As with epic adventures, it all started with a simple whatsapp: "I've had an idea," Pau Emili Muñoz wrote to four friends. He came from the activism of Joves de Mallorca per la Llengua and wanted to make it bigger. "We are tired of having to defend the language from the trenches, because we keep retreating a little. Taking the initiative is more exhausting but more rewarding. It's time to take a step forward," he argues.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the Mystery Play of Elche (thanks to the El Tempir association, which organizes it, for the invitation). It is a marvel, an undeniable joy of medieval Catalan and European culture. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a liturgical drama that depicts the Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary and has been performed uninterruptedly in the Basilica of Santa María in Elche for over five hundred years. The current performance follows the text of the 1625 consueta. The play is sung entirely in Valencian or medieval Catalan—except for brief fragments in Latin—and is musically rich. From a theatrical point of view, it has moments—the appearance of the Angel, the descent of Christ—that make a powerful impression on any spectator, regardless of their religious beliefs. Even today's spectators, accustomed to constant overstimulation and amazing spectacles, are moved and impressed by the Mystery of Elche and its powerful fascination.

In today's football where everything is bought with money, a unique club survives in La Garrotxa with a very strong policy on and off the pitch, based on sustainability and proximity. "It's a project that creates a sense of pride in belonging to this family, which transforms into a bond, unity, and performance." This is how Pedro del Campo, the first captain, describes what Olot means, a team characterized by having only players from the Catalan Countries. "This generates a much stronger sense of belonging. The new signings quickly get into the swing of things, get to know the club, its positioning, and we form a family. This connection translates into a good rapport on the pitch and into results," the player assures.

The fork breakfast has left its ostracism behind. And that's not even the most Instagrammable food in the world, especially when it consists of a succulent plate of small plates. Even so, it is one of the few bastions that preserve traditional Catalan recipes and has become more visible with initiatives such as the collaborative map Esmorzapp, which already lists more than 2,500 places where you can enjoy a hearty breakfast. It was promoted by journalist and gastronome Albert Molins, who has now taken his vindication of this small feast a step further with the publication of the book Fork breakfast (Cosetania, 2025). He recently presented it at one of the most famous breakfast bars, the historic Gelida bar in Barcelona.

First it was in Catalonia, but now the Spanish-speaking organizations that fight Catalan in schools are expanding their borders and are operating in both the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. The latest chapter has been the consultation about the language in the Valencian Country, in which Escuela de Todos was seen appearing before the Valencian Ombudsman. Last Monday, it was made public that the platform of entities born in Catalonia to defend Spanish in schools had reported 78 Valencian town councils to the regional ombudsman for "violating the rules of institutional neutrality by publicly requesting families choose Valencian as the primary language of education." Eight of these town councils are PP-affiliated—such as Xàbia and Sueca—two of them in coalition with Vox. According to the organization, they did not find any council that requested a vote for Spanish.

There are no parties more openly opposed to the Catalan Countries than the PP and Vox. Especially belligerent in the Valencian Region, where they even oppose the unity of the Catalan language and the cultural ties between the different territories that speak it, they are the most critical of this concept popularized by the Valencian writer Joan Fuster, which includes Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Northern Catalonia, and the Franja de Ponent. Fate—and some ironic internet users—has meant, however, that precisely the PP and Vox are the only Catalan parties that Google Maps literally locates within the Catalan Countries.