After all the planning, all the details, phone calls, packing, organizing, more phone calls, 37 hours of no sleep, and an hour and a half bus ride, we finally arrived at Cantonigros - our home for the next days.
This off the beaten path destination holds a special place in my heart. It is here where I summered and spent many a weekend during the time when I lived in Barcelona. Since the age of nine, Cantonigros was my playground. This small town, in the shadow of Cabreres, was where my Dad, and my my Aunts were born and raised. This place has a long history in the Oliu family, and now, it has a history with the 16 soccer players from New Jersey. Who would have thought.
My family's history in the this town goes back a ways as illustrated by the date 1848 above the door to our house, Cal Corder. When I first starting coming to Cantonigros, the house was more like a farm house. The first floor was for the animals, the second floor had the living quarters, while the third floor has some additional rooms, and served as the place where meat was cured. It's long since been made a strict residence, but for the longest of times, we always talked of going to house to take in the "natural" smells that a farm had to offer.
There are a lot of little things about this town that make it endearing to many. One of them are are the lessons one can get simply for taking a walk on Carrer Major, or Main Street. One of the first can be found on one of the walls of the church, and can be seen as you enter the town. It reads "Parleu Be." Speak well. Like much of this place, simple, but clear and to the point.
Aside from speaking well, one of the things Catalan people prize are words. In fact, Valentine's Day in Catalonia, or San Jordi, the tradition is that couples each receive a gift from the eachother - for the woman it is a rose, and for the man, it is a book. Much cheaper than a dozen roses....
The other, is common courtesy. Catalan people still believe is saying thank you, good morning, good evening and, if you are about to sit down and enjoy a meal, you are certain to hear "Bon profit".. enjoy your meal. At the church there is another reminder about the importance of language.
"Guardeu la cortesia i la santedat de la llengua"... loosely translated, Keep Courteous Behavior and the Sanctity of Language. If the kind words on the church walls aren't clear enough, nothing like a bit of "fire and brimstone" to stir you a bit. At the other end of town, there is a much harsher reminder, and set in terms that keeps things clear.
"La Blasfemia Us Deshonra"... "Blasphemy Dishonors You"... straight and to the point.
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