Valencian and Catalan

The language quarrel is the most absurd issue I have ever seen! Why is it internationally accepted that Serb and Croat are different languages while Valencian and Catalan cannot be accepted as separate languages? The same holds true for Czech and Slovak. They are SEPARATE official languages and are recognized as such by the European Union. This is just another claim by the Catalan nationalists without any historical justification. It gives them the right to claim the "Catalanism" of Valencian writers just because their language is similar to the Catalan!! Can you imagine the Australian government claiming Shakespeare was Australian just because he wrote in English?? There is no person on earth that would ever support such a senseless claim but on the other hand Catalans seem to have a birthright to make unsubstantiated claims.

There is an ongoing political battle between defenders of Valencia and Catalan names for the language. This is often a cause for flame wars. It is important to maintain an strict neutrality to avoid constant changes. See entries for valencian language and Catalan language.

Woody Allen Film in Barcelona

Woody Allen is shooting his new film in Barcelona with Scarlet Johansson and Penelope Cruz.

Taxi drivers in Barcelona

“I must say, I've been to Barcelona and can speak some Spanish, that is Castellano, and have had unpleasant experiences with nationalist Catelunian cab drivers. They have tried to charge me more than I knew certain trips costed when I had made similar round trips with locals to whom Catelunian is a first language. So it's not unfounded.“

That's definitely not unique to Barcelona or even Catalonian nationalists, but very common all around the world: If you're a stranger, chances are, taxi drivers will not go the best route but a longer one so they can charge you more. No reason to put this in the Barcelona article.

Photo: sxc.hu

Languages in Spain

There are 4 majority languages in Spain. The Spanish is the official language, but it has a Catalan language spoken in Catalonia, Valencia and Majorca Islands (about 10 million people), Euskera which is spoken in Basque Country, and Galician which is spoken in Galicia.

This is a rather subjective appreciation, showing a linguistic prejudice. While it is true that Asturian and Aragonese are spoken (nowadays) by less people, and that their written tradition is not outstanding or comparable to that of the other languages (but there is a written tradition!, stating there's an absence of it has clearly been said by someone who knows little of those two languages), it is also true that those factors are not the real cause, as Aranese is indeed co-official and it has even fewer speakers than Aragonese (about 4,000).

The truth is that Asturian and Aragonese, due to its historical lack of social prestige in the last five centuries, had come to be wrongly regarded as mere Spanish dialects, and it was still so in the 70's. In fact, many Spaniards are still today unaware of them being languages apart from Spanish. That is the main reason, although things started to change some years ago and the Statutes of Asturias and Aragon kind of protect their languages and quite a few associations demand that they are co-official too in the areas where they are spoken, something that could well happen in five or ten years. If that is not so, Aragonese will probably be the first Romance language in Spain to disappear, as there are very few children who speak the language.

Photo: sxc.hu

Is Spain a Kingdom?

The official name of Spain is Spain, and so it is said in the Constitution. The Kingdom of Spain is often used in diplomatic circles but is not official. Spain is a kingdom, a parliamentary monarchy, is the kingdom of Spain, but not Kingdom of Spain.

The name "Kingdom of Spain" (Reino de España) was the official name many years ago. Spain ISN´T a Kingdom. It's a parliamentary monarchy (Monarquía Parlamentaria).

However, in the driving license you can read in bold letters "REINO DE ESPAÑA".

Photo: sxc.hu

Salamanca University

Salamanca is by far the oldest university in Spain (1218). It is also one of the oldest of Europe. Considering prestige alone, Salamanca is more famous because it is a very old university. But about being the "academic centre", I have heard several times that Salamanca was the academic centre of Spanish universities when they were controlled by the Church, but nowadays each university has its own politics and rules. As far as I know, there is no organism with power over all of them (well, barring the government!).

Salamanca is to Spain what Bologna is to Italy. A mythic universitarian city. But the biggest universitarian community is in Madrid.

Salamanca was a great University, comparable to Oxford and Cambridge, centuries ago (not kidding). However, for a long while now it has been lacking in both degrees' variety & quality, and research. It no longer is the University of Reference in Spain, as opposed to Complutense or Autonoma. It carries historical importance and prestige, but is by no means the academic centre of Spain. It's not people's first option, or where parents want their kids to study. And it is no longer comparable to Oxford or Cambridge. But it is a really beautiful place to be, full of history, and it is quite a good university (if you're studying letters especially) --just not in the top 5 anymore.

Photo: sxc.hu

Franco, the fascist

Franco never was a fascist. He was of very conservative thinking, but over all he had a great lust for power and was a very pragmatic politician. For example, in 1936 he mixed the fascist-style Falange with the Tradición, a monarchist party supporting a side branch of the Bourbons. Why? Both of them had weapons and many volunteers and were his allies against the Republic. But, as these two parties’ objectives were very different, he needed to behead them. So, at the same time, he expeled the chief of the Tradición, Fal Conde. I mean Franco expeled Fal Conde out of Spain. And he also put in jail some leaders of Falange, making himself the uppermost leader of the only Party, a new Falange only fascist in appearance, but really catholic and supporting the old privileges of the great landowners and the medium to large private company owners.

This new party, F.E.T. y de las J.O.N.S., was the only legal party from 1936 to 1975. Whoever (fascist, monarchist, Catholics or else) wanted to enter politics (and/or earn some privileges) had to do it thru this party. The most honest Pre-Franco members of Falange, like Dionisio Ridruejo, got very disappointed with Francoism.

Even the conservative officials (some of them monarchists) in the Spanish Army who elected Franco as their leader (because of his African Army, the only professional troops in Spain) for the conduction of the war, later asked him for the return of the Monarchy. Franco destroyed the Republic and only could replace it with a monarchy. But a very odd monarchy, as there was no king or queen. Twice Juan de Borbón, the heir of the last king of Spain, got into Spain during the Civil War. Twice Franco expelled him "for the welfare of his person".

Of course, not being a fascist (nor a monarchist or a republican) is not the same as being an angel. During and after the war Franco ordered, supported or purposely ignored several thousand murders. Many of them simply as a way to terrorize his enemies during the war. And after it, simply to kill anybody able to say "no" to his orders. Historians propose 50,000 kills after the war. He was not the best person in Spain.