Day 1 - Monday
The day started with a cycle tour around barcelona which was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be.
It was a good way to explore parts of the city - so long as you don't run anyone over or get run over yourself.
It was interesting to find out that st. George is also the paitron saint of catalyunia - so due to this dragons feature heavily in the architexture of the old town.
The zoo and the parliment building are in the same park - an interesting mix
The differances between mediterranean europe and the UK are still striking - you think I'd have notice the difference before now as although this is my first time in spain, i've been to the med a few times. Is the tiny bit of sea between us and france really big enough to cause such a cultural gap? I don't think it is. So what makes us so estranged - do we belong to europe, because britons talk of visiting europe (implying that they do not view themselves as european).
However dispite the difference there are issues that catalonia has faced that the UK can relate to. For example spanish is not a language, saying spanish is like saying we speak british. Spain in the eyes of the spanish is as much one country as the UK. Catalonia has a vibe that it gives off that is very similar to the vibe of independance that wales gives off.
It just shows that issues can be the same dispite all other differances.
On a less philosophical note, I've been drinking water :o
Firstly, I MISS YOU.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, this was really interesting o.O
I think it's good that you're keeping a blog whilst you're there. What you said could definitely go into an essay x
Really interesting view of the culture here. But as a linguist I'd have to say that Spanish is a language in the same way that English is a language and that's what we speak. But I can see your point :) x
ReplyDelete@Cazzimon: I miss you too (god typing is weird on a spanish keyboard). Yeah I think keeping this blog is a good way to reflect on the week/experience x
ReplyDelete@Kally: No spanish is not a language what we think of as spanish is castillian (one of the provences of spain, the same way we speak english and not british, dispite most of britan speaking english. (and this info comes direct from the mouth of a spainish person)x