Spanish Civil War and Tapas Walks

A BIG WALKING DAY again

We did well again in moving around. We seem to have our bearings and can use the transport system easily. 

On our last day in Barcelona ( first day tour) we didn't join the tour group but went our own way. 

We joined a walk with a man who talked about the history of The Spanish Civil War in Barcelona. It was sometimes half jokingly referred to as “The War Of The Alphabets,” because there were so many political parties and factions within those parties each one being referred to by its initials. 

For example, P.O.U.M. and C.N.D. Learning about some of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War was not the cheeriest of subjects, so it added a somber tone to our day. 

Sign recently discovered under a board on the exterior of a church from Civil War days stating 

the site to be named "The Square of the unknown milita (men and women)." The militia being the anti Fascist anti Franco forces.

Sign stating that it is a memorial plaque to a man named Andreu Nim. The ins and outs of Nim's life and the political intrigues that surrounded him are very complicated.  Suffice to say here that Nim was a senior member of a party named P.O.U.M. The same party of which the author George Orwell was a member.

 The good thing about the trip was that I can now read George Orwell's book “Homage To Catalunya,” again and visualise the places he was talking about. 

The afternoon was spent in The Picasso Museum in Barcelona. One of the “many” Picasso museums in Europe. I did enjoy his ceramic work which I didn't know much about before.

Our last evening in Barcelona was spent on a tapas bar tour. Three bars, three different types of tapas (Spanish snack food). 

Of course, I had to have a try of drinking from a Porron. A sort of flask with a long tapered spout. You aim the end of the spout into your mouth and pour the wine in. Then, in theory, hold the Porron up at arm's length without interrupting the flow or spilling any. I'm not that good ……. Yet! But I'm sure practice makes perfect!