Get Thee To Eixample!

Whenever I run out of blip mojo, I need to say the above to myself! The edge of the great eixample/extension to the city of Barcelona lies about 150 metres from our door and from there one can zig zag through it all the way to the centre. It gets really interesting down about Valencia or Mallorca with Enrique Granados and, really, there is no end of blips to be had. I had a short list of six in six minutes flat!

This is a ceiling of the entranceway to an apartment building showing some of the taste of the Catalan bourgeoisie circa 1903! It's better taste than their politicians display today! There has been a political earthquake here as Jordi Pujol, the moralistic 'Father of Catalonia' and President of the region for 23 years until 2003, has confessed this week to hiding over 4 million Euros abroad out of reach of the tax authorities.

He has been hammered in the press and by his co-religionaries (no-one having heard the one about casting the first stone!), and his whole family will soon be in the dock and probably prison for their alleged receipt of enormous back handers and laundering of money. The rumour is that the 4 million is just the tip of the iceberg....and the final balance could run to over 4,000 million all told.

Imagine that Churchhill had been done for tax fraud the day after VE Day and you are approaching the impact being felt here. It also puts the whole independence movement into reverse gear as it seems clearer that the ruling authority is probably nothing more than a mafia running a very self interested 'family' business. The current President is the self proclaimed 'political son' of the dishonoured Pujol...watch his space!

PS
It's interesting to see some of the loyal press like La Vanguardia trying to make a fist of condemnation...if you really want to see where the country's at, take the no-holds barred El Mundo who broke the story, as well as lining up the Royal Family today for the same thing!