Yo No Hablo Catalán

Barcelona was absolutely magical, but what fascinated me most was the Catalan independency from the rest of Spain. Upon traveling to Barcelona, I thought I was going to "Spain." But no, I was in fact going to Catalonia. I had heard that in Barcelona they have a bit of a different accent. They say "BarTHelona", etc. But I was very wrong about this. Catalan is not a dialect, it is a different language and is only spoken by the people of Catalonia, which includes the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.

Everywhere I went, if I happened to accidentally utter the word Spanish or Spain, I would be quickly corrected by English-speaking locals who would say, "No. You are not in Spain, you are in Catalonia." It was as if they did not want to be affiliated with Spain at all. I learned that Barcelona inhabitants speak Catalan and Spanish, but they think of Catalan as a traditional aspect that separates them and makes them different from the rest of Spain. There are Catalan flags hung on almost every apartment balcony and not once did I ever see a Spanish flag. In fact, Catalonia is trying to become its own country, and is gaining very little support from Spain and the rest of the E.U.

I found this independence to be so interesting because we have nothing like it in America. Everywhere you go in The States, people are Americans and the language they are speaking is English, even if they may have an accent from Boston or Texas. The Catalan people are very proud of who they are, and strive to keep the traditions and history of their region alive. It is really a beautiful thing that they have this sovereignty, but it the divide is a very difficult concept for me to grasp as an American.

All in all, the Catalan people were very nice; some of the nicest people I have encountered since being in Europe. From the gorgeous sunsets on the beach, to Gaudi architecture, to tapas, to the insane nightlife, Barcelona was an amazing time.