Back in Cagalunya

Well, I made it back to Barcelona! I had a good trip. I had a crazy trip. I'm glad to be "home". (It will only be home for about 10 more days.)

It's funny, actually, I think I went through more culture shock in Rome than I have in Barcelona. I suppose it's because I really know nothing about Italian culture. I felt uncomfortable not knowing what to do with myself. I felt so touristy (obviously, I was very touristy) and I didn't care for that part much. When I came back today, I was so pleased to be able to walk into a shop and tell someone what I wanted.

Rome is indeed chaotic. The drivers definitely have different ideas of appropriate amount of space between cars. There are places to get pizza, pasta, and or gelatto everywhere you turn. There are also giant buildings and monuments or ancient ruins everywhere you turn. I managed to come out of the weekend with a few good stories, or at least one really good one that encompasses a few different events. I don't have time to recount anything tonight, but I'm also trying to decide if I want to write about what's happened or just wait to tell people in person. Which do you prefer?

I got back to my apartment around 1 PM today, and then took my sweet time showering and unpacking but eventually I went out and wandered around Barcelona on the rest of my day off. There were some stalls selling antiques near Plaza Catalunya and I found a copy of an intriguing little pamphlet, so I bought it. It contains a 30 stanza poem called Virtudes del Cagar--"The Virtues of Pooping".

Nativity scenes are popular here, and now that it's December, little markets selling nativity scene pieces have popped up everywhere. I have had several people tell me that a traditional Catalan thing you will also find in these markets are little figures that are squatting and pooping and that you buy them to put with your nativity scene. Some of them are political or religious figures, others are just people in traditional dress. I had enough people tell me about them, that I had to believe it wasn't just someone pulling my leg, but I finally saw them when Mark and I went through a Christmas market in front of the Cathedral on Thursday. Honestly, I thought they'd be little figurines sitting on toilets, but they're not. They're little figurines with exposed butts and little piles of poop underneath or coming from them...

An American woman I know who is married to a Catalan man told me that someone finally explained these figurines (called caganers) to her this way: In the nativity scene, there are lots of people, shepherds, wise men, flautists, peddlars, flower sellers (well, at least you can find all of these people for your nativity scene at a Catalan Christmas market...) but maybe none of these people represent you. Well, the caganer represents *everybody* because everybody poops. She also confirmed what I had heard about another Christmas tradition here in Catalunya--a tree that poops gifts. She informed me that there's a Catalan history museum down by the port that actually explains the Catalan people's fascination with poop. I have not yet made it to this museum, unfortunately.

Anyway, I want to get to bed, so I'll just leave you with the last line of the epic Virtudes de Cagar, which I suppose is supposed to be a blessing:

que cagéis por siempre. Amén.
may you poop always. Amen.