Comte Arnau

  1. My Invisible Country

    It's a fact, I live in an invisible country. Up until now, I thought it was just invisible to the eyes of foreigners. Whenever I travel abroad, I can't say I am from Catalonia, because it doesn't exist. All I can say is I am from Barcelona, a city I'm not from, and then something lights up in the minds of people, as Barcelona rings a bell either as a Spanish/Mexican city or -to the best informed- as a European city vaguely located somewhere in the South by the Mediterranean Sea, cradle of a well-known ...
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  2. Water Women

    If you ever happen to be walking at night across the wild forests of the Pyrenees, under a full moon or a starry sky, and you hear femenine laughters coming from nearby lakes or rivers, do not dare go there. Or attend the party, at your own risk.

    In the Catalan myths, the Dones d'Aigua ('Water Women'), also called aloges, are women of oneiric beauty, who live in places where there is fresh water: lakes, streams, waterfalls, forest springs and humid caves. While their hair can be straight
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    Updated 10-11-2009 at 10:50 PM by Comte Arnau

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  3. Strength, Balance, Courage and Wisdom

    Among the traditions of the Catalans, one of the most well-known is the castells or castles, usually translated into English as human towers. It is also a highly symbolic tradition, although to the eye of a tourist or a passer-by, this may just look like a spectacular but crazy thing with children doing the risky part. However, the risks of it are much fewer than it first seems, and the fun, sense of collectivity, mix of decision, courage, accuracy, and balance exceed by far every other feeling. ...