Another reason to love Catalunya

[Ed. note: this post was created on 10 Sept., 2007.]

"The practice of nudism is not illegal in Catalunya, only punishable if it is accompanied by obscene conduct."

~ La Vanguardia, 10 Sept. 2007.

The article goes on to report that "los puristas" prefer to disrobe at a beach north of Barcelona lovingly called "Chernobyl," due to the presence of a power plant with three huge chimney stacks looming in the background.

Judging from what we've seen on the beaches of southern Spain, some forms of semi-nudity perhaps ought to be illegal, at least as applied to certain portly older gents clad in skimpy Speedos. But "let it all hang out" prevails along the Mediterranean coast, and a communitarian spirit it is. WE certainly wouldn't want anyone to overly scrutinize the rear view of our bikini-wearing body, either.

Once again, I am past my limits from a grueling morning, spent trudging the pavements of the Sagrada Familia neighborhood alongside Catalunyan housewives with their wheeled carts, searching out the best butchers, fruit stalls, bakeries and whatnot. Why, you ask, should this task be so daunting, when every block bristles with carnicerias, fruterias, and panaderias ("forns de pa" in Catala)? (Digression: we've become obsessed with the oblong breaded croquetes de carn - meat croquettes - offered readymade by one shop. Riquisimo!)

Good question. The search itself is easy and rewarding; it's just the long haul back when, laden with groaning bags, I once again turn in the wrong direction and take a circuitous route, ten blocks out of my way, trying to find our apartment ... . I've got to get one of those wheeled dealies. They consist of a sizeable and sturdy nylon compartment with two to four wheels, come in every configuration and color (although the aunties seem to prefer a drab navy-blue or faded red plaid), can include little insulated compartments in front for cold and frozen food, and cost up to 80 Euros for a really nice one.

At times, almost all of Barcelona seems to be on wheels of some diverse kind: the wheeled carts, the motorcycles and scooters, bicycles, taxis, Metro trains, etc. But so much here is done on foot. For me, this has had two consequences: I am nice and trim; and, I have developed a nice case of plantar fasciitis on my right heel. Fortunately, there are plenty of podiatrists here.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, 9/11) is National Catalunya Day. It sounds a bit like the Fourth of July, in that no one gets terribly worked up about it, and everyone goes shopping or to the beach. Hannah's fantasy is to stay out late (read: all night) and sleep in.

Observation: am I imagining this, or are there more twins in Barcelona than elsewhere? Everywhere I go, I see these duel strollers with identical tots, always turned out to perfection. Hannah posits that this is a wealthy city, so more couples have access to in vitro fertilization, resulting in multiple births. I'm not so sure - I think we'd see more triplets were that the case.

(Note: I also have noted an unusual number of people with dwarfism. Maybe this is all because of the high concentration of people in a relatively smal area... .)

Good news today: we are approve for the gorgeous apartment in the northern zone of the city. Excellent news, as we are sick indeed of our vagabond existence. I have volunteered the task of procuring furniture for one of the secondary bedrooms. As a result, I continue to expand my Spanish vocabulary, albeit in the very specialized realm of furnishings and bed linens.