The Catholic monarchs in Spain changed both the dynamics of the world and the cultural dynamics at home. Fantastic cathedrals decorate the country despite the dwindling number of religious believers. Beautiful music is everywhere, there is great food, and tasty sangria as well. And of course, there is always a nice healthy dose of political conflict as showcased by the showdown in Catalonia and the Spanish government\u2019s never-ending struggle with the Basques — who hope to gain independence. <\/span><\/p>\n And, of course, because I am a nerd at heart, there is also the fact that my literary heroes, George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway drew a great deal of inspiration from this country. When faced with all of these interesting aspects of Spanish culture, I just couldn’t help myself. I surrendered to my inner tourist and to decided to spend my spring break in Spain, despite constantly telling myself that traveling to Europe was too mainstream since everyone plans trips to Spain, Italy, France, etc. etc. <\/span><\/p>\n I visited three cities in particular: Barcelona, Sevilla, and Madrid. I did not regret my trip for a single second! Barcelona was a very cosmopolitan region where I saw a person from every country that I could think of casually smoking and having coffee in the cafes. I also was able to visit the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral, a beautiful part of the landscape that lends Barcelona its gothic look. Of course, because I am so interested in global affairs, I was very giddy about being able to experience some of the tensions between Spanish nationalists and the Catalans that was documented by Orwell in his famous Homage to Catalonia in the 30s. Every sign was in the Catalan first, already a huge point of contention in Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There were Catalan flags hanging from at least half of the places that I walked through. I walked by the Catalonian congress where the drama from last summer originally unfolded. And, because everything has to be dramatic, there were signs from Spanish nationalists accusing supporters of Catalonian independence of being Nazis! Of course, this was rather ironic as Francisco Franco, a long-time enemy of Catalan independence, and dictator for decades, was an open Nazi supporter.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sevilla was less political and more so just spiritual. There were art museums all over the place. And, of course, there were cathedrals on every street corner. I made a point to visit every art museum that was possible, but the best part was being able to visit a museum dedicated solely to Flamenco! <\/span><\/p>\n The sound of Spanish guitars is one of my favorite sounds in the world. So naturally, learning about the evolution of the style and how it was influenced by Arabic, Persian, and Chinese culture was truly awakening for me as I was able to see how all cultures give and take from each other as they please. What was truly beautiful was seeing all of the churches and angel statues. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/overlooking-spanish-city.jpg?fit=150%2C113\")
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