El Corte Inglés race

By Helena López Fortuny

On April 3rd the 33rd annual El Corte Inglés race took place in Barcelona. Yet again, the race proved as the most popular one of its kind in Europe. The race attracted 58,847 competitors, including athletes, families, groups of friends and, of course, people of all ages. The race started at 9.30am in Passeig de Gràcia. From there, the competitors ran a distance of 10,766 Km along the main streets of the Condal city.

The El Corte Inglés race not only passed the mark of 55,000 competitors, it also increased the number of people running with a microchip (6,083 athletes, 1,057 more than last year).

The winners in the men’s category were:

1. Mohamed Benhmbarka, for the fourth consecutive year, with a time of 33:12

2. Otmane Btaimi, with a time of 33:18

3. Samir Ait Bouychamane, with a time of 33:56

The winners in the women’s category were:

1. Meritxell Calduch, with a time of 38:58

2. Hassna Bahom, with a time of 39:58

3. Inna Lebedieva, with a time of 41:00

"La Festa al Cel"

By Antonio Martínez

"La Festa al Cel" is an exhibition of airplanes. Last year it was presented in Barcelona on October 14th, but the normal day of the event is October 2nd or 3rd.

All types of airplanes come to Barcelona from other cities solely for this exhibition.

The planes fly by twice, once at high altitude and great speed, the other at low altitude and low speed.

One can find airplanes from different periods, from the time of the war [qué guerra?] to the latest models and technologies.

This year the best airplane that visited Barcelona for "La Festa al Cel" was the A380-800.

Sant Ponç
By Carla Bustamante, Carla Gimeno, Lorena Pelarda

La Fira de Sant Ponç is a tradition celebrated in Barcelona every year. It takes place in the neighbourhood of Raval, where, year after year, on this day (11th May) natural products, medicinal herbs, candied fruits and honey are sold to commemorate Sant Ponç, the saint patron of the herbalists and bee-keepers. You will be able to find almost 100 little shops along El Carrer Hospital.

This festivity had its origins centuries ago and in the 16th century it was christianized and celebrated in Sant Ponç day. It was a custom that the herbalists sold herbs to the people in spring, because the popular medicine attributed to certain plants, gathered on this station of the year, curative properties. This custom started La Fira de Sant Ponç, which first was located in La Plaça de Sant Miquel, later in El Carrer de Sant Cugat, and finally near the church of L' Hospital de la Santa Creu.