The intense rains that have fallen on Tarragona this winter have filled the streams that flow into the sea and have once again dirtied the beaches with pellets. The water that falls on the facilities of companies that handle these small plastics leads them through the drains to the streams, and then they end up on the beaches and in the sea. The last serious incident occurred due to rainfall between January 16 and 18, as was verified by the municipal beach inspector of La Pineda (Vila-seca), who photographed and documented the thousands of pellets that appeared on the beach.

Data on industrial pollution in the Camp de Tarragona region improves every year, although during 2025, due to the general blackout of AprilEmissions of one of the monitored toxic components spiked. The power outage that plunged Catalonia, Spain, and Portugal into darkness disrupted the normal operation of the chemical plants in Tarragona and triggered a surge in emissions of 1,3-butadiene, one of the volatile compounds generated by the industrial process. In Catalonia, emissions of this element are not regulated by any legislation, but the Ontario (Canada) standard is used as a reference, which sets the annual average for these emissions at 2 µg/m³. During last year's nationwide blackout, levels of this compound reached as high as 150 µg/m³, according to measurements from the petrochemical plant's own sensors in El Morell. Despite this incident, average emissions throughout the Camp de Tarragona region last year did not exceed 2 µg/m³.

I had a really messed up dream last night. I dreamt there were some puppies, and one of them had been enhanced with artificial intelligence. I was terrified and kept thinking: how did we get to this point?

Vermuts Miró is the subject of the first volume in the Business History Library, a project launched by MaserGrup. The book, written by historian Isabel Martínez (Cambrils, 1973), traces the evolution of Vermuts Miró from its founding in 1914 to its acquisition by MaserGrup in 2020, placing the brand's trajectory within the broader history of wine production. The book will be presented on April 7th at Casa Navàs.

A while ago, in a different medium and format, I wondered how El Vendrell could be the way it is. I don't know exactly what it's like either; it's simply El Vendrell. But it's the birthplace of people like Pau Casals, Àngel Guimerà, the brothers Ramon Ramon i Vidales and Joan Ramon i Vidales, the Andreu Nin brothers, and the Lax'n'Busto family. Something like Reus or Sarral, but in the Penedès region.

If we accept that the Catalan people have the right to decide, the next question is practical: why do they want independence? A people's independence is for itself, not against any other. Ultimately, nothing is more natural than wanting to decide for oneself.

Next weekend, L'Hospitalet de l'Infant will once again become a meeting point for construction enthusiasts with the fourth edition of HospiBrick & Click, the largest joint LEGO and Playmobil fair in Catalonia. Last year's fair welcomed nearly 6,000 visitors from the town itself, other parts of Catalonia, and cities such as Zaragoza, Bilbao, Valencia, and Seville. The event will take place in the sports pavilion and will feature over 300 square meters of exhibition space. Visitors will be able to admire twelve Playmobil dioramas and approximately 120 square meters of LEGO creations—forty square meters more than last year—assembled by members of the Somosclicks (Playmobil) and Hispalug (LEGO) associations. In addition to the exhibition area, there will be two specialized sales stands and a play area. bricks LEGO for the little ones.

"Excuse me for not looking at the camera, it's quite difficult to look away from this." This was how journalist Lídia Heredia, TV3's correspondent in Washington, D.C., apologized to the audience during her live broadcast of the solar eclipse in April 2024 from Erie, Pennsylvania. Wearing paper eclipse glasses, her mouth agape, and a face beaming with emotion, the journalist insisted: "Many people feel like we're living through an experience they'll remember for a lifetime." Many residents of southern Catalonia, and thousands of tourists, will have a similar feeling this August 12th, when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, plunging the sky into darkness. For a minute and a half, as if someone had flipped a switch, it will suddenly go dark, and even the stars will be visible. All of this will occur between 7:30 and 9:00 p.m., depending on the observer's location.

In 1991, Lluís Vives i Solé's grandfather was recognized by President Pujol "for his leading role in technological advancements in the vineyard sector." Today, the Catalan government no longer awards this distinction to those who work the land and protect the landscape. His son, Enric Vives, and his wife, Aïda Conesa, are oenologists, having graduated from the Rovira i Virgili University. Thirty years ago, they decided to establish Cavas Vives Ambròs in Montferri. Together, they maintain the legacy of a farming family with over 500 years of history in the Alt Camp region, and now the sixth generation has joined them. David Vives has set aside his computer career to cultivate vineyards. It's common to see him working on a 1979 John Deere tractor, but also skillfully communicating on Instagram. The cellars are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, and it seems that, nestled near the church and just a few meters from the modernist Sanctuary of Montserrat, they are navigating the crisis looming over the wine industry. They will expand the facilities to store the increasingly longer aging processes for their Cava, as well as the shop to offer better wine tourism services. "At Vives Ambròs, 99% is vineyards, and we sell 90% of our production in the shop," explains Enric Vives. They are a rare elderlyThey don't have distributors. "Word of mouth and the quality-price-pleasure ratio of our wines and cavas work for us," he adds. Specialized critics and international competitions have also been kind to them; 71 gold medals and 40 silver medals.

On Tuesday, the Tarragona region saw protests from teachers who were not satisfied with the salary increase agreed upon by the CCOO and UGT unions with the government. The improvement included, among other things, an increase of around 3,000 euros per year. Not bad, but three unions (USTEC, Intersindical, and CGT) were not entirely convinced and organized a consultation.95% of voters rejected the agreement. It should be noted that 40,000 teachers participated, more than half of the total. The strikes that began this week and end on Friday with a demonstration in Barcelona therefore have very broad support among professionals.

The Reus City Council plans to demolish several buildings on Balmes Street to improve the connection between the Carrilet neighborhood and the city center. This historic area features murals that commemorate the railway past of a neighborhood that once connected territories and people. The contemporary transformation of some urban environments involves reclaiming pedestrian walkways and green spaces, and striving for more sustainable, accessible, and healthy cities.

This March 13th marks exactly two years since, after losing the budget vote, the then President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, decided to call elections. The accounts for that fiscal year had an insurmountable obstacle: Hard Rock. On one hand, the PSC demanded that he unblock the project if he wanted their votes, but on the other hand, Comuns assured him that if the macro-casino went ahead, they would oppose it. An insurmountable dilemma. Aragonès maintained his commitment to the socialists, and Comuns kept their word and voted against the budget. President Aragonès called early elections and lost them in favor of Salvador Illa. Months later, Illa also needed the support of other parties to be invested as president, and once again, Hard Rock was the bargaining chip: one of the conditions set by Comuns and Republicans was that he eliminate the tax reductions that Artur Mas's government approved in 2014 to lure investors from the Seminole tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock. Instead of paying 55% of the taxes levied on gambling, they would only pay 10%.

In terms of size, with its 39,800 hectares, the Prades, Poblet and Serra de la Llena Mountains Natural Park will be the second largest natural park in Catalonia, second only to the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. But if we consider the level of complexity, the future natural park wins hands down. It was already considered a priority during the Second Republic, and once the dictatorship ended, there were various attempts to make it a reality, but these proved impossible. After many broken promises and constant changes to the schedule, there is a date that, now, seems likely to be met: Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia The Official Gazette of Catalonia (DOGC) will publish the draft for the creation of the new natural park this March. A period for submitting objections will then open, and according to the Catalan Government's calculations, it could be definitively approved this summer. The main difficulty in defining what the future park should be like lies precisely in its vast size: it includes 22 municipalities across five different counties and two provinces, Tarragona and Lleida. "Tell me what the reality of Cornudella (Priorat) could possibly have in common with that of Alcover (Alt Camp)," says the mayor of Cornudella, Meritxell Cardona. Converting this entire area into a natural park will allow for the preservation of a large expanse, but this protection entails restrictions. And this has been one of the main obstacles. The participatory process promoted by the Department of Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition has gathered 851 contributions, with an additional 150 following specific territorial sessions organized by the Government. "The creation of the park has incorporated a lengthy participatory process, which has allowed us to collect a wide diversity of perspectives, knowledge, and expectations regarding the future space," explained Marc Vilahur, Director General of Environmental Policies and the Natural Environment, this afternoon during an event in Alcover.

The announcement had already been made, but it wasn't yet entirely official, and negotiations to relocate the State Public Library to Tarragona's former tobacco factory had dragged on for so long that no one dared to commit to it. Finally, the confirmation was made public this Monday: the Tarragona City Council, the Catalan Government, and the Ministry of Culture have agreed to move the facility, currently located in the city center, to the main building of the former tobacco factory. The new library will have three floors and occupy 10,000 square meters, as Tarragona Mayor Rubén Viñuales pointed out: "This figure represents a fourfold increase in the space of the current library (1,800 m²), which will make it the second largest public library in Catalonia, after the future one." The investment to carry out this major project is estimated at 20 million euros and will be financed by the Spanish government. Once filled with books and open, the Ministry of Culture will transfer it to the Generalitat (Catalan government). The Tarragona City Council, for its part, must transfer the land to the State so that construction can begin, after the project has been drawn up.

Crim is a punk-rock band formed in Tarragona 15 years ago. That's how it works out for them, but in the end, they've managed to make a living from music, which is quite an achievement. Especially since they play the music they love, and it's not exactly the kind of music the industry promotes. They've played in various countries, and in this interview, they share their future plans. They're currently touring Spain to present their latest album. Medieval future. They are Adri Bertran, Quim Mas, Marc Anguela and Javi Dorado.

The baritone Àngel Òdena is one of the members of the cast of The Mona LisaThe opera by Amilcare Ponchielli, with a libretto by Arrigo Boito, can be seen at the Gran Teatre del Liceu until March 2nd. The Tarragona native returned to the Liceu stage this past Monday after three years, when he participated in The Troubadour, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of his debut at the Barcelona theater.

The rains and strong winds of recent weeks in the Camp de Tarragona region have left the impression that the exceptional is becoming the norm. The Riudecanyes reservoir is the best example of this: in just one year, it has gone from being practically empty (1.6% at the end of October 2024) to nearly 100% capacity, which has even required additional spending. The Camp de Tarragona is building up reserves, but uncertainty is growing in the face of an increasingly unpredictable climate. This seemingly atypical scenario points to a new normal marked by extremes.

Commuter rail, education, healthcare, farming, fishing, the self-employed… Anyone might think I'm listing sectors with no connection to each other, but the reality is very different. Either they aren't functioning as they should, or they're on strike and mobilizing because they're fed up with the situation.

The Ebro River has been, is, and will be one of the most important axes not only of Catalonia but of all of southern Europe. Perhaps even more so in the past, considering it as a road network, but as a communication, cultural, and commercial axis… it is unbeatable! This relationship extends not only from the Delta to Reinosa, but also from one bank to the other. In Tortosa, this is almost physically visible. The river is not a backdrop: it is a constant presence, an active memory, and a shared horizon. For centuries, the Ebro has shaped the city and determined its open, commercial, and diverse character. Here, the river doesn't separate; it connects. In this context, the Municipal Market is not just any facility. Located by the water, it is a direct heir to this culture of exchange. If the Ebro has been a means of communication, the market has been its public square; if the river has transported goods and people, the market has transformed them into relationships, conversations, and everyday life.

Why revisit the question of Catalan independence today? Because the debate on regional funding has resurfaced, once again, shrouded in language that expresses grievance against Catalonia, explicitly portraying it as a subordinate society, not fully involved in defining strategies in Spain. And because the recurring infrastructure crisis—commuter rail, the Mediterranean Corridor, decades of accumulated investment shortfalls, the strangulation of all public services—can no longer be presented as a series of technical issues. When these shortcomings are systematically repeated in the same region, the issue ceases to be administrative and becomes political.