Very cool this tourism ad of the French region of Midi-Pyrénées! It’s a beautiful region, indeed. We always pass through it in our way to Burgundy.

The Castanyada is a typical Catalan festival, celebrated in the All Saints’  Day.  In schools, girls dress in “castanyera” women who sell chestnuts on the streets.
www.virginie.boullosa.org/fr/2009/10/castanyada/To see photos of Laïs as a little “castanyera” in  Virginie’s blog, click on the picture below.

This afternoon we went for a walk in Lloret de Mar, a beach town about 80 km northeast of Barcelona. There, we met Bebert and Chantal, Virginie uncles, and his son and daughter, Dennis and Karine (by the way, it was the birthday of Dennis, who is also godfather to Virginie, beyond being her cousin). [...]

This year, Salvador de Bahia, the first brazilian capital, has completed 460 years. However, according to Paulo Ormindo, chairman of the Bahia’s section of IAB - Institute of Architects of Brazil, there was no reason for celebration.
With more than 4 thousand inhabitants per square kilometer, the “Soteropolis” has a housing deficit of 100 thousand dwellings. [...]

An amazing video from Ricardo Baños shows Barcelona streets more than 100 years ago, seen from a tram.