We left Barcelona on the day of the elections for the province government. This, as we discovered at the cooking class on our first night, was a very important event for the independence of Catalunya.
It was an interesting mix with an Aussie couple, the vegetarian slow travel Brits, three Canadians on a girls' trip and us. And the Catalan and Swiss/French hosts. I asked whether Catalunya would gain independence ("quite likely") and whether FC Barcelona would be kicked out of the Spanish football league ("that's the dumbest threat ever"). When Janice asked what benefit there would be for Catalan independence, there was a flumoxed silence and our hostess confessed that she had never thought about it. It did not take her long to recover. Stories of oppression and banning people from talking their own language exist the world over and this is a similar story. I expected most of this yo be historic, and much of it was. But Catalunya pays higher taxes than the rest of the country which seems a bit unfair. For our host, the Spaniards are lazy and do not plan for the future, whereas Catalan people are hard working so I think there are some stereotypes on both sides. I would have liked to hear the other side but my spanish isn't good enough to follow the debates.
Barcelona was a little sad for us. First, because we said goodbye to Angela, our rented BMW sports car. Second, and more importantly, because this was the end of the trip for Janice. For her last day, we visited Montjuic and did the funicular and cable car (great views over the city) and did a wander up Las Ramblas which is tourist hell.
I visited the Sagrada Familia in the afternoon and timed it right to see the sun pouring in through the windows. It was absolutely stunning. Fifteen photos later, I thought I would sit quietly in the prayer room (for the quiet and peace). They wouldn't let me in because my shoulders weren't covered so take a scarf with you if you're planning to go.
