Summer has traditionally been synonymous with disconnection, rest, and time to regain strength. However, in the midst of the digital age, this notion seems to have changed. Nowadays, free time has become a showcase where it seems essential to demonstrate that constant experiences are being lived. If summer was once an opportunity to slow down, now many people feel they have to fill each day with activities, getaways, or trips that are worth sharing on social media. When this doesn't happen, an uncomfortable feeling arises: that of wasting vacation time.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of August? Surely holidays! For decades, August has established itself as the month of holidays par excellence. Because of the worship given to sun and beach, as well as because the school or work calendar forces a break. In recent times, however, August's holiday hegemony is being blurred by societal evolution. Progressive aging, not having children, and changes in customs – teleworking or the desire to avoid heatwaves, seek lower prices or less crowding – mean that more and more people are not forced to take their holidays in August.How the tourists arriving in Catalonia are distributed throughout the year is a paradigm of this change. According to data provided by the Catalan Tourism Agency, the two most touristy months of the year – in Catalonia's case, July and August – with which the seasonality of a destination is calculated, have lost momentum since the pandemic was overcome. In 2020 – the most atypical year due to covid – these two months accounted for 28.98% of tourists and in 2021, 29.04%, but since then the concentration has progressively fallen to 23.74% in 2025, when 12.3% of tourists arrived in August and 11.4% in July.If we delve into the 2025 data, the transformation experienced in national tourism stands out. While among foreign tourists, August (12.8%) and July (11.8%) still lead by a significant margin as the months with the most visits, the fact is that among Catalans, June (12.6%) has made the overtaking in August (12.4%) and in the case of tourists from the rest of Spain, July (10.4%) and June (10.3%) have also positioned themselves ahead of August (9.5%). Furthermore, January, February and March are also gaining attractiveness for tourists from all origins, even though for decades sun and beach in the summer has been one of the main attractions for visiting Catalonia and the rest of Spain.So, if August stops being the month for making money with tourism, does the expression 'fer l'agost' (making August) applied to the tourism sector risk becoming history? It is difficult for such a radical change to occur, for beaches to suddenly empty in August as happens in the colder months, because summer – and August in particular – are strongly linked with the idea of taking holidays, highlights Saida Palou Rubio, who is a doctor in social and cultural anthropology and an aggregate professor in the Department of History and Art History at the UdG. Nevertheless, the circumstances are such that little by little, tourism will not be as concentrated in August as before.

Everything has gone up a lot. It is a mantra that we keep repeating to ourselves with any purchase we make: food, petrol, clothes, and leisure. Like a damned magic wand, inflation has once again multiplied prices and endangered holidays in many Catalan homes, many of them paralyzed by these increases. Precisely because of this, an unprecedented move in the industry took place in the last weeks of spring, when hotels, travel agencies, and tour operators began to adjust rates in the main destinations due to the slowdown in bookings for the high season, with decreases in places like Mojácar, Mallorca, Tenerife, Menorca, and Gran Canaria. Now, on the eve of the month with the highest spending of the year, it is worth considering that not everything is exactly prohibitive: there are destinations that are careful enough not to make a killing with travelers, either for competitiveness or conviction. This year, according to Juan Ignacio Pulido, director of the Tourism Analysis and Innovation Laboratory, there is a moderation of prices by type of destination. "Inland destinations, medium-sized cities, well-connected rural areas, and some less internationalized coastal holiday destinations are containing prices better," he explains. According to Pulido, this is due to demand being more price-sensitive, greater competition among accommodations, and less occupancy pressure. Indeed, many entrepreneurs have understood that continuing to pass costs on to the final price "could slow down bookings, especially in national and family tourism," while in other cases the decrease simply occurs because "when occupancy does not accompany, the price adjusts." And here is a remarkable and significant fact, and that is that not all the market accepts automatic increases as in the years immediately after the pandemic. "We are facing a normalization after several years of very intense increases," he clarifies, given that the forecast this year is to receive more international tourists and more spending. Thus, to look for cheap destinations, one must look for places with some common traits: less saturation, a more diversified offer, and demand that depends less on high-spending international tourists. At the other extreme, destinations with limited supply, high occupancy, and a very consolidated brand continue to have the capacity to raise prices, as is the case with some island locations, major capitals, and premium coastal destinations. For his part, the expert in the tourism field and founding partner of ReiniziaT and ObservaTUR, Marcos Franco, points out that the underlying idea is that this summer is a year of readjustment regarding prices and destinations, in which spending and the desire to travel are maintained. "Financing for holidays is another of the items that has also increased in 2026," he assures.

Paid holidays were, less than a century ago, a gain for the working class, with France as the first country to generalize them in 1936: 15 days for everyone. Since then, and especially after the Second World War, with the consolidation of the European welfare state, much progress has been made in holiday welfare. Only in this way can it be understood that tourism has become a global industry, with Catalonia-Barcelona as a privileged destination. But it is an industry of little added value which, paradoxically, is leaving people not without holidays, but without the possibility of enjoying them at the level of years past. More and more Catalans cannot afford long stays away from home.

If summer is "the promise that life can begin again", as Francis Scott Fitzgerald assured, a good way to accompany this restart can be reading. The good health of the Catalan publishing sector makes it possible for us to undertake a multitude of journeys – geographical and temporal – without leaving home. We select ten intrepid books that have arrived in Catalan bookstores in recent months.

Volcanic beaches, cetaceans in freedom and an average annual temperature of 23 degrees. Tenerife, the largest island of the Canary archipelago, combines unique nature and historic towns that captivate at first sight. Starting with a swim in the Atlantic, continuing among volcanoes and finishing under one of the cleanest skies on the planet undoubtedly seems like an irresistible plan. The possibility of arriving from Barcelona with up to 38 weekly frequencies thanks to Vueling's direct connections makes it even more accessible.

Located in the heart of the Costa Daurada and surrounded by an incomparable Mediterranean environment, Camping Playa Bara has become one of the most complete holiday options to enjoy with family, as a couple or with friends. The combination of nature, comfort, entertainment and services makes every stay a unique experience designed for all ages.

The second half of the year opens as a window to adventure, with a selection of great trips designed for those who want to discover the world with intensity, authenticity, and comfort. From spiritual landscapes in Asia to natural wonders in America, through African safaris and cultural routes in Europe, Viatges Eurovacances's program offers unique experiences for demanding travelers.

Parliament resumed plenary sessions this Tuesday after a two-month summer hiatus. The outages and incidents on commuter rail, the government's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the latest controversies with 3Cat—from the name change of the corporation's channels to the new one—are all related. Sunday's program Bestial—focused their questions on the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, who had a taste of the parliamentary exam he will have to face next week, with the general policy debate. At the proposal of the PSC, Esquerra, Comuns and the CUP, the plenary session began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the genocide in Gaza, from which Vox and Aliança Catalana were absent. The PP and Aliança Catalana protested the text, while Junts justified its support for the proposal, although it did not sign it, because, in its opinion, it did not include a condemnation of the attacks of October 7, 2023, committed by Hamas.

–Hello, my name is Jordi and I have a question.I saw that your hotel allows pets, right? Pet friendly, it says on the website.

As teacher And as a mother, I confess that September is my favorite month of the year. We're back at it again. I love choosing a new planner and starting the school year with the excitement of doing everything right. It's like when I was little, I'd open a new notebook, write a pretty title, and write the first two pages in beautiful handwriting. September is like that; it's the month of good intentions, blank pages, and long days that still smell of summer. Even our children are thinking, "This year I'll definitely do everything right and get great grades." We'll talk again in June.

The resumption of work and school activities is approaching. Sant's Day, we're back! With the joy of reunion, many conversations begin with the question: "And you, where did you go on vacation?" This is a dreaded question for those who haven't left home. A bit lazy, they are forced to say: nowhere. Vacation is a time of leisure and rest, but it is also, above all, a place, a different geographical space, where you can go for a change of scenery and forget the work routine (or the work that causes suffering). Some people take advantage of it to see the world (Bali, Burma), others go on an excursion through Ripollès, and others go to the beach for a few days with a gang of friends. Everyone goes out, of course, but this going out, what human direction does it take? They can be strangers, visitors, and—worst of all—tourists. Tourists are predators, exploiters of places. The outsider looks at it from the outside (hence the word); he doesn't seek to understand what he sees or delve deeper: he merely passes by for a while. The visitor, on the other hand, sometimes tries to empathize, but only for a few hours. In all three cases, the place isn't experienced from within. Going, one goes on vacation, but one rarely experiences it in the sense of being, because it would mean wanting to stay, it would mean a certain immobility and also a certain availability. A place is something transitory, temporary. It's the opposite of territory. Territory comes from the earth. Roots are put down in the earth. Exploring a territory is much more than taking a tour, like these tourists happily perched on the tour bus with their sunglasses on their noses. What kind of city can you explore from the second floor of a tour bus? Well, you can explore a place, but territory is something very different. Now that people are going back home, that's their territory, because it's where, for better or worse, they've sunk their roots. Sometimes we don't like the place we come from, or the place where we've made a life, because it jars us a bit. But it's our territory. A territory can also be mental or spiritual: it's the symbolic space we remember, we once inhabited inside, and it inhabits us inside.

September arrives, routine returns, and, still with the taste of the holidays, it's inevitable to look at the calendar to see if we'll be able to enjoy a long weekend before the Christmas holidays arrive. But the final stretch of 2025 doesn't look particularly good for people looking forward to holidays:

The concept of a second home is too small for most celebrities and mansions or houses where they usually spend their summers. celebrities Global travelers aren't particularly original when it comes to choosing their vacation destinations, and most opt for exclusive settings that guarantee privacy. The same goes for their homes: they have all kinds of amenities and are impenetrable to prying eyes.

Digital maps, whether on a computer before leaving or on a mobile phone as we arrive at our destination or once we're there, have replaced not only paper maps but also travel guides. Google Maps It's the most popular option: more than 2 billion people use it every month. Below, we'll review the app's basic and more advanced features, as well as some alternatives that might be useful during your vacation, if you're traveling.

We read in the Readings That King Felipe "has interrupted his private vacation with his wife and daughters for important reasons." The "private vacation" thing has always seemed extraordinary to me, because it means they're taking it "publicly," that it's just a show. Pretending to "take a vacation," sailing in a boat, dressing in local white, going to dinner somewhere neither expensive nor cheap, seems, in itself, wonderful. But on top of that, they're taking other vacations, which are "private." And the important reason why Felipe has interrupted his private vacations is the fires. It seems that the monarch "has been in contact" with some regional presidents "to find out the degree of damage caused by the various fires that are terribly ravaging" his kingdom. It seems like a gesture of monarchical responsibility, but that's not the only way I see it.

Activity 1. MindfulnessTake a mental vacation. Don't think about what they'll want for dinner today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Don't think about the school supply list that only you (ehem) have thought about. Don't think about whether you're thin or fat. Don't think about whether you should dye your hair white because it's more natural and there's no need to be ashamed, or whether you should leave it white so you can dye it, you creep. Don't think about whether you're too surly or too phlegmy. And don't think about how you want to kill them all every time they tell you you're too surly or too phlegmy. Don't think that the great girl you see reflected in the mirror should calm down, pretend, pretend she's not so happy or so angry, or so happy about this and so angry about that. Don't think about which face is best to express the neutral midpoint between being happy and angry in the right way so that no one (male) feels upset. Don't think about what you're going to wear today because you have to go to that place with those stupid, Neanderthal freaks. Don't think about whether your tight skirt shows your G-string and what they'll say and what you're going to do and what the fuck it all is. Don't think about whether the outfit you're wearing makes you look like a nun and what they'll say and what you're going to do and what the fuck it all is. Don't think you should go more extreme, more discreet, more daring, more invisible.

Jaume Fatjó, director of the Foundation chair Affinity Animals and Health, a clinical veterinarian from Vet Partners, gives us some useful tips for traveling with a dog or cat. When traveling by car with a dog, they must first get used to the vehicle. It's not advisable to take a long trip if the animal is unfamiliar with the car or van. This requires learning: starting with short trips with a pleasant experience (using toys or treats, for example). These can be gradually lengthened. However, the response will vary greatly depending on each dog's personality. If there is an initial negative reaction, Fatjó recommends contacting the veterinarian, who can provide medication to prevent motion sickness or dietary supplements to help them cope better with stressful situations.

Layla has been planning trips since 2024. To talk, you don't need to visit an agency, make a phone call, or observe any time restrictions: any device with an internet connection is sufficient to reach her. Layla presents herself with the self-confidence characteristic of job interviews: "Talking to me takes the stress out of planning trips," "talking to me is like having your own travel guru without the high price." But Layla isn't just any worker: she's an artificial intelligence (AI).