I've mentioned earlier that the region called Catalonia does not only refer to the autonomic region we all know in Spain, but Catalonia also extends into France. The above picture - which I took two weeks ago near Girona in northern Spain, driving up from Barcelona to our house in Thuir - might be answered like this: "No, it's France too," but I don't think that's what the political slogan writer has meant! There is a common demand for even more autonomy to Spanish Catalonia, preferably they would like to liberate themselves completely from Spain. It's become a stronger and more rooted demand in later years, because of the financial crisis, where Catalonia claims it supports the rest of Spain with its own inhabitants' taxes.
I'm not going to spring a history lesson on you today, but post a couple of links that really make quite interesting reading. When you realise that this part of France didn't become French until 1659, when the French had conquered Roussillon and Perpignan, and the new border was set at the Pyrenees - you understand why that gold-and-red Catalonian flag still flies everywhere here, why kids learn Catalan in school, why you can hear older people talk in Catalan, and maybe not even understand French, why all menus and all town signs and a lot else are in two languages.
Perpignan la Catalane
If you think today's title refers to me - La Catalane - oh, yes, I might just pretend I've become one! It's in fact the nickname of the city of Perpignan, a city I've come to enjoy more and more during my years here. I like the knowledge that even if we live more or less in the countryside here in Thuir, there's only a fifteen minute ride into a town of some size. I'm urban after all! Good shopping, great restaurants, busy street life and a sophisticated atmosphere. I don't need to go there often, but when I do there's always a little magic about strolling in the narrow pedestrian alleys, drinking a coffee or a glass of something in one of the squares, grabbing some tapas (if we manage not to be deceived by those terrible restaurant opening hours again)!
Tapas lunch at the New Bodega, Perpignan last week. We made it!
I spent a week here before Christmas - alone - and one evening I had to go into Perpignan for some Christmas shopping. This is what I wrote then:
Sometimes life has lovely little surprises in store for you... What I thought would be a dreary shopping round in Perpignan this evening turned out to be magical. I stumbled across these radiant Christmas stalls by the canal, - then I heard lively Stephane Grappelli music from down the alleyway... Moments to be cherished and remembered.... Did I get any shopping done? Well, hardly... just a few gifts from the stalls.
Oh - I stood and listened to this band for ages - they were fabulously talented! I ended up giving them a very good tip, and it was so deserved. They touched me deeply and made my day. What more can you ask for?
"Sometimes life has lovely little surprises in store for you" ...... like this blog :-)
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