Wirdheim in Vilanova

It has been a while since I wrote anything here last time. But you will love the reason why - I have simply been very busy with my integration here.

First and foremost I made an unusual experience the weekend before last, in Palma de Mallorca. Since my company sells condoms with enduser instructions in Catalan, I was invited to participate in Fira Nostra – a little trade fair for products labeled in this language. True, some of the visitors preferred to call it Mallorquí, but that does not mean that they consider it a separate language from Catalan. More than once did I hear the comment “How great to meet a Mallorquí-speaking Swede!"

Some differences do exist, however, and it turned out that my campaign slogan "Trempa amb seny" was one of those. What in Catalonia means "Full Salute With Sense" is "Pour the Dressing with Sense" in Balearic. But that did not cause any problems. The Catalan-speaking population of the islands apparently like to watch TV3 from where they pick up the mainland dialect of the language. How fortunate for me!



Last weekend we stayed closer to home and I returned to my castellers team. The hosts of that performance, Minyons de Terrassa, is one of the best teams in Catalonia, and did as usual build human towers of nine levels. We, the guests, certainly cannot match that, but the team Margeners de Guissona at least managed to build almost everything they had in mind. Our team, Bordegassos de Vilanova, we not that successful. Our goal was to erect the most advanced constructions of seven levels, but we had to make do with the simplest ones.



Last Sunday, finally, we celebrated Tots Sants (All Saints), in fact more like Americans than Catalans. Shame on us - I know that that is what you think. But I will blame it on the kids. They were totally excited dressing up as vampires and partying in clubhouse of the Bordegassos, this day decorated as a Halloween “house of horror”. But you are right, we should have honoured the local traditions and limited ourselves to a Catalan castanyada. It hurts to have to admit it but se did not bake any panellets and our chestnuts can still be found on the kitchen table – waiting to be grilled.