Vic, Spain

We made one of our quick visits to the town of Vic in Catalonia. The town is well known for its cathedral and the market which happens on Thursdays and Saturdays. We visited on a Saturday and saw both. The Cathedral had its own post yesterday, but here's the rest of what we saw in Vic.

The streets are a blend of large thoroughfares and tight lanes meant for pedestrians (though vehicles still squeeze through every now and then). We were surprised to run across some random murals that fascinated us. One was in a dusty plaza.

Plaza with mural

Mural detail (click to enlarge)

On the left side of the mural is a group of men forming a tower. This is a common practice in Catalonia. They are called Castells or castles. The practice began in the late 1700s and continues to today.

Further down the street we found another mural with a musical theme.

Musical mural (click to enlarge)

The murals must be related. In addition to the style similarities, some of the characters (the guy with the top hat, the mustachioed guy with the brown cloak, and the lady in the green cloak) are the same. Perhaps there was a big wedding or festival that only the locals know about. The text in the upper right says, "geganters i commissio de festes carrer de la riera" which Google translates as "giants and Street Festival Committee stream." Maybe the common figures are giant puppets or people in costumes (people from the festival committee)? I love the dog chasing the fellow with the red and gold towel.

Some of the streets aren't as colorful as we've seen in other towns, but they do have the usual assortment of fun wall decorations.

A typical street

Cool wall decor

We arrived at the Placa Major where the market was being held. The large plaza was full of bustling activity, barking vendors, and more stuff than you could imagine.

Market day, Vic-style

The most fascinating items for sale at the market were at the egg stalls. In addition to eggs, plenty of poultry was purchasable. J and L loved looking at the chickens and ducks (from young chicks to full grown birds), but not too closely.

Ducks and chickens

More fowl offerings

While not buying and birds, we did get some snacks from a bakery stall. We were hoping to try the famous local sausage, which our guide book claimed would be piled up to the sky at some of the stalls, but we saw no meat for sale at all (other than the still-alive variety). We saw cheese and produce but no local, tasty sausages.

Personally, I had to shop for a tie since I forgot to pack one (we were in Catalonia for a wedding). Among the many clothes stalls selling everything from underwear to overcoats, only a few had neck ties. I was able to find something to go along with my suit and shirt that wasn't very expensive.

By this point, the children were wiped out so we headed back to the car satisfied with our shopping experience.