How one man and his guitar saved a city...
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2007
1
23
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Trip End
Sep 03, 2007
Barcelona, Spain
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Well! Arenīt Barcelona and Madrid different from the quiet life in Mallorca? I must say...I have not seen so many Germans in one country ever before...not even in Germany!
There were so many tourists here and it was beggining to do my head in. But I ended up having one really nice experience in Barcelona and it made my visit so worth it.
BARCELONA, ESPANYA
I arrived in Barcelona and made my way (with my bag in tow---now dubbed the "elephant") into the centre via bus. The buildings here are enormous and there are some pretty spectacular plazas with some very grand looking monuments. My hostel (recommended to me by both Jon and Kath) was fantastically located, right in the centre of all the hustle and bustle of town
BARCELONA - alley-way buildings at dusk
! Unfortunately it was at the very top of a tall building that didnt have an elevator...so climbing up with the elephant was a bit of a task, but I made it (NB...just to give you an idea---I canīt lift this bag to put it onto my back. I have to get someone to help me OR shift it to a bed or chair so I can sit down in order to put it on---itīs ridiculous). My room was a closet (1 x 2 meters big, fitting a bed and me in it) but I LOVED it! It had a view of the nearby cathedral and I could hear the bells every hour...so perfect :) I travelled the next day to see the Temple de la Sangrada Familia, designed by Spainīs most beloved artist/architect, Gaudi. It is the most beautiful temple I have seen in my life, and probably now my most favorite cathedral in the world (alongside the Womenīs Cathedral in Dresden; Sweetheart Abbey in Scotland; and Cuenca Cathedral in Ecuador). Building began on the cathedral in 1882 and has still yet to be finished (and they are a long way from finishing too). There are 8 towers that point sharply into the sky, each representing a member of the holy family and a few other individuals. There are 4 more towers left to be built. The cathedral is made out of more than 15 different types of stone and all shapes that constitute the building are inspired by natural forms (e.g. shells; flowers petals, animals). The pillars of the cathedral are shaped to represent tree trunks that hold up the roof of the building, which is mosaic tiled and looks like the canopy of a forest. There are natural glass and stained glass windows which together illuminate the stone walls and leave some corners darkened---the mixture of coloured light and shaded spots gives the entire building a sacred and comforting, but also mysterious and god-fearing feel (dont know if that makes sense...but thatīs what I was vibing from it)!
BARCELONA - street scene
Outside there are sculpted figures of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and various saints. The style in which they are sculpted range from classical to abstract...a feast for the eyes---there are just so many things to look at! The main figure above the main entrance is a naked depiction of Jesus on his cross, which apparently was quite controversial at the time of its unveiling (I heard that off a tour group which I wasnt a part of...such a good but sneaky way of broadening your education!).
I am absolutely surprised that the (sometimes very uppity) catholic church allowed for Gaudi to go ahead with his designs. His architectural and artistic ideas must have been so difficult to readily grasp in the 1880s...they are all so different to any catholic buildings Iīve ever seen!! Except for that wack church/ossuary made of human bones in Hungary (they even have bone chandeliers and cherubs...yuck)!
The only drawback to visiting the amazing cathedral was the hoard of tourists that I had to go through with...all pushing and talking really loudly. It made me realise that I like "travelling" so much more than "tourism" :) (she says hoping to not sound like an absolute snob).
I next visited another container of Gaudiīs work, Park Guell, an enourmous park originally designed for rich aristocrats to stroll through during the summer---now open to anyone and their grandmamaīs dog :) It holds a number of buildings designed by the man...they are all colourful and mosaiced...and they all twist and bend almost as if they were made from rubber or soft clay
BARCELONA - the tiniest but best room in barcelona
. Like the cathedral, it made for some excellent photos.On my last night in Barcelona I managed to get tickets to a concert held in the cathedral whose tower I could see from my room, and whose bells I heard every hour during the night. I bought the tickets hoping that Manuel Gonzalez ("Spainīs most acclaimed classical guitarist"---who I had never heard of) would make me like Barcelona a bit more than I did. Before I came, I expected so much from the cities of Spain, but my experience was slightly clouded from seeing all of those ridiculous tourists who loved to take photos but not really look at what they were shooting (they made me so angry).
I got all prettied up in a frock and set out for the cathedral, quietly sitting in a pew halfway from the front. The cathedral was quiet...the lighting was dim and came mostly from the colourful candles strewn about the outer edge of the room...and then Manuel got up on stage, dressed simply in white and holding his precious guitar. The concert lasted 2 hours, with two encores, and I have not seen such passionate guitar strumming and fingerpicking since my days working at the "REV" in the Valley of Brisbane :) This man absolutely captivated his audience...you could almost visably see them soften to the sound of the music
For you pappy!!! House of ham!!!
. One by one...their ears and shoulders and limbs relaxed as the strumming just about melted their hearts...absolute surrender. He played traditional songs, and more contemporary ones. He manipulated the strings and wood to make the guitar sound like a twittering bird...and then a drum...and then a musicbox..and then a harpsicord! All the while he did not look at us once, and instead had his eyes either closed shut or focused on his guitar, which he embraced like a small child, swaying with the little body in his arms. And that is how one man and his guitar saved Barcelona from being thought of as a city I could have done without. The lovely concert allowed me to know a little more of the real Barcelona... and Spainīs musical history, rich from experiences of the rolling Mediteranian sea, the sunny fields of poppies and almond trees, the solemness of Moorish verse...
I left the cathedral and wandered around the city for a little while...and it really is a beautiful city by night. It was wonderful to have some of the alleys and streets to myself...I indulged in taking many photos!
And then came Madrid...
MADRID, ESPANYA
I did not bond well with Madrid
LA FAMILIA CHURCH - canopy ceiling
. The streets were not as inviting as Barcelonaīs...and some of the people that I met were even less inviting. I tried my best to speak Spanish to ask for directions and what not...and EVERY time I got laughed at. And it wasnīt one of those laughs where the person is being jolly with you. They were laughing AT me all the way! I know I am not overly good at the language...but I donīt think I deserve laughter! :) I also stayed in one of those places I liken to a concentration camp...a HI hostel. Everything was really uniform and sterile...which is nice, but not at the expense of character and charm and comfort. Whatīs more, there were about 1000 children staying at the hostel as well. They all thought it extremely funny to stay in the toilets at laugh and make jokes and scream until 3am. I hated them all that night...and in the morning. I know...I sound like a bitter grandmother all at the age of 25.
Anyway...my bitterness towards the city disapated a little upon visiting the lovely Prado museum. There are some AMAZING paintings by Rafael in there that I had never seen before. And some fantastic ones by Albrecht Duerer (which I was especially excited to see after studying them at university). So well worth the visit! I also visited the nearby (huge) Parque de Retiero which holds one of the most interesting sculptures I now know: the worldīs first monument dedicated to the devil
LA FAMILIA CHURCH - door
! It is called the "Fallen Angel".Later that day I met a lovely guy from Venezuala who laughed at my accent, but turned out to be so nice (refreshing from everyone else I had met) that I didnīt mind at all. A songwriter and guitarist, he had been working in Madrid for the last 5 years in order to move to (funny enough) Australia! We had a good chat about differences in culture in Spain and Latin America. He had an interesting take on the matter and pointed out that people in Europe tend to be quite happy when they have a euro in their pockets, and quite sad and bitter when they have no euro in their pockets. Latin Americans on the other hand, are quite happy with a euro in their pockets...and quite happy with no euro in their pockets too! A completely different way of looking at life...which kind of helped me understand why I was having a bit of trouble adjusting to Europe since my three months in South America.
I also had my last Paella in Madrid. I went to a little local tavern which served cheap Paella and I was the only chica there...the entire tavern was filled with about 15 old men who had come to drink beer and watch the bullfighting on TV. It was fun to observe the Spanish men glued to the TV...commenting intensely as the fighting progressed.
A little walk from the tavern I found a flamenco store, full of ALL sorts of CDs and dresses and boxes and guitars...everything flamenco related. I found the new album from my favorite Spanish band, Ojos de Brujo...which is fantastic (and really hard to find in Australia)!!! It is so perfect when you happen upon little stores or eateries or even people that change your day completely for the better :)
So...Madrid was something different to what I expected...but I am somehow happy I visited. And now onto Portugal!
Muchos besos. Love from, Kirsten xoxoxox
