1.  September 11th was a very special day for Catalunya, the tri-centenary of 1714,  so the streets were full of people in red or yellow t- shirts as they prepared for the huge demonstration for independence in Barcelona.

2.  We went by train to the small town of Llinars de Valles to watch the Castellers, the human towers, which were breathtaking and scary as tiny tots climbed the human tower to the very top and gave a wave. There will be photos, I promise!

3.  Grandbaby N arrived here with her Mum after a very long series of planes and trains from Senegal and all is well.

15/9/2014
Here is a link to my You tube video of the human tower. Watching the tiny tots scramble to the top was a sweaty-hands experience and I love how they slither back down again.  Just look at how they tuck their toes anywhere to get leverage and watch the faces of the little ones as they reach the bottom!  The chap who goes to join the base at the last minute and walks towards the camera at the end is Tino whose English was brilliant as he explained the whole process to me. Each team took the centre stage in turn and made the tower and  I loved how all the others came together to strengthen the base so that everybody was part of this human endeavour, all in it together. True community.
Click on any photo in the gallery for close ups.

I spoke French and the lovely lady I met spoke Catalonian and we got along really well

Me with the elders in their Catalonian costume

The plaque on the wall in the village square

Support cloth almost done

Winding the support cloths very tightly

The base, the pineapple, is ready and the first layer on

Starting her climb

Toes hooked into a belt to aid the climb

Final scramble

The last of the 8 levels

Tino who was so helpful explaining everything

The plan of who goes where

Climbing

The very quick wave at the top

Fortunately these were not needed

Using the kneeling man as a step up

“Dad, I did it!”

Note the collar in the mouth, just until the next layer are in place

Lined up to go up

Almost at the top

We came first

We came second