Diada Nacional de Catalunya

This sign basically says: We are a nation and we have the right to decide.

Graffiti Catalunya pride

La Diada is the national Catalonian holiday where locals peacefully protest, and show pride for their region, their "country" and their history. The day is September 11th which is a weird day to celebrate anything but it was cool to go out and see how the locals show pride for their culture.

This is the "other" Arc de Triomf that is right down the street from my casa where lots of festivities were going on. Legend has it that the red bars were drawn on the flag of Catalunya in the 9th century as an act of gratitude to the Count of Barcelona who supposedly took his blood drenched fingers and spread them across his shield after the war.

Linda + Me (I was trying to get us in the pic with the flags in the background but no such luck)

Please look very carefully...and no your eyes are not deceiving you...this is a completely naked man walking down the street with his man bag in broad daylight. As I was enjoying a nice cup of tea a completely naked man walked past me and all I could see was a little girl gawking and a dad that was traumatized. I have a feeling they sat down and talked about the birds and the bees last night.

My new camiseta that I was really excited about because I'm a Democrat and thought it was a way to unite the Catalonian with the Washingtonian Democrat that I am...(donkey is wearing sunglasses with the Catalunya flag on them) and I then learned that the donkey is what the people in Catalunya feel is more their symbol, not the toro that is on pretty much all Spanish paraphernalia. It's the rebel that says we are not bulls but donkeys, we are the pueblo, and the donkey looks extremely chill and cool. SO much better than the bull.

Last but not least the cutest dog I've ever seen that was destroying a water bottle during the festivities...