19- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
ii. Catalonia
The Catalans are a confident lot. But that’s hardly
surprising if you consider their assets, from crisp
Pyrenean air to the cultural fug of Barcelona, sun-fed
beaches to hilltop monasteries. And no other region in
Spain has handled devolution with such aplomb. Having
been banned under Franco, Catalan is now the prime
language among the region’s seven million inhabitants,
while the economy has been the most dynamic in Spain
for generations. Many visitors still flock to the Costa
Brava, where traditional fishing villages survive amid the
fungal blooms of mass tourism. South of Barcelona, the
Costa Daurada has some of the best beaches in Spain,
stretching down to the Ebro delta wetlands and their
flamingos. As for Barcelona, take your pick from gorging
on architecture (labyrinthine Gothic quarter to Gaudí’s
dripping stone), ambling through Las Ramblas or
dancing until five in the morning. Away from the city,
medieval towns like Girona, the Roman remains in
Tarragona and Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees
offer clues to the region’s illustrious past.Donkey OK
The Catalans pride
themselves on a blend of
tenacity and ingenuity.
In northern Catalonia they
have a saying that sums
it up – ‘El senya i rauxa’,
essentially ‘wisdom and
impulsiveness’. The
humble Catalan donkey
(guarà català) seems to
have been employed as
the unofficial champion
of this character. Many
cars in the region carry a
donkey sticker – a kind
of wry counter to thetoro
silhouette so popular in
other parts of Spain.Towering culture
Catalonia celebrates
itsjoie de vivreby
making towers out of
people.Castellsare
composed of up to seven
layers of men, topped
with a health-and-safety-
nonchalant crown of
small children. Vertigo
sufferers might prefer the
sardana, a typical Catalan
dance performed to the
music of thecobla,a
wind band complete with
double bass.