Wirdheim in Vilanova

Hi Erik! Very nice reportage. I knew that you woul...

2012-04-12T21:05:44.835+02:00

Hi Erik! Very nice reportage. I knew that you would like it. Next time I also reccomend you to see it in the old town. It is very suggestive to see the Roman soldiers coming walking along the old Roman walls at twilight time!! Kramar!
PS I enjoyed very much to be one of the 3 Marias in our procession!DS

Dear Angelo, No, I did not know that. What an awf...

2012-02-08T00:30:09.919+01:00

Dear Angelo,

No, I did not know that. What an awful situation. Poor woman.

But, thanks for your comment! :)

//Erik

Do you know Marina Tsvetayeva? She actually had to...

2012-02-07T02:37:35.104+01:00

Do you know Marina Tsvetayeva? She actually had to make the choice which one of her daughters she'd let starve...

The advantage of buying a home is clear on people ...

2012-01-02T06:25:22.883+01:00

The advantage of buying a home is clear on people who are thinking of long term investment, owning their own place allows them to personalise their property.
_________
Pia
Philippines properties

Shanson Logistics is business of providing aone-stop solution forinternational freight forwarding

Hi Tom, What you bring up could is intriguing at ...

2011-11-28T19:15:05.598+01:00

Hi Tom,

What you bring up could is intriguing at a first look (I've been down that road a couple of times...), but you'll soon find out that the elections to the Generalitat have very little to do with those to the Spanish parliament. There is a huge group of PSC voters who only ever vote in the latter ones (plus on the municipal level).

From memory I would say that CiU has been the most voted party in all elections to the Generalitat, while PSC - until now - has always been the most voted Catalan party in the state elections. That is what made 20N so unique from CiU:s perspective.

//Erik

Hi Erik, CiU is often the most voted party here i...

2011-11-28T08:34:57.840+01:00

Hi Erik,

CiU is often the most voted party here in Generalitat elections. Their most important advantage is that they are seen as being a wholly Catalan party, but with candidates who are far more presentable than those of ERC. Young voters I know who have switched from PSC to CiU always cite the PSC's link to Madrid as its main negative point.

What I find interesting (and I may write about this on my blog, but I'd be happy if you included it in your forthcoming post), is that comparing 2010's Generalitat elections with 20N this year, the Tripartit parties have improved their share of the vote considerably. I know the elections are not like for like so I'll need to check out some older data too but basically, CiU lost about 100k votes whereas PSC added about 350k. LIke I say, the elections are for different things... but with the same votes the Tripartit could well have been ruling here again.

Tom, First of all, thank you for commenting and a...

2011-11-28T00:56:25.873+01:00

Tom,

First of all, thank you for commenting and also for helping me with the English language. I will allow myself to change the title as of your proposal.

If a certain part of the Spanish (and, even more so, Catalan)electorate decides to stay home on election day, since they see that their party cannot solve current problems, then I - like most of the press - think it is OK to describe this as a "switch".

The fact that this is what happened (as you rightly point out) - rather than PP winning votes - will be the topic for a coming post.

As for the budget announcement of this week, I am confident that very few of those who voted CiU are among those who now protest about when it was made public. Personally I see it as just another step in a process which we all know is going on. Remember that we had the doctors here on strike just before the elections.

If you are convinced that "CiU's and PP's attacks on public services will not be fondly remembered by the Catalan voters", how do you explain that CiU was the most voted party here, although we - in contrast to most of Spain - already see the consequences of the budget cuts? As we both know, PSC tried to capitalize on that disappointment and, whoops, what happened...? ;)

Cheers,

Erik

Spain as a whole did not switch to the PP at all. ...

2011-11-27T23:29:40.587+01:00

Spain as a whole did not switch to the PP at all. The PSOE lost 4 million votes and the PP gained 400,000. Socialist voters either switched to IU or stayed at home.

In Catalonia, CiU intentionally delayed budget announcements until after the general elections.

If by "financial responsibility" (I guess that means "fiscal responsibility"), you're referring to widespread pay cuts, redundancies and an attempted privatisation of the health system, then you're welcome to it.

CiU and PP's attack on public services will not be fondly remembered by Catalan voters. Nor will it prevent the sharks in the financial markets from continuing to attack.

Mark, Thanks for commenting! Spain is of course ...

2011-11-27T02:12:35.533+01:00

Mark,

Thanks for commenting!

Spain is of course Spain because of its people, so let's remember that it is precisely the people of Spain who have now granted PP an absolute majority.

When it comes to labour rights you will find me firmly on the side of PP. Spain needs to again make it attractive to employ people here legally - today it simply isn't. For me, the highest unemployment rate in Europe is the proof that Zapatero's policies have been a total fiasco.

When its comes to civil rights, on the other hand, I both hope and believe that PP will adapt to modern society. If Spaniards in general would have been firmly against PSOE's reforms regarding sexual and reproductive rights they could have voted against them in 2008. They didn't!

There will come a time when the liberals within PP realize that they are probably as many as those who have conservative morals. The absolute majority will speed up that discovery.

//Erik

An interesting viewpoint. Rajoy may strengthen Spa...

2011-11-26T12:07:33.482+01:00

An interesting viewpoint.
Rajoy may strengthen Spain's economy and profile in Europe, but at what cost to the people. He's already sought reviews on Gay marriage, abortion law and divorce laws. His reforms are likely to mean cuts to basic services and unemployment subsidies and result in fewer labour rights.
Spain is Spain because of its people not because of its economy.

Lee, Thank you for sharing your opinion . //Erik...

2011-11-25T14:14:28.607+01:00

Lee,

Thank you for sharing your opinion .

//Erik

This is the best humor column I've read in a w...

2011-11-25T12:19:21.306+01:00

This is the best humor column I've read in a while.

Bolshoye spasibo. Nu vot kak ty nashel etot blog? ...

2011-11-16T00:45:28.767+01:00

Bolshoye spasibo. Nu vot kak ty nashel etot blog? Ty tozhe zdes zhivesh? :)

//Erik

nice video human towers

2011-11-15T20:50:55.957+01:00

nice video human towers

Thank you Anirac, I had missed that detail, but w...

2011-11-05T13:58:59.173+01:00

Thank you Anirac,

I had missed that detail, but will immediately add it to the text.

Com m'agrada la gent com tu que interactua per millorar!

//Erik

don't forget de "pilar de 6" carrega...

2011-11-04T14:32:00.145+01:00

don't forget de "pilar de 6" carregat of Barcelona!!! :-) !! the first (but not the last I hope!) from 2009! :-)

Florenci, Many thanks to you for leaving a commen...

2011-11-02T00:20:22.376+01:00

Florenci,

Many thanks to you for leaving a comment.

By the way, couldn't you think of signing up for my newsletter "Penedès in English" (find the form here: http://eepurl.com/gn5E9). So far I don't have one single subccriber in Sitges, where - at least theoretically - there ought to be a lot of potential readers...

And by the way: Could you recommend a good agenda on events in Sitges? The one at sitges.cat (just like the one at vilanova.cat) is inconvenient to work with since long term exhibitions get priority... :(

Thanks in advance!

//Erik

Thank you for this article, Wirdheim!

2011-10-31T21:45:17.314+01:00

Thank you for this article, Wirdheim!

Florenci, Why such a short comment this time? Are...

2011-10-26T12:51:05.449+02:00

Florenci,

Why such a short comment this time? Are you OK? ;-)

//Erik

Thank you for your nice info :)

2011-10-25T12:41:41.029+02:00

Thank you for your nice info :)

nice blog guys i am blogwalking from indonesian.. ...

2011-10-18T09:21:43.321+02:00

nice blog guys
i am blogwalking from indonesian.. I hope u to support KOMODO island go to new7wonders..and visit me back (banggawisatalokal.blogspot.com)
thanks

HI Brett, What a nice initiative to maintain at l...

2011-10-14T00:53:42.027+02:00

HI Brett,

What a nice initiative to maintain at least a part of the traditonal textile manufacturing!

//Erik

Hi Erik, Well, this part of the world can do some...

2011-10-12T17:11:59.003+02:00

Hi Erik,

Well, this part of the world can do some things extremely well: castellers, wine and surprisingly a certain item of clothing:

See: http://bretthetherington.blogspot.com/2011/10/lot-of-good-in-olot.html

Hi Brett, Guess that you're quite right abou...

2011-10-12T16:04:03.655+02:00

Hi Brett,

Guess that you're quite right about that! ;) 'Concha y Toro' - isn't that quite an odd name?

By the way, I've just come back from your town where I've spent the whole "morning" building 'castells'...

//Erik