Catalonia

[klfrodo]

♬Well I've never been to Spain

But I kinda like the music♬

 

Anyway, Sailing out of Barcelona in the next year or so and trying to bring myself up to speed on the locations I'm going to visit.

Understand there are some internal issues going on between the people of Catalonia and the Government of Spain.

 

Just wondering if there is a local who frequents these boards who can give us some perspective as to what's going on. I've read a few articles, but still not sure I understand the current situation nor the potential future implications.

 

Thanks and I hope all works out well for those personally involved.

 

Note: I understand my request may be difficult to explain. We have our own issues here in the States and I'm not sure I could explain it to someone in Catalonia.

[VMax1700]

OK, I am not a local, but interested in Spanish politics. We also have similar (though opposite!) ideas in Ireland.

Perhaps if you google 'Kingdoms of Spain' and look at the maps or indeed read through Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Spain you will get some feeling for the long held ideal of an independent Catalan State.  Look at the location of Barcelona and Catalonia on the map in relation to Spain and France. You have 700 years history to digest!

Edited November 27, 2019 by VMax1700

[klfrodo]

10 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

r indeed read through Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Spain you will get some feeling for the long held ideal of an independent Catalan State.  Look at the location of Barcelona and Catalonia on the map in relation to Spain and France. You have 700 years history to digest!

Okay. There might have been a nap involved in there along the way 😉 but informative reading.

While there is 700 years of history, there is only a few years of any sense of governmental stability at one time.

I see some commonality between why the people of the UK want Brexit and why the people of Catalonia want to become independent from Spain.

Its interesting how as an American, I have no concerns or worries about my upcoming holiday in the UK, however, my biases do have me concerned about Barcelona.

[Host Jazzbeau]

In planning for this summer's trip to Barcelona, I sought out a hotel on Las Ramblas for the central location [Le Méridien – terrific!].  But for next summer's trip, I decided to avoid Las Ramblas and the other central neighborhoods [Barri Gòtic & El Born, Plaça d’Espanya, even Eixample] and get far enough out that demonstrations probably wouldn't get near us and the Metro could take us around [actually under] them.  We are going to try Hotel Casa Fuster [not allowed recommend it yet because we haven't stayed there, but the pictures of its Modernista architecture are amazing], in a residential neighborhood at the far end of Passeig de Gràcia past Avinguda Diagonal.

[marazul]

On 11/27/2019 at 7:06 PM, klfrodo said:

Okay. There might have been a nap involved in there along the way 😉 but informative reading.

While there is 700 years of history, there is only a few years of any sense of governmental stability at one time.

I see some commonality between why the people of the UK want Brexit and why the people of Catalonia want to become independent from Spain.

Its interesting how as an American, I have no concerns or worries about my upcoming holiday in the UK, however, my biases do have me concerned about Barcelona.

You might want to check out these two short articles from the BBC on the Catalonian crisis:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29478415

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41584864

Edited November 30, 2019 by marazul

[VMax1700]

On 11/28/2019 at 12:06 AM, klfrodo said:

Its interesting how as an American, I have no concerns or worries about my upcoming holiday in the UK, however, my biases do have me concerned about Barcelona.

Interestingly enough I feel the other way!  There are areas in London and many other UK cities where I would (and do) have concerns about being there, whereas I would be (and have been) comfortable in Barcelona.

Perhaps it is the perception of the area.  Many areas in UK cities no longer resemble what I knew as a British town.  The regions of the former empire have come home to roost and change the landscape and environment to their own standards.  Whereas Barcelona still seems the same to me.