Barcelona & Madrid, Spain (HD)

[DSoler9]

The music you use in this video is not Spanish, is south american....you better use flamenco, or any normal music, cause you know in Spain we are not listening to flamenco all the time:)

[illshowyouwhat]

spaniards: rats

[loumcast]

Thanks you for the response, I've been to Barcelona a few times and I love that city and culture, hope they never leave Spain

[loumcast]

Also, you talk about the instruction of Catalan and spanish in schools, I understand that they only teach spanish in schools for just an hour a day. Well I don't know how far can that take someone in a world where there are 500 million spanish speaking people, and only they speak Catalan in Catalonia. When someone in Catalonia does business outside Catalonia they do it in English or Spanish, not Catalonian. That's how important spanish is, this has nothing to do with culture but with reality

[loumcast]

I think that speaking Catalan is Great! But you can't leave everyone else out because they don't speak you language. The last to times I went to Barcelona all the signs were in Catalan, you have a hard time getting around even at the train station. In the U.S. signs at airport, turist hubs and other places are usually in another language besides english and we are in the U.S., Barcelona depends a lot on turists, so not to have those signs in spanish and english is not beneficial to them

[loumcast]

I don't agree with your comments regarding the economical  situation in Catalonia and Spain, I speak spanish and I watch TVE international, I know whats going on in Iberian Penninsula, the blame is not of the central government alone, the housing crisis and the spending from autonomous regions is the problem. Like here in the States people bought more than they could afford and that started the problems, banks got screwed and from there all went down.

[loumcast]

I've been to Barcelona 3 or 4 times, I love it!, but remember a lot of that industry you are talking about happened with the help of the central spanish government, and the argument you make about being impoverish is because of a bad administration in Catalonia, not because of taxes that go to the National treasury. We here have to pay lots of taxes too, and they also go to the Federal Government (Washington D.C.) If they had a vote for independent, probably most people would vote against it.

[loumcast]

Hi Gemmasasha I don't agree with Spain interfering with the Disney decision on picking Paris over Catalonia. I read the article here in the U.S. and Spain gave them lots of concessions, but Disney picked Paris because of the amount of turist that city gets. How many millions of people those Catalonia has? Do you think that a small country like Catalonia will carry any weight against other powerful countries around the world? I don't think so, but with the rest of Spain is a different story.

[gemmasasha]

Sóc catalana i visc a Catalunya i si voleu saber qu està passant amb el fenomen independentista només cal que us passegeu per barcelona i contempleu les banderes amb l´estelada, la que va proposar el nostre estimat president Macià. N´és ple. In Catalan I was saying if you want to appreciate the pro independence fenomena just walk by the streets of Barcelona and watch the pro independence flags hanging from the balconies. The Catalan flag with the star.

[gemmasasha]

Just an example, a sensible person intelligent and hardworking like Pep Guardiola, Barça's foorball club coach is IN FAVOUR of INDEPENDENCE. His best friends are poets and philosophers, also singers who struggled against Franco like Lluís Llach. Denying the right of a nation to ask its population about its destiny is fascism and the world won't approve of that, sorry for those Spaniards against democracy, and I am sure it is not the majority.

[gemmasasha]

The majority of the people if they know about Catalan history will agree we have the right to decide if we want to be independent, first been conquered and all its rights and institutions abolished, culture and language forbidden, rights denied, then suffering 2 fascists dictatorships from Spain Primo de Rivera and Franco, and always been overtaxated abused, even the president of Barça Suñol was executed. Take good care which side you want to support, if fascism or freedom ideals like Gandhi's.

[gemmasasha]

i am a Catalan, like Pau Casals stated in front of the UN, I recommend you his speech available at youtube, I think exactly the same he thought, another famous Catalan in favour of independence, like most brilliant arists have always been, I am a UDC voter and in favour of the same ideals the founder of this party who died executed because of being in favour of a Catalan state, executed by fascists like our President Companys, never a word of apology from Spain.

[loumcast]

Music is not south American, but Cuban!

[loumcast]

Gemmasasha, being Catalonian is something to be proud of, but to call for independence is not very wise, you complain about being overtaxed, well we in the U.S.A are overtaxed too, but you don't hear people calling for independence cause what makes us a great power is in the UNION. Do you see Quebec leaving Canada? No cause in a UNION the can accomplish a lot more than by themselves. Catalonia independent would be a very insignificant country on its own, as part of Spain more powerful.

[EstrellaPolux]

@loumcast thank you loumcast.....please consider that F A R most catalans don´t care about independence........

[gemmasasha]

@loumcast You certainly don't know the economical situation in Catalonia, we are economically supporting Spain and we are the reason Spain hasn't got to be rescued, we have to send most of our taxes to Spain and then don't receive the money to pay our civil servants, right now the eighty per cent of the exports are towards the rest of the world not to Spain, mainly because every time we complain, Spain boycotts our industry. Nothing like this happens in Canada.

[gemmasasha]

@loumcast We voted a law that is the one that rules Catalonia, the estatut and then the Spanish tribunals banned it, they do whatever they want to abolish our linguistic model, btw, Catalan kids are the ones who best speak and write both languages, Catalana and Spanish and with the best results in other subjects. Catalan and Spanish speakers are not separated like in other countries because our model is very successful but Spanish government wants to change it.

[gemmasasha]

@loumcast Catalonia would be one of the richest states in Europe if it were independent, excellent professors from many worldwide universities have stated that,. There is no case like Catalonia in the world. We could be like Denmark but are impoverished if we continue attached to Spain. Something similar to what happened to USA when they decided to be independent and we have at least the same right like Quebec to decide and Spain forbiddens that, the evidence fascism continues in Spain.

[gemmasasha]

@loumcast just an example, Catalonia was going to have the Disneyland resort but Spain preferred France to have it before Catalans getting something so profitable, even if it went against Spanish profit, that's the way they act. The Mediterranean corridor, trains that follow the same route Romans had and would be next to industries in Catalonia and Valencia is also blockaded and they prefer to build up a train in a region where there are no industries but it's next to Madrid.

[gemmasasha]

@loumcast I am sure if USA boycotted a part of itself and impoverished it and used it to get taxes only from there, that part would protest. Anyway, it is not the case because Catalonia was invaded in the XVIIIth century, right when you won your independence, that's the opposite case, we are still struggling and remember how our institutions and our civil right and freedom was abolished. Just watch our port and airport of Barcelona, they cannot be connected or have hubs like Frankfurt. Surreal

[gemmasasha]

you know nothing about Gaudi, who was in favour of independence and was arrested after not wanting to speak in Spanish. Catalan culture is very different from Spanish, we are not against Spanish but we are different. We speak another language, have our own literature since the XIIth century and our traditions human castles, sardanas, bastoners. Architecture, even football is different, just watch how the Spanish team has to use Barça's footballers after abusing them when they play for their team

[gemmasasha]

Btw Gaudi was in favour of independence to, he created Catalan Modernism and was imprisoned because he spoke in Catalan to a Spanish policeman in Catalonia. There are lots of symbols of his ideas in favour of freedom of Catalonia in his buildings. We've always had brilliant people defending our freedom since 1714, While on the other side there have always been absolutist kings and fascist dictators. We have been free for 30 years now and keep struggling for the cause.

[gemmasasha]

And still is there anybody who doesnt' understand why Catalans are in favour of independence? Studies also prove that Catalonia would be one of the richest states in Europe and nowadays together with Spain, will probably have to be rescued by Europe. Catalans are not stupid.

[EstrellaPolux]

@gemmasasha you are an idiot.....i´m sure you are not catalan.....catalans use to love Spain, (their country)

[gemmasasha]

@EstrellaPolux You are quite ignorant of what is going on in Catalonia, people don't like overtaxation, prohibitions and insults and day by day many people join the cause, I've been pro independence since I was seven but nowadays we are many, more than half of the population just walk by the streets of Barcelona and watch all the pro independence flags hanging from the balconies.

[EstrellaPolux]

@gemmasasha most catalans don´t give a shit about independence!!! understand ??? that´s only those ERC fools.........

[gemmasasha]

Most of the people in Catalonia are in favour of independence, so calling Barcelona as being Spain can be offensive for most of us. Apart from that, thanks for the video.

[gemmasasha]

We were independent since the Xth century and were occupied by Spain in 1714 after losing war. Since then we've had 300 years of absolutist Borbonic kings and fascists dictatorships, in 30 years of semi-freedom, a referendum is forbidden to decide over our future, the pro independence feeling has raised again.

[EstrellaPolux]

@gemmasasha this is a UTTER LIE.....most catalans are PROUD spaniards !

[gemmasasha]

Now you will ask, why aren't they independent? Because Spain forbids a referendum unlike UK, Canada or Denmark, they allow Scotland, Quebec and Greenland to have one. But those are real democracies, not like Spanish Franco's heritage.

[gemmasasha]

surveys and studies show that 46 per cent of Catalans would vote in favour of independe, while 23 per cent would vote against.

[EstrellaPolux]

@gemmasasha the truth is that in the inoffical referendum last year only 20 % participated. This shows CLEARLY that catalans don´t really care about indenpendence and such a crap......catalans are normally proud spaniards !!! P.D: The independence party of Catalonia (ERC) get year for year less votes....

[gemmasasha]

@EstrellaPolux that was as you said "unofficial" and despite of that one million people has participated all over Catalonia, there have been many all over the country and ninety per cent of the people who voted were in favour, you are just talking about the one celebrated in Barcelona and that clearly proves you are quite unaware of the movement in favour of independence. BTW, ERC is not the only party in favour of indepnedence, CIU and ICV and SI are also in favour,

[gemmasasha]

@EstrellaPolux what is more, the present day president of Catalonia is in favour of independence and his party is CIU, and also UDC in favour, and the founder of UDC was executed because of being in favour of independence in the thirties, he was a demochristian, because the good thing in Catalonia is that independence movement is transversal, there are liberals, conservative, communists, demochristians, socialists, many people from different political ideas in favour.

[gemmasasha]

@EstrellaPolux where are you living, certainly not in Catalonia like me, most Catalans due to overtaxation, not having even money to pay the salaries of civil servants because more than the half of Catalonia's taxes go to Spain without return, its empoverishment, Spanish insults and boycotts, and a law voted by the majority and banned by the Spanish Constitutional jury, are nowadays in favour of independence,

[qeolion]

Barcelona is my favourite, I'd love to learn Catalan and stay there for long time !!

[danikornella]

@qeolion you don't need to learn Catalan, only with spanish you can live in Barcelona. You'll learn Catalan in your daily life!

[SouthernWhiteMan]

@danikornella

Shut up !all you Iberian monkeys are Moors anyway

[Phoenixriser86]

i would love to go to spain (that's where my ancestors are from) i also have portugueses in my blood

[yukikaze2001]

Gaudi's work is amazing! If you get the chance jump to Figueres (Girona) which has the museum of Dali. Enjoy your trip!

[anchem]

That was soo cool! Thanks for filming our adventure!!!

[HaleyMary]

Beautiful. Where was that big arch at 3:08?

Muchos gracias for sharing your vid.

[jpaint]

Gracias for sharing your vid. Espana is beautiful! This music sounds south american tho...???

[guitaoist]

it tis, cf. music credits lol