If your idea of Spain is eating paella, dancing flamenco, and improving your Spanish, Catalonia might surprise you.
Even those who have visited the regional capital, Barcelona, might have missed what makes Spain’s second most populated region different from the rest of the country.
I wasn’t prepared when, in 2016, I moved to Catalonia from Madrid with my then-partner and our 18-month-old son. As foreigners in Spain, Madrid was getting expensive, and we were thinking about a second baby. The greenery and clean air of Girona appealed as much as the lower rent we found on a two-bedroom apartment at that time.
We moved two months later, but it took me a while to realize that we hadn’t just left Madrid. In many ways, we’d left Spain.
1. The main language in Catalonia is Catalan
Although Spanish is the most common language and almost everyone is bilingual, Catalan is the main language outside Barcelona.
Some Catalan words are the same or close enough to Spanish, for example, “hola” is still “hola” while “adiós” is “adéu” (ad-ay-oo). But you’d never guess others, like strawberry is “fresa” in Spanish but “maduixa” (mad-oo-sha) in Catalan.
Living here, you’re expected to speak Catalan, though many foreigners don’t. Now, as a single mom of two boys, my children have only two hours a week of Spanish instruction in school, and the default for all school communication with parents is Catalan. I regularly have hybrid conversations with other parents where I speak Spanish, and they respond in Catalan. Luckily, I can follow the majority of the conversation. But if I get lost, they’d usually rather switch to English than Spanish.
For many Catalans, the language is a political and emotional representation of cultural identity, not just a communication tool. Catalan independence is a heated topic since the 2017 independence referendum, which Spain declared illegal. Instead of ignoring it, the police used force to prevent people from voting.
No wonder the parents of my children’s friends feel so strongly about what the language represents. The school my kids attend in Girona was a polling station and TV footage of the violence at the gates there circulated widely.
2. The paella looks different
Despite not being a seafood fan, I love paella because I can just pick out the prawns and mussels. Until I got to Catalonia and discovered that the yellow rice with seafood, vegetables, and chicken or rabbit is Valencia style. Catalan paella is dark brown in color, much more seafood heavy, and never contains vegetables.
There’s also the Catalan version of paella made with short noodles (fideua) and served with aioli (garlic mayo) or the dramatic squid ink dish (arroz negro). My children call it Halloween Rice because it stains their teeth, tongues, and everything else, black.
3. You’ll want to branch out into Catalan wines
Many people think of rioja when they think of Spanish wine. While I can certainly drink wines from La Rioja in Catalonia, the waiter is much friendlier if I ask for Catalan wines. An award-winning local sommelier once told me rioja is only famous because it was the favorite wine of Franco, the Spanish dictator who ruled from 1938 to 1975.
Whether that’s the real reason or not, local is king, so you’ll be recommended wine from the Penedès if you’re in Barcelona, from Priorat in Tarragona, and from the L’Empordà in Girona. And, of course, Catalonia is also home to Cava — Spain’s sparkling wine similar to Champagne.
4. There are many traditions unique to Catalonia
After moving, I was surprised to find everything closed on September 11 for Catalonia’s national day. In the post 9/11 world, the date can be jarring, but it’s been celebrated since 1886.
As a family, we have incorporated local traditions like the gift-pooping log at Christmas, Caga Tió, but I’ve given up any ideas about flamenco. People here love the Sardana — a dance so sedate I initially thought they were just warming up as they slowly moved in a big circle, alternately tapping their feet in front of them. But, what’s beautiful about it is how everyone, young to old, participates.
Human towers, another Catalan tradition, are much more exciting to watch and deserve their listing as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. But I’m glad that, so far, unlike some of their classmates, my two boys haven’t asked to join the neighborhood “Colla” group, climbing on the shoulders of several tiers of people to the peak.
5. Catalans tell the time differently
One thing I still struggle with is the Catalan system of telling the time. It’s expressed as fractions but in a different way to Spanish. So 5:15 is “un quart de cinc” (one quarter of five); 5:30 is “dos quarts de cinc.” Even when you see it written down you still have to try and remember if the quarters are after or before the hour. My brain just can’t do the math, even though I understand the words.
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