“Have you met people who take the wind out of your sails? Like, if you say, ‘Oh! last year, I was taking a Canal Cruise in Bruges...’ and they cut you short and say, ‘Oh! the canal tours? You won’t believe what happened to us at Tanner’s Square...’ My mouth is still open, but now my story is gone!
And, that’s how I decided on the Grec Festival. There we were talking about art and all things fine, when someone pops up and says, “no discussion on art is complete without a mention of the Grec Festival...”
“I am off to Greece next month!” I said, nonchalantly. Everyone looked at me strangely. Red faced I discovered the Grec Festival is held in Barcelona, Spain. But, I could say I was partially right, in that the festival used to take place in the “Greek Theatre” — an open air theatre, a bowl-like auditorium, on Mount Montjuïc for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. The main purpose of the festival is encourage Catalan artists and companies.
Entertainment
El Grec now has everything — from theatre, music, dance and flamenco to film and even the circus.
The Circus Night was unforgettable. I could not get enough of the acrobats and jugglers, the musicians — yes, there were musicians too, and so many, many more...
From 1979, it has been under the charge of the Barcelona authorities. They have expanded it to include international productions too.
Today, I must agree with my learned friend and self acclaimed art connoisseur that it is one of the leading festivals in Europe. It begins in the end of June and carries on to early August.
Barcelona is a vibrant and colourful city. It is beautiful and the architecture is varied and stunning. It has fabulous beaches and the nights are abuzz with activity. This summer festival only adds more zing to this cultural melting pot.
