WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: A STEP AHEAD OF LONELY PLANET

BARCELONA TO VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDES IN CATALONIA, SPAIN

23rd OCTOBER 2013

A GAUDI GINGERBREAD HOUSE, PARC GUELL

When you're on to a good lunch deal in a town you don't know, that not even lonely planet knows about, it's real easy to get on a bus and go there again. We found the idea irresistible and sat down again at Salamanca 2 in Barcelona for a completely new 'menu del dia'. It didn't disappoint and I fear I am turning in to one of those people that blog every meal they consume. But it was just a delicious 10 Euro bargain and one should celebrate the joys. The waiter recognised and welcomed us again giving us extra sign language attention to guide our choices. English does not appear on pretty much any menus, signs, instructions, transport, shops etc. so it is a real immersion in guessing derivation and drawing on what french we have. Doesn't help a whole lot when you are deciphering Catalan words though, they're completely different. It's always fun to see what turns up when you order.

Barcelona and the surrounding region of Catalonia has always had an independence movement. They want to secede from Spain and be their own country. The movement is gaining traction and very strong at the moment, they've banned bullfighting because it's a 'Spanish' thing and most of the rest of Spain calls them traitors, so the ante is being upped.

Regional politics not quite aside, we headed out to Vilafranca Del Penedes for a day and night. It's a key Cava production area. Catalonia produces most of the Cava in Spain which in turn is being boycotted by much of Spain because of the strong Catalan independence movement. Some Cava is produced outside the Catalonia region so they have experienced increased sales internally while Catalonian Cava is pushing it's export markets.

It's a very Spanish and Catalan thing to make human towers. You see them a lot with musical accompaniment. We dropped in to the gym in Vilafranca Del Penedes after dinner to see the local community practicing their different tower formations. Amazing stuff.