A beautiful sunny day—no fog! Fascinating Galician corn cribs, or horreos, dot the farms along the side of the path. Although storage has been modernized they are maintained as part of their heritage. Although Spain, as it currently exists, has been somewhat consistent since the early 1500’s it is fair to say that understanding the complexity of its heritage is difficult. It is fascinating to attempt to unravel the current political turmoil. So that, of course, is my story for today:
• October 1st Catalonia holds a referendum for independence. Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic? There were two boxes: Yes or No. They vote overwhelming YES—90% We supper with a young brother and sister from Barcelona. “We don’t want independence”, they say, “We want respect—we want a dialogue”. Catalonia must declare independence within 48 hours and they do. • Days Later...Pilgrims sit in the bar sipping cafe con leche. We can tell there is violence on the TV. Riot gear—conflict—Spanish vs Spanish. Someone is being interviewed—their Spanish is too fast for us. We try to decode the Scroll feed. Do you understand? Are you getting it? Madrid has rejected the vote. There are protests in the streets. • Forward to October 10th—in every bar locals are glued to the newscasts. Some turn away with tears in their eyes. Something Important is happening. We now sit on the patio outside a cafe. Does anyone have wifi? Can someone tell us what is happening? Someone storms out. In English he tells us he can’t watch it anymore. Watch what? There is going to be a speech in parliament—it has been delayed an hour. Are you Spanish? “No”, he says, “but what happens here will effect the entire European Union!” • The evening passes. The speeches are made. A Spanish Pilgrim tells us it is the “best possible outcome for now”. Independence has been suspended pending dialogue. However, locals remain fixed to the news cycle. This will be a long hard road for Spain and Catalonia. Buen Camino—we pray you walk in peace. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. Dear H.S. Friends, Really cool old corn cribs here, They are called horreos. What do we use to dry corn where we live. Sincerely, Flat L
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Ray & Diane HomewoodSharing the Blessing of Travel Archives
January 2018
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