Exhumed and Expelled from the Valley of the Fallen

By XL3aMS1x, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

Today the remains of former dictator Francisco Franco were evicted from a monumental complex known as the Valley of the Fallen and reentered in the family plot in the unincorporated village of Mingorrubio. Well, like Franco, I, too, was once kicked out of there—albeit living and breathing.

First a little background: the Valley of the Fallen is a national park about 50 kilometers outside Madrid, in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. The valley itself is a lovely place of woods and greenery. However, rising out of this natural beauty is the cold, gray Basilica of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen (Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos), which was carved out of a giant granite ridge as an ominous looking monument to the Fascists who won the Spanish Civil War. Construction began in 1941 and ended in 1959. Thousands of prisoners, including political prisoners, were forced to work on the site. At least fourteen of these were killed during construction and many others suffered injuries.

I visited the Valley of the Fallen with friends some years ago, on a sunny, spring-like February afternoon. There were hardly any other visitors that day, so we parked in the near-empty lot just beneath the basilica. One of the first sites to greet us as we got out of the car was an abandoned and tattered looking series of shops -- a souvenir shop, a post office and a cafeteria -- shuttered up with rotted wood, rusted metal and water-stained paper.

Undaunted by this dreary sight, we walked up the stairs to the giant esplanade lying in front of the basilica. As we did this, we received a brief respite from the gloom, as the views of the valley and towns in the distance were fantastic. But then we entered the basilica itself, first going through security checkpoints that just about rivaled anything in international airports.

Once inside the hall of the basilica, I felt a little overwhelmed by the literal and atmospheric darkness of the place. We walked down a lengthy corridor, which in reality is a tunnel, past foreboding sculptures and grandiloquent tapestries. At the end of it all, was an altar, and as we approached it, I separated from the others to walk on my own.

Unlike most churches, in this one visitors are allowed to walk up to and around the altar. As I circled it, towards the back I noticed flowers and candles sitting on top of a marker embedded in the ground. I leaned in closer to read the words written on it, and was surprised to see "Francisco Franco," and to realize that this was in fact the dictator's tomb. Indeed, so shocked was I by the location of respect that the grave had that without thinking I grimaced, let out a "Yuk!" and stomped one of my feet on it, as one would do to chase off a rodent.

Next thing I knew, two furiously gesticulating guards were running up to me, exclaiming, "¡Fuera! ¡Fuera! ¡Si no te gusta Franco, fuera!" ("Get out! Get out! If you don't like Franco, get out!") Two of my friends (including a Spaniard whose grandfather had been forced to work on the monument's construction) started arguing with the guards, but I had had enough and just wanted to get out of that dark hole. I agreed to leave, and my friends gladly joined me. It was with more than a little relief that I headed away from the dinginess surrounding the despot's tomb towards the bright sunshine and fresh air outside.

Although I have never had a desire to go there again, perhaps I will return once it is converted from an ostentatious tribute to one of Mussolini's and Hitler's cohorts into a true memorial to the Spanish Civil War.

Photos: Saint Isidore Festival 15-17 May 2015 / Fotos: Fiesta de San Isidro 15-17 de Mayo 2015

Me

Saint Isidore lived here

Nice folks in traditional costume posed for me

More traditional costumes

A little parade...

...with some big people...

...and big heads

Gypsy lady playing an organ-grinder and giving out prayer cards

 

Food glorious food!

 

 

 

The anti-recession sandwich stand

Homemade stuff

Traditional roscones

Different flavored roscones have different names: Saint Clara, Smart, Stupid, Lemon, etc.

A Father in search of a flock

Goin' to the chapel

My Saint Isidore prayer card, which the gypsy lady gave me

Trains in Spain: Precision Tardiness

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I teach English in a little town not far outside Madrid. It's just three stations away from the Principe Pio commuter train station, which is near the city center. The trip takes less than 20 minutes and the business where the classes are held is about a five minute walk from my arrival station.

Because these classes start at 8:30am on Monday and 8am on Wednesdays and Fridays, I was very happy to learn there are weekday commuter trains originating at Principe Pio that are scheduled to depart every 30 minutes, at 3 minutes and 36 minutes after the hour. Perfect timing for me!

Well, I have been taking these trains for around six months now and have truly been impressed at their fidelity to the times they leave the station. The scheduled departure times appearing on the platform sign next to the waiting trains are always 7:33 and 8:03 and the times appearing on the clocks inside the trains when they head out are 7:36 and 8:06 – precisely 3 minutes late. I have checked and the platform clocks and train clocks seem perfectly synched, so it's not a matter of a discrepancy between clocks. The trains simply leave late – and rather precisely at that.

Now, nobody's perfect. Once or twice the trains have left at 7:34 and 8:07.

Still, I for one believe RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles—National Network of Spanish Railways) can take pride in the fact that at least these particular trains of theirs pretty consistently miss the mark so exactly.

Update 27 February, 2015: OMG, for the first time since I've been taking these trains, this morning's left on time!

Update 13 March, 2015: Today I saw something different. I always sit in the first wagon and this morning at 7:33 the engineer ran into the car, dashed into the cab, immediately started the engine and took off -- pretty much on time: the on-board clock switched to 7:34 as we took off. Usually the engineers are already in the cab and even when they have not been, I have never seen any enter in a rush. 

Update 14 May, 2015; Yesterday the train left two minutes early! Although this is the first time I've seen this occur on this particular train, I have on occasion experienced early departures on other trains in various parts of Spain. And on one occasion I arrived on a platform a few minutes before the scheduled departure time only to find the train had already left.

 

Spain behind the eight-ball in 2008

It looks like eight is Spain's number lately, for better or for worse. On the better side, that number was Spain's "well-being" ranking among 22 European countries the New Economics Foundation's 2008 National Accounts of Well-being report. Indeed, Spain and Cyprus were the only Mediterranean countries to make the top 10.

According to the NEF, governments should directly and regularly measure people’s subjective well-being: their experiences, feelings and perceptions of how their lives are going, as a new way of assessing societal progress, instead of only focusing on economic indicators. So according to this measure, Spain is not doing too bad. Well, that's good to know, especially in view of the worse side of number 8.

Spain's unemployment rate rose to an eight-year record at the end of 2008 -- at 14%, the highest rate in the European Union. Spain's high unemployment rate, helped to bring the the overall Eurozone unemployment rate up in December to ques what -- 8%.

I think these statistics sum up 2008 in Spain, a mix of better and worse -- as in much of the world. However, people here seem generally positive and hoping for a better year without so much time "behind the eight ball."

Suerte amig@s,

Carloz

Is Pedro Solbes misreading, or misleading? That is the question.

In case anyone who follows this blog hasn't guessed by now, I have very little faith in Spain's Economy Minister, Pedro Solbes -- not that I have much faith in any of his colleagues, either. However, he holds a special place in my disdain because of what can only be his misreading of, or misleading about the economy

When he served in Brussels as European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs (1999-2004), he denied that the introduction of the euro contributed to inflation. Then in December 2007 he said, "When I was in Brussels, I said the opposite, but now I can say that the euro has had an inflationary effect on low cost items." Was that a misreading, or was he misleading?

At that same time he predicted that Spain's inflation rate, which was 4.1%, would go below 3% by March 2008. Solbes was wrong again, as by April it had risen to 4.6%. By May it was 4.7%. Misreading, or misleading?

Solbes continued to deny there was an economic crisis through the first half of 2008, as people lost jobs, the cost of living soared, the real estate bubble burst, and the economy just generally went into the toilet. In May Solbes equated "crisis" with "recession," and added, "To talk about recession is exaggerated." Misreading, or misleading?

It seemed like he might be ready to admit the truth when it was leaked to the media that he used the word "crisis" in a June 10th closed door session of parliament. However, on June 11th he qualified that by saying, “Yesterday, the only thing I said was that we need to prepare for a crisis, but I never talked about 'the crisis.'” The official line from the Socialist Party spokesperson, José Antonio Alonso, was that Solbes had had a “slip of the tongue.” Misreading, or misleading?

Then to muddy the water further, he said on June 13th that while the Spanish economy was experiencing an “abrupt adjustment” he didn't use the word “crisis” because that would be "abusing a false affirmation. Crisis means that everything is going badly and that every other thing is going well, neither one thing or the other.” Misreading, or misleading?

By July he had finally started using the "C" word publicly, even declaring in one interview, "For me, this is the most complex crisis we have ever experienced because of the number of factors that are on the table." But around then he had moved on to avoiding the "R" word. In an interview in August he said, "We think there will be very low or flat growth in the coming quarters, but we are not thinking of a recession." Misleading, or misreading?

Last summer Solbes and Company forecast that Spain would avoid recession and that the GDP would actually grow a full 1%. This was very different from what most other economists were saying. Then yesterday he and the Government belatedly acknowledged the country is in a recession when he announced that his ministry was changing the forecast from one of GDP growth to one with a 1.6% drop. Misreading, or misleading?

Of course, there are still many non-government economists who are not as confident as Solbes, with some predicting the Spanish economy will contract as much as 3% this year. Neither the dire views of others, nor his lousy performance so far, seem to have given him pause. Indeed, while finally admitting he was wrong yesterday, he also had the temerity to make yet another prediction. According to his crystal ball (which must be what he uses in lieu of economic theory), 2009 will see the worst of the crisis, 2010 will witness GDP growth of 1.2%, and 2011 will experience a jump up to 2.6%. Misreading, or misleading?

Of course, people here say that Solbes is only delivering the information Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero wants him to, and I don't doubt it for a second. Certainly the buck stops with Zapatero, but it would be nice to have an Economy Minister who told the PM and the people what they needed to hear.

Instead what is it exactly that he offers? Is it misreading, or misleading? Double-speaking, or misspeaking? Denying, or lying? Call it what you will, but it does not often resemble the truth.

Finally, one more question: if you were running a business, would you hire someone with a track record like this?

Dios nos ayude, amig@s,

Carloz

A White Kings' Day = Un Día de Reyes Blanco

Incredible as it may seem, it has been a white Kings Day (aka Epiphany) here in Barcelona! Although it was more like heavy sleet than snow, enough of it accumulated on local sidewalks, streets and plazas to cover the city in a dazzling white blanket. Drivers panicked and pedestrians tread carefully, but children may have interpreted it as one more gift from the Three Kings. All in all, it's been a nice holiday for this big kid, too.

Yesterday evening I walked in near freezing temperatures down to the most central of Barcelona's marinas to see the Magi arrive. To cheering crowds of children, parents and tourists, the Three Wise Men disembarked from the historic schooner Santa Eulalia, and accepted the keys to the city from Mayor Jordi Hereu. After various speeches, the Kings and their Pages walked through the throngs to collect letters from the little ones, so that they would know what gifts to deliver that night.

Eventually Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar split up into separate cream-colored convertible Rugby's from the 1920s that had been waiting to drive them to another location, where they were to meet up with Father Christmas (Papa Noel), and get on their respective floats so that the official 2009 Parade of the Kings (Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos) could wind through the city's avenues. I read in the newspaper today that nearly half-a-million people lined the streets to see the Three Kings, Santa and various other holiday luminaries roll by -- and throw candy and/or "coal" at the kids.

Today I headed out in the snowy cold to a Norwegian friend's for a Kings' Day get together. After stuffing ourselves with a scrumptious meal of homemade Mexican food, we settled in for a good Japanese film on DVD -- with Spanish subtitles, of course. (Talk about an international observance of the day!) We also enjoyed a colorful and sweet King Cake (Roscone de Reyes) for dessert -- and this year I got the piece with the King!

Feliz Reyes amig@s,

Carloz

P.S. You can see a colorful photo slide show of the arrival of the Kings and the parade on ElPeriodico.com.

P.P.S. For more on Holiday Season traditions in Spain, see my Dec. 23, 2007 post, Christmas, New Year and Kings Day Traditions in Spain.

Welcome 2009 with Carloz' Broad Beans and Sausage in Wine

In the part of the USA I come from, the Deep South, it is a tradition to welcome in the New Year with a heaping, hot dish of black eyed peas. Aside from being sturdy fare that is attractive in winter, it is supposed to bring good luck in the year ahead. Here in Spain, and in other Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece, another legume is traditional in New Years recipes -- lentils. They are supposed to bring luck, prosperity and health.

Is it just a coincidence that such starchy items are New Year's food staples in various places? I doubt it. As Nigella Lawson noted in that NPR program I referred to in my previous post, it makes perfect sense on a winter holiday, when many people drink late into the night, to have a meal that is largely made up of carbohydrates.

Since I could not find any black eyed peas here in Barcelona, and I am not crazy about lentils, I took inspiration from Lawson's recipe for Italian Sausages with Lentils, as well as a common local plate, Catalan Broad Beans (or "Habas a la Catalana") and prepared the following for a friend and I to welcome in 2009:

Carloz' Broad Beans and Sausage in Wine

Spicy chorizo sausage
Broad beans
Chopped onion
White wine
Water
Olive oil
Teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Thyme
Paprika

Put the sausage in a pan with a little water, cover and bring to a boil over a high heat. Then lower the fire and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain and cut the sausage.

Put the olive oil, broad beans, and sausage in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, salt, pepper, thyme and stir. Then pour in the wine and water. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes.

Add paprika and serve.

I thought it was delicious, but I was the cook, after all. However, my friend agreed. I think she was being honest -- especially as she went back for seconds, and cleaned her plate.

Feliz 2009 amig@s,

Carloz

When the clock strikes midnight in Spain...

..it's time to eat grapes – very quickly! One for each chime of the bell. Why is that?

The 12 grapes represent the months of the new year, with the hope being that each month will be as delicious as the grapes you gulp down. Therefore, the ideal thing to do is to pop 12 sweet grapes into your mouth, because that will mean 12 pleasant months to look forward to. If you're unfortunate enough to have a sour one in the bunch, then that month will be as bitter as the fruit. So, for example, if grape number 6 is off, then your July will be, too! God forbid that there are multiple unsavory ones, as that could spoil much of your luck for the year ahead. And should you miss out on the grape eating altogether, you are quite simply courting bad luck for the entire 365 days.

That is one of the reasons why tonight throughout Spain people will welcome in another New Year with a mouthful of grapes. It's quite funny, too, because as you see those around you hurriedly trying to wolf down 12 grapes in a row, the laughter starts, which in turn makes it difficult to swallow, which causes more laughter, and then more of a panic as everyone tries to finish devouring their grapes while the chimes are still ringing.

After that, many Spaniards will wash down the grapes with one of Spain's other great vintage products, cava! Then for some people it will be dancing and celebrating in the streets, while others will watch and toast one of the festive programs on TV.

As to the roots of this “oral” tradition, I have heard different things. One of the more fanciful stories is that it started long ago at the end of a year when there was such a bountiful grape harvest that on New Year's Eve (Noche Vieja) the King generously distributed the fruit to everyone throughout the land. On the more mundane side is the report that in 1909 a group of Spanish grape growers created and promoted the idea in order to sell more product. The truth probably lies somewhere else.

It is interesting to note that similar traditions exist in other Mediterranean countries, as well as in Latin America. Cook and writer Nigella Lawson observed on a radio show on New Year food traditions broadcast by NPR a year ago that a tradition of eating exactly 12 grapes also exists in Malta, whereas Italy's midnight grape consuming tradition involves manically eating as many grapes as possible to ensure good health in the coming year.

Lawson also mentioned what she thought were deeper meanings of such customs. She saw a connection to folk wisdom, in that people in grape growing regions have always known that grapes are healthy, whereas science only discovered relatively recently that grape skins contain resvesterol, which may prevent cancer and heart disease.

But perhaps just as significant is the fact that, as Lawson said, “you’re doing something year in, year out, that your antecedents have done as well. And I think that’s such an important part of human ritual.”

So, here in Spain the old year ends and the new one begins with laughs, hugs, kisses, good wishes and, most of all, the tradition and hope symbolized by 12 guileless grapes.

Feliz año nuevo amig@s,

Carloz

Minimum Wage Spain = Salario Mínimo España

Some years ago I asked a Spanish colleague what the minimum wage was here and was met with a puzzled look. When I explained what I meant further, he said he didn't think there was such a thing -- an average, perhaps, but nothing guaranteed. This person was a professional with a post graduate degree, so I thought if he did not know, then there must not be such a thing in Spain.

Eventually, I learned that there is indeed such a thing, but that it is not a guaranteed hourly wage, but a monthly salary. The Spanish minimum wage is called the Salario Mínimo Interprofesional or the SMI and has existed since 1963. It supposedly pertains to all occupations, businesses and economic sectors. It is adjusted at regular intervals, usually each year, although the law allows for bi-annual adjustments. It is based on "normal working hours" (whatever that means), and is established according to various economic indices such as productivity, retail-price index, etc., and is protected from seizure by creditors.

I've read that since the SMI is so low, only about 0.7% of the employed population is affected by adjustments to it -- or 140,000 people. However, it is said to have an important indirect impact because the SMI is used as a reference point for establishing pensions and for collective pay negotiations. Spanish unions claim that it effects the remuneration of one million employees. That leaves about 18,860,000 people who are not affected.

In addition, before moving here and since living here, I have continuously heard and read that employers are supposed to pay their contracted employees 14 monthly payments a year, not 12. In the 9 years I have lived here, I have never received the two extra payments.

Anyway, I write all of this as background to the news that Prime Minister Zapatero announced yesterday that the SMI would go up 4%, to 624 euros a month. It is the lowest increase in the past five years. It is also much lower than the 7.5% a year that would be necessary for Zapatero to reach his campaign promise of a monthly SMI of 800 euros by 2012. So, now he's promised to raise it by 8.6% a over the next 3 years.

Yesterday the Government also approved a 2.4% raise in pensions for 2009. The average pension will be 741.62 euros a month.

It is estimated that the cost of living in 2008 went up 5.3%.

I suppose many Spaniards will be counting their pennies as well as their grapes when the clock strikes midnight next Wednesday.

Let's hope that 2009 is a better year in Spain and everywhere!

Saludos amig@s,

Carloz

Main sources: European Employment and Industrial Relations Glossaries and El País (Un final de ciclo amargo and El Gobierno eleva un 4% el salario mínimo, a 624 euros.)

One Year On!

It's been a little more than a year since I started blogging, so I thought I'd provide updates on some of the topics I've written posts about:

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BICING

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I've written a bit about Bicing, which also celebrated it's first year anniversary recently. Well, today's El País newspaper ran an article about the service's increasing growing pains: El Bicing genera 600 reclamaciones diarias por mal funcionamiento. (Bicing receives 600 complaints a day about technical problems.)
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This was based on information included in a report that City Hall made public yesterday, but which apparently had been making the rounds of municipal offices for a while. Perhaps the most damning part of the report was the revelation that a majority of users are dissatisfied with the functioning of the computerized stations where bikes are parked. Aside from some stations habitually not having bikes available, and others seeming to hardly ever have empty spaces for leaving-off a bicycle, other problems include system overloads which cause the whole computer network to fail. When this happens bikes cannot be removed from the stations and bikes that are left-off are not recognized as having been returned. Therefore, some people have been wrongly penalized for returning bikes late or fined for not returning bikes at all.

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More than 150,000 people currently subscribe to Bicing. Apparently a total of over 250,000 people have joined the program in the last 14 months, but more than 150 people drop out each month. Today Bicing has 367 stations and a fleet of 5,500 bicycles, with about 28 members for each bike. The plan is to grow the program to 6,000 bikes and 400 stations by September and then to postpone more growth until the operation of the service can be improved, for example, by installing a back up computer system to take over when the main one goes down.

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Who will pay for the improvements? The city will, although Clear Channel, the company that has the contract to run Bicing, was fined 22,000 euros this past January for not meeting the minimum quality indices that had been agreed to.

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Other statistics from the report included:

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- An average of 39,500 trips daily - 7.8 per bicycle.
- Each bicycle is ridden some 10,000 kilometers per year.
- As of last June 18, users had completed a total of 50,178 trips - 9.2 per bicycle.
- An average of six traffic accidents involving Bicing users are registered each month.
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If you are a Bicing user and want to have your voice heard, you can participate in a survey being conducted by researchers with Telefónica Investigación y Desarrollo (Research and Development) and the University of Washington. Click here to take the survey, which is available in English, Spanish and Catalan.

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By the way, I still hold a generally positive view of Bicing and am so glad that it exists. While not even close to perfect, it certainly has been a positive addition to my life -- and I bet it's better than anything they have in Paris!

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NEWSPAPERS / PERIÓDICOS
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A new daily newspaper appeared on the Spanish scene this past year. Público hit the stands in September, with the aim of attracting left of center readers in the 25-45 year old age group. The editor is 32 year old Ignacio Escolar, who is the son of journalist Arsenio Escolar, the editor of the free daily 20 minutos. The younger Escolar previously worked in television, radio and as a musician in the groups Meteostat and Dedcodek. He's also writes a popular blog called Escolanet.

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Of course, Público seems to be going head to head with El País, the country's other left leaning daily, which bills itself as, “the global Spanish language newspaper.” (El periódioco global en español) One of El País' directors, Juan Luis Cebrián, told the New York Times and International Herald Tribune, "We don't even see them as a competitor. It's like comparing The New York Times and The New York Post." So, I guess it was just a coincidence that the publishers of El País felt the need to revamp the paper last October, with the stated purpose of appealing to younger readers.

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Well, I still like El País, but I find that I like Público, too, and have been buying it pretty frequently. Anecodotically, I can say that many people I know seem to be doing the same.
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THE SUMMER SOLSTICE AND LA NOCHE DE SAN JUAN
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Another summer solstice / noche de San Juan came and went yesterday. Fantastic fireworks and thousands of party goers on Barcelona's streets and beaches. I read today that the local police estimated that there were 85,000 people on the city's “playas” last night. Of course the symbol of the year's shortest night is the bonfire, and so flames and firecrackers colored my neighborhood as usual, as well as all of Barcelona.

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However, it's not just Barcelona that celebrates la noche de San Juan. In towns in the Pyrenees there were traditional torchlight processions, Madrid saw urban bonfires and on Spain's islands there was fireside dancing in the moonlight.

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In Alicante, where one of the biggest San Juan festivals is held, the dazzling climax of the festivities won't happen until tonight. Larger than life wooden and paper maché figures are built by neighborhood associations as part of a city-wide competition and then are burnt to the ground at midnight on the 24th, setting the entire city aglow. What a way to welcome in the summer!
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THE ECONOMY
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Well, PM Zapatero couldn't quite bring himself to use the “c” word but at least he stopped using some of his favorite euphemisms (difficult scenario, period of adjustment) when he finally admitted yesterday that Spain's economy was in serious trouble. He couldn't let go of one ambiguity, however -- economic deceleration. At least he shuffled it along from a “deep deceleration ” to a “strong deceleration -- almost a sudden stop.”
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Better late than never? We'll have to wait and see if the 21 new proposals his government plans to make to address the CRISIS will do any good. So far the reaction has been muted to negative, with the governor of the Bank of Spain describing them as "insufficient." I wonder if that was a euphemism?
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Saints above, party in the street!

Today is a public holiday in Madrid, as well as a day of festivities in a few other places in Spain. What's it all about?
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Well, it's all supposed to be in honor of Saint Isidore the Laborer or San Isidro el Labrador. Saint Isidore (born in 1070, died on 15 May 1130) was a native of Madrid who became the patron saint of the peasants and laborers. According to legend, he was a poor peasant farmer, who along with his wife Maria (also a saint - Santa María de la Cabeza), was so generous that they shared the little they had with others. Today Saint Isidore is the patron saint of Madrid, as well as of other locations in Spain and around the world.
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Although the 15th is the official holiday, in Madrid the partying starts the Friday before that date and lasts until the the following Sunday when cookouts serving traditional Madrid stew (cocido Madrileño) are held around the region. While most events take place in or near downtown Madrid, all of the Autonomous Region known as The Community of Madrid ("Communidad de Madrid") observes the holiday. So, suburbs, neighboring towns and even small villages have their own special events.
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Back in the city, probably one of the most traditional parts of the of the observance is the pilgrimage to the hermitage erected in the saint's honor in Saint Isidore's Meadow (La pradera de San Isidro) on the banks of the Río Manzanares River. In Plaza de las Vistillas the saint's statue is paraded around while Madrileños wear traditional costumes, enjoy picnics and drink from the plaza's fountain. At night concerts are held there. Plaza Mayor in the city center probably sees the most action, with nightly concerts and one of the biggest cocido cookouts. Another big event is the series of bullfights held at Madrid's iconic Las Ventas bullring. Of course there are many other events all week long: parades, exhibitions, street fairs, and a wide variety of musical performances -- from opera to flamenco pop to Hip-Hop; from local bands to international stars.
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Although only an official holiday in Madrid sine 1947, a picture Goya painted in 1778, La pradera de San Isidro, attests to the importance of this event in the city's past.
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Places outside the Community of Madrid that have events honoring San Isidro as their Patron Saint include:
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Tenerife, Canary Islands
Yecla, Murcia Province
Castalla, Alicante Province
Dueñas, Palencia Province
Medina de Pomar, Burgos Province
Alameda, Estepona and Nerja, Málaga Province
Bujalance and Cañete de las Torres, Córdoba Province
Alcadozo, Cenizate and Zulema, Albacete Province
Mazcuerras, Cantabria
Paterna del Campo, Huelva Province
Cañada Juncosa, Cuenca Province
Santa María del Páramo, León Province
Huétor-Tájar , Granada Province
La Lastrilla, Segovia Province
Villasequilla, ToledoProvince
Torreorgaz, Cáceres Province
and, of course, in the town of San Isidro, Almería Province.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Barcelona's April Fair - Feria de Abril

Today is the last day of the 37th edition of Barcelona's April Fair. Some of you may be thinking, “Why does a so-called April fair happen in May?” – and those of you who know Spain may be asking, “Isn't the April Fair held in Seville each year?”
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Well, the original April Fair, which was first held in 1847, is the one that occurs in Seville each year. It usually starts two weeks after Semana Santa (Holy Week). There are also smaller April Fairs held in several Andalusian cities and towns at around the same time.
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In 1971 immigrants to Barcelona from Andalusia, and their descendants, began their own version of this rite of spring. Today Barcelona's is the second largest April Fair in Spain, rivaled only by the one in Seville. This fair typically runs from the last week of April through the first week of May.
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So, just what is an April Fair? Well, first and foremost, it is fun. Secondly, it's an opportunity to revel in Spanish, especially Andalusian, culture – flamenco, sevillianas, rumbas, boleros, pienetas, mantillas, shawls, riding jackets, castanets, cantaores, bailaoras, Jerez sherry, manzanilla wine, tapas, gazpacho, ham, and, my favorite, the Spanish confection churrrrrrrrros!
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In Barcelona's version, the April Fair is also a celebration of multiculturalism. This is in recognition of the fact that Catalonia absorbed hundreds of thousands of “internal immigrants”from Andalusia, Murcia and Extremadura during the 50s, 60s and 70s and is now absorbing a new wave of immigrants, but this time from Latin America, Morocco, Pakistan and Eastern Europe. Indeed the current President of the Catalan government, José Montilla, was one of these “immigrants” from Andalusia, having relocated with his family to Catalonia when he was 16.
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Because of all this, aside from the typical pavilions (casetas) dedicated to towns in Andalusia, you can find others like the Casita Latina, the Centro Cultural Gitano La Mina (The Gypsy Cultural Center of La Mina) and the Moroccan pavilion, with food, drink and gifts on sale in support of El Colectivo para la Defensa y la Protección de las Constantes Sagradas del Reino de Marruecos (The Collective for the Defense and Protection of the Sacred Attributes of the Kingdom of Morocco). In addition, visitors to the festival are a mosaic of people from around Spain and the world. However, there are usually not very many tourists. For that last reason, I find it a particularly authentic experience.
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Another difference between the events in Seville and Barcelona is that in Seville the pavilions are privately owned and one must be an insider of sorts (e.g., a family member or friend, a member of an organization or willing to pay a lot of money) to gain entry. While in Seville members of the public can walk around and “press ones nose to the glass,” metaphorically speaking, at Barcelona's more egalitarian event anyone can walk into a pavilion, sit down and, if they dare, dance! In Seville, the pavilions are decorated, but tend to all look similar from the outside. In Barcelona pavilion interiors and facades are colorfully, often cleverly, decorated -- and in Barcelona, there is a even a contest for best decor!
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Each year the sponsoring organization, FECAC (Federación de Entidades Culturales Andaluzas en Cataluña = Federation of Andalusian Cultural Groups in Catalonia), chooses the top three pavilions, as well as the best interior and best facade. This year there were 58 pavilions and the prizes went to:

• 1st Prize – La Casa de Andalucía de Cerdanyola
  
• 2nd Prize and Best Facade - La Hermandad Nuestra Señora del Rocío-Los Romeros de Barcelona
  
• 3rd Prize & Best Facade - Centro Cultural Colonia Egabrense de Santa Coloma de Gramenet
  
• Best Interior - La Hermandad Nuestra Señora del Rocío de Rubí

All the pavilions of Barcelona's Feria de Abril are welcoming places where members of the public can rest from walking around the fairgrounds, buy a drink, eat a meal, snack on tapas, listen to music, watch dancers, or get up and dance. Most of the pavilions are sponsored by cultural associations created by and for Andalusian immigrants and their descendants. There are also pavilions sponsored by political parties from just about the entire spectrum. In addition to pavilions, there are stalls selling clothing, arts, crafts, and food items from around Spain. There is also a fun-fair for kids, with a Ferris wheel and other rides, as well as little stands selling hot dogs, ice-cream, cotton candy, drinks and, of course, churrrrrrrrros!
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Admission to the fairgrounds is free. Prices in the pavilions are regulated by the fair organizers, but prices in the stands and stalls are not. So, the best deals are on food and drink often in the pavilions.
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The entire thing is an 11 day feast of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. And the joy is contagious – whether its that of the professional dancers on the stages, the colorfully costumed bands of singers & dancers who roam around the grounds or the civilians strutting their stuff on the pavilion dance floors.
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¡Viva la feria de abril!
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Carloz
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P.D. Y, ¡viva los churrrrrrrrros!

A one, two punch – May 1st and 2nd

May 1st is Labor Day in Spain and much of the world. May 2nd is the anniversary of the beginning of what Spaniards call the "Guerra de la Independencia española." (This translates as the "Spanish War of Independence" but in the English speaking world it is more commonly referred to as the Peninsular War.) While not an official national holiday, it is in certain communities (most significantly the Community of Madrid) and is an unofficial holiday everywhere else. While some people view these dates as simply another chance for a “puente” (literally, “bridge”; figuratively, “long weekend”), others take one or both of these days very seriously.

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First things first : May 1st is a bank holiday in Spain known as el Día del Trabador/a, or Workers Day. Here it is usually translated into English as Labour Day. (This is Europe, so British spelling is more commonly used.) Globally it is also known as International Workers' Day.

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Several times during my time in Spain I have used the history of this holiday, and the fact that "Labor Day" is not celebrated on the same date in the USA, as a basis for English lessons. (Lessons based on historical events provide opportunities for past tense usage, vocabulary building and conversation skills practice.) Students are usually surprised to learn that one of their country's holidays actually has its roots in events that took place in Chicago, Illinois -- and that this connection is not well known in the USA either. Below is a brief history:

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In 1886 the American Federation of Labor (AFL) called for a strike on May 1st to demand a limit to hours employees had to work each day. The proposal was for an 8 hour workday. So, on that date hundreds of thousands of workers across the USA walked off their jobs. In Chicago, perhaps as many as 80,000 workers struck that day. The strike continued and grew over the next few days and eventually unrest broke out.

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On May 3rd Chicago police killed 4 strikers outside a factory. During a rally in Haymarket Square on May 4th to protest the killings, someone threw a homemade bomb at the police, who then fired into the crowd. One policeman and seven civilians were killed. Although the bomber was never identified, the authorities arrested several of the city's labor leaders. Seven individuals were tried and found guilty, four of these were executed and a fifth killed himself in jail while awaiting execution. The trial was widely viewed as rigged and six years later the Governor of Illinois pardoned the two who were still in prison and declared that those who had been executed had not been guilty. Today this series of events is known by various names: the Haymarket Affair, the Haymarket Riot, and the Haymarket Tragedy.

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At the request of the AFL in 1889, the world labor movement's congress, which was being held in Paris that year, adopted May Day as an international day of action to call for the 8 hour workday as a norm and to commemorate the events in Chicago. May 1st has been known as International Workers Day / Labor Day ever since.

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Under Franco this holiday was not observed. Indeed, it wasn't until 1978, 3 years after Franco's death, that Labor Day gatherings were legalized. Despite this, events did take place in '76 and '77.

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These days the holiday is marked by rallies around the country, most of which are organized by two of the major Spanish labor unions, The CCOO (Comisiones Obreras = Workers' Commissions) and UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores = Workers' General Union). This year some 60 events are planned nationwide. Of course, the biggest rallies are usually in Madrid and Barcelona. The slogan the unions have selected for this year's celebration is, "This is the moment for equality, a decent salary and productive investment." (“Es el momento de la igualdad, el salario digno y la inversión productiva.”) The unions hope that year parliament will raise the minimum monthly salary from 600 euros to 800 a month -- to take effect in 2012!

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Let me explain here that Spain has a minimum monthly salary for full time workers, rather than a minimum hourly wage. (I believe this is the same in other EU countries that have a legal minimum. Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy and Sweden do not set legal minimums.) For part time workers I suppose that amount is divided into fractions based on a 40 hour work week. Over the years I've asked may Spaniards about this, but no one I've ever asked has known.

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As a comparison, it's interesting to note that Spain's neighbors have wildly differing minimum monthly salaries: according to the Federation of European Employers, France's is currently 1,309 euros a month, while Portugal's is 426. Of course, in all three of these countries most residents earn more than the minimum.

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While lots of people will attend rallies today, many will be traveling, going to the beach, hiking in the mountains, eating out and such. Of course, in these uncertain economic times we live in, there may be many this year who will simply stay home.

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I'll write more about May 2nd, the unofficial holiday, in my next post.

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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Bad news: Barcelona 20; Madrid 24

This was the "score" that made headlines here last week, but it wasn't soccer results -- it was about how expensive the two major Spanish cities have become. So, "Barcelona, tan cara como Nueva York" ("Barcelona, as expensive as New York") screamed the front page of Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper on March 19th.
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Sure enough, according to the latest "Prices and Earnings: comparison of purchasing power around the globe" report by the Swiss banking firm UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world, while New York City is 18th. Madrid comes in at number 24. (FYI, the 5 most expensive cities according to USB are Oslo, Copenhagen, London, Dublin and Zurich -- in that order.)
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However, looking a little closer at the data, one can see that this first list, referred to as the "Prices" list has two columns -- one including rent costs and the other not. Therefore, according to UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world for visitors, and Madrid number 24, etc.
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For a look at the cost of living in a city, one needs to look at the second column, which includes rent costs. Here Barcelona is ranked as the 26th most expensive city to live in, Madrid number 22 and New York City number 5. So, saying Barcelona is as expensive as New York city could be considered stretching things a bit -- but it certainly isn't cheap anymore! (By the way, according to this list, the most expensive city to live in is London followed by Oslo, Dublin and Copenhagen.)
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Another list in the report is called, "Domestic purchasing power including rent prices." Here Barcelona is ranked number 24, Madrid goes down to 30 and New York comes in at number 22. (The five most expensive cities in this grouping are Copenhagen, Zurich, Berlin, Geneva and Frankfurt.)
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Here are a few interesting quotes from the report:

• "The euro has continued its extraordinary ascent."


• "...Eurozone cities are even more expensive."


• "In 2006, Barcelona and Hong Kong were similarly costly. Now the Catalonian port city is 22% more expensive than the Chinese one."

Well, it seems from this report that Europe is the most expensive part of the world to live in today. As for the Euro, I have definitely seen a substantial increase in the cost of living since it was introduced in 2001. And I can personally attest to how much more it costs me to live in Barcelona than it did in previous years.
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In 2005 someone on a forum about life in Spain asked me how much I usually spent on groceries and sundries. Since I keep my supermarket receipts that was easy for me to answer -- at the time it was typically between 120 and 130 euros a month. Looking at current receipts, I can say that today I regularly spend between 165 and 175 a month.
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I need to mention that I am single and relatively frugal. Certainly there are single people who spend less than me on groceries and such, but there are probably many more who spend a greater amount than I do to eat each month.
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In closing, let me mention another report that made the news this week: Personal Income and the Risk of Poverty in Catalonia by IDES-CAT, the Statistical Institute of Catalonia. According to this study, 19% of the Catalan population falls beneath the poverty threshold. This means that 19 out of every 100 people living in Catalonia live on less than 689 euros a month!
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While I know many "mileruistas" who struggle by on about 1,000 euros a month, it must be incredibly difficult to get by on less than 689 -- especially on one's own. Sharing an apartment would be a must on such an income. Indeed, it is for many people above the poverty level.
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IDES-CAT also reported the following:

• 30% of people surveyed reported that they had difficulty making ends meet each month;
• only 4 out of ten persons surveyed stated that they had NO difficulty making ends meet;
• income is 22.3% lower in households headed by women;
• households that suffer the most economically are those made up of foreigners and those with divorced or separated heads of households;

And on that cheery note, I need to head out to do my weekly marketing.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Spanish Time

The arrival of the new AVE in Barcelona 5 minutes early (or eight minutes, depending on which newspaper one believes) but following after a 2 month construction delay, started me thinking about differences between the sense of time in Spain and the USA. (Before I go on, let me say that to me a two month delay does not seem like much on a construction project of the magnitude of the AVE and I think such a thing could happen anywhere.)
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Maybe “sense of time” isn't the most accurate phrase. Some foreigners might say a “lack of a sense of time” would be a better way of putting it. I believe it would be more accurate to say that there is simply a difference between the importance attached to time in Anglo-Saxon and Latin cultures. Anyway, here are few personal anecdotes that touch on this difference.
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When I lived in Madrid, it always tickled me that the clocks on two public buildings across the street from each other had slightly different times. The clocks on the Banco de España (i.e., the Spanish treasury) and the main post office at Plaza de Cibeles displayed times that were two minutes apart. (By the way, the main post office has since moved.)
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Speaking of the post office, while living in Madrid I received a notification of a certified letter one afternoon, so I promptly went to collect it the next day. Opening it immediately, I found a letter that had been sent 13 days earlier from the immigration office in Madrid requesting additional documents from me. The letter said that I had 12 days from the date on the letter to do this. It was a Friday afternoon, after the immigration office's closing time of 1pm, which meant Monday would be the earliest I could bring the documents – 4 days late! I thought, “Oh, my gosh, I'll have to get proof from the post office that the letter took more than 12 days to reach me!” So, I asked the postal clerk for a receipt. I was told I had to go to another window for that. After waiting in line at the other window, I was told by another clerk that I had been sent to the wrong window. Thankfully, there was no line at the next window and the clerk there gave me a form to complete for my request. After giving her the completed form she told me I could return towards the end of the next week to collect the receipt! I explained the urgency of the situation to her. She pointed to stacks of forms piled up on a table behind her and said sarcastically, “Well, all of these requests are urgent, too, so you'll just have to wait your turn.” I left the form, but meanwhile took my chances with the immigration office on the following Monday morning. When I explained to the immigration office clerk why I had not come in sooner, he said it wasn't a problem at all and accepted the documents.
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When I first moved to Spain I worked as a coordinator of a program at a school where one of my duties was to buy supplies for the program on a monthly basis. The school had an account with a certain office supply store that I went to during the first week of each month to place our order. No one told me that the store's two locations closed for the month of August, so that first year I found that out when I showed up at the store and read the “closed until September” sign. I remembered it the next year so went to the store on July 31st, where I again found the store closed until September. It turned out that since the 30th and 31st fell on a Monday and Tuesday that year, a decision had been made to close those two days, too. OK, year three I decided to ask the store staff at the beginning of July what their last opening date would be before their August holiday. I was told the store would be open through the 31st. I showed up on the afternoon of July 31st only to find the store closed until September. You see, a decision had been made that year not to re-open after the lunch time siesta! The next year I finally got the hang of it and did the August shopping during the second to last week of July.
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There is an accounting service down the street from my apartment here in Barcelona that prepares my tax return every year. I discovered it a few years ago when the office taped up several little signs in its store-front window announcing this service – simple signs on white A4 paper obviously printed on an office printer. The signs are still up and read, “We will prepare tax returns until May 30, 2004.”
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There is a tiny, little office supply store in my neighborhood that, like many businesses, closes for siesta. Occasionally the store doesn't re-open in the afternoon. I asked the owner about this one day and was told that it depends on how busy he is in the morning. If it's a really slow day, he figures there is no reason to open again after lunch.
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There is a restaurant near my place that advertises lunch served until 4pm. If I show up at at 3:40 or 3:45, sometimes they serve me, but other times say it is too late because the kitchen is closed. I guess it depends on how business has been that day.

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I have lived here for almost 8 years now, so I think I have pretty much reached a stage of acceptance of things like this. Or maybe its just really good denial.
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Hasta luego amig@s,
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Carloz

It's election time!

Not the US election, but the Spanish election. On March 9 Spaniards will go to the polls to vote for Parliament -- 350 seats in the lower chamber, the Congress of Deputies ,and 208 seats in the upper chamber, the Senate. The make-up of the Parliament determines which party (or which coalition of parties) selects the Prime Minister, who is also referred to as the President of the Government.
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The two major parties are the conservative PP (Partido Popular - Popular Party), led by Mariano Rajoy and the PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español - Spanish Socialist Workers Party), led by the current Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Other parties include:the United Left (IU), Convergence and Union (CiU), the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV).
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Compared to the USA, campaigns in Spain are relatively brief -- thank God! While there is plenty of maneuvering and posturing for a few months before the election, advertisements are only allowed during an officially designated campaign period. For example, on January 14 of this year the Spanish government approved the dissolution of Parliament and called for general elections on March 9. The official electoral campaign runs from February 22 until March 7.
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However, before the advertising begins parties issue statements, candidates make promises, polls are conducted and the media covers it all. So far the PSOE has promised to a 400 euro tax rebate for all citizens, while the PP has said it would require immigrants to sign a "contract" promising to learn Spanish, adapt to the culture and traditions of Spain and obey the nations laws. Both parties promise more nurseries and pre-schools, higher pensions and to plant trees to combat climate change. (The PSOE was the first to come up with the tree offer, and said it would plant 45 million trees nationwide. Last week the PP upped the ante by promising to plant 500 million! So, either way, Spain will be greener by 2012, right? Yeah, right!)
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As for controversy, well, the Spanish Catholic Church got into the act by issuing a letter telling its members not to vote for parties that support abortion rights and gay marriage -- in other words, don't vote for the PSOE. (The Zapatero government introduced full gay marriage in Spain in 2005. The PP has said it does not intend to overturn it.) The Government was so bothered by the Spanish Bishop's Conference intrusion into the political process that it had its ambassador to the Vatican make a formal complaint. (The Pope has yet to respond -- and if he does, I'll bet it's with a similar letter of his own.)
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The economy is a major issue and will surely affect the outcome. The Spanish housing market bubble is deflating, if not exactly bursting, with prices beginning to fall; price increases for basic necessities have been sharp; unemployment is rising; and because of world-wide economic instability, Spaniards seem to be a little jittery in general. This has been a rather recent turn around, coming after a few years of steady economic growth.
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This change in exonomic fortunes probably has done more than anything else to allow the PP to cut into the PSOE's lead in the polls. A month ago, the PSOE was widely seen as having the best chance at victory. Now, according to one major survey reported on in today's El Pais, the PSOE has only a 2.9% lead over the PP.
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So, who will win? ¿Quien sabe?