Ombudsmand's report about G20 police brutality? DUH! What took so frickin' long anyway? Welcome to Canada. Here's some nice footage to add to the heat.
OH, and the cops who took off their badges and numbers, and got docked a WHOLE DAY'S PAY!
Whooop deeee shiiiaaait.
Sorry boys, this is a democracy, and you ain't in Spain in the 40's, though your bosses might like to send that message.
No name, no shame boys.
They should be canned. If they KNOW they're going to be doing things they want to hide, they shouldn't be on the force, and nor should their bosses, all the way up. And one day's pay? That's just an insult to the people of Toronto. Sorry, but that's how I'm calling it.
Moving along.
Spent the day in Manresa, a city just inland of Montserrat. Sadly, kind of run down, indeed, more like never picked up after the civil war. A baffling number of houses that have never been renovated, and stores that are closed. There must be a LOT of people living there in decidedly substandard housing. One dreads to think.
Also, apparently, no one in the city eats. No one.
The restaurants were closing at one o'clock. We couldn't FIND a place to eat. WEIRDNESS.
We went into one mangy looking place, we were getting desperate, and the guy behind the bar was positively RUDE to me when I had the unmitigated gall to ask for a warm sandwich (which is standard fare). We walked. I was very nearly rude back, but in the end couldn't be bothered.
NEVER in Spain has anyone ever been anything less than utterly charming in a bar or restaurant. Occasionally somewhat distracted, but NEVER rude.
We had a weird, but nice day.
I think ultimately the town is short on cash, there must be something odd going on at the ajuntament so that it is not worth the effort for the owners of buildings to either sell or renovate, and these places were beautiful, some of them, and some are simply on their last legs.
We also went into a forn that can't have changed since the 40s, and I think the woman's white baker's jacket hadn't either. Her hands were dirtier.
NEVER is that seen here. NEVER.
There were also a startlingly large number of men just sort of hannnnngin' around, more than I have seen anywhere else in Catalonia, and a number of people who looked like obvious druggies, then there were the guys smoking really strong weed in the streets.
OH, and packs of nuns.
I'm not going anywhere with those two comments. Nowhere I want to go with that.
An odd day overall.
Cannot say I would recommend a day there to anyone who wasn't utterly passionate about architecture, some of which was lovely, but really? Seemed like a city in decline.
7 comments:
Sounds like a city from Mars. As for scratching the dog's belly...I think it depends on the dog. Some of them seem to get overstimulated by it (note the pounding leg), others will drool the day away. I'm guessing the Chuckmeister is in the latter category.
Hear, hear (re: bad TO police behaviour). We'll see what comes out of the class action suit.
That must be where Pedro Almovadar gets his inspiration! We once drove into the wilds of Suffolk on Mother's day and could not find anywhere that wasn't fully booked and doing big old Sunday lunches. We ended up going to a shop and buying a pork pie and some crisps. You live and learn!
The police here didn't cover themselves with glory when the G20 was in London. One poor guy dead and nobody seems to be culpable for it.
Kim, I think you're right, his Chuckiness would be in the drool the day away category.
Katrina...here's hoping.
Boo, have to say that at least the TO cops didn't kill anyone. Something to be said, something really pathetic, but something.
Sounds like you spent the day in the Twilight Zone. I probably couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough. What a shame.
I'm with you on the day's pay. It's a slap on the wrist.
Twilight zone is a good way of putting it. There is a lovely pedestrian bridge there as well, medieval, one side ends on a highway with no verge at all, the other? at the base of (really) low income housing and a piece-work/ sweat-shop style work place, so as you come down the bridge you look into all these apartment/workplaces. A bridge from nowhere to somewhere worse.
Weird.
Imagine how sad is for a local like me living there, EVERYDAY. Fortunatly I lived in other places but I can't wait to leave again. I guess for a local is not that bad (specially about the druggies that is not like that). Mostly we are boring nice people, honest and no crime at all, but everything about the buildings, comerce, city council, the bridge, and everything it is true. One of the worst towns in Catalonia (was second large in Catalonia before Barcelona in the Medieval Age), so do not lose your time in visit it, it doesn't worth it. I apologize for the rudeness of any locals that you found, but I assure you that is because we are close minded and mostly we say:"English?pfff" Hopefully, new generations are changing this point of view. Hope next time find a nicer town (not difficult :p)
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