At the weekend we drove south to a town called Falset in the province of Tarragona. On the way we stopped for lunch in Reus, a beautiful town with many modernist buildings. It is the birthplace of Gaudi and although there are no buildings by him there are many by other famous Catalan architects such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
The beautifully named Jesus Street
Too much to see in a short hour
There was also this bronze statue – La Dòna Treballadora – Homage to the Working Woman by Reus born sculptor and printmaker Ramon Ferran i Pagès (1927).
It is in a small square and was inaugurated in 2003. It is an image laden with symbolism as are many of his works. Under her right arm she holds a honeycomb. Her left hand is raised as if crying out. The whole image is one of strength and connection to the earth. I had never heard of Ramon Ferran before and the information on Wikipaedia was in Catalan – I think the classes are finally bearing fruit – I understood most of it!
The combination of travelling with an eighty-something year old aunt and a hot Springer Spaniel meant we only paused to eat and take a quick stroll around town. Then onward to Falset.
