Otro de los reclamos del Quasimoto en Burriana, es la multitudinaria expresion sesion de longskate y este año también de skate. Remarcar, que tanto la expresion sesion, como la emotiva marcha por Burriana sobre patines, fue todo en honor del fallecido artesano de longskates, Carlos ‘LongRodriguez’. Como veis, la gente se reúne y abarrota en […]
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Stoke’s Guide To New Year’s Resolutions
What do you think about New Year’s resolutions? Are you in the it’s the thought that counts camp, seeing them as harmless attempts at bettering ourselves that can be discarded without feeling too much guilt? Or do you feel like you are nothing without your word and see the resolution as an insoluble pact made with the universe that must be adhered to at all costs lest you be not necessarily mad, but definitely disappointed in yourself…
Stoke Travel runs the dangerous balancing game of being spiritually flaky and all for ditching resolutions at the soonest possible convenience, changing plans, generally flip-flopping through life, but also being a literal company and therefore required to go through with everything that we throw out there.
So we’re going to roll like this. We’ll encourage you to change plans and ditch resolutions willy nilly, while we make unbreakable pinky-promise blood-pacts and stick with them NO. MATTER. WHAT. So, what’s your New Year’s resolution?
Giving up a vice
If it’s like heroin or something, then yeah, by all means give it the fuck up. Put that needle down RIGHT NOW, actually. Don’t wait for the New Year. But if we’re talking about booze, party drugs, even dirty cigs, maybe don’t go for the full cold-roast turkey approach and maybe just make a resolution to make more mature choices when engaging with your vices. Like, don’t quite booze altogether, because yawn, but also maybe don’t put rum in your morning coffee. Don’t ditch porn outright, but probably don’t watch it on the train. Resolve to be moderate, not abstinent, because like the wise guys always say, it’s best to be moderate in everything, including moderation itself.
Shaking some extra kgs/getting fit
Ok, so this one is pretty straight forward. It’s nice and it’s healthy for you to want to look as hot as possible. Literally nothing bad has ever come from young people being obsessed with looks and body image. But check this out, if you’re under 40 you’re super hot to most people. Literally everybody older than you wants to be as fresh and supple as you are and everyone younger than you is envious of your freedom to eat ice cream for dinner if you want to. So weigh up your options. Will shedding the pounds make you feel sexier in the nude? And is this worth giving up everything that makes life pleasurable when clothed? If you eat dinner naked then hats, and pants, off to you.
Getting your life in order
Some of the most interesting people we know are staring down the barrel of middle age and are still unsure of what to do with their lives. This makes us sad, because they work with us and you’d really wish they saw us as a stable, long-term career choice. In any case, wanting to put all of your ducks in a row is a noble endeavour, but that doesn’t really account for the nature of ducks! Have you ever known them to sit still, let alone form an orderly queue? Nope, ducks are erratic, like our lives should be, so instead of trying to get your life in order, why don’t you resolve to embrace the chaos, to let life take you wherever the heck it wants, to loosen your seatbelt and let the crazy roller coaster of existence fling you about the carriage. Why don’t you make a resolution to get your life in disorder? Eat some worms, fly south for the winter. Now there’s a New Year’s resolution we can get behind.
Get yo’self a boyf/girlf/bowf
Now while we’re big advocates of singledom and strings-free one-night stands, we’ve got to admit that up here in the northern hemisphere the prospect of having someone to hug at night and also make sweet humping with whenever you please sounds pretty pleasant to us. Winter time is the perfect time to lock someone down and then proceed to let it all go. Let the hair grow and the belly flow, let the comfort clothing creep in and may your meals be relentlessly hearty. Get yourself something to give you warmth through the cold nights, someone who inspires you to increase the frequency of your bedroom workouts, and then kick them to the curb come summertime, once the springtime sun has touched up your moon tan and the pre-summer partying has eaten away at the cold-weather chub. BUT, making this a New Year’s resolution is insane, and you know why? Have you even seen yourself on New Year’s Day? Coming out of the club looking like Gollum, curled up on the couch vowing to never drink again while up to your elbow in a bag of Doritos. Partying at a dayclub with eyes like deep-space dinner plates and a jaw that’s threatening to fly off and land itself in a new postcode. This is not the time to be out looking for a new lover. Fucken clean yourself up, have a wash, a nap, let the toxins make their way out of your peepee, change your clothes and for heck’s sake scrub those club stamps off your wrists. Then, and only then, do you have any business stepping out and taking yourself a temporary partner.
Making the train home
Finally a New Year’s resolution that we can get behind. New Year, new you making the gollydamn train home! What train? Stoke Travel’s very own recovery train, leaving from Edinburgh and rolling into London town. What are we talking about? Our New Year’s Eve Hogmanay blow out bonanza! The best way to do New Year’s, the most time and cost effective, maximum bang, minimum buck, what a blast, you’re going to love it. Have you booked a ticket yet? You’d best be doing that, because she’s just around the corner.
New resolutions, who dis?
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Un magnífico día de surf, no recuerdo donde…
Recuerdo ese día a la perfección. Es uno de esos días que se alinean los astros´, las olas, el entorno, todo es perfecto.Se quedará en mi retina para siempre. Un spot poco convencional, por su acceso, su camino hasta el pico, incluso la ola era diferente a las que acostumbramos a coger en nuestras playas […]
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Stoke Travel’s Guide To One Night Stands
The one-night stand is an important addition to anybody’s sexing arsenal. What’s life if you can’t seek out no-strings-attached pleasure with gorgeous strangers every now and then? One-night stands are important tools for both getting your rocks off and your confidence up, and if done right and for the right reasons are nothing but positive. Having a one-night stand shouldn’t be looked down upon; you’re not a deviate if you have a fondness for the pash-and-dash, slap-tap-and-gap, bum-and-run, slam-and-jam, screw-and-flew, root-and-boot.
But the one-night stand still gets a bad rap, which is unbelievable given how useful it can be, and due to the taboos surrounding extremely short-term lovers, most of us seem to be unable, or unwilling to seamlessly execute a four-hour fling. Fleeting love is fraught with all sorts of emotional and social dangers, amorous boob-filled boobytraps that the unsuspecting sexy adventurer might stumble into, and so we’ve created this little handbook to handjobs and beyond that you might ferret away in your hot little love pocket, along with the dusty condoms and mobile phone burning up with your top-tier Tinder subscription.
Go With Your Heart
The first thing about successfully pulling off a one-night stand is coming to the conclusion that that’s what you want. Not everybody should want a one-night stand. People in non-open relationships shouldn’t want a one-night stand, and… and that’s about it. Everybody else should be open to the prospect and getting down and dirty for getting down and dirty’s sake. Here’s why: the fact that you’re alive and a one-night stand is even an option is the result of you winning the one-in-400-quadrillion lottery of existence. That’s the chance of your parents even meeting and then the egg that made you getting down with that one special sperm. A 1-in-400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 chance. Life is a gift, and it’s sole purpose apart from procreation is the pursuit of pleasure. Secondly, given that life is such a precious gift to be filled with pleasure, it’s also insanely short, and what’s even shorter is your time as a sexually active single person. Say you’re alive for 80 years and willingly single for a few years in your 20s, that doesn’t give you much time to be picky about the terms of getting your rocks off. Life’s short and we’re exceptionally fortunate to be a part of it. Enjoy yourself while you can, have a one-night stand.
Lower Your Standards
OK so we can all agree that we want one-night stands, the next thing you’ve got to do is find somebody to do it with. A one-night stand alone doesn’t count and should just be called a Tuesday. The problem with finding impermanent playmates is that we’re sooooo caught up in our own expectations about what an ideal, or even acceptable, partner should be that we skim over and skip past so many potentially pleasurable pound-pals in our quest to find someone who may, or may not, exist. Stop that! Sure, you can have standards for who you marry, but a one-night stand is about pleasure and confidence building. Doesn’t matter if the person you are chatting up is successful, rich, or whatever. Are you attracted to them? Do they have any physical features that fire up your loins? But, most importantly, do you feel comfortable around them? Fuck yeah? Then maybe you should get it on.
Lose The Inhibitions
Unfortunately, on our waltz through this moral minefield called life we inadvertently pick up all kinds of pointless hangups about things that don’t really matter. This can result in us becoming prudes for no reason at all, carrying around all these antiquated and restrictive rules that didn’t actually come from us and don’t do anything to make us any happier. It’s time to shake them. Get rid of them. Dump them like last season’s Louboutins, which means put them in the cupboard and take them out from time to time to see if they suit you again. There’s nothing wrong, by any objective measure, of having a one-night stand. Anybody, any creed, any ancient text, any belief system, anything that tells you otherwise is wrong. If there is a higher power upstairs they are not going to punish you for practicing the procreation you were put on this planet for. I’d like to imagine a god that’d slap you some high fives for having a good time with this fleeting and otherwise fruitless thing called life. People have been having one-night stands since people became a thing, having moral objections to strings-free sex has been around for but a blip in our existence. Get rid of your inhibitions, by any means possible, be that with introspective soul searching, or tequila shots.
Know What You Want
So you’ve lowered your standards and cleared the moral barriers enough to find an object of your fleeting affections. Now ‘s the time for you to pounce on the situation. We’re not here to tell you how to charm and flirt, because we’re hopeless at it ourselves, but we’ve heard that being funny, respectful and attentive can further your quest to get underneath a stranger’s quilt. Being pushy, creepy or presumptuous won’t help you at all, so if that’s how you flirt perhaps try another tactic, you fucking pest. And knowing what you want continues once you’ve secured a love for the night. This is all about enjoying yourself and throwing all caution to the wind. Want them to call you daddy? Smack that? Pee on you? All you have to do is ask, because chances are you’ll never see them again.
Enjoy Your Walk Of Triumph
The real walk of shame is at 4am, alone. Walking away from a one-night stand is a triumph, not a shame. Did you enjoy yourself? Triumph! Did you at least learn something? Less satisfying triumph. Carry your shoes in your hand and leave your shirt untucked. Breathe your tequila breath in the shopkeeper’s face while you buy a Gatorade and give them a cheeky wink when you pay. Bounce down the street with a spring in your step, enjoy the feel of the sun on your face and spark up conversations with strangers. Feel that euphoria? That’s what comes with being a corporeal conqueror, a baron of banging, the mistress of mischief and the proud owner of another notch in the bang belt. One-night stands give you confidence as well as pleasure. A few hours of sitting on somebody’s face can do more for you than a few months with a therapist. You’re the goddamn king and/or queen and/or gender-non-specific regent of the world, and as such you’ve earned your swagger. Now go and brag about your night, or keep your sordid secrets all to yourself. Congratulations, you filthy little screwer, you.
Do It All Hogmanay Style
Is there a better time and place to have a one-night stand than in Edinburgh for their Hogmanay New Year’s Eve party? And we don’t necessarily mean a sexy one-nighter, but Stoke is taking a one-night stand approach to the party. We’ll go up during the day, party all night and leave the following morning without so much as exchanging numbers with Edinburgh. We want to cut through all the bullshit around NYE up there and just get the maximum bang for our buck. 24 hours of kilt-liftin’, scotch swillin’, Scots smoochin’, auld lang synin’ good times. You want to join us on our private train (yeah, a whole train)? Then you’d bets to gets bookin’, and for more unwanted Stoke Travel sex advice take a look at our guide to how you get your rocks off can determine your next holiday.
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What Your Favourite Sex Style Says About Your Next Stoke Trip
Chance are, if you’ve been on a Stoke Travel trip you’ve done sex before. Maybe not on the trip, although our camps are legendary for inspiring and facilitating all kinds of awkward, cramped tent sex, but you’ve for sure made it with someone, somewhere. We’re basing this assumption on: a) the lack of gamers on Stoke Travel trips (lol, jokes, we have plenty of gamers) and b) an almost absolute absence of the Catholic clergy. If you haven’t had sexual relations yet in your life, never fear! There’s plenty of time for that (like now!).
So assuming that you’ve had sex before you probably have a favourite way to do it. Well, just like star signs can tell us profound things about your personality and future fortunes, sexing style can tell us what’s in your future. This is science, sexy science, and you’d be a bad person if you tried to go against the fucking flow of fucking things.
Missionary Style
Intimate. Unadventurous. Energy saving. Missionary position is the entry-level and most reliable approach to banging uglies with someone you don’t find ugly. There’s mucho skin and eye contact, which is nice if you’re humping somebody you totally like and perhaps a little creepy if you’re at a swingers party. We’re not only talking about standard missionary position here, but also its more risqué variations, like the pancake, where your partner will have his* or her ankles around their ears, or the Barcelona Back Breaker, which needs so much further explanation that we won’t do here.
Next holiday: the San Sebastian Surf Camp! It was Stoke’s first European trip, and the one we’ve done the most often. It also involves lots of embracing and laying on things.
*Fun fact! Men can be the bottom of missionary too! Just make sure the huevos don’t dangle in the way. Gay and bi men and ladies with strap-ons can enjoy the sensation of laying on a sex surfboard too!
Reverse Cowperson
Anything sexual with “cow” in it conjures up images of riding wild and dirty, hat held high over head, whooping and hollering as you get bovine buck-wild and ride that D like a mechanical bull. But reverse cowperson, now that is something special, because you’re taking that untamed wild-west spirit and reversing it, so while the west was wild first and then tamed, you’re going to start of civilised and end up fucking savage.
Next holiday: the Running of the Bulls, but not for the bull run, that is so done now, but for the kickass street party and campsite poolparty music festival bonanza we do. Not only is it a reversing of the trend, it will start slowly and end in awesome mayhem. Yeehah, cowperson.
Grouplove
We’re talking three or more here, the more the merrier, in these good, healthy, old fashioned gang bangs. Actually, the more old fashioned the better, so keep your socks on! Alright! Grouplove doesn’t have to mean everybody’s actually doing it, either, sometimes Grouplove can mean being forced to listen to a newly-formed couple in a dorm room, or just a whole bunch of people showering together and rubbing soap on each other’s buttholes.
Next holiday: La Tomatina, where you will get squished up against innumerable strangers and get all gross and covered in gunk and sweaty too. Ps this is not an invitation for you to go into Tomatina and get all gropey (looking at you fellas), just saying that being jammed in a small space with a bunch of moist strangers is kind of like a pants-on orgy. Please, always leave your pants on in La Tomatina.
Doggy Style
Coming in from behind like our friends in the animal kingdom is a great way to make sex if you or your partner has a big belly. If the person below has a big belly it’ll just kind of swing there unnoticed, and if the person above has a big belly they can just sit it up there on the sexy shelf like a pie cooling on the windowsill.
Next holiday: Oktoberfest or Springfest! The place where more bellies get together this side of Walmart, but not to be judged, but admired and praised. Hide your gut under your lederhosen and let prospective partners rub it for good luck.
Au Naturale
Getting freaky in the great outdoors with the wind in your pubic hair and the sun on your backside is one way to get closer to the universe. Hey there, little ant family, look at me going for it with my sex partner over here. Having sex outdoors is special, it’s adventurous, because strangers lurk outside, and you have to deal with weather and climate unlike indoors. When you have sex outdoors impress your partner by imitating wild animal noises. Howl at the moon, growl like a bear, or spit water around like a whale.
Next holiday: Ibiza Beach Camp! The sun is always shining, there are plenty of beautiful nature spots around, the beautiful people will appreciate your thrusting and also it’s super hot during the day so a bit of island breeze encouraging your humping might just be what the doctor ordered.
A Quickie
Just a swift and satisfying in-and-out to get maximum pleasure out of a little bit of time. Quickies are sometimes our unintentional most frequent sex style, but there’s a good argument for quickies over foreveries. Quickies are how you can get it on when you’ve got other things going on, just get in there, rummage around for a bit, and then go back to whatever you were doing. For the modern fast-paced lover quickies are an integral addition to any rogering arsenal.
Next holiday: Hogmanay! Not only is our Scottish New Year’s trip a quick up and back (we do the party in 24 hours, nailing the best stuff, and skipping the boring bits), it also features lots of guys wearing short skirts with nothing underneath, which are perfect for quickly getting it done quickie-style.
Was that informative? Do you have a favourite style for getting down and dirty that we left out? Let’s us know what it is! Happy rooting!
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RA maestros europeos del surf clásico. Vídeo
Hace unos días os presentábamos a Ricardo Almeida uno de los mejores loggers Portugueses, hoy nos viene con otro video guapo, exquisitamente grabado y editado por Miguel Mares de Dragonfly photography buen surf Luso para comenzar el día.
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Halloween, surf en California. Vídeos.
Estamos ante la noche mas fiestera y terrorífica del año, HALLOWEEN, los niños y no tan niños invaden las calles de nuestras ciudades con sus terroríficos disfraces. En USA los inventores de este tinglado, lo celebran también surfeando, un ejemplo estos videos donde la gente se lo pasa “monstruosamente” bien en las olas de la costa de California.
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Catalan Independence: What We Know And What We Don’t Know
We know that a lot of people turn to Stoke Travel for guidance in times of political uncertainty. The current crisis playing out in Catalunya is one that is particularly close to home, because Barcelona is literally our home. As such, despite being unable to vote and have our opinions count officially, we do find ourselves following the independence situation, out of personal curiosity and to keep our friends abroad informed. This is by no means all you need to know about Catalan independence, but it’s our take on it. More like a beginner’s course into a very complex situation.
Has Catalunya ever been an independent nation?
Not really. From prehistory to Roman times and the Muslim occupation, the region we now know as Catalunya had an experience in line with the rest of what we now know as Spain, with Catalunya having a little more French influence due to its location as a buffer from Muslim invasion. Around the 1100s Catalunya became a County of the Kingdom of Aragon and Catalan influence expanded into Valencia and the Balearic Islands. In 1469, when Spain was unified by the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, Catalunya was along for the ride, and was left more or less to its own devices. Following the Spanish War of Succession (1702-1714), when two European monarchs fought over the right to rule Spain, Catalunya ceased to be a County of Aragon and was made a province of the Crown of Castile by Philip V of the House of Bourbon, due to the Catalans’ support for the Habsburg Archduke Charles, now known as the losing side in the war. From then until the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) there were various Catalan calls for independence, none successful, followed by brief peace and satisfaction under the republic before Catalans fought alongside Republican forces from the rest of Spain against the forces of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. After their defeat, the Catalans suffered repression under Franco’s dictatorship and following his death voted enthusiastically to adopt the terms of the 1978 Spanish constitution.
Now that’s a very abridged version of Spanish and Catalan history, but the basic idea is that for the entirety of its existence Catalan history has been attached to that of Spain. There is little to no historical justification for an independent Catalunya based on it once being an independent nation. Doesn’t mean it’s impossible, just that it’s without precedent.
Has Catalunya ever been autonomous?
Oh yeah, that’s kind of like the default setting here. From being a County of Aragon, up until the Spanish War of Succession, Catalan language and laws were given the freedom to flourish and spread, which is why in the Balearic Islands and Valencia they still speak Catalan dialects today. Catalan institutions were abolished following their support for the losing side in the Spanish War of Succession, including the parliament, and the Catalan language was outlawed in official business, and in schools. Under the Second Spanish Republic Catalan institutions were reinstated and autonomy was regained until the rule of Franco. Franco sought to punish the Catalans for their resistance during the Spanish Civil War, and there was widespread repression of all things Catalan, but this was overturned following his death and the 1978 constitution. Since then Catalunya has been autonomous to the degree of having control over its own police force and public broadcaster, and departments of education, healthcare, culture, and justice, among others. The Catalan language is taught in schools and is used almost exclusively in communications between the regional government and the people.
In 2005 a new draft was created to the statute of Catalan autonomy. In it greater fiscal control was afforded the region, as well as recognition of Catalunya as a nation. In 2010 the, then in opposition, Partido Popular made a challenge to the amendments and had much of it ruled unconstitutional, or changed the interpretation. It was this act by PP, who are the current government of Spain, that set off this latest round of Catalan independence.
Have Catalans always wanted independence?
Support for this current independence movement has risen in the last decade or so from a low of around 15% to where we are today, with anywhere from 40% to more than 50% of the Catalan population desiring independence. This rise has been ascribed to the effects of the Global Financial Crisis on Spain, and the feeling that Catalans were bailing out less prosperous regions of Spain, and the aforementioned reversal of the amended Autonomy statute. Real numbers are difficult to ascertain, the most recent comprehensive poll by the Catalan government put independence at 41% against 49% desiring to remain, and the 2015 Catalan elections that were seen as a litmus test for the movement failed to gift separatist parties a clear majority. The October 1st referendum saw 90% of voters opt for secession from Spain, but with 42% voter turnout. What is clear is that supporters of independence rise during times of economic and political turmoil in Catalunya.
Who’s to blame for the current situation?
While it’s obviously the fault of both sides, we’re going to go right out on a limb here and blame the conservative Partido Popular government, and the Spanish president Mariano Rajoy, for this rise in Catalan separatism. Their almost autocratic application of Spain-centric policy have driven the Catalans away from the rest of the country, from their successful 2010 overturning of the autonomy revisions, to barefaced refusal to engage and have dialogue with the separatists, it has been PP policy that has fostered this rise in Catalan separatism. And while their repeated claims that they have been given no other options when faced with a Catalan government that openly breaks constitutional laws and only seeks dialogue that will end in independence, as the more powerful party in the relationship they’ve had ample opportunity to put aside their rigidity for a moment and allow the Catalans come concessions, and in doing so deescalate the crisis.
Where are we at now?
The Catalan minority government insisted pressed on with their vow to create an independent republic and have repeatedly called for a referendum, which the government has equally repeatedly said is against the constitution and therefore illegal. Ignoring claims of the vote’s illegality, the referendum went ahead on October 1st, and despite police violence that was seen around the world, and amid claims of voter fraud, 43% of eligible Catalans cast their ballot for independence, of which 90% voted for yes. The referendum organisers saw this as a clear mandate for the formation of a Catalan republic, despite only around 2,000,000 of Catalunya’s 5,300,000 voters opting for independence. The reason for the low turnout was that, given the vote’s illegality in the eyes of the Spanish state, the vast majority of remain voters boycotted the referendum, while separatists claim that the police action prevented people from voting.
Citing the results, the Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, declared independence on the 10th of October, and then immediately suspended it to allow for dialogue. The Spanish government gave him until the 16th of October to simply state whether independence had been declared or not, which Puigdemont failed to respond to. Following that the Spanish government stated its intention to trigger Article 155 of the constitution, which would give Madrid control over Catalunya’s autonomy due to its “undermining of national interests.” With 155 looming, the Catalan parliament hastily voted in a declaration of independence, doing so mere hours before the Spanish government were due to vote for the application of 155.
There were jubilant scenes in Barcelona for a few hours before it was announced that the Spanish government had sacked the Catalan parliament and many public servants, taken control of the regional police force, and called for Catalan elections on December 21st that should serve as a de facto referendum on independence, but this time with participation from those who wish to remain in Spain. If, however, a majority of Catalans vote for pro-independence parties the Spanish government will be forced to address the issue, meaning a probable change to the constitution followed by a binding referendum. The call for elections so quickly indicates that the Mariano Rajoy government in Madrid doesn’t want their suspension of Catalan autonomy to appear like a return to Francoist oppression in the region, and desire a swift solution to what has already been a prolonged political crisis. Up to 20 pro-independence politicians have also been charged with rebellion, a charge that is punishable for up to 30 years in jail, and at the time of writing now-former-president Puigdemont is apparently in Belgium seeking asylum from the Flemish separatists who are coalition partners there.
What happens next?
Catalans go back to the polls, and given the wavering nature of separatist sentiment in Catalunya, what both sides of the debate do over the coming weeks will have a profound impact on the outcome of the election. The imagery of police beating voters was a massive PR coup for the separatists, and likely turned many undecided Catalans into independentists. The Spanish government would be wise to exercise restraint and gently control Catalunya during this period of suspended autonomy, to not use all the powers available to them. Similarly, the unilateral declaration of Catalan independence was seen as an unnecessary provocation by many moderate separatists. If independence parties lose the election, the fervour that has propelled the movement so far will somewhat subside. If the people show that support for independence has gone up, however, then that outcome will have to be seriously considered by all sides of politics, and political actors in Spain and abroad.
Do we even know how an independent Catalunya would be received by the world?
One of the strangest things about this recent push for Catalan independence is that it came without any clear indication of what post-Spain Catalunya would look like, from finances to defence, to recognition by other countries, relationship with Spain and membership in the European Union. Separatists were so happy to discard their ties with Spain, even while European diplomats and governments around the world said that they would not recognise a Catalan republic. If a majority of Catalans do desire an independent republic they need assurances as to how such a republic would operate in the world, and, ideally, retain EU membership. This is a massive change to Catalunya, Spain and Europe and the repercussions will be felt for a while afterwards, not least of which in regions that have similar separatist aspirations, like the Basque Country in Spain, and across Europe, from the Scots, to the Bavarians and down to Corsica.
Is being a part of Spain ain’t so bad?
It really isn’t. Under the current terms Catalunya enjoys more autonomy than almost any other European region and is consequently one of the most prosperous. Far from the dark days of fascism, Catalans are free and able to exercise their culture and language as they please. Talk of a fiscal deficit coming out of Catalunya to pay for poorer regions has been overblown by separatists, but nevertheless that is how nations work — richer regions prop up their poorer partners. Many Catalans complain about being left out of Spain, of being disliked in other parts of the country, and this has become increasingly true during this constitutional crisis. Moving forward, the Madrid government will have to work hard at changing the perception of catalans in Spain, for citizens both within and outside the region if they are to put a limit on separatist sentiment in the future.
Can Catalunya be an independent state WITHIN the European Union?
If the Catalans really do want out, there is a fairly good case for smaller nation states, to prosper if they have defence and trade matters taken care of by, say, someone like the EU. Smaller states can better take care of their citizens needs than big, distant central governments and the people rightfully feel more engaged with decision making. Currently, the European Union isn’t quite ready for this kind of political arrangement, but with talk of a European Defence Force perhaps this isn’t too far off.
But for now we’re dealing with massive division in Catalunya and Spain.
People’s families are being literally ripped in half, there are protests and counter protests every other day, half the populace is angry at the Policia Nacional for their heavy-handed actions during the October 1st elections and the other half feels like the Catalan Mossos force let them down by not acting on that very same day. Following the uncertainty in Catalunya, more than 1800 companies have changed their registered business addresses (not Stoke Travel) and the tourism sector is reporting a 15% drop in bookings on this time last year.
And above all, we hope that everyone can just get along.
We love Barcelona! And while the city is humming along like always on the surface, it’s difficult to not think about the ideological rifts tearing the city apart. It’s a real shame to see politicians on both sides act irresponsibly and allow, or even encourage, events to get like this. At a time when dialogue is the only solution we see people entrenching themselves in their positions, unwilling to listen to alternative opinions and bolstering their prejudices with selective readings of history. The Catalan crisis will only be mended by listening to more voices, not less, and that’s why we were happy to throw our interpretation into the fray. We don’t have an entrenched view either way, although we definitely dislike borders and don’t see the point in making more unless you really have to. Every day the situation here is evolving, and the 1st of October notwithstanding, it has been relatively violence free. Barcelona and Catalunya are still very safe places to visit, and if you have any plans coming here in the future we strongly recommend that you stick with them. The city is still beautiful, the food delicious, and you might just see some history unfold.
Visca Catalunya! Viva España! And long live Stoke Travel.
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Vídeo oficial ROCKANDLONG festival. Filmaker AMBAR FILMS
Hoy estamos contentos de presentaros el video oficial del Rock&long festival editado y filmado por los chicos de AMBAR FILMS un buen resúmen de lo que ocurrió en la Playa de Montalvo, mucho surfing y un ambiente de camaradería, que se repite año tras año.
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Halloween Traditions In Spain
Alright Stokies, if you’re fortunate enough to be in Barçelona for this year’s Halloween festivities, you’ve probably got a few questions: where should I go? What should I do? Well read on friends…we’ve got all the details on secret party spots, bomb cuisine, and local Spanish traditions to make your Halloween wickedly unforgettable.
Beyond the typical Halloween rites of passage that can be enjoyed here in Barça (read: seductively suggestive costumes and insane jungle juiced parties) there are many cultural events happening locally that will be sure to uniquely enrich your Halloween experience beyond just partying (although there will be a shitload of that too.)
In Spain, Halloween is actually a three day long celebration (yes there is actually a guaranteed day off to work through the hangover). The festivities kick off with El Día de las Brujas, or the Day of the Witches, on October 31st. This day is associated with all things spooky and supernatural, like lost souls, haunted history, black magic, and of course witches!
On Halloween night you will find people all over Barçelona in “fancy dress” or costumes (see our guide about where to get yours!) bar hopping along Carrer de Joaquín Costa in the Raval, raging at a themed party in one of the city’s premier night clubs like Razzmatazz or Opium, or just meandering about the streets with one euro cans of beer in half-assed costumed hands, taking it all in.
This is the night to enjoy traditional Halloween debauchery, particularly in Barçelona’s haunted Gothic Quarter, where Stoke invites you to join us for our sangria and beer fueled Halloween Ghost Hunt! It is guaranteed to be a wild and unparalleled experience that will have you questioning why clubbing like a basic bitch ever sounded like a good idea in the first place.
The celebration continues on November 1st with Día de Todos Los Santos, or All Saint’s Day. This is a traditional holiday observed throughout Spain as an opportunity to honor the deceased. People gather in cemeteries with friends and family to light candles and place tokens of affection such as ornate flowers wreaths on the graves of loved ones. (Don’t worry, this doesn’t start until after dark so you have plenty of time to sleep in.)
We recommend visiting one of Barçelona’s cemeteries, like Poblenou, Les Corts, or Montjuïc, all of which have extended hours. Many of the cemeteries will have special tours, classic music concerts, and memorial masses you can take in. Or you can you can just post up with the squad and join in party that will be happening all around you as the Spanish locals are known to revel in this macabre day with some serious livelihood.
You can also take a break from all that life and death by enjoying the Catalan autumn tradition of La Castanyada, or “chestnut time.” Vendors around the city will offer warm snacks like castanyes (roasted chestnuts), moniatos (sweet potatoes), panellets (cakes), and muscatel (sweet wine.)
For a more immersive local experience rooted in mythic tradition, you can take a two hour bus ride north to the Catalonian village of Sant Feliu Sassera where there is a two day themed festival to commemorate 23 women who were suspected of witchcraft and sentenced to death there during the Spanish Inquisition. The festival is called Feria de las Brujas in Spanish or Fira de las Bruixes in Catalan. It features everything from a creepy parade through the quaint village to special cuisine offerings and performance art pieces.
And if you’re still in the party spirit (which we certainly hope so,) the festivities culminate on November 2nd with Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The Spanish honor this traditional Mexican holiday with Ruta de Altares, or Route of the Altars. This relatively new tradition in Barçelona consists of specially designed altars set up in about 20 different shops, restaurants, bars, and galleries all across the city, each featuring a different theme and dedication. Check out rutadealtsres.org for maps and info.
Also keep your eyes peeled for Pan de Muerto, or literally bread of death (it won’t kill you though, promise!) This tasty treat is a special type of white brioche bread seasoned with sugar, orange, and sesame. It can only be found publically one day a year so be sure to get your fix while you can!
We hope you indulge like a local this Halloween in Barça (or at least survive…meaning pace yourself because it’s going to be a wild one.)
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