Calçotada 2012

Welcome to the second annual Capabilities Development calçotada .  Last year we made it to the country side, this year we went to where is all started in Tarragona .  This year we have a special guest star, the Business Intelligence team.  Vistaprint employees know how to have fun!

A calçotada is a typical get together and meal that Catalans celebrate early in the year.

In February the Capabilities Development and Business Intelligence teams in Barcelona took a journey to Tarragona to enjoy a calçotada . Did I mention it was 65 degrees and sunny in February.  We declared today was the start of summer.

We hopped on the Barcelona RENFE for a quick one hour ride to Tarragona  - Google Maps.  Once we got there we walked up a hill that had tremendous views of the Mediterranean.  

We were also treated to some ancient Roman ruins.  In Roman times, the city was named Tarraco and was capital of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis.  It was the richest town on this coast.

We stopped for a couple of drinks, walked around the Gothic quarter, went to the Tarragona Cathedral and finally topped it all off with a calçotada

A good time was shared by all.

We also enjoyed drinking vino from a porron.

• "…and drank out of a dreadful thing called a porron. A porron is a sort of glass bottle with a pointed spout from which a thin jet of wine spurts out whenever you tip it up; you can thus drink from a distance, without touching it with your lips, and it can be passed from hand to hand. I went on strike and demanded a drinking-cup as soon as I saw a porron in use. To my eye the things were altogether too like bed-bottles, especially when they were filled with white wine." - George Orwell

View from the walk up the hill

Roman Forum (Circus)

 (Christine Monaco, Elaine Milardo, Josh Marcus, Frank Tobias, Jordi Mas, Abe Lourenco, Yan Pekar)

 (Christine Monaco, Elaine Milardo, Josh Marcus, Frank Tobias, Jordi Mas, Peter Nuding, Abe Lourenco)

After we made is up the hill it was time for some drinks. This street is known as the Las Rablas of Tarragona


 

Another Roman Forum (Circus)

Time to hit the Gothic quarter on the way to the Cathedral of Tarragona.

Cathedral of Tarragona 

Every year during Tarragona's festival they have walking human pyramids - walking them to the Major's square (500 meters?). Finally the Enxaneta (person at the very top, usually a kid) gets pick up from the balcony of the major house.

 (Frank and Jordi shopping at the open market in front of the Tarragona Cathedra)

 (For some reason this reminds me of some lost days in Tijuana)

Time for the calçotada! 

 (Brian Wehrle, Jordi Mas, Abe Lourenco, Frank Tobias, Elaine Milardo, Christine Monaco, Josh Marcus )

 

   (Yan Pekar, Jordi Mas, Abe Lourenco, Frank Tobias, Elaine Milardo, Christine Monaco, Josh Marcus, Brian Wehrle)

 (Masayo Haneda arrives - where's Hernando???)

(Where's the food?  We found Hernando!) 

 (It begins, introducing the Calçots)

(dude.  that's how you eat that) 

(You go girl!) 

(enough comments) 

Vino flows free from the porron.  

Final cava toast of the Calçotada

Drinking vino from a porron. Checkout their skills in action... 

 

Josh