La Diada Nacional de Catalunya

I love Spain. They have a holiday practically every month and the natives here just got back from a month long vacation.

Memo: If you work for the American Consulate you get the United States’ and Spain’s federal and Catalunya’s holidays.

Forn de Sant Tirs (Gràcia)
Barcelona, 2008

Tomorrow, September 11th, is a holiday in Catalunya with festivities, political demonstrations, and concerts to be held through out the province.

It is a day to remind those of Catalonia’s fall on September 11, 1714 to Philip V, their eventual loss of self-government and condemnation of their language, further repressed during Franco’s regime.

Around 6 years after Franco’s death, the Government of Catalunya made September 11th the National Day of Catalonia or La Diada as it is commonly called.

For now, I upload a photo of pastries to give you a taste and flavor of the holiday. (Pun intended). The pastries are decorated in the colors of the Catalan flag.

Forn de Sant Tirs (Gràcia)
Barcelona, 2008

Come back tomorrow to see pictures of the festivities.

P.S. Ironically, the United States remembers its own 911 and I will never forget too.

Keeping Contact

For the past many weeks I’ve been writing about a neighborhood, or barrio, called Gràcia.

And, Gràcia can teach many cities, municipalities, states and countries a thing or two.

Barcelona, 2008

Sometime in April or May of this year, Gràcia made available to its residents, wireless internet connection.

That means you can bring your laptop anywhere within its area and be “hooked up”, that is, have access to the World Wide Web for

Are you ready for this? FREE!

All you need is a laptop and you can sit, or squat in any café, restaurant, plaça, bathroom or vegetable stand and not miss any news on Amy Winehouse, Brittany Spears, Penelope Cruz and the more important United States presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain.

Why would anyone even bother is not my business.

Hmm … now there is NO excuse to be uniformed. All you need is a universal external battery to enjoy this great community service.

Got to go!

View barcalunacy's A Candid View of Everyday People FLCKR photoset.