In Catalunya, April 23 is Sant Jordi, the Catalan equivalent of Valentine's Day. The (slightly sexist) tradition is that women buy books for the men in their lives and men buy flowers for the women. Already, the vendors are set up all up and down the streets selling flowers and libros. I'd really prefer a book since they tend not to die the next day, but one of my students gave me a rose this morning and I have to admit it's pretty to look at. Besides, now I can go out this afternoon and buy a book for myself. Pictures to come...
*Update!*
This is Plaza Sant Jaume. I didn't get many pictures of the stands where they were selling books because, well, pictures of books just really aren't that interesting. But here's un ejemplo:
All the stands were decorated with the Catalan flag (the yellow and red banner).
This debatably crazy man was standing in the middle of the plaza screaming "bon dia" (the Catalan equivalent of buenos dias) at everyone who walked by. The sign says "Here Catalan has no future." He's the same one from the "I need a thousand hugs" picture a while back. I think that sign would have been more appropriate for the occasion.
Rainbow-colored roses!
Sometimes I read giant books.
By the end of the day, I made out nicely thanks to Patrick and a few students who obviously were thinking ahead to when I'll give them their grades at the end of the month. Plus, I bought myself a book in Spanish, which I'll be reading on the beach with a bilingual dictionary at my side. A few people described it to me as the best day in Barcelona. I don't know about that since I haven't been here for a whole year yet, but I can at least say that the Catalans know how to pick a good day for a holiday - a sunny day at the end of April beats February 14th any day.
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