condition.  One of the next steps is to raze the bungalows and remove the rubble.  Since there is no timetable it is unclear whether this work will occur before or after the summer. It is essential that the work not occur during the summer months, for this will adversely affect tourists.

Between Borassa and Figueres work on the 1,750-meter long tunnel for the high-speed train TAV has begun. The drilling has commenced on both sides of the tunnel

On the 8th and 9th of July, the tour de France 2009 comes to our region. On the 8th of July the stage will end in Perpignan, just over the border, after beginning in Cap d'Agde.  Perpignan, the gateway to the Pyrenees, has been a point on the tour 35 times.  However, this year, the route continues south, and on the 9th of July the race will run from Girona to Barcelona. For Girona, the town on the Onyar, this is the first time it has been included in the tour de France.  Even now, a search for a hotel room is going to be difficult. The hotels of Girona are already nearly booked up, and hotels in the area are also getting busy.

Cadaqués is rebuilding its rambla, officially  the Passeig Castelló. Technical aspects include renewal of the lighting and the sewage system. As far as urban aesthetics are concerned, the rambla character will be retained, to a great extent, with the planting of new trees and green areas. Also the bus station project is to begin immediately, at the site where buses already stop.

The protest group “Defensem el Tren” (protect the train) has declared itself very dissatisfied with the continuing negotiations over the transfer of Figueres railway station  from the city centre to the outskirts of town in Vilafant. The current position is that it seems inevitable that not only the station for conventional trains, but also the bus station will be shifted there. “Defensem el Tren” had collected nearly 6000 signatures protesting against the transfer of the station. The coastal municipalities also fear negative consequences for their infrastructure from the new station, since it is probable that in soon after the relocation the railway connection from Figueres to Portbou would lose importance and be finally shut down.

L'Escala is building a hut beside the tourist office at the roundabout of St. Martí d'Empúries to cater for bicycle tourism.

The world-famous restaurant El Bulli in Roses has announced a change in its opening times for the year 2009. It will begin the season somewhat later than up to now, around 16 June, but will also close its doors later, on 22 December.

The organisation for protection of interests of the owners of Empuriabrava (AP) has a new office, in Joan Carles I, sector Peni. Public opening is from 9.30 am until 2.00 pm.

“Escot l'Escala”, the oldest windsurfing equipment business in the Alt Empordà (since 1991), is celebrating its new web site, http://www.escot-lescala.com, which is in Catalan, French, English and Spanish. It has a very interesting photography gallery of l'Escala and its surroundings, likewise a webcam view of the “Port d'en Perris”, which is updated every five minutes and is kindly made available to CapCreus online.

On the plaça Llevant in Roses new embankments have been installed, as the conclusion of the current renovation work.

The circular path (camí de ronda) from Port de la Selva towards Llançà is largely finished. In good weather many people are already using it for strolls.

The town hall of Roses is reminding its citizens and visitors to place rubbish in the containers provided for this. Offences can be punished by fines of up to 100 euros.

Castelló d’Empúries is currently distributing a printed guide on the past and the future of the Marina Empuriabrava.  The document explains the use of the moorings and the rights and duties of their owners. The brochure is also available on the Internet, in Catalan, Spanish, French, English and German. At http://www.castello.cat/interior/ca/675-128/guia-de-la-marina.html one can download the version in any of the four languages as PDF-Format.

Roses terminated the bus line that operated between the centre and the urbanisations Mas Bosca, Mas Matas and Mas Fumats. The line had been established to satisfy the requests of the inhabitants of the urbanization.  Unfortunately, they failed to utilize it. During the seven months only 21 passengers availed themselves of the service.

The government is studying how the traffic flow can be improved between Llançà and Figueres. Probably the road (N-260) will be widened to four lanes.

Although bad weather had influenced the Festa de la Sal of L'Escala there was still favourable public approval. During the final concert the group cubà Maguey performed.

Anyone who would like to install a Spanish DSL connection (in Spanish ADSL) should pay attention to the small print. The providers play hardball, mostly at the expense of their customers. If one searches for a favourable ISP, a provider in the Internet, one easily finds ADSL for about 9,99 or 17,99 euro monthly. The price is only a teaser for a few months, and then the price goes up to around the forty euro per monthly. The contracts are mostly for a long duration and it is impossible to cancel earlier. If one should attempt to stop the service one must communicate by telephone, and this means that that one must prepare for a long wait, and often the wait is in vain. If you already have a connection and you are satisfied you should still regularly review your bill and your bank withdrawals.  Especially scrutinize if you received the proper free minutes for calls abroad. One of the bigger providers offers 1000 free minutes monthly for the price of about 40 euro including ADSL. Initially this functioned well, and then the company changed their rules, even for existing contracts and failed to inform their customers, neither by post, E-Mail or telephone. Complaints have been fruitless. What to do?  Look for a new ISP, is one solution. Controlling your existing contract and, if needed, order the bank to not to allow the payments. Without exception we continue to recommend for phone calls the call-by-call-service. Signing up does not cost anything and the calls are cheaper by around two-thirds. Since we had expressed our recommendation the first time, about 6 years ago, no one has complained.

The Marnató, a race for boats over 6 kilometres from the Cap de Creus to Cadaqués, won by Daniel Serra in the time of 1h31'17. In Second place, Francisco Pontana, reached the finish line seven seconds later

The crisis of the property market has resulted in a few changes in the Empordà. First a dramatic fall in prices, now a change in the behaviour of the owners. A short while ago there were few opportunities for long-term rentals, but now there are many offers at last year’s prices.

In July and August the Park+Bus carried 7,324 people into the city centre of Figueres. The city hall considers this service a success, but notes that most of users were tourists.  They will try to encourage residents and visitors from nearby towns to use the bus when they come to Figueres.

The former military fort Castell de Sant Ferran, which looms over Figueres, and is one of the largest facilities in the world, will not soon be turned over to Figueres. The city hall had announced last year that it had asked the Ministry of Defence to relinquish control. In the meantime the administration has decided that the complex would be too expensive for the municipality.

Since 1 September in Port de la Selva cardboard will be collected only once per week from the recycle containers, i.e., each Friday. In the summer the pick-ups were three times per week.  This change primarily affects shops that must discard a lot of cardboard.

The federal state government (Generalitat) reviews the statutes and terms of payment, which the manager of the channels of Empuriabrava established to charge the owners of anchorages.

The Catalan wine farmers estimate that the harvest will be about 5 to 10% smaller than last year.

In Palau saverdera the apartment complex Sun Village into the Urbanisation Can Isaac is again the hot topic. In the year 2001 the city hall had issued building permits for 38 dwellings on land that had been approved for only the construction of one hotel. After various court decisions the apartments are to be torn down. This would mean a great financial problem since the municipality would be required to compensate the owners, most of whom are foreigners. Palau saverdera is now trying to legalize the building permits, retroactively.

The medieval festival Terra de Trobadors in Castelló d'Empúries will expand its evening hours this year.

The tourism offices of Llançà answered over 23.000 inquiries this summer.

On large parts of Alt Empordà there still is a stage II drought. The party ICV, in the opposition at Figueres’ city hall, complains that on the one hand citizens are requested to save water, and yet on the other hand the decorative fountains of the city are running as usual.

1210 guests enjoyed a gigantic Suquet on the beach Riells in L’Escala.  The meal was prepared in a pan 2.5 meters of diameters. According to rumours this should be worthy an entry in the Guinness book of the records.

The Servicio de Control de Mosquitos (mosquito control) for the bay of Roses and the Baix Ter has caught in its traps in Roses and in L’Escala, for the first time in the Alt Empordà, the “mosquito tigre” (tiger mosquito?).

Figueres wants to initiate its program Un ciutadà, un arbre (one citizen, one tree) over the next four years to plant 4000 new trees. The action will begin as soon as the drought ends.

According to official statements there will not be any expropriations in Empuriabrava or in Santa Margarida.  Neither land, nor a portion of a property nor a mooring will be taken. The citizen associations, which had been formed to protect their rights, still ask for a clearer document on the process.

On the highway of Figueres, while travelling toward Llançà, close to Garriguella, a radar device for speed control will soon be put into service. The maximum speed allowed is 100 km/h.

The Alt Empordà got through the very dry high summer season quite well. There were not any real shortages, and even the quality of drinking water continued to be good.   In order to improve the situation, Port de la Selva opened two new wells, which were drilled last year. The new wells draw water from a depth of approximately 200 meters and produce between fifteen and twenty cubic meters of water per hour.

Madrid says the coastal law is the governing regulation for the Santa Margarida canals. At various meetings in Madrid it has been made clear that private property will not be taken at this time, but that expropriations are planned. Existing buildings will not be demolished. So, some ambiguity exists on what the next steps will be.

Roses has installed along the beach promenade 9 bike racks to receive bicycles.  The bike racks are to encourage the use of bicycles as a preferred means of local transport.

The Department of the Environment said that the beaches of the Costa Brava were in excellent condition, even now, in high season. The Ministry opined that even the medusa danger was irrelevant for 2008.

Particularly in damp weather were the stages of the cathedral of Castelló d'Empúries have been rather slippery, so that the danger of slipping existed, particularly for older people. The city hall has applied a special product on the marble which makes it less dangerous.

The city hall of Cadaqués forms a commission, made up of several councillors, who will be responsible for issues related to boats anchoring at the buoys. The past manager of the buoys, the club Nàutic of Cadaqués, will be involved but without the authority it had in the past.  The commission will also work with other organizations such as the fishermen and the Hotel trade.

The city hall of L’Escala requests federal state government assistance for repairs of the beach promenade. This area is so structurally compromised that the weekly market had to be relocated in May after a road cleaning vehicle had sunk into the ground.

Residents of Castelló d’Empúries, particularly foreign residents living in Empuriabrava, are forming a new political party.  The impetus for this action is the property-owners discontent to the administration’s position on the anchorage issue.

Castelló d'Empúries will again try control the ambulatory dealers on the roads of Empuriabrava. The city hall initiated an official evening market on the beach promenade which is opened from 18 to 24 o'clock daily. The 50 dealers who use the space must reserve the space and be insured. The police will assure that the sellers do not offer counterfeit products.

At the beach La Rubina of Empuriabrava barriers of 2.5 meters height have been installed to keep motor homes away. Eventually, the city hall wants to offer, in the same area, a parking lot suitable for motor home, caravan and boat trailers.

	The renovation of the fish auction halls of Llançà, Port de la Selva and Roses will make it possible for the public to attend the auctions without disturbing the process.
Roses

The New York Times on Sunday contained a wonderful article on Costa Brava (http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/travel/17costa.html?ref=travel).  The article is available on line for 7 days.  The theme is a declaration of love for Spain’s best Coast (“Spain's unchanging Costa Brava”).  The author highlighted the relatively few changes on our coast, unlike the other coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.  According to the NYT the fishing villages are still fishing villages and the authors thought that they ate their best tortilla at the Grifeu beach in Llançà. The authors used a lot of ink on Cadaqués and Begur, but their homework was excellent for the entire coast.  A great read.

Perpignan, capital of the Catalan culture of the year 2008, is celebrating on 8 and 9 November the beginning of the excavations of Empúries and Ruscino (Roussillon, France) one hundred years ago.

Within the citadel of Roses the restoration has begun of the Sant Jaume rampart. Work on renewing the XVI century brickwork will continue until March 2009 to complete the sightseeing route of the citadel.

The grape harvest in the Empordà has finished. Because of the continuous drought over the last three years, the harvest has dropped in this period around 15%. Nevertheless, the wine producers insist that a good vintage is expected again this year.

At the Popkomm international music fair in Berlin, the Catalan pop groups Gossos, El Tío Carlos and Plouen Catximbes enthralled the public. The hall was overcrowded, and queues formed at the entrance.

Flu jabs are now available at Catalan health centres. They are recommended particularly for persons over 60 years, the chronically ill and pregnant woman.

The Dalí museum in St. Petersburg (USA) possesses the most important collection of works of Salvador Dalí in the world and is one of the largest museums in the USA dedicated to a single artist. Now the museum is being extended with a new building. Its director Hank Hine has asked the mayor of Cadaqués to send  a stone from Cadaqués for the laying of the new foundation stone.

Australia’s most important online newspaper, “The Australian” has published a list of the best coastal restaurants of Spain. Surprisingly the El Bulli from Roses appears only at the fourth place. First place is taken by the Sa Copinya in Mallorca. In second place is the Can Majó in Barcelona’s Barceloneta quarter. This is at the Calle de Almirall Aixada 23; (tel. +34 93 221 5455) and its kitchen highlights suquet and fideuà. Main dishes in the Can Majó start from 20 euros.

The XVII gastronomy of the Empordà exhibition in Peralada went well. The 54 participants cooked 720 dishes. First prize for main dishes was won by Dolors Navarra with pork trotters with chestnuts, while among the desserts Roser Oliveras won with a white cake.

Parents of the pupils from Empuriabrava must pay fares for the school bus to Castelló d'Empúries, while from other places transport is free. The town council finds this situation unfair and is trying to change it.

Residents living beside the Miró sud  road in l'Escala have complained strongly to the local council about the condition of the area, which should be green belt. The area is actually filthy and full of rubbish, some of which even caught fire this summer. The residents are annoyed because they have not received any response so far from the town hall and also nothing has been done.

Anchovy fishing and salting-down has a long tradition in l'Escala. The label “Anchovies from l'Escala” is seen as a mark of quality. However, in recent years the catch has been  falling consistently, and this year only 1,250 tons were landed. This does not necessarily mean that anchovy stocks are decreasing, though. May and June are the classic months for anchovy fishing; this year it rained during these months more than usual, so many fishermen could not work. Also the high fuel prices played a part, since many fishermen preferred to catch sardines inshore instead of anchovies further out to sea.

Because of the economic crisis Roses has decided not to increase the local rates for the year 2009.

Over the course of this year over 5000 persons visited the watercolour art gallery and  museum in Llançà, of whom about 3000 came during the three summer months.

The Department of the Environment has issued 16 writs against owners of habitable houses within the Cap de Creus and Aiguamolls nature reserves. They relate mainly to former huts, that once served as shelters or for storing tools and equipment. Over the years these huts have been made habitable and extended by their owners without planning permission.

At the second-hand vehicles fair in Figueres this year 10% fewer sales were recorded.

During the Anchovy Festival in l'Escala 18,000 anchovy fillets were distributed to 1500 guests.

The police have arrested a 32 year old man from Sant Miquel de Fluvià, on suspicion of 19 break-ins in Roses and the neighbourhood, including breaking into the churches of Sant Pere Pescador and Sant Mori.

The mayor of Roses, Magda Casamitjana, has published an article in the Diari de Girona newspaper on the subject of the absence of French lessons in Catalonia's state schools. She expressed support in it for the French consul in Barcelona, Pascal Brice, who is trying to convince the public and the administrations that French instruction in schools is necessary and useful.

Until the end of the year the Dalí museum in Figueres is exhibiting one of the most important works of Salvador Dalí, “Metamorfosi de Narcís”, on loan from the Tate Modern museum in London. This work, dating from 1937, has been in the possession of the Tate Modern since 1979.

The local council of Roses rates the summer season 2008 and its bookings as the same overall as  previous years. According to its data, hotel occupation remained stable, the letting of holiday homes rose around 16.6%, while campsites registered a 10% drop.

The days of the railway station in the centre of Figueres are in all probability numbered. The Ministry for buildings has made it plain that there is no place for two stations in Figueres. Therefore both the TAV high-speed train and conventional trains will stop at the new station in Vilafant.

Figueres is still planning to install three new green zones this year . In order to save water, a mixture of artificial and natural turf is to be installed or planted. The irrigation of the surfaces will use recycled water.

The opposition parties on the Llançà town council (PSC and IVC) have sharply criticized  the financial policies of the CiU. A particular thorn in the flesh of the opposition is that the ruling party recently approved the borrowing of 1.3 million euro. The mayor defended the measure by stating that the town hall is getting much lower income because of the crisis in the construction industry and that therefore the loan is necessary.

The campsites of Sant Pere Pescador have recorded 253,068 overnight accommodation lets during the summer, 200,266 to foreigners.

The government has presented the Portbou town council with plans for the creation of the Walter Benjamin centre in memory of the German philosopher who died in 1940 in Portbou having escaped the Nazis. Within the old town hall an 800 square metre area has been allocated as an intellectual centre for refugees pursued because of their ideas. The centre will be a generously dimensioned area for cultural meetings on the subject. Lodging is included in the offer. The local council, the Catalan government and the European Union are jointly financing the plan.

The councils of Portbou and Colera are fighting against the promoters of the planned "Tramuntana" wind farm, who intend to install 17 wind generators in places which are highly visible in the two places and dominate the landscape. The councils refused the necessary building permits, as a result of which the “Tramuntana“ group had started legal action. The councils of the two places are negotiating at present to have the wind generators installed elsewhere, where they disturb the landscape less. If the negotiations fail, the court's decision must be awaited.

The fish market hall of Llançà will be modernized. The front, the roof and the inside will be reconditioned, likewise the sanitary plant and the cooling system.

The journalist Patrícia Soler (Figueres, 1961) has won one of the most important Catalan literary awards, the “41º Premio Prudenci Bertrana”, and with it 42.100 euros, for her novel “Petons de diumenge”. Its protagonist is Valeria from L'Escala who, through conversation with her mother, brings the Franco era alive, when love was considered to be a sin.

Cadaqués has not yet given building permits for the definite demolition of the former Club Med at the Cap de Creus. The council is still examining the technical conditions of the action, although the permits should be given soon.

The regional government of Girona has granted 400.000 euros to renovate the Casino Menestral in Figueres. Since the Catalan government already assured financial assistance of 600.000 euros last week, nothing else stands in the way of the project's continuation. The Casino Menestral, one of the emblematic buildings of the city, is to become a cultural centre for Figueres and the surrounding area.

The pupils of Port de la Selva were allowed to participate one day in the grape harvest. They picked grapes in the municipality's own vineyard under expert supervision. The teaching part of the trip showed the children how the important characteristics of grapes were measured.

In Empuriabrava an association has been formed to represent the interests of the owners of anchorages. The association’s goal is to clarify the legal status and the rights of both the owner and the manager of the channels, Port d'Empuriabrava, S.A. Port d'Empuriabrava has required that owners register with the company, and thus may be required to pay for the maintenance of the canals. Most owners are already registered through the “Registre de la Propietat.”  Many of the owners contest the procedure of Port d'Empuriabrava, S.A., a private company, as being inconsistent with their rights.

For a three euro fee one may visit the medieval prison, the Ecomuseu Farinera, the park Natural dels Aiguamolls and the Parrish museum in Castelló d'Empúries.

La Jonquera opened its new city hall in the former building “Hostal de la Plaça.” The renovation project cost was 1.235.859 euro.

Llançà established a new Wi-Fi zone on the beach promenade in the port. In addition to this site, the town has offered Wi-Fi on the Plaça major in the village, nearest the library.  The latter service is in operation 24/7 but the range is limited to the parking lot behind the library.

The American military base Loran C in L’Estartit and the military installations at the Punta Milà will be transformed to its natural state and integrated with the nature parks.

The Catalan Dependence of Greenpeace strongly criticizes the province of Girona for planning to add 433 new anchorages, even though 23,340 are presently available. A special thorn in the sides of the environmentalists is Roses where the harbour facilities are to be increased to accommodate cruise ships.

In Roses town hall a council employee is now available to look after the interests of new residents of all nationalities.

In all probability there will be no fresh water showers for bathers in l'Escala because of the water shortage.

The Frenchman Antoine Albeau, the reigning windsurfing world champion at slalom, could win the men's title at the recent “Gran Premi Catalunya - Costa Brava de windsurf” in Sant Pere de Pescador. The Swiss Karin Jaggi won the women's title. The competition was cut short to one day because of strong winds.

Heavy goods vehicles are no longer permitted to run through Cadaqués along the sea front; the local council regards this measure as necessary, because the road surface is in extremely bad condition. The Department of the Environment has already given the green light for its repair, but it is still uncertain when this work will be carried out.

The Belgian author Stan Lauryssens, once Salvador Dali’s neighbour in Cadaqués, presents his book “Dalí y yo” to the public. It has been published in 32 languages, but, so far not in Catalan. The book contains explosive material: Lauryssens calls himself a counterfeiter of Dali’s work, but says that he was merely a member of a world-wide chain of counterfeiters and salesmen, who operated with Salvador Dalí’s knowledge. After he estimated that 75% of the Dali’s works owned by museums are not originals the Fundació Gala - Salvador Dalí threatened legal action against the author and his book. The Foundation’s position is that his scandalous claims are only to sell his book.

In L’Escala the weekly market was held last Sunday for the first time at the “Camí de Ample.” It was shifted there, because at its prior location “passeig Marítim” the underground is in dangerously bad condition. Some neighbours near the new market site are not pleased with the decision of the city hall -- they have already begun to collect signatures of citizens who would like the market relocated to another location.

After the second phase of its restoration the Ecomuseu Farinera of Castelló d'Empúries presents an exhibition about the flour mills of the Alt Empordà.

A new law offers clarity for parking motor homes. Motor homes, in Spain, are legally considered the same as cars and therefore can park wherever cars may park, and their owners need not fear any more problems with local authorities. The law differentiates between parking and camping, but the parking rule is a welcome clarification for the owners of motor homes.  For the localities along the coast there will be new logistical problems. Roses, for example, is preparing for the new situation. The city hall plans to install on the area of the former camping site “Bahia” a large parking lot for motor homes;  similar plans are being considered by Castelló d'Empúries.

The swimming pool of Roses tries is trying a new method for the disinfecting the water in the small pool. Instead of using chlorine the water is cleaned by ultraviolet light. Thus, the rather unpleasant chlorine taste of the water is avoided. If this method works satisfactorily it will also be used in the large pool.

55.4% of the young people of Castelló d'Empúries are foreigners -- the majority live in Empuriabrava. The city hall’s reaction to this circumstance is the “Pla local de joventut” which will help facilitate social integration of the foreign young people.

On the Rambla of Figueres a new bus shelter has been installed. 

With the campaign “Un ciutadà, un arbre” (a citizen, a tree) Figueres plans to plant 4000 trees in the city over the next few years. Usually, the trees should be planted in the spring; Figueres shifted the date this year because of the dryness the past autumn.

From 15 June to 15 September Cadaqués generally forbids major construction work in the old part of town. Smaller projects may be completed but, if they are noisy can only begin after 11 o'clock.

Roses puts a new system into operation to present tourist information available to mobile phones with camera.  The first installation is around the citadel. By means of the camera a code can be called up, which provides information in five languages to the screen. The system comes from Japan.

Port de la Selva has had a successful dress collection initiative with three clothing containers. In the first three months of the year 844 Kilos of used clothes was deposited.

“Temps de conquesta” is the topic of the “festival Terra de Trobadors” in Castelló d'Empúries on 12, 13 and 14 September.

The beach of Empuriabrava, as well as the sports port, again received the “bandera blava” (blue flag) as acknowledgment of excellent water quality. Also the port of Roses and the main beaches of Llançà, Port de la Selva and L’Escala received the bandera blava.

The nature parks Cap de Creus and Montgrí receive from to the federal state government and the Obra Social de la Caixa subsidies of 250.000 euro for preservation and restoration of their areas.

The association “Defensem el Tren” (we defend the train) requests that the city hall of Figueres retain the station in the centre of Figueres for conventional trains. The association had collected 6327 citizens’ signatures, so far.

Port de la Selva installed a new wood barricade to control the migration of the brook Arola.

Philip D. Rasico, professor for Catalan and Spanish at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville visited Port de la Selva.  Among other things he spoke to the mayor Genís Pinart about a possible sister-city relationship. The professor, one of the most renowned Catalan experts outside of Catalonia, also visited the vineyards of Port de la Selva regarding a possible export of the wines to the USA.

The city hall of Sant Pere Pescador announced that the potable water supply to the camping sites is guaranteed by the town’s own wells.

The local police of La Jonquera destroyed counterfeit branded articles which they had seized, mostly from street vendors, during the past two years.  Among the items to be destroyed are 2000 pairs of sun glasses and 800 watches.

Sant Pere Pescador gets a new coat of arms. The prior image could not be used due to legal restrictions. The new coat of arms is rather similar to the old one.

Roses adjusts 5 new policemen for the summer season.

In the nightclub zone Els Arcs of Empuriabrava a private security service firm will be utilized.  Possibly monitoring cameras will be installed, also.

At the airport of Girona construction work has begun for a new multi-storey car park. Six floors with a capacity for 3500 vehicles are planned.

The experts are unanimous in their fear of the extremely high risk for forest fires because of the continuing drought of the summer of 2008.

In the port of Roses boats can be cleaned now with treated water from the purification plant.

Only two companies responded to L’Escala’s request for firms to provide security at the beaches. Both companies were unable to meet all of the requirements set by the city hall. Thus, there will be a special meeting, to resolve the situation.

As much Tuna fish as ever is being caught in the nets of the fishing boats at the Costa Brava. Unfortunately this is not always a cause for joy. Tuna fish is a protected species and there are radical catch quotas. Thus, most of the fish do not reach the auction hall. The reason for the phenomenon is not yet unknown.

The taxi drivers in Figueres will make sure that this summer a taxi is always available for handicapped passengers.

The businessmen of Figueres have opted to keep the existing railway station in Figueres with the rails shifted underground. Only the high-speed train TAV use the planned station at Vilafant on the edge of Figueres. This solution is probably more economical. Furthermore, the shopkeepers would not have to fear business losses because of fewer buyers coming into the city centre by train.

The La Caixa building in l'Escala is being refurbished and will provide more space for the town library on the first floor. The work is costing around 500,000 euros.

The façades of the local establishments in the "Els Arcs" night club zone of Empuriabrava have been redecorated with a new, uniform colour scheme.

In Figueres, parking in the city centre can now also be paid for by credit card.

	The luxury yacht Atlantis II, owned by the Greek ship owner family Niarchos, is now anchored involuntarily in the bay of Roses because of an engine problem.
Atlantis II

The museum of the exile (MUME) in La Jonquera will show from 19 July to 14 September the exhibition “Israel/Lebanon 2006” with photos by war correspondents Heidi Levine, Stephanie Sinclair, Ziv Koren and Michael Robinson Chavez.

Castelló d'Empúries and Empúriabrava have updated their city maps. The new maps, with an edition of 30.000 copies, are available in the tourist offices.

Figueres has begun an information campaign to persuade the citizens of Castelló and Roses to park their cars at the fair grounds during their visits of Figueres. From there they can reach the city gratis with the bus service Park&Bus. This option is, of course, available to everyone.

The Alt Empordà remains the only region of Catalonia that still has the state of emergency II because of water scarcity. Swimming pools may not be filled with municipal water. Most municipalities allow, however, the topping off of the water level for already filled swimming pools.

The police of Castelló d'Empúries have updated their vehicle fleet. Five new Skoda brand police cars were acquired via lease.

The sport harbour of Llançà was awarded the blue flag. This certifies excellent water quality and environmental compatibility.

Insolvency threatens one of the best-known building contractors of Spain, Francisco Hernando. When the construction business was booming during the past years Hernando ordered a 60 million euro yacht "Clarena II" from the Italian shipyard CRN. Now he cannot pay and the shipyard must search for a new buyer for the luxury ship.

The cultural centre of the citadel of Roses shows the exhibition “La Costa Brava abans de la Costa Brava" (The Costa Brava before the Costa Brava), photos from the years between 1915 and 1936.

With the beginning of the summer season Llançà has initiated a new program LlançÀctivitat `08 that includes a series of events for people of all ages, and most of the activities will be free. Also the Llançà Bus will begin operating again. This bus makes a circuit from the train station to various stops in the old part of town, and in the Port, and to many of Llançà’s beaches.

The travelling exhibition “Dalí, Paintings & Films” arrived at the end of its journey at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  The exhibition shows the fruits of the cooperation of Dalí with heroes of the film business, such as Hitchcock, Disney and Lluís Bunuel. The MOMA show will run until 15 September.

 “Roses Escena Musical” (REM) is the title of a new project of the town hall of Roses. It bundles together 30 summer concerts as one unit. The blues festival and the guitar festival are among the big events of the summer.

At the beaches in Llançà and Port de la Selva the first medusas were observed, but there were not many. It is a question of which type of medusa -- some cause red skin wbut do not endanger the victim’s health. There has been little publicity about any medusa trouble this year. The experts believe that this year there would be not be a massive appearance of medusas at the beaches of the Costa Brava – though there will be a spectacular increase of these nettle animals in the open sea, where miles long banks were sighted. This is not a specific phenomenon of the Mediterranean Sea.  Because of the change of climate all seas worldwide are affected.  It is not for nothing the medusa is called the queen of the ocean. Next to the climate changes the other reason for the rapid spreading of the medusas is the worldwide over-fishing which has eliminated many natural enemies.

Meanwhile, Kite surfing is prohibited in most of Catalonia. Only in Sant Pere Pescador can one still Kite Surf because the municipality was granted a licence. The sportsmen are subjected to some restrictions, however. They must be able to show that they have assurance and must pay a flat rate. Many do not comply, so that the future of the Kite in Sant Pere Pescador is also at risk.

	The museum of Cadaquésl opened its new summer exhibition with the title “Salvador Dalí/Enrique Sabater,” which documents the close relationship between Dalí and Sabater, who served Dalí from 1968 to 1980 as his right hand man.  The exhibition includes unpublished photos and souvenirs of their time together.
Cadaqués, Casa Dalí

A study of the impact of the building of the planned high voltage transmission line (MAT) over the Pyrenees says that the construction will destroy about one million trees.

	70% of the households of the town centre of Palau-saverdera can be attached to the town gas service. So far 3,505 meters of gas lines are available.
Palau-saverdera, town hall

The city hall of Roses announced that the archaeological excavations in the citadel would continue until the year 2016.

In the historical centre of Castelló d'Empúries there are several roads that are closed due to repair projects. The police have provided detours around the construction.

The planed wind generator park “Tramuntana” in Portbou and Colera may be built, even if the municipalities do not want them. The federal state government characterizes the projects as for the public benefit (utilitat pública), which means that the interests or desires of the municipalities are of less importance. The citizen association “Cívica antimolins” is seeking new ways to stop the building of the wind generators.

The hotel L'Arola at the beach of Port de la Selva is again under discussion. Since the planned new beach promenade of Port de la Selva will reach the “cami de ronda” which continues to Llançà, the site of the hotel, which dates back to the year 1886, is problematic. The project may remain stymied for many years due to legal procedures.

In Empuriabrava an owner of swimming pool was fined 700 euro because he had filled his swimming pool from the water pipeline.

The city hall of Figueres unveiled a poster, which shows Figueres as Catalan culture capital for next year.

The Catalan Nudist club visited the ruins of Empúries, naked naturally. Even the guide adapted to the custom.

The fire brigades of the province Girona strengthened its personnel during the summer by around 25%, to be better prepared for the season’s forest fires.

The two owners of the Catamaran L'Oca from Banyoles began voluntarily a three-year term of imprisonment.  The Oca had sunk on the lake of Banyoles under tragic circumstances, and the misfortune claimed the lives of 22 French tourists.

The gallery Taller Fort in Cadaqués opens on 28 June the 28th annual “mini print” exhibition. The exhibition presents a wide range of miniature engravings.  This year’s art will be by 657 artists from 54 countries and 5 continents.

The men’s crew of the rowing club Xon's rem Empuriabrava won the third race of the Catalan league in Lloret de Mar.

The gallery Horizon in Colera began the summer season on 21 June with an exhibition of works by Lluís Peñaranda -- 15 works, including partial collages and other mixed techniques.

The mountaineer Jordi Pau Caballero began a long journey from Sant Martí d'Empúries (L’Escala).  He will travel by foot across 1389 kilometres to Galicia. His purposes are to physically challenge himself but also to bring attention to the “manifest de l'aigua” (manifesto of the water) to encourage the reasonable handling of the area’s and world’s scarce supply of water.

Figueres organizes up to the middle of September a large number of cultural meetings under the title Gresca a la Fresca  . . .  under free sky.

The building of the largest Wind tunnel in the world for the parachutists in Empuriabrava seems to be in trouble. New power lines have been added to the site.  The work is scheduled to begin this September but the project still lacks the necessary financing.

According to estimates about 30% of Figueres’ real estate agencies have closed up shop. Mostly they were small agencies, which had been in business only during the real estate boom of the past few years. In the meantime, the prices for residential property are down, by about 12%, and the number of properties for sale far exceeds the demand.

The management company of the Empuriabrava canals, Port d'Empuriabrava S.A., has announced publicly that all owners of unregistered anchorages are in an illegal situation. In such cases the manager can refuse to supply services, which are under his authority.

L'Escala has an emergency service which will operate until 30 September on the beaches of Empúries as far as Montgó.

All the beaches of Castelló d'Empúries have been rated as Excellent for water cleanliness by the responsible water authority, ACA.

By the entrance to the tourist office in Llançà, bicycles are available for hire from now until the end of the summer; if this enterprise proves a success, it will continue through the winter.

The fireworks that formed the concluding act of the “Fires de la Santa Creu” in Figueres caused a fire close to the walls of the "Castell de Sant Ferran". Several fire appliances were needed until the fire was extinguished after 90 minutes.

In Port de la Selva a 41-year-old man fell so heavily down from a rock that he had to be transported by helicopter to Girona hospital.

The renowned magazine “Restaurant” has elected “El Bulli” in Roses as the best restaurant in the world for the third year in succession. The runners-up are “The Fat Duck”,  in Berkshire (near London) and “Pierre Gagnaire”, in Paris.

The butcher's shop Valls in Llançà has received an acknowledgment from the Catalan government to mark the centenary of its business. This is awarded annually by the government, this year to 24 enterprises in Catalonia.

Cadaqués is planning to create subsidised low-rent housing in the former barracks of the Guardia Civil. At present only the ground floor of the building is used by the local police. However,  the  "Guardia Civil" is opposed to these plans

Plans for what to do with the Castell de Sant Ferran in Figueres are taking shape. At present the former military fort is still owned by the Ministry of Defence in Madrid. However, the city council is aiming to take over administration of the Castell and use it for the city archives and an art centre, and to make it available to interested companies from the hotel trade.

Castelló d'Empúries has signed an agreement with the Red Cross, which includes among other things that the Red Cross take over lifeguard duties on the beaches.

The small market, which is held each Sunday on the green area "Trabuc" in Empuriabrava, is moving to a new location in Castelló Nou.

Lodgings for up to 15 persons will be installed in the old vestry building of the Sant Pere de Rodes (Port de la Selva) monastery after the summer, for the use of walkers on the St James Pilgrim Route, signposts for which will soon be installed.

The "Teatre Art i Joia" in Cadaqués, once the Dalí museum and town theatre, is to get a full renovation. In the first phase the electrical system will brought up to date, along with  audiovisual mechanisms and air conditioning will be installed.

Roses is planning to  repair the picturesque quarter "dels Pescadors". The town council is therefore conducting a survey of the inhabitants, to find out their wishes and get their suggestions.

The mayor of Castelló d'Empúries, Salvi Güell, and other city councillors visited the German city Ettenheim, which has been a partnership city since 2001. During the absence of the mayor, the deputy Pere Iglesias assumes the mayor’s responsibilities.

The city hall of Roses entered into an agreement with the “Prefectura central de Trànsit” which permits it to issue some vehicle traffic papers. Among the tasks assumed are logging out vehicles, the renewal of driving licenses for persons over 70 years, as well as duplicate operating permit for vehicles if the driver changes address. For new applications however the responsibility remains with Girona.

The city hall of Figueres plans a pilot project for the summer 2009 to encourage the use of bicycles in the city centre. Bicycles will be available to be rented at multiple points. The city hall assumes that this offer might be particularly attractive to tourists.

In Santa Margarida the crew on a boat is adding markings to private property. The president of the citizen association, Federico Macau, calls this an illegal act, since the boat’s passengers must enter private property without announcement and without the permission of the owners. They are primarily marking real estate properties with absent owners, who are often foreigners. The citizen association has tried to complain about this trespass to the police, but the police will only respond to complaints by the property owner, directly.

The city hall of La Jonquera assigned four new policemen, who are to guard excluding the roads of Le Perthus and to prevent illegal street vending.

A worker found a garnet in Port de la Selva; it probably originates from the Spanish civil war.

The police arrested two Russians who are suspected of the murder of a building contractor in a restaurant in Portbou.

Figueres is now officially the Catalan culture capital for the year 2009. The appropriate agreements were signed during the Fires i Festes de la Santa Creu.

In L’Escala the first action within the province of Girona was taken against a citizen because of abuse of drinking water. According the police he had continuously, day and night, watered his garden with a sprinkler.

In Castelló d'Empúries the regulations for saving drinking water have had their first results. In the first quarter of the year about10,5% less water was used.

The city hall of Roses bought a 3369 square meter former olive orchard, close to the Gran via Pau Casals. The area will remains a green area and is to be prepared for walkers.

On 15 February in Port de la Selva the nets of a fishing boat brought up a puzzling substance. The first assumptions, that it was military material turned out to be not correct.  It is white phosphorus, which had been used for a Bengali maritime signal. White phosphorus is a high-poisonous substance.

Figueres starts a campaign to encourage citizens to use bicycle on the roads of the city under the slogan “we provide 100 bicycles.”  The 100 bicycles will be distributed by means of a lottery.

The city hall of Roses is reviewing the house numbers in the city centre, in order to correct any numbering mistakes.

The 25 members of the restaurant police of L’Escala will be temporarily using the police station of the Mossos d'Esquadra, until its own building is ready for use.

	The port authority “Ports de la Generalitat” has contracted for the construction work to completely renovate the three fish auction halls of Roses, Llançà and Blanes.
Llançà

The cause of the mysterious boat misfortune between Roses and L'Escala, which cost the life of its two crewmembers, seems to be understood. The likelihood of any use of force has been excluded; it is assumed that the two sailors were thrown overboard by rough seas.

Santa Margarida is the hot topic.
The city hall of Roses has written an explanatory document describing the intention of the Department of the Environment to define the channels of Santa Margarida as public area. The city hall holds the point of view that the channels are analogous to a sports port and that they therefore fall under the authority of the Catalan federal state government’s department for port and coasts. 
The Department of the Environment of Madrid intends on 8 May to have technicians of the Ministry survey the area and to delineate the line between private property and the water area, so that the central administration can administer the latter. This would mean that owners would have their moorings expropriated, even though the anchorages are documented as being their property in the “Escritura publica”. The intention of this action is to treat the channels similar to roads so that these can be controlled and maintained because of their bad condition.
The city hall of Roses believes that the channels are not a part of the public area, but that they are considered by the “Ley de Puertos de Cataluña” of 1998 as a sports port and are subject to the regulation of inland ports of 1995.  This is the main argument of the briefing presented to dispute the existing plans, which the city hall of Roses sent this week to the Department of the Environment in Madrid. The briefing also calls for the transition of the ports from the authority from the Department of the Environment of Madrid to the Catalan federal state government.
The Spanish state is, they say, therefore not the responsible administrative agent for the maritime areas of the Urbanisation of Santa Margarida, which is an area administered by the Catalan federal state government and the city hall of Roses. In the same sense the briefing states that the Catalan federal state government, and not the department for coasts in Madrid, is responsible for determining which areas at the channels should be reserved for service points. In each case the city hall insists on the fact that these may only be installed where there is a distance of at least 6 meters from private property.
The city administration of Roses believes that the Department of the Environment will approve the transition of the authority to the Catalan federal state government, so that the two administrations concerned – the federal state government and the city administration - can begin together to restore the Marina.
The mayoress of Roses, Magda Casamitjana, promises the owners that the city hall will work to protect their interests at all time, so that the restoration of the Marina can take place with the smallest possible damage to all the involved parties.

The music festival Doctor Loft in Castelló d'Empúries will take place on 6 July. The gates will be open beginning at 5 o'clock in the morning.

Castelló d'Empúries wants to recondition the quarter of Delta Muga in Empuriabrava, at a cost of 7 million euro. One-half of the cost will come as subsidy by the program “Pla de barris”.

In the entrance of the city hall of Roses a sculpture by the young artist Laia Segura symbolizes the fight of Sant Jordi with the dragon.

The city hall of L’Escala will spend 18.000 euro in renovation work of the church Sant Pere.

If the water scarceness continues, L’Escala wants to install the fresh water showers at the beaches, but to limit their use to only foot washing.

Colera tackles the improvement of the infrastructure of the Urbanisation “Eixemple Sant Miquel.” So far the potable water supply has been installed, the next phase will concern wastewater and the last phase will involve the roads.

In the court of Girona a father and his daughter are accused of real estate fraud in Llançà. They had taken pre-payments for two dwellings, without ever beginning to build. The court demands in each case six years imprisonment and 6490 euro fine.

In Catalonia a new association was created, “Micropobles de Catalunya.”  This group will seek to protect the interests of very small localities, specifically villages of about 500 inhabitants. One of the association founders is the mayor of Boadella, Emili Santos.

The sea-rescue corps terminated their search for the second crewmember of the yacht accident near Roses. The yacht started from Port Leucate (France) with the goal being L’Escala, but failed to arrive on time and the boat was later found near Menorca without the two crewmembers. The circumstances of the misfortune are still unclear. It may have been an accident, or maybe a hold-up.

Cadaqués must limit the use of drinking water. Under the new order no one is allowed to sprinkle the gardens, to clean streets, to fill swimming pools or to wash cars with city water.

Also Portbou must save water, urgently.

The town hall of Castelló d' Empúries acquired a XVIII century document through the Internet. It is about the confirmation of the refunding of a debt between a citizen and a citizen of Castelló.  The document, from 1753, is written in Latin, with only one small portion in Catalan.

The mayors of Llançà, Colera and Portbou agreed to collaborate for “Diary 21.”  This joint project will help to plan and realise the individual needs of the towns.

The theatre of Roses is now also a concert hall with good acoustics. A new acoustic construction has been installed.  The feature can be easily dismantled if it is not needed.

The architects Alfredo Peñafiel, Katrin Baumgarden and Eduard Miralles won the competition, established by Llançà, for new ideas for the construction of an arts centre at the end of the av Europe (between the village and the port). The new facility must include a library, the archives of city and a general-purpose room.

In the street Pare Claret in Roses one can park only in one direction, towards the mountains. Until now the direction of parking alternated every 15 days.

The original statue of Aesculapius can be visited, again, in the museum of the excavations of Empúries (MAC). A video presents detailed information.

The street between Port de la Selva and Selva de Mar is often used by cyclists. To facilitate a safe route the two towns will add a lane, during the general repair of the street to provide a separate parallel bicycle track. If all goes as planned, the bicycle lane will be ready for use this summer.

Cadaqués distributed to his citizens 1500 copies of a news bulletin, which explains the important decisions made by the town hall.

The foundation Gala- Salvador Dalí acquired from a private collection in Figueres two works by Salvador Dalí from his early period, indeed, from his childhood: the copy of a Dutch painting and a portrait of his grandmother Anna which was created in Cadaqués.

Friday, a yacht of 16 metres left Port Leucate (France), was expected to arrive at the port of L’Escala. When it had not arrived late that evening, the families of the two members of the crew contacted the rescue authorities.  Initially, they found no trace of the yacht. Then on Sunday, it was discovered by a helicopter approximately 40 marine miles north of Menorca (Balearic Islands). The yacht was un-manned. On Sunday evening, 11 marine miles from Roses, the body of owner of the yacht, a 60-year-old Belgian, was found.  A search for the second member of the crew was unsuccessful, so far.

On the Manor house of Sant Ferran in Figueres the repair work on all 16 maisonettes of signs started, at an expenditure of about 876 thousand euros. If work progresses as planned they can be open to visitors in August of this year.

The festival of music “Doctor Loft” in Castelló d' Empúries expects between 20 and 30 thousand visitors at the beginning of July. The town hall negotiated certain conditions with the organizers to prevent problem. Among other stipulations, informal campsites around the festival grounds are prohibited. Advance tickets for the festival are already available for 55 euros.

On the C-260 between Roses and Figueres, a vehicle caught fire. The road was blocked in both directions for approximately one half hour.

So far, the old Club Med near Cadaqués has been relieved of 40 tons of mobile material. According to each piece’s quality, it was either transferred to the dump at Pedret I Marzà or was brought to a recycling facility for re-use. The buildings themselves will be dismantled after the summer.

Figueres would like to bore three new wells to guaranty the water supply this summer. Thus, the town hall has submitted requests to the ACA (Agència Catalana d'Aigua) and awaits authorisation.

American Airlines begins daily service between Barcelona and New York on April 25. The airline expects approximately 40.000 passengers per year.

The supplier of electrical power, Fesca Endesa moved a line underground in the Urbanization Mora in Port de la Selva. The project was not necessarily for aesthetic reasons, but was needed to improve the electricity supply to the households of Port de la Selva.

The bilingual school (Catalan and French) in Le Perthus, at the Spanish-French border was threatened with closing. However, after massive protests by parents and pupils, the closing was cancelled for the moment.

The town hall of Roses wants to request that inhabitants of the urbanizations pay a special tax. With the receipts firebreak corridors will be developed, without flammable ground cover, to decrease the summer fire threat.

The public may not collect red coral in our waters. The red coral is off-limits for all private individuals and there are considerable restrictions for professional fishermen. From L’Escala to Begur, no coral can be captured and around Cap de Creus, only ten licences were given to fishermen. These restrictions are to help conserve the coral.

Burglars broke into the town hall of Vilajuïga and took approximately 300 euro in currency.

Portbou reforms the beach promenade. The pavement, 6 metres wide, will run the entire length of the “Passeig” and stores must accommodate to the new format.  Corresponding work must be completed by summer 2009.

Portbou begins the partial renovation of the old city hall, which will be seat of the Walter Benjamin foundation.

Llançà wants to relieve the shortage of parking spaces, during the summer, with a new parking lot for 400 vehicles at the port, at the left end of the port beach at the river mouth. The opposition parties represented in the city hall, PSC and IVC, oppose this plan.

In the former club Med in Cadaqués the mobile elements are being removed. The actual dismantling of the buildings will not occur before autumn.

Palau-saverdera plans to build a generously dimensioned centre for sports activities. First estimates of the costs are around 2 million euro.

The Ecomuseu Farinera in Castelló d'Empúries was added to the official list of Catalan museums. As a consequence the museum will be more likely to receive institutional assistance.

In Roses the lawns at the sidewalks of the roads Joan Carles I and Marinada are being replaced with sandstone. Since this does not have to be maintained, as a lawn must, there will be a savings of water.

Colera re-activates a poetry competition which was last held 12 years ago: the Concurs de Poesia Miquel Martí i Pol. The namesake of the competition, Miquel Martí i Pol (1929-2004) was one of the most important authors of Catalonia.  A whole generation of songwriters were inspired by his texts, among them Lluís Llach, with whom he wrote the album “Un pont de mar blava” (a bridge of blue sea). The competition wishes to attract both inhabitants of Colera and to others who feel a connection to the place. The winners of the four categories will be announced during a Fiesta of poetry in September.

Miquel Martí i Pol

Figueres has closed the fairground to prevent trucks from parking there.

Llançà intensifies their emphasis on traffic controls. Their focus will be to prevent noisy vehicles, particularly two-wheel vehicles.

On a routine vehicle control the police in Figueres found 20 kilograms of heroin. The passengers of the vehicle, two Moroccans, were handed over to the law.

The Italian circus Il Circo di Venezia accepted an invitation to perform in Figueres. During the Festes de Santa Creu the circus troupe will entertain a tent filled with an audience of up to 1300 persons. After Figueres performances will be held in Vic, Olot, Terrassa, Badalona and Tàrrega. Tickets are already available for advance booking available at prices from 8 to 30 euro.

The plans to build a covered swimming pool in La Jonquera have been stopped, since the federal state government will not provide subsidies to municipalities with fewer than 10.000 inhabitants.

An urban cleaning machine of L’Escala broke through on the “Passeig del Mar” in such a manner that it had to be removed with a crane.  The Passeig del Mar, between the Port Perris and Riells has experienced similar damage during the last few years, probably because of unstable ground. Therefore, the weekly Sunday market will be shifted to another location.

“Defensem el Tren” submitted a petition with 5,822 signatures to the city hall of Figueres, which urged a plebiscite on the transfer of the railway station from the centre of town to the outskirts.

Over 100 children from Llançà participated in the fiesta of the tree, which was organised for the first time. The children planted his or her own tree, either oak or cork oak, on 30 March at the hermitage of Sant Silvestre. The children accepted their responsibility to provide for the long-term well being of the trees.

PORT DE ROSES, SA, manager of the port of Roses, received European and international authentication (ISO 14001) for their environmentally friendly harbour facilities.

Castelló d'Empúries and Sant Pere Pescador committed themselves to jointly pursue the goals of the “agenda 21.” This plan sets initiatives for the ecological well being of the municipalities.

The association Comerç Figueres sees an optimistic future for the shops of Figueres, despite the current weak economic environment. There is a long tradition of serving French tourists, mostly from areas close to the border, who benefit from the price differential between Spain and France. Comerç Figueres does acknowledge that this year’s winter sale had not met expectations.

Sant Pere Pescador still finds itself missing the legal authority to administer the area of the former Fluvià Marina. The area was changed from “cultivating bar” to “agricultural,” but so far the owners have not yet been compensated.  Without a decision on the proper remunerations the hands of the city hall are tied.

Concerning the high voltage transmission line between France and Spain, there are new suggestions on how to resolve the issue. The line over the Pyrenees, sharply criticised by the organisation “NO a la Mat” could be realised via a sea route, so says the French Department of the Environment. Another option is to put the line underground over the Pyrenees. The latter would raise the price by about three times. Last weekend 18,000 demonstrators met in Girona to voice their opposition to The MAT. They came from both from the Spanish and the French part of Catalonia.

The city hall of Port de la Selva will have, because of reduced building activity, a smaller budget. As the first economy measure the local police force was reduced.

Also the city hall of L’Escala believes that it will earn smaller income from building permits.

The rainfalls of the last weekend failed to do much to improve the water level of the reservoirs; Boadella, for example is only filled to 24% of its capacity.

Roses population is now 19960 inhabitants. With the rapid population growth of Roses is it only a short time before it passes the 20000 inhabitants mark and thus become officially a city (ciutat).  After Figueres, Roses will be second city of the Alt Empordà. This change of status carries consequences. Among other things Roses receives more rights to national subsidies, but also gains more obligations on social services.

In Figueres the construction work on the avinguda Salvador Dalí will cause delays for approximately 10 days. The goal is to place electrical cables underground.

The hopes of the Hoteliers on the Costa Brava for a good occupancy level over the Easter holidays were not fulfilled. Authorities had courageously prognosticated, despite the unusually early holiday date, a high occupancy rate of 85%.  But these expectations did not pan out, and the preliminary numbers were around 60%. Very bad weather, i.e. rain and wind caused many holidays guests to head for home early on Monday morning to avoid the expected traffic congestion.  In the Pyrenees, however, snow provided for the appropriate tourist lift; hotel beds were a scarce commodity and the homebound wave of traffic on Monday evening was horrendous. Because of the snow four mountain routes had to be completely closed to traffic, twelve other roads were only passable with tire chains. South of the mountains the Hoteliers of the region declared Easter 2008 a catastrophe.

Plans to make the Sport port of Roses accessible for large ships are going to become a reality. At present the maximum depth of water is 6 metres and this permits the anchoring of ships that are no longer than 60 metres. In the near future it will be possible to attract cruise ships of over 100 metres which need at least 10 metres depth of water to anchor.  This will require a partial transformation of the port.

Over the 9 days of the used boat fair in Empuriabrava 75 boats changed ownership.   In all, 500 boats priced up to 650,000 euro were offered for sale. The organizers call the sales revenue satisfying, although they conceded that the sales results were lower than last year by approximately 15%.

Because of extreme wind between six and eight Easter holiday events had to be called off for safety reasons. In Sant Climent Sescebes the show of the passion plays were cancelled on Saturday evening and on the Easter Sunday only few dealers braved the weather to install their stands for the Jewish market.

The businessmen of the sector Sant Mori in Empuriabrava are trying to negotiate with the city hall for structural improvements of their area. They insist however on being able to offer their goods in the space in front of their shops.

The bad weather experienced during the Easter holidays will continue. The Meteorologists predict next weekend will again experience moderate temperatures.

In the zone Trabuc of Empuriabrava a luxury hotel with 75 rooms will be built, with an extensive Wellness centre as well as a conference centre for 300 persons. The hotel is expected to open in 2010. The necessary construction work will cost 8 million euro.

Empuriabrava is now only able to rent anchorages for boats up to 15 m. This will soon change and by summer there will be ten anchorages available for boats up to 20 metres.

Of the 4500 anchorages in Empuriabrava, only 700 owners, so far, have registered with the manager of the channels (Port Empuriabrava S.A.). The company will begin an in formation campaign to start at the beginning of the tourism season, top encourage the owners to register.

Cadaqués sees itself confronted with a new phenomenon, called wedding tourism. More and more non-resident couples are choosing Cadaqués as the “in” place to exchange wedding vows at a civilian wedding. The city hall has reacted, so that two Fridays per month will be available for weddings.  Last year 150 marriages were performed in Cadaqués, mostly linking non-residents.

Despite a tourist disappointing Holy Week Sant Pere Pescador attracted a crowd at the re-opening of the tourism office. 212 persons took advantage of its services, mostly Catalans.

Llançà opened a new information office for tourists in the Roman tower at the Plaça major, in the local centre. The tower had been made accessible to the public in August, last year.

Empuriabrava will build a new purification plant. For the citizens the project expense will be covered through a special tax. The city hall invited its French-speaking citizens to an information meeting on the topic, which attracted more than 80 citizens.

It remains unclear what will happen with the new (or old) railway stations in Figueres. The city hall opts, at present, to build both the new station for the high-speed train TAV and to retain the existing station for traditional trains, but the latter will have underground rails.

At the Aiguamolls nature reserve, the track south from the El Cortalet information office to the old rice silos has been closed indefinitely to bicycles but will remain open for walkers. However, the track north-east from El Cortalet towards Empuriabrava, the one from Pau to Palau-Saverdera and the one alongside the river Fluvià at Sant Pere Pescador can all still be explored by cycle.

In Roses over 1000 new dwellings will be built behind the Citadel beside the Mas Oliva urbanisation. Half of the properties will be advertised nationally and reserved for sale or rent to young people and older citizens, while the rest will be offered for sale on the open market.

After three years’ delay, Cadaqués Council has published its its draft special plan for the redevelopment of the old part of town. The plan covers new and existing buildings together with their use or conversion. The delay happened because a considerable number of inputs had to be taken into account following the public announcement of the plan.

For Easter, Castelló d’Empúries has installed a statue of Christ by the artist Natalie Stamford at the Castelló Nou roundabout. Castelló will play host to a number of gatherings during the holidays, amongst them the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession with live participants.

Cadaqués will decide definitely only after the summer what is going to happen to the buildings of the former Club Med at Cap de Creus.

Cadaqués has agreed with the coastal administration on the installation of a point for fuelling boats and disposing of their waste water. Although the associated work will begin soon, it is unlikely that these services will be ready this summer.

Roses has taken over two wells between the Mas Mates and Mas Boscà urbanisations. They previously supplied water to the Pení military base until June 2007, at which time the base was connected to the water supply of Cadaqués. The two wells produce 800 cubic metres of water per day and can satisfy 17%  of the water demand out of season and 6% in the summer.

During its first weekend, 25 items were sold at the fair for used boats in Empuriabrava: 23 boats and two jet skis. The boats mostly belonged to the very popular 8-9m class.

Near Sant Miquel de Fluvià, the police captured four men who were running large scale tobacco smuggling from Spain to France. The smugglers, although well organised and equipped, were caught with 50,000 packets of cigarettes. The origin of the merchandise is not yet known.

On Easter Saturday Garriguella is holding its very popular “Fira de la garnatxa”. Not only will lovers of this sweet wine be pleased, but there will also be a plentiful supply of baking to sample all day long.

	Darnius is offering a rich program to its guests and residents for the Easter holidays. It begins on Friday with sardanas, garnatxa and cakes. High points will surely be the ball starting at 11.30 in the evening and the cavalcade from the town hall to the church starting at 12.15 on Sunday afternoon.
Darnius

100 actors and 60 technicians are organising this year’s passion play in the “horta d'en Cusí” of Sant Climent Sescebes. The widely-renowned  passion play will have five performances. The program ends with the Jewish market on Sunday in San Climent.

Llançà opened its new youth hostel in the Carrer Setcases, No. 9, beside the train station.  The hostel offers 10 dormitories for 49 young people and a well-equipped kitchen. The youth hostel will remain open throughout the year..

In Roses the new roundabout at the intersection of the Avinguda de Rhode with the Ronda Miquel Oliva Prat was recently inaugurated.

Colera opened a new children's playground.

The government approved work for the improvement of the round way along the coast in Cadaqués. The new road will pass between the Cala Nens and the beach Sa Conca.

In Portbou the private and public water consumption was limited because of the drought.

Defensem el Tren de L’Empordà (we defend the trains of the Empordà) collected 3600 signatures at 12 stands in Figueres during Election Day. This petition asks the city hall to seek citizen input as to whether the train station should remain where it is now,with the rails underground, or shifted, as planned to Vilafant. The city hall has not yet reacted to the petition.

The city hall of Castelló d'Empúries plans the renovation of the zone Sant Mori in Empuriabrava.

Llançà await extensive road repairs. The N-260 will get two metres of sidewalks, which will facilitate the way from the station to the beach. Likewise on the program is a new roundabout to facilitate traffic to Port de la Selva. The resulting costs will be a bit less than 4 million euro.

	The round way along the sea between the Cala Fornells and the Cala Tamariu in Port de la Selva has been repaired at an expenditure of 288 thousand euro.
Cala Tamariu

La Jonquera is concerned about the traffic volume along the N II. During the weekends innumerable trucks are parked at roadside and obstruct the flow of traffic.  The police have been unsuccessful in encouraging the truck drivers to use the many truck parking lots in the area.

The winery Espelt in Vilajuïga now also sells olive oil that comes from their own 30,000 olive trees growing on 30 hectares.

A boundary stone between Castelló d'Empúries and Fortia, dating from 1771 is now owned by the municipality of Castelló. The stone had been found by Vicens Llovet in the year 2001 while he worked with a tractor on his field.

In the Avinguda the Salvador Dalí in Figueres work will begin this week on the electrical system. Therefore expect serious traffic delays.

The nightclub zone of Empuriabrava will have monitoring cameras.

The Sommelier Rafael Sabadí from the restaurant Roser 2 in L’Escala won 12000 Euro in the “Premi Vila Viniteca de Cata” along with David Martínez (El Velero, Sitges) in the Casa Llotja Mar v in Barcelona. 168 Sommeliers from Spain’s leading restaurants participated in the competition.

The CiU, in the city hall of Roses in the opposition, shows up few enthusiastically of the plans to establish around the citadel a nightclub zone. This, so the CiU, is an inadmissible mixture of culture and spare time.

200 wines and cavas from Catalonia were presented for tasting at the “Girovi '08” as candidates for the coveted best product awards. In the particularly prestigious “negres reserva” category,  the red “Moll de Alba 2001” wine from the Castillo de Capmany winery won the Gold Medal of Catalonia.

Empuriabrava council took part in the recent “Navartur" tourist trade fair  in Pamplona (Navarra).

In Empuriabrava, the municipal gardening workforce is now pruning about 700 oleanders in the Muga, Noguera, Llobregat, Platja Petita, Falconera and Marinada roads. These oleanders are of the kind that need to be cut before they bloom in April.

Catalan ice-cream is on its way to China. The “Gelats Dino” company, founded in 1979 as small ice-cream parlour in Empuriabrava, received a delegation from China, which is interested in its products, as a first step towards the internationalisation of the brand.

The last medium tension electricity supply line for the city centre of Roses will soon be installed underground. It will run parallel to the Gran Via Pau Casals. The work will begin on 25 March and will take about three weeks. During this period, however, no significant power cuts are to be feared.

According to the organisers, 15,000 people demonstrated last weekend in Perpignan (Southern France) against the planned building of the high voltage transmission line over the Pyrenees. The demonstrators came from both sides of the border.

In Empuriabrava the cesspits, installed in the sixties, are to be replaced by main drainage. The work has started already, and by the year 2011 all households will be connected to the drains system. During the summer months work will be suspended, to avoid disturbance during the tourist season.

Llançà municipal council has a new website: www.llanca.cat. So far, it is only in Catalan and Spanish.

Roses wants to locate new night clubs in a zone around the fortress. This initiative should prevent disturbance to nearby residents in the city centre. The former Disco Picasso in the old part of town is to be re-designed as a commercial centre.

The shops and restaurants along the N II in La Jonquera have been suffering a large fall-off in trade in the last few months. French customers in particular are not coming any longer but do their shopping in Le Perthus instead. Some shops and restaurants that have been in business for a long time have announced their closure.

Vicente Ortiz from Cadaqués has just celebrated his hundredth birthday. The local council marked the occasion by giving him a medal.

	Over 800 guests attended a concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Catalonia in Figueres in the El Jardí theatre. The proceeds went to non-profit associations of the Alt Empordà.
El Jardí

The police have seized three men who attacked the “La Closa” bar in l'Escala. They are 23-year-old Spaniards. One of them had already committed a similar crime.

Catalonia is mourning the loss of one of its greatest sons, Josep Palau i Fabre (Barcelona 1917 – 2008), who is considered one of its most important writers of the 20th century. A particular expert on the work of Pablo Picasso, he had acquired an international reputation. He did most of his work in Llançà, where he settled at the beginning of the sixties in the Grifeu quarter. He lived there very privately and only went away on business, mostly to Barcelona or to France. However, he spent his last years in Barcelona, primarily for health reasons. The beach promenade at Grifeu carries a reminder of him in the form of a commemorative plaque put up two years ago.

The local council in Roses is taking a number of measures to handle the water shortage caused by the drought. Among other things, it is forbidden for private individuals to use tap water for filling swimming pools, watering gardens, or washing down terraces and garages. More to the point, there is now a hosepipe ban  in Roses. Businesses are also affected by water restrictions; for example, cleaning leisure boats with tap water is no longer permitted. The supply of water for drinking is, however, secure for the summer, so that there should be little effect on the tourist season. The quality of the water still remains perfect. Nevertheless, there are swindlers taking advantage of the present situation, and we therefore give warning: these people first telephone to arrange a visit in order to examine the quality of the tap water. Once in the house, they fake low water quality readings using manipulated instruments and then sell useless equipment for water purification to the victim for about 1,000 euros.

The new hotel management school in Figueres will begin its training activities in the academic  year 2009/2010. It will offer instruction in several disciplines, and all exams are officially recognised.

The beach between Empuriabrava and St.Martí d'Empúries was contaminated during the last “Llevante” by fuel spillage of uncertain origin. However, the remains have now been completely cleared away. A helicopter of the Catalan government flew over the coast and was able to ascertain that there were no more fuel slicks out to sea. The same problem also occurred at the beach at Sant Pere Pescador, but the mess was also completely cleaned up. Nevertheless, it required the removal and disposal of  4 tons of sand.

Sant Pere Pescador

Roses has been included by the Catalan government in the ARE program. This promotes new building development such that 50% of the new dwellings are subsidised low-rent housing (“de protecció oficial”).

	The police have arrested three men from Sant Miquel de Fluvià, who are suspected of stealing and then reselling building materials. They are two Romanians and one Spaniard.
Sant Miquel de Fluvià

The local council in l'Escala has plans to promote cycling for sport and as leisure activity.

Two masked robbers attacked the “La Closa” bar in l'Escala. At the time of the hold-up, at approximately 11.30 pm, only one customer and two employees were in the bar. The thieves stole 11,000 euros from the cashbox, the slot machines and the cigarette machine.

“Salvem l'Empordà” has reminded the Catalan government of its promise to restore the area around the mouth of the river Fluvià and integrate it into the Aiguamolls nature park. This promise was originally made when the ruined “Fluvià Marina” was cleared away, three years ago now.

Palau-Savadera is having abandoned vehicles removed from the locality. Some have already been removed by their owners, while others will need the use of a tow-truck.

The singer Antonio Orozco gave a concert in the Disco Pacha in Empuriabrava. As expected, his performance was a great success.

The village of Torroella de Fluvià, with its 550 inhabitants, has not had any shop in which to buy daily necessities since last December. This is particularly annoying for older residents who have no car to go shopping in neighbouring Sant Pere Pescador. Unfortunately, no improvement in this situation is foreseen.

The Cadaqués music festival is getting a new director this year; the style of the festival is also taking new paths. A first material sign of the changes is the installation of an amphitheatre for the concerts at the “Olivar de Sa Conca” beach.

L'Escala is also taking measures to save water. Because of the continuing drought, swimming pools may not be filled with tap water, private car washing is forbidden as is garden watering. Consumption by the fresh water showers on the beach is to be lowered likewise, using a card system that will make only 2 litres of water available within 25 seconds for users.

Roses still needs 30 more new citizens to reach the threshold of 20,000 inhabitants. If this is achieved, Roses will get a new status under the Catalan government. This affects subsidies, which then become bigger, but means too that Roses will have new obligations towards its citizens.

La Vajol is planning to build a youth hostel, particularly with walkers in mind.

The new school building of Cadaqués will be ready for the academic year 2008/2009, when the first pupils can be taught there.

Figueres has already received 75 requests for scholarships for artistic work, nearly twice as many as last year.

For some weeks there have been no daily papers to buy in Port de la Selva. The only book store of the place stopped this service a while ago, so that the readers of the daily papers have to go into the next place, Llançà. The city hall wanted to defuse the situation, by offering the newspapers in the tourism office, however would have needed for it a licence, to that extent that was also not possible.

The new museum of the exile Museu Memorial de l'Exili (MUME) in La Jonquera organised days of the open door on last weekend. Over 150 visitors followed the call. The museum, the only one of its kind in Europe, is opened from Monday until Saturday from 10 to 19 o'clock and  Sunday and holidays from 10 to 16 o'clock.

The library Jaume Vicens Vives in Roses offers recently over 200 daily papers from over 60 countries for double-sided printing in the format DIN A3.

The archaeological museum of Empúries plans to arrange its mechanisms in such a way that also deaf visitors can understand its programs.

If the dryness continues not to stop, Figueres wants to reduce in August the water consumption of the private households, with a water barrier of 22 to 6 o'clock.

A strange phenomenon employs the natural protection of the Guardia civil (Seprona): In Port de la Selva the nets of a fishing boat came up in flames, when they were brought back. Cause was apparently a red substance, whose condition is so far still unknown. None of the involved persons can remember a similar incident.

At the local entrance of Castello d'Empuries two large panels refer to the tourism highlights cathedral and the nature park Aiguamolls. Also some signposts on the access roads around Castello were improved, by referring more clearly to the city. Those non-residents who want to go to Empuriabrava, should know however still that “the largest Marina of the world” belongs to Castello d'Empúries.

Palau-saverdera officially opened the “Slot club Verdera“. This concerns a club with so far 16 members and a course for model cars. The course is 38 metres long, with six lanes. This is accessible not only for members, but for everyone.

Approximately one hundred young people from Roses protested before the city hall because of its policy against the night life. The trip for this action happened at the Friday’s night carnival, when the police wanted to close the bar “Sperpentic” at three o'clock, although the mayoress had verbally assured that it could remain opened longer.

Sant Pere Pescador publishes a book with old photos of the place from the time before 1950. The book is to appear before the summer. The city hall looks to that extent for photos from this epoch and asks everyone for assistance.

L'Escala bought a building in the Carrer Nantré. This has over 300 square metres and is to serve public purposes. Which kind these will be, is so far not yet decided.

Llançà plans at the local entrance, from Figueres coming into the zone “Mas d'en Gifre” a new industrial area. In front of the industrial zone green areas are to adorn the view toward the road.

The road Doctor Josep Vidal Geli in Sant Pere Pescador is renamed, as Carrer Major. The deserving doctor will give however the name of a new road.

Figueres extends the Park&Ride service between the fairground and the city centre starting from 21 February. So far one could park Saturday afternoon the vehicle there and arrive by bus free of charge into the city. Although the offer had been accepted so far by only very few, it is expanded on Thursday morning. Thursday is market day in Figueres and there are always particularly scarce parking spaces.

The businessmen of Llançà give a new purchase card in circulation, the “Comerç de Llançà”. Thus discounts and other advantages can be granted purchasing in the attached shops.  

Associations and citizen movements, which vote against the building of new high voltage transmission lines in all Spain, met in Madrid, in order to discuss and coordinate their actions, under them also representatives of “NO a la MAT” which fight against the planned line with 400 Kv over the Pyrenees to France.

Anna Marés Godo from Roses (~ June 2007) left three buildings at the plaça Sant Pere by means of a donation to the city of Roses, with the condition that these are never again to be sold and are to serve in the future for social and cultural purposes.

Castelló d'Empúries requested the “Agència Catalana de l'Aigua” assistance, in order to be able to temporarily forbid the use of drinking water for filling private swimming pools because of the water scarceness in Castelló d'Empúries, Llançà, Roses and Cadaqués. For the swimming pools at the channels of Empuriabrava is to be created the possibility of filling these with sea water

The Spanish state takes over the financing of the renovation of the birth house of Salvador Dalí in Figueres.

The port of Llançà will be better protected from the wind Llevante. The work is still this year to begin, the federal state government pays for this 4.7 million euro.

The city hall of Sant Pere Pescador offers a course for Windows and Internet. It takes 16 hours and begins on 19 February. The courses take place Tuesday from 20 to 22 o'clock, the participation costs 75 euro.

An ultra light aircraft had to make an emergency landing on the flight to Dole (north France) from Empuriabrava because of engine problems beside the new cemetery of Llançà, close by the road to Figueres.

The level of the artificial lakes moves towards the 20%  mark: Boadella 22.46%.

The church Santa Maria in Portbou will be repaired, specifically the roof, the front and two towers.

Llançà's municipal budget for the year 2008 amounts to 11.215.800 euro, 6% more than in the previous year. 2,9 million euros are intended for investments for the improvement of the townscape. The opposition parties PSC and ICV refused their agreement to the budget.

Port de la Selva requires an improvement of its public means of transport. At present only two motorbuses stop there on weekdays, both in the morning.

Castello d'Empúries, Empuriabrava and the nature park Aiguamolls presented their advantages on the tourism fair “Fitur” in Madrid.

8 municipalities in Catalonia with more than 2500 inhabitants have a foreign-born component of more than 30%. At the Top of the list is Castelló d'Empúries with a foreign contingent of almost 50% which mainly consists of citizens residing in Empuriabrava from other EU countries.

Palau-saverdera officially inaugurated the plaça Mirador-Balcó de l´Empordà. The place at the local entry is equipped with banks, a pergola, wells and a monument that reminds of the 21 victims of Palau-saverdera during the Spanish civil war.

Castelló d'Empúries officially opened the newly-restored chapel of the cloister Convent de Santa Clara. The building from the century XVII will henceforth serve as a place for cultural meetings, concerts, exhibitions and conferences.

The works for the final disassembly of the buildings of the former club Med in Cadaqués will begin after the summer season.

In Cadaqués a new Hostal was opened. The Hostalet de Cadaqués offers rooms with very modern equipment as well as a bar.

The street of Figueres to Llançà will be extended four lanes.

The work on the Passeig de Montgó in L'Escala will be completed before summer. There a zone arises directly behind the beach for pedestrians.

	If you are interested in the Agenda 21, a plan for the environment of Cadaqués, Port de la Selva and Selva de Mar, you can find information at http://www.agenda21local.org/index.php?a21_port_selva_mar_cadaques.  The site is only in Catalan.
Selva de Mar

Within the framework of the “Festa de la Candelera 2008" the town hall of Castelló d'Empúries exhibits "castellocs," pictures by Pilar Farrés Coll.

A 92-year old Barcelonese, who was visiting the carnivals of Roses as part of a bus group, lost orientation and spent the night in the open air. When he had not appeared at the bus meeting place the travel management alerted the police. This found the tourist in relatively good health. In spite of that, he spent the next night in the hospital for observation.

The caroches Fórmula 1, Mickey i Minnie and “N'hi ha que neixen estrellats" won the first prizes at the carnival of L'Escala.

The town halls of Roses and Castelló d'Empúries will split an employee that cares for the interests of the new citizens.

The urban library of Castelló d'Empúries drew a positive balance during 2007; attracting about 40% more visitors than in the previous year.  Also the (Gratis) Internet access was well accepted. More than 8000 users took advantage of this access. Even though most books are in Catalan or Spanish, there are newspapers in several languages that are of interest to foreign visitors.

The old bridge over the Muga in Castelló d'Empúries is restored as a historical monument. Since 2004, when the new bridge was put into operation, it served only for strollers and cyclists.

The environmental protection organization “Iaeden” organized a bicycle route from the Rambla of Figueres to the city hall, in order to request the city to do more for traffic by bicycle. Twenty cyclists followed the call, among them also active politicians, who identify themselves with the goals of the action.

The city hall of Castelló d'Empúries decided at its last plenary assembly to take over some co-workers of the public company “Castelló 2000”, concretely the cleaning service, one carpenter and two painters. The city hall obtains thus substantial savings without reducing the quality of the services.

The containers for the old clothing collection in Port de la Selva were shifted to other places: On the parking “dels horts” and at the road crossing to Selva de Mar. The container at the “Moll de la Timba” remains existing.

The entrepreneurs of the industrial area “Mas Ferrer” in Figueres worry because of threatening thefts to their businesses. There much material and cash were stolen, in the course of one year happened there 15 break-ins. Since the police could not get the thieves so far, the entrepreneurs now organize a guard service at night for the factory buildings.

The city hall of l'Escala created an agency for the economic development of the city. Very soon different conferences will take place, to explain the goals of the agency to the entrepreneurs.

After the last rainfalls the wells of Port de la Selva are again filled, that no restriction of the water consumption is necessary

	The German automobile club ADAC awarded the prizes for the best camping sites of Europe in the context of a Gala. The “camping Laguna” in Castelló d'Empúries (Empuriabrava) received thereby the highest honour: Superplace.

Figueres had not participated for twelve years in any tourism fair. Now Figueres decided to participate this year in the fairs in Toulouse, at the international Catalan tourism fair, the “Navartur” in Pamplona, in San Sebastian and Lleida.

The hospitals as well as the centres for first medical attention (CAP) of the region made it well-known that the flu infection is rising strongly. Of a real flu wave cannot be spoken however yet.

The city hall of Figueres decided to close the “Carrer Nou”  between the Rambla and the plaça de Ernest Vila for traffic in order to accomplish some improvements and to arrange the road as a pedestrian precinct. This is considered as pilot project for the Rambla, which shall likewise become one day a pedestrian precinct. The businessmen of Figueres face these plans however critically, since they fear thereby income losses.

Not only France, also the Empordà has its (small) bank scandal.  Employees as well as helpers facilitated taking from the Caixa Girona 5 million euros by mortgage swindles. Of the 12 accused, 3 fled abroad. The Caixa Girona believes to be able to get back 2 million again.

The court in Barcelona condemned the company ArtsMode network, with seat in Figueres, to no more sell a line of products, which are inspired of the work of Salvador Dalí, and to compensate the foundation Gala Dalí for the past “illegal use” of the work of Salvador Dalí. The commercialization of some “dalian”  products by ArtsMode network is however further permitted. The company had acquired relevant rights before the time of Dali’s ex secretary John Peter Moore and goes with the court decision to all appearances by no means conformal.

In the year 2007 11,667 new leisure boats became certified, about 4.9% less than in the year before in Spain. In the province Girona were put about 500 new boats to water.

In the nature park Cap de Creus the water birds wintering there were counted again. 22 kinds were registered, among them some which are threatened by becoming extinct.

In Reus (Barcelona) a very strange theft occupies the police. 53,000 litres of mass wine, a speciality of the family business, were stolen in the winery De Muller. The thieves had opened the entrance gate by force, how they could remove however such a quantity wine, remain a mystery. For the quantity two tankers are necessary. Nevertheless the neighbours did not notice anything at the night of the theft.

The city hall of Roses invested 15,000 euro into an advertising campaign, which promotes the carnival of its city in the south of France, in Andorra and in the remainder of Catalonia in the right light. In the carnival participate over 6000 persons actively, about 50,000 spectators are expected.

Llançà owes his place name to the concept of the "lance." Three lances adorn the local coat of arms and on the occasion of the Fiesta Mayor (St. Vicenç) the town hall awards lances as an honour for deserving citizens. Pere Pacreu i Turró received the golden lance for his good work with the Club Esportiu to which he sacrificed a part of his leisure time for over 40 years. Two silver lances were awarded: Onto Gerard Marín (CN Llançà) for his exceptional results in sailing and to Sandra Juanola for her brilliant academic merit in biology. The youth team of the football club Llançà received the copper lance.

The Dalí-museum in Figueres is pleased with the loan from a private collector who would like to remain anonymous. The picture “Autoretrat desplegant-se en tres", created by Salvador Dalí in 1926, will be shown until end of summer.

Port de la Selva expands the street to Selva de Mar.  Also, cyclists have a new gift: they get their own cycle track.

The Pagaia Club from Llançà will participate this year in the competition of the Spanish kayak-league. Its goalobjective is the rise of the club into the second league.

More than 150.000 visitors found their way to Espolla last week. Their objective, the twelfth Fira de l'Oli i l'Olivera.

The free parking lot on the fair grounds of Figueres had been more or less deserted on first Saturday of his operation.  Few visitors took the city up on their offer for free parking and a free bus transfer into the city – initially, only available on Saturday.

About 5000 citizens of Figueres belong to the Islamic faith. The Centre Cultural Islàmic made some demands on the town hall so that his members can practise their faith. Among other requests was for 10.000 square metre’s ground as well as the possibility for burials according to their rite.

Llançà wants to build behind the already existing gym a covered swimming pool. The project is still in the planning stage . . . but the eventual approval and construction is likely.

Cèlia Caula and Eduardo Márquez were elected as “pubilla" and “hereu" of Llançà. They will represent Llançà during official occasions in 2008.

Llançà opened, during its Fiesta Mayor, the new tourism office at the local entrance (Direction Figueres).

The “oficina de català" of Roses (C/ Sant Josep, 10; Tel. 972 25 39 47, roses@cpnl.cat) offers, beginning on 12 February until 13 May Catalan language courses for adults.

Because of the continued dryness since the summer of 2007 the olive harvest of the Empordà turned out to be quantitatively considerably smaller than in prior years.  The high quality of the harvest tends to balance some of the loss as the fruits gave up between 15 and 20 % more olive oil. In spite of that the olive oil production of the Empordà (138 cooperatives, represented by Empordàlia in Pau) ended with 600.000 litres less than in previous years.

The Ministry of Education gave Roses a subsidy of 300.000 euros to continue, for another year, the restoration works at the citadel.

Portbou made application to build a by-pass street from the end of the tunnel of the C-260 to the railway station. This would avoid lorries having to pass through town to get to the railway station.

Good thing take time. The central government formed a commission for the second phase of the return of the former ground of the club Med in Cadaqués into a natural state. The cost will be about 7 million euros.

A fair with the choir “Vergelitana” is the final ceremony for the 500 year anniversary of the church Sant Martí d'Empúries. Since November more than 3000 persons have participated in the events. At the same time the exhibition about the origins of the Christianity in Empúries will close.

	In spite of some semi-violent rainstorms the water scarcity remains a serious problem for our region. The artificial lakes are filled to less than 30 % of their capacity; Boadella only has 26,17 %.
Boadella

The civil union “Antimolins” from Portbou presented to the Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia their objection to the planned wind mill park “Tramuntana” between Portbou and Colera. According to Antimolins the affected zone is a protected area of high regional value and not appropriate since the wind generators are in the path of migrating birds. Furthermore, the project does not respect the European norms with regard to the carrying out of Border-Comprehensive Measures.

The new mayoress of Roses, Magda Casamitjana, made first contacts with the civil union Roses Cara al Mar. One of their objectives is to assure that around the fishing port no big industrial companies are developed.

The municipality Llançà opened a new swimming pool in the quarter „La Farella”. It is opened Monday until Thursday from 17 hrs 30 to 19 h 45 and on Friday from 17 hrs 30 until 20 hrs 45. In the near future swimming lessons for children and adults will be offered there.

Roses will put a third school into operation for the next school year, at first in temporary classrooms on the ground of the former equestrian sport place. The actual school building will be built in the quarter “Puigmal”.

Roses are installing new road signs.  Old, unattractive signs are to be replaced and places without signs will get new signs, such as in the quarters Santa Margarida, Canyelles and Puig Rom.

Perpignan (Southern France) is the Catalan culture capital for the year 2008. As the first ceremony the exhibition “Gala, Musa de Dalí” was opened, until the end of August at the Couvent des Minimes.

In the context of the 500-year anniversary of the church of Sant Martí d'Empúries in L’Escala there will be an exhibition of Christianity in Empúries.

The fishermen of Roses continue to be victims of thefts and damage of their equipment. To mitigate the risk a part of the dock and auction arena will be locked off so that visitors will be unable to enter the area.

The population of Cadaqués decreased in the year 2007 by 116 inhabitants.

The parachute jump centre Skydive in Empuriabrava, the largest of its kind in Europe, will again organize the Christmas Boogie. 400 sportsmen participated in it, accumulating over 10.000 jumps.

The shops of the region began the winter sale. They offer their goods at greatly reduced prices for two months. They can even be open on certain Sundays if they wish. Expectations of the businessmen are not very high.

Miquel Ferrer i Vilanova was re-elected for a four-year term as president of the club Nàutic Llançà. The choice was only a formality, since there was no rival candidate.

Thieves in Castelló d’Empúries began an unsuccessful break-in attempt into the sports palace. After they had broken a windowpane, they were deterred by the alarm.

	The former barracks of the Guardia civil in Port de la Selva, at present unused, will be prepared to serve as the local police offices. Also the old part of town of Port de la Selva is to get a new face. The city hall plans to invest a million euro into the improvement of the streets.

The Consell Comarcal (advice) of the Empordà submitted eight projects to the federal state government, which, if approved, are to be completed between 2009 and 2012. Among them is also an animal home, which will cost 2.1 million euro

Figueres will become the Catalan cultural capital for the year 2009. In this year Figueres will also celebrate the 150th birthday of Narcís Monturiol (considered the inventor of the submarine and as one of the greatest sons of the city).  The year will be filled with many ceremonies and other events.

The past boss of the Mossos D' Esquadra in Roses, inspector Eduard Campà, is now the director of the local police.

In the last few months the rental prices increased in Figueres by around 22%. An average dwelling costs 520 Euro per month, still more favourably than in Girona, where rents average 709 euro per month.

The exhibition “Gent de Mar” in L'Escala shows photos from the sixties to 1978, in the town’s exhibition hall.

	Ports de la Generalitat will invest during the year 2008 28 million euro for the improvement of Catalan ports. The building of a protective wall for the harbour facilities of Llançà will cost 3,1 million euro.
Port de Llançà

Roses has begun to install new street lighting in the quarter Puig Rom.  Initially in the streets Cant dels Ocells, Tordera, Francesc Alegre, Llobregat, Foix, and on a part of the ascent to Puig Rom. The overall plan is to provide the whole quarter with new lighting; altogether 700 lamps will be installed.

Archaeological excavations in Santa Creu de Rodes (Port de la Selva) has found that a necropolis existed from the VIII and IX century and that between the XI and XVI century the area was inhabited. The archaeologists assume that there were about 250 inhabitants in the XIV century.

The exhibition areas at the lighthouse at the Cap de Creus can be used by Cadaqués for the next five years.  The port authority extended the necessary agreement.

The road of the local entrance to Cadaqués up to the sea is the property of the Direcció general de Carreteres. Therefore the city hall must request permission for any change in the road, even for the installation of a sign. These variances were always granted, but the task resulted in additional work for the city hall. In order to streamline the process the city hall has requested that the road becomes municipality-owned. The Direcció general de Carreteres has agreed, verbally.

Palau saverdera opened, in the Carrer Nou 49, a building to serve the local associations. There are 400 m2 available.

	Although the transfer of the station of Figueres to the outskirts of town to Vilafant seems to be decided thing, citizens continue to resist it. The group “Defensem el tren de L’Empordà” (we defend the train of the Empordà) demands that the station remain where it is and that the rails are put underground.

The Internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia is offering a new search engine http://alpha.search.wikia.com -- as an alternative to Google. At this time it does not seem to be very useful. A search of “CapCreus online” garnered only 60 results and they were often nonsense.

The Christmas Children park of Llançà closed with positive balance. During one week over 700 children visited the park.

Since the renovation work on the fortress is almost final, the construction crane was removed from the Castell de la Trinitat in Roses. Now the work will be to recondition the environment of the Castell.

La Jonquera is the only municipality of Catalonia with 3000 inhabitants and a 14-person police force. Nevertheless this number is far too small, since the shopping strip of Le Perthus is constantly visited by thousands of tourists and creates urban problems similar to a city with 20,000 inhabitants. Money is not available to recruit more personnel for the local police since the tax receipts correspond only to a municipality with 3000 inhabitants.

La Jonquera now expects the national police Mossos d'Esquadra will be stationed there to augment the police.

Close to Bàscara, in the course of the construction work for the route of the TAV, archaeological remainders were found. The ministry for education and cultural estimates their value is not sufficient to interrupt the construction work.

The Galeria d'art in Cadaqués opened the exhibition < Orgànic >, a mixture of painting, sculpture, photos and audiovisuals. The Cap de Creus is the hero of the show.

	In Empuriabrava a car landed in a private swimming pool in the morning hours of Sunday, after it had torn through the wall of the property. Fortunately the swimming pool was in the way; otherwise the last stop would have been in the canal.
photo: Bahia-Blick

Because we still have a very dry climate, along with violent gusts of wind, the Alt Empordà remains a high fire risk.

Figueres exceeded the magic number of 40.000 inhabitants. At present 41.115 inhabitants are registered. Figueres expects further strong demographic growth. Within the next 20 years the number of the inhabitants is expected to double.

Despite some rain, recently, the water level of the reservoir lake of Boadella remains in the critical range, filled to only 25% of its capacity.

The town hall of Portbou organises measures to prevent a water shortage.

10 municipalities of the Alt Empordà want to forbid prostitution on the roads within its municipalities. They have applied to the government representatives in Girona to be able to enforce this new regulation.

The school of Darnius receives a donation of 240 thousand euro from an industrialist from Venezuela. Josep Soler Batlle (88) was born in Darnius, spent his childhood here and immigrated during the Spanish civil war to Venezuela, where he founded one of the most important companies in Venezuela. The donation is divided into ten annual instalments of 24 thousand euro.

The police confiscated at the border in La Jonquera three tons of fish, which had been transported in a truck from Italy. A portion of the load did not meet international regulations, since they were too small to be sold.

The bus (Buhobus) to the nightclubs in Empuriabrava stops at the bus station of Figueres, at the hotel Emporium in Castelló d'Empúries, at the tourism offices of Roses and Santa Margarida and in the nightclub zone of Empuriabrava. Riding on the bus is free. The organizers, satisfied with their success, do not exclude the possibility of expanding the scope to include La Jonquera and L’Escala.

Intensive rainfalls determined the climate of the days before Christmas. The rain was nit so bad that it caused flooding.

To marry in the church has become quite rare.  In the year 2006 the number of church weddings fell to under one thousand. In contrast, there were1822 civilian weddings.

The Plaça de les Escoles in L’Escala, including the tourism office, will be reconditioned in the year 2008.

Sant Pere Pescador announced the budget 2008 at 4,77 million euro. A majority of the planned investments (2.755 million euro) is allocated to the completion of the general-purpose gymnasium.

The Bible of the monastery Sant Pere de Rodes has returned to Port de la Selva, but this time as a facsimile version. The original, dating from the XI century is considered one of the most important documents of Catalonia.  In the XVIII century the Bible was taken as war booty and moved to France. The original is in the national library of Paris and can be viewed only very rarely. The original Bible was originally only one manuscript of 566 pages, but it was divided in XVIII the century, in France, into four volumes. New, complex techniques now permit a faithful reproduction of the Bible, which can be visited in the library of Port de la Selva. 

The ski stations in the Pyrenees expect a snowy Christmas. Also the peaks of the Albera Mountains are now white.  Even at the coast we saw a few snowflakes. At higher elevations traffic problems were noted. The road between Port de la Selva and Vilajuïga, the road to the monastery Sant Pere de Rodes, was temporarily closed as a precaution.

Ferran Adrià, world-famous kitchen boss of the El Bulli in Roses, received from the university Barcelona the honour doctor honoris causa.  This is the first time a cook in Spain received such recognition.   Adrià self-learned mechanics as they relate to cooking, and on the occasion of the award suggested that we introduce cooking as a university discipline.

In Castelló d'Empúries a working group in the city hall worries about the use of bicycles in the context of urban traffic. A new association with the name “Amics de la bicicleta” is in the establishment phase, and their goal will be to improve the existing, and add more, cyclist lanes.

The company Pescagirona with headquarters in L'Escala now sells 20% of its fish via the Internet. During the holidays it is expected that their sales over the Internet will grow to 50%.

If everything goes as planned, Cadaqués will have its own bus station in the summer 2008, located beside the parking lot at the local entrance. Whether the number of bus connections to Cadaqués will increase is still not known. If this should happen however, a trip by bus for daily visitors would be a viable alternative because of the chronic shortage of parking space in Cadaqués.

Roses plans to install a day-care centre for handicapped children. This will be opened only during the summer months, for the time being.

Llançà intends to use renewable energies in public buildings.

The city hall of Figueres has reached an agreement with the tenants of the shop Can Tamarís, located in the birthplace of Salvador Dalí, for an early termination of their lease. Something similar is planned with the two remaining rentals in the house.

The new industrial area of Roses, at the road toward Vilajuïga, begins in February with the sales of properties. So far only the company Zodiac is located there. The area will be adaptable to the needs of small and mid-sized enterprises.

The federal state government initiates the program Banda Ampla Rural, which is to also make possible for all municipalities with over 100 inhabitants to have (A)DSL service. The Alt Empordà is of particularly concern since it ranks among the regions with the worst ADSL internet access in Catalonia.

Portbou plans a new by-pass road for trucks, which leads directly to the station.

The Catalan government plans to build 7 new sport airports. The facilities for light airplanes in Viladamat and Ordis, already existing will be further developed to fit the new plans at an expenditure of 2.3 million euro. The airport in Empuriabrava cannot be revised however, since an extension of the runway is not possible due to its location.

For the first time in 15 years the prices for real estates has fallen on the Costa Brava.  In some regions the prices have decreased by up to 9% in the past six months. Because of the large number of homes for sale, the buyer has the upper hand.

At the passeig Nou of Figueres the branches of the trees have been radically pruned and there is no place for the starlings to roost  . . .  much to the joy of the auto owners, who heretofore had spent time each morning cleaning their automobiles.

In Bàscara, during the construction work for the TAV route, 20 ancient silos were discovered.  Their origin is still unknown. Further archaeological excavations will continue along the route, with the possibility of further finds.

The planned windmill park in Biure received the necessary permission. Eventually there will be 11 wind generators.

The ERC of Figueres is working to permit young people less than 18 years to use the public transportation free of charge.

The Parking lot in the port of Roses is becoming a meeting place of truck drivers, who during the weekend, on which they may not drive, park their trucks.  For businessman this is not a problem because these drivers may spend some of their money. Neighbours however are being disturbed by the noise, especially from the refrigerators of the fresh goods transporting trucks. Also the fishermen feel handicapped in their work. In response, the city hall is considering measures to forbid truck parking there.

The association of businessmen of Roses is seeking to encourage business premises to be rented for longer term. At present, many shops open only during the summer months, which reduce the attractiveness of the city centre in the winter.

Llançà had opened the Roman tower on the Plaça Major during the past summer as a pilot project. The offer was so well accepted -- over 1000 visitors -- which the city hall now plans to recondition the tower.

The ice skating rink on the Rambla in Figueres, planned for the Christmas holidays, will be 30 x 15 meters.

At the delta of the Rio Muga 800 dead fish were found, victims of poisoning from ammonium. This was caused, in all probability, by a purification plant located outside of the city.

Gerard Marín (CN Llançà) plans for his next project after his successful participation on the MiniTransat 2007.  He plans to participate again in the year 2009, this time with a prototype. At present Marín is seeking about 135 thousand euro for the project.

In the centre for young art in Madrid there is an exhibition of works by twenty artists from the Empordà, in the context of the Transart 6. The exhibit was organized by the museum of the Empordà and the city hall of Girona.

The centre civic of Colera organizes a painting competition for children on 1 December starting at 17 o'clock.

Magdalena Álvarez, minister for the building industry, announced that the train connection by TGV between Barcelona and the French border would be operational in the year 2010.  But, initially with provisional trains which will not achieve the maximum speed.  The high-speed trains will begin in 2012.

Roses will enlarge its tourism office during the next four months at an expenditure of 196 thousand euro.

Castelló d'Empúries will try to improve the traffic facility between the historical town centre and Empuriabrava by utilizing electrical mini busses.

L'Escala inaugurates its Christmas lighting on 30 November at 18 o'clock at the place before the city hall.

The artist Dolors Caballero presents from 2 until 16 December in CanLaporta of La Jonquera her exhibition CARÀCTERS.

Palau saverdera is installing a Wi-Fi system, available to all citizens. The system will also be used to control public road lighting as well as monitoring cameras in public buildings.

Roses is considering building a plant for the demineralization of the seawater in order to guarantee the supply of industrial water.

Castelló d'Empúries is trying to save water.  Because of the continuous drought the city hall requires that the urban cleaning companies stop using drinking water, but instead use water from the purification plant.

On 9 September Castelló d'Empúries will organize, in the old part of town, its classical market with Christmas products. On the same day the artist Anna Mª Constanseu opens an exhibition with her painting in the LLotja Comunal.

Impressum: Ernst Witzel, Paul A. Hoffstein, Manuel Fernández Vila, Christel Arnold, Geraldine Steffler, . Article contributions, even when being seriously serious please to cconline@cbrava.com     CapCreus online, every day a little more