A LOT of Talking and A Bit of Spanish History....

I...LOVE...meeting new people!!! I had the most fascinating conversations last week with the Spanish participants and learned a lot about their lives, their culture (and conflicts), and the people! Thanks to my new Spanish friends, I now understand a bit more about some of the distinct language groups (and subcultures) in Spain (although it is very complicated and somewhat controversial)!! I'm hoping I understood what they were trying to convey - in English - and my apologies ahead of time if I didn't get it exactly right....

So..... Castilian (or Castellano in Spanish) is the main language spoken and taught in Spain, but Catalan (the official language of Andorra) is spoken in parts of northern Spain (in addition to Castilian). Catalan sounds as much like French as it does Spanish, and many of the Catalan people want an independent country (although it's been part of/connected to Spain since Isabella and Ferdinand II married in 1469, uniting the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon - and Catalonia had been a part of Aragon since the 12th Century). As you can see, it's very complicated and has a long history, but in 2017 and 2018, the people of Catalonia had referendums for independence from Spain. Since it's a somewhat controversial topic, we were encouraged not to talk a lot about it (but just like the controversial topics of Trump and Brexit, we obviously didn't follow the rules)!!

Another area in Spain with its own unique language is Basque (or the language of Euskera). This is the language spoken by the Spanish and French people in the Pyrenees, and it is considered the oldest language in Europe whose origins remain unknown. Galician is the language of Galicia near the Atlantic ocean north of Portugal, but it definitely sounds more Gaelic than Spanish (with a Portuguese influence). There are also the Valencian and Mallorcan languages which are more similar to Catalan than Castilian, but unique in their own way.... fascinating, right?!?! Who knew (well probably others, but not me)!!

I had some VERY interesting conversations during the one-on-one sessions, and I got to know some wonderful people!! I had an especially-interesting conversation with a pig farmer who has decided to use only ecological/ ethical pig farming practices, but he talked about how challenging it is because although people SAY they want "healthy meat" they're not willing to spend the money required for that kind of production (so it makes it difficult for the farmers to survive financially). Each person did a presentation in English at the end of the Program, and his was all about the process of pig farming. The whole process made me want to be more vegetarian, but I appreciated his open spirit in sharing all about his work!

Another conversation was with a lovely woman from Barcelona (originally from Valencia) that I felt very "simpatico" with right away! We had a wonderful conversation about living life to the fullest, and how fun it is to put the whole picture of the world together - like adding pieces to the puzzle with every person we meet!! Our time together reminded me why I love traveling and doing what I’m doing! In her presentation, she talked about the Fire Celebration in Valencia that happens every year in March.

Each community works together all year to create a float, then after 3 days of festivities and fireworks, they are all burned (except the one that is saved for the next year). I love the symbolism of how the tradition started.... all the craftsmen would burn the old scraps of wood and material left over from the previous year, leaving behind the last year and preparing for the upcoming year.... a fresh start after burning away the old. Of course it didn't escape my notice that the dates of the festival correlate to the beginning of Spring in March....the beginning of the New Year for many cultures!!

This tradition also reminded me of the "Alfombras" I saw in Guatemala with the same focus.... a neighborhood or community work together all year and create these beautiful "rugs" made of different colors of wood chips (and flowers in some places). They work all year preparing, then they work together all night (as a community) putting these Alfombras together. The following day, there is a procession (usually honoring one of the Catholic saints), and the people walk across these "rugs" that have been created. It's meant to be a reminder that nothing in this world is permanent, and it's also a way of coming together as a community and sharing each person's gifts with the community-at-large!

I could go on and on about the wonderful people and their stories, but suffice it to say that I was in 7th heaven all week and will probably return if/when possible on my future travels!! Even though we were on the go from 8 AM to 11 PM with a few breaks in between (a couple hours after lunch for siesta, of course, and a short break before our late-night dinner!!), it didn't feel at all like work because of all fun activities! I even enjoyed the late-night games (which I normally hate to participate in but found them surprisingly enjoyable because the people made it so much FUN)!! Our first night the “game” was a sangria-making contest! It was fun to work together and learn from the Spanish people what makes the best sangria (and then enjoy our “creation” of course)!! I've included a picture of the recipe in case anyone wants to give it a try!!

There was a lot of variety in our day-to-day interaction (with one-on-one sessions that were similar to the programs in Hungary and Poland), but with different types of fun group interactions.... from debating specific topics (in English, of course) to putting together photos and creative stories as part of a small group!! One sunny day, we took a walking tour of Biar (the village where the hotel was located). It was very interesting because each of the Spanish speakers did a short presentation on each of the sights we were seeing as we walked around the village - another opportunity for them to practice speaking English AND we learned a lot about the history of this little village! Here's a bit of what I remember...

The name Biar comes from the Arabic word for water (or well), and the village is known for its pure, clean water, as well as the characteristic white and blue tiles which have been manufactured in Biar since the Moorish period. As with many tr aditional villages in Spain, there was a fountain in each square that used to provide water for those living close to it (using the calculation of one fountain for every 300 people).

The Castle of Biar (originally built in the 12th century by the Moors), was conquered by King Jaime Primero (James the 1st) of Aragon and eventually marked the border between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Up until the 10th Century, the village served as a last line of defense in the war between the Moors and the Christians. Like many other towns in the area, this history is honored each May when Biar celebrates the Christian "reconquering" of the village (complete with mock battles and bonfires). It's all just so FASCINATING!!!

Well.... It's about time to pick up my sister at the airport so we can enjoy catching up in the sunshine, so I better get going!! Sending all of you lots of love and hugs, and hopefully you'll enjoy the pictures!! My favorite one is the one of the dogs sitting on the bar stools....just hangin' out there while their owners meet and chat over a beer!! So CUTE....and such a different life for these dogs with a more relaxed, sunny, outdoor culture!!