The Ladies of Catalonia

The first Lady of Catalonia I want to introduce, though technically a foreigner (a fellow Texan no less!), is the outrageously funny comedian, Rachel Arieff, who performs a one-woman stand-up show, Planeta Catalunya. She made us laugh for an entire hour sharing her observations of the idiosyncrasies of Catalan culture. 

If you're in Spain, I highly recommend her show, and if you're not, here's a Youtube clip.

If I were funny, I would be her.

In her show, she reminded me of something I've been wanting to write about for a while: the real (old) Ladies of Catalonia. I bet a television show about these women would be far more interesting than lives of  New Jersey housewives. Check out this rockin' grandma with her push-cart and shades:

She's probably headed to the market to buy her groceries. If there's one thing Ted fears most in Barcelona, it's being in the way of a Catalan Lady and her produce at the market. These women are feisty, not in the least amused by a confused American, and absolutely unafraid to drive a push-cart directly into your ankles if you're standing in the way of her dinner.

Often you see them in pairs, always arm and arm, slowly strolling around town. It always makes me smile to see those locked-together ladies (though you don't want be stuck behind them if you're trying to get somewhere quickly):

Better yet, a trio:

And this four-banger made my day:  

The truth is, I love these ladies: fearless, united, and unconcerned with the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world. How nice would it be to take an afternoon stroll like this with a pack good friends?  I'm dying to know some of these ladies, so I can figure out where exactly they're going.

In the meantime, my camera is locked and loaded, just in case I spot five-pack.