I've been having a recurring dream of sitting at the terrace of a cutre bar with no name on the corner of Via Laietana and Plaça Urquinaona. I drink a beer and people watch with the cast of characters I met living there as time passes slowly.
Then I wake up at five am, until last week, go out in the snow flurries and ride a train for forty minutes to work at a nonprofit dedicated to youth, student & educational travel, WYSE Travel Confederation. In the streets of Amsterdam, I hear more Spanish than Dutch, loudly cursing the long winter that ices canals. ¡Joder! ¡Qué frio, coño!
Most Spaniards seem to be recent university graduates looking for work. Some are street performers with
long, dreaded mullets and their pack of mangy mutts, wagging their
tails, happy, at roaming a new territory. In my office we've had three Spanish interns, two returned to Barcelona. They reported the experience helped them buck the odds and get decent jobs back home. The other, a Basque girl, stayed. She tells of the large Spanish speaking community in Amsterdam, many engineers waiting tables at the litany of Tapas Bars. She says, those who lack the English skills, look more and more to Latin and South America for an opportunity. None imagine going home anytime soon.
The city where I live, Alkmaar, also celebrates a siege, every October 8th, when, in 1573, the city beat back the attacking Spanish forces, making the turning point in the 80 Years War. Victory is in the city´s motto, the name of its park. There is no national holiday or flag waving, just a fair with a carousel. The end of Nazi occupation is a day off every
four years. I might be wrong. It might be five. My three floor townhouse sits where foreign invaders once camped, bogged down in the land flooded by Dutch Rebels. People in coffeeshops say you can hear the lispy ghosts of Spanish soldiers on a North Sea wind. Barça shirts decorate the bedroom windows of blond kids around me, along with wooden models of Dutch clipper ships.
The second edition of the book is generating some positive reviews, (here, here & here about midway down). The general consensus seems to be that the stories show the dark side of Barcelona. I dunno. I'd say more gray. It's available on Amazon, but support independent sellers and visit Books4Spain.com. Sant Jordi is just around the corner after all.
The sun is out for the first time in three days, the rays feeding the grass, currant bushes and flowers in the small back garden. I'm home on short vacation, my wife an daughter dancing the night away at La Feria in Sevilla until Saturday, as I recover from a bout of strep throat. Our cat, Rembrandt, soaks in the warmth near the patio door after a night spent carousing the hood. The big question today, just after the third anniversary of leaving Barcelona, is whether to ride my bike into Alkmaar and get a caganer tattoo on my left shoulder from an artist, hailing from Santa Coloma.
For those of us who have spent an extended period in Barcelona, the city never really leaves us, even if we leave it. Guest blogger Ben Holbrook shares what he misses most about Barcelona now that it's no longer home...but for how long?
I moved to Barcelona in August 2009 and
landed, miraculously, on Passeig de Gràcia
in the scorching heat. I had one suitcase, zero knowledge of
Spanish (or Catalan) and an un-quenchable thirst for adventure. Apart
from my one month TEFL course, which started the next day, I had no
plans apart from getting to know the city and perhaps to try and make
some friends along the way. Richard, my contact and host for the
month of August, met me and walked me through Gràcia to his flat
whilst sipping on ice-cold Estrella Damm. It was beautiful and
buzzing with life. People sat on the benches discussing life whilst
youngsters moved slowly through the iconic, windy streets. It was the
beginning of a two-year love affair, a period of time that was to
change my life forever. I left the city, begrudgingly in the summer
of 2011 and I have dreamt of returning ever since. Not a day goes
past that I don’t find myself reminiscing about the amazing times I
had in various parts of the city, and smile at how happy I was. Here
are a few random things I miss and hope to one day live again. Venga,
chicos! Vamanos!
Random Moments of
Spontaneity. I’ve never been one to spend time making
plans, it’s a shame really because I know I could have got more out
of my time in Spain if I had been more organised. The truth is,
however, Barcelona is a city where you simply don’t need a plan. In
fact, I’d go as far as saying that you’d do better off without
one. Without fail I’d spend every Sunday just wandering around the
streets, getting lost in the Barri Gòtic, or El Bourn.
I’d find street musicians playing beautiful music, sometimes
Spanish style, other times it would be guys with didgeridoos and
African drums, I loved the constant diversity. I’d stumble upon yet
another quirky little cafe and treat myself to a cafe con leche
and whatever they had on offer – it’d never cost more than a
couple of Euros. I remember a huge group of people bursting into
dance as a stage was setup down at Barceloneta beach, the band
was clearly very famous and it was heart warming to see such joy in
the streets. In fact, there was always some kind of stage being
erected in one of the various neighbourhoods celebrating anything
they could get away with.
Image from GardenVisit.com
Getting Outdoors...
Apart
from August, when it was far too hot to exercise outdoors (at least
for me), I would spend all of my time cycling or running along the
promenade by the beaches. I’d whizz down to the W Hotel, stopping
only to watch the performers along the way or maybe to take a
coffee, as they say in Spain. I also loved packing a bag with
some sandwiches and walking up towards Tibidabo and Collserolla. It
was always greener and cooler up there, and the views of the city
were literally breath taking. I’d wait for the sun to go down and
then run through the handsome streets of Eixample, past Sagrada
Familia towards my favourite avenue in the whole of Barcelona,
Passeig de Sant Joan. I’d take a breather, watch the old men
play bowls and the youngsters trying their hand at table tennis. The
weather allowed so much more freedom to get outdoors and to be active
- I’ve never been as fit and healthy as I was in Barcelona.
Living Simply
Naturally as
with most people living in a new city, during the first couple of
months living in Barcelona I spent a disproportionate amount of my
time in bars. What struck me was the sheer volume of the crappy
little granja bars on every street corner. The word means
“farm” and they started as breakfast cafeterias where people
drank the milk and dairy products of las lecherías. (Think a
bakery, but for milk!) Nowadays, I guess they are the equivalent of
the pubs that we have in Britain, many of the granja operators
seem to have no desire to make it a special place, or
somewhere you’d really want to spend an evening. They are always
run by old men, and seemed to feature the same generic products.
Estrella Damm on draught, red & white wine (house), cafe con
leche, jamón and some random tapas that always looked
like they’d been left out for the last month. These old man bars,
in my mind, were perfect examples of function over form and I spent
much of my time trying to avoid them.
Image from MundoAnuncio.com
However, it’s hard to avoid them when
they are located literally everywhere and occupy the best
sunny-spots. I found myself frequenting them, for coffee breaks, for
after work beers, for cheap and cheerful
one-euro-Saturday-night-beers, for a quick bite to eat – for
everything! And then I realised that these granja bars summed
up everything I loved about the city. They’re not about indulgence,
luxury, or being overly sophisticated – they’re about living
simply, enjoying a drink here and a coffee there, on a daily basis.
They made daily life enjoyable and affordable and that’s what I
loved about Barcelona, it was a modest but wonderfully simple way of
life. I’ll forever try to live that way and to be as happy as I was
in sunny Barcelona.
Ben
now lives in London and is a writer for Hotel Club. He mainly writes
reviews of the best and worstLondonHotelsand
is currently planning a dream trip to South America.
The Kindle version of From Barcelona came out today. Here are some images of some of the places featured.
El Born
Sagrada Família
Plaça Urquinaona
Make sure to buy a copy if you have an e-reader. The physical version should be available soon through all the usual channels. Also, come and "like" the Facebook page. Thanks, gracias, gràcies, bedankt
Based on friends' photos on Facebook it looks like everyone in BCN is starting to enjoy the summer and the music festival season. The weather is one of the many things I miss not living there. We've got a gale force wind and lashing rain in the Low Countries today.
Anyway, I'm pleased to announce I found a new publisher for From Barcelona and a second edition is coming out in July. I was able to revisit the old stories with a more clear headed perspective and add a few new ones in, too. Here's a picture of the cover.
I'll hopefully have a .PDF version before the official release. If anyone is interested in receiving a free copy, send me an e-mail. I've put some excepts up to give you an idea. For those of you interested in what life is like in the Dutch cheese country, feel free to visit my blog, www.hollandfromholland.com
Barcelona isn't Las Vegas or Monte Carlo which doesn't mean you can't test you luck and play games that might not make you rich, but could pay for a couple of drinks. Many bars and restaurants have slot machines, and in addition to that there is the famous Barcelona Casino near Port Olimpic. Unlike it's counter parts on the Vegas strip, there is no internet casino, which is probably for the best as the location offers visitors sea views, a discotheque, and a choice of restaurants: either a traditional casino buffet or Mediterranean cuisine.
But of course, you don't go to a casino for the nightlife and unlike the slots you'll find in the restaurants throughout Barcelona, the casino offers games such as black jack, roulette (French & American style), plus poker to test your luck and win some serious cash. To play any of these games, you'll need an ID (preferably a passport) and to dress appropriately (no bathing suits, flip-flops etc).
Just a quick note to wish everyone season's greetings. If I remember correctly, the mega bridge starting the season will be here soon and with it La Fira de Santa Llùcia (Lucia) located outside the Gothic Cathedral. One of my favorite Catalan traditions is the caganer. So much so he inspired a short story I wrote last year. You can read it here.
As some of you might know, I no longer call Barcelona home, having left in April for literally the greener pastures of Holland. It was a bittersweet decision because when I look back at all the places I've lived, Barcelona was the city I stayed in the longest - eight years! So, why did I leave?
As with any major decision there were a variety of factors, most of which was brought about by the arrival of our daughter about a year and a half ago. The economy was of course one. Even in the boom years, the salary to hours worked ratio was never one of the city's top selling points, with ten hour days being the norm and 1,500 a month classified as well-paid. When we were just a couple, this didn't seem so important. We could live in a place without an elevator, go out with friends, travel, and enjoy all that Barcelona had to offer (concerts, beach, festivals). But without having any type of family support, this type of work schedule and wage makes raising a child there difficult and expensive. Plus, what's the point of having a kid if you're working and stressed all the time?
The whole nationalist debate played a role too. We want our daughter to be proud of her mixed heritage, and unfortunately that's not the easiest thing to do in Barcelona given the political climate. The sad truth is: she'll feel more Spanish living in a small city in north Holland than a region of Spain. But, hey, that's why I don't live there anymore, because as Lou Reed sang, "I do believe, when you don't like things you leave for some place you've never gone before."
So, after six months away, is there anything I miss? Absolutely, the beauty of the city and the people I'd met both in person and through this blog, the anarchic quality of the streets, the fish, those crazy Barcelona nights that end the next day. I don't miss the noise, though, or the congestion. It's nice having a tiny backyard even if it's the only place in Holland where grass doesn't want to grow.
Would I recommend Barcelona? Sure, why not. Just do your own thing and try not to work for the man. There are worse locations to pass the time, but I can't think of many better cities to live in if you're single or with a significant other. It's stimulating and creative and just a special place. There's a reason why the city is called "that great enchantress" and I lived there so many years.
I don't know if it's like this in other countries, but finding part time work in Barcelona is probably harder than landing a full time gig. Part of this has to do with the current economic environment, but mostly it's because the concept of flexible, part time jobs based on hourly wages, doesn't really exist here.
Sure, companies offer part time contracts, but they're usually for twenty-five hours a week, the choice of afternoon or evening shifts being your only option. You will be expected to work these set hours regardless of work load and sometimes more because there's no time sheet to monitor when you arrive and leave, and thus no overtime. To avoid paying summer vacation, employers will often only offer these contracts for periods of less than a year, say from September to June, so you'll be responsible for saving money from your 500-600 euro-a-month paycheck for a summer, winter vacations.
One of the problems I've had working on contracts, whether part time or full time, is that employers will often fiddle with the tax percentage, especially if you're hired during the year. This is often done without your knowledge and during the year it seems you're earning more, until April rolls around and you get a bill from the hacienda (tax department) saying you owe. Also switching jobs or going from part to full time or vice-versa will almost surely see you pay. It's almost enough to make a person decide never to file taxes ever again.
But if you're only planning on staying a short time, part time contracts do offer the chance of a steady income that will leave you free in the mornings or evenings. Most of the part time job market requires Spanish and is concentrated on sales, promotions. If you don't have knowledge of the language, there are call centers and English schools that offer part time work. The best place to find out if a place is hiring is through the Metropolitan Magazine available in many English pubs or on Loquo.
As I wrote in an earlier post, becoming an autónomo is also an option because it allows you to earn a decent hourly wage. But going through the process and paying the taxes really isn't worth it if you don't plan on staying for the long term. So what to do if you just want to earn enough to pay for your Barcelona adventure?
Personally, I think the best option is to go black. I mean economically speaking, not in the choice of your clothes' color. I think I read somewhere the underground economy constitutes a fifth of the Spanish GDP and there's a reason; it's the only way to make a decent living for many people.
Vast and covering almost every service sector, if you're fresh to the city and don't speak the language, there's the option of passing out fliers for one of the hundreds of bars competing for customers. I'm not sure how payment works, but people seem to get by and if often leads to other under the table promotional, bar work. Some restaurants might take you on and pay cash during peak months, as will smaller English schools but if all depends on how legal they are. If you like working with your hands, there is always boat work at the marina.
The arrival of June has already seen the temperatures rise and the humidity start. With air-conditioning in short supply here, the best way to escape the heat is to pack the sunscreen and towel and head to the beach. In Barcelona there are three main places to layout and bake before hitting a chiringuito. Starting with Barceloneta near the port, you can walk north to la playa Icaria by the Hotel Arts and Manfre buildings. Just beyond it is la playa Marbella, where you'll find the only nudist beach in the city. Not natural beaches, they were created as part of the Olympic games to offer those staying in the city easy access to the water, and on summer days they are often packed to capacity, so get there early. Also remember to be careful with your belongings.
If you're looking for something more relaxing, thirty minutes north are las playas de Maresme. You can get there by train from Plaça Catalunya and the fares aren't that expensive. In fact up to Montgat Nord, you can use a standard metro pass. They'll still be crowded on a hot summer's day, but less so than the ones in the city, and you can be a little less paranoid about your belongings. Of these I particularly enjoy Cabrera de Mar and Caldes d'Estrac for a quick day trip, while Santa Susanna is a quaint little beach town that's perfect for a weekend out of the city.
Further north is La Costa Brava. To get to there, you'll need to catch the bus from the Arc de Triomf metro station, and it'll run you about an hour or two, depending on where you're heading. The first of these beaches are Lloret and Tossa del Mar, which are particularly popular with the British so be warned, while further north are Palafruguell, L'Estartit and Roses. As you can see, the water is crystal blue and the settings awe-inspiring, but there is little in the way of space to sunbath due to the rocky nature of the coast. Still, it's well-worth a visit and a great place to snorkel or scuba-dive, especially las Islas Medas.
South of Barcelona also offers some fantastic places to layout and enjoy the sun. Different than the rocky coast of la Costa Brava, they tend to offer lots of space and sand. The most famous of these is Sitges, which is just under two hours away. A typical Spanish beach town with white houses and tiny streets, its wide sandy beachs and the shallow water are perfect for those of you with small children. Further south are las Playas of Tarragona, with the most popular being Salou, which personally reminds me of Benidorm. To get to either of these, you'll again catch the train, while all along the coast are more natural and wild beaches such as La Playa Waikiki or Altafulla that'll require renting a car.
To stay in any of the aforementioned places, you can either stay in a hotel, rent a flat or semi-rough it at a camping ground. Also as requested, here's a list with all the festivals taking place in Barcelona including the neighborhood fiestas
I have to admit with the change in temperature and the arrival of the sun after a long winter, I find my desire to sit in an office and blog about as high as going to work on a Monday morning with a hangover. There are too many things I'd rather be doing such as attending the II Gran Pinchada Surf and Roll which takes places at La Cervecita tonight and night starting at seven there's a spring festival at Plaça Sant Pere in El Born. Barcelona really comes alive over the spring and summer months with events such as these, in addition to neighborhood parties, concerts and the like so I feel a bit sad sitting at home when I could be outside enjoying life.
So as with last year, light blogging through the summer months. I'll try and compile a list of neighborhood parties with their dates for anyone interested. There are so many it's by no means easy, so if you know of one, please let me know. In the meantime, enjoy your days wherever you are!
One of the many things I find fascinating about the Spanish language is the importance of the word milk, or leche. It is of course used to describe the white liquid that comes from mammals, but in addition to the literal meaning, such as café con leche (coffee with milk) it's also commonly used either as an exclamation or as part of an expression.
Here are some examples.
importar tres leches - to mind three milks, which means to not care at all. For example, me importa tres leches qué opinas. I don't care at all what your opinion is.
ser la leche - to be the milk, which means to be unbelievable or great. It can be used literally such as, Soy la leche, he aprobado todos los exámenes. I'm great, I passed all of my exams, or sarcastically, Eres la leche, macho. You're unbelievable, dude.
de la leche - of the milk, which means more than a lot, as hell. Hoy hace un solazo de la leche. Today is sunny as hell. Hace un calor de la leche. It's hot as hell. (I wish!)
a toda leche - to all the milk, which means at full speed. Salimos corriendo a toda leche. We ran out at full speed.
¡leche! - dammit! ¡Leche!Me he pillado el dedo con la puerta. Dammit! I caught my finger in the door.
estar de mala / buena leche - to be in a bad / good milk which refers to someone's mood. ¿Estas de buena o mala leche hoy? Are you in a good or bad mood today?
tener leche en las venas (en vez de sangre) - to have milk in your veins (instead of blood), meaning you show no affection or you lack of drive.
cagarse en la leche - to shit in the milk, which is what you do when angry.
Not sure why leche is so prevalent in the Spanish vernacular. Any ideas? Also, feel free to add more if there are. All this talk of milk is making me hungry for cereal.
I ran into a friend the other day while out for a drink. She was still buzzing from a great weekend in Barcelona and excited about the eventual arrival of summer. I told her how much I admired her optimist outlook given the news lately, providing a quick review of the world headlines when she asked what I meant. Her smiling face went stoic, she called me depressing and left to find someone more cheerful to talk to.
The moment really crystallized something that I think would make an interesting case study: how much of a person's outlook on life is correlated to their news intake. It seems the less you know or care, the more pleasant the world is. Yes, when it comes to world events at least, ignorance truly is bliss, which I guess makes the opposite true; knowledge is misery. So the question is - what's more important, being knowledgeable or being happy? I think it's time to debookmark the news sites and find other things to read until the weather improves.
It's May which means Primavera Sound will soon be here. Starting the 27th of May and ending the 30th, most of the action takes place at the Forum. It's four days of great music and probably my favorite concert / festival in Barcelona even if I miss the old venue of Poble Espanyol. As with last year, they've got a great mix of bands from oldies but goodies to some up and coming acts. Here's this year's line up based on date. No times available yet. Bold indicates I've heard of the group.
Thursday May 27th: Alado Sincera, Aspe, Bis, Biscuit, Broken Social Scene, Circulatory System, Chrome Hoof, Crocodiles, Delorean, Edredón, Emilio José, Fuck Buttons, Guadalupe Pata, Half Foot Outside, His Majesty the King, Macaco Bang, Mission of Burma, Moderat, Monotonix, Pavement, Pony Bravo, Seefeel, Sic Alps, Sleigh Bells, Superchunk, Surfer Blood, The Big Pink, The Books, The Fall, The Smith Westerns, The XX, Titus Andronicus, Tom Cary, Tortoise, Ui, Wild Beasts.
A strong first day lineup with a definite a nineties influence. Aspe is like Tool except the leader singer has a falsetto. Circulatory System produced one of my favorite albums last year and Pavement is one of my all time favorite groups, although I'm a bit ambivalent about their reunion. In my opinion, Mission of Burma was one of the more overlooked bands of the grunge era for lack of a better word, while Surfer Blood, a relative new comer, takes the nineties sound and adds a bit of pop and rhythm. The Fall is a great band and I hope the sound system works this time. The XX received numerous awards last year, but I can't really get into them unlike the Wild Beasts which I enjoy immensely. The influnce of the Clash is what I hear when I listen to Titus Andronicus, but that's not a bad thing. There are worse groups to copy.
Friday May 28th: A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Autoramas, Beach House, Beak, Best Coast, Black Math Horseman, Blackbird, Boat Beam, CocoRosie, Cohete, Cold Cave, Condo Fucks, Delco, Diplo, Fuel Fandago, Ganglians, Harlem, Here We Go Magic, Holy Water, Japandroids, Hope Sandovals & The Warm Inventions, Joker featuring Nomad, Junip, Leda Tres, Les Savy Fav, Major Lazer, Marc Almond, Nueva Volcano, Oscartienealas, Panda Bear, Pixies, Scout Niblett, Shellac, Spoon, Standstill, The Bloody Beatroots Death Crew, The Dallas Guild, The King Kahn & BBQ Show, TheNew Pornographers, the Nu Niles, Thee Oh Sees, Wilco, Wild Honey, Wire, Yeasayer.
A night of musical heavy weights with the Pixies, Wilco and Wire. It'll be interesting to see what songs each picks for their set given the wealth of material to choose from. Japandroids and Les Savy Fav remind me too much of other groups but without the enthusiasm of say Titus Andronicus who play on Thursday. Spoon are quality but not something I listen to much. Panda Bear should be interesting to see live while I wish just for once Steve Albini would bring back Big Black instead of Shellac.
Saturday May 29th: Atlas Sound, Ben Frost, Bigott, Boy 8-Bit, Built to Spill, Camaron - La Leyenda del Tiempo, Dinero, Dr. Dog, Dum Dum Girls, Endless Boogie, Fake Blood, Grizzly Bear, HEALTH, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Matt & Kim, Mujeres, Nana Grizol, Niño y Pistola, No Age, ODDSAC, Orbital, Pet Shop Boys, Polvo, Real Estate, Roddy Frame, Sian Alice Group, So Cow, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Bundles, The Charlatans, The Clean, The Drums, The Psychic Paramount, The Slits, Thelematicos, Trigger, Van Dyke Parks, Za!
If I had to pick one day to go, this would be it. Atlas Sound's last album still gets a lot of play in the house, while Built to Spill is a great band live. Dum Dum Girls, HEALTH and No Age all hail from L.A. and offer a taste of the different musical sound Lala land is famous for: sunny pop, in your face aggression, and sonic experimentation, sometimes in the same song. Mat & Kim take synth pop to a whole new level. Grizzly Bear is similar to The XX - they won a slew of awards last year but I'm not sure why, while Sunny Day Real Estate is one group I could never get into depsite many people, whose opinion I respect, telling me they were great. Pet Shop Boys is a group I admire but would never pay to see and the Charlatans is what my older brother used to listen to.
So that's it more or less. There are smaller groups and different stages including Parc Joan Miró, so it's difficult to give a more detailed account. Check out the official website for more info and enjoy the festivities! Some videos for your listening pleasure to get in the mood.
Sala Cream is hosting its weekly Mad Session featuring an array of talented deejays spinning bass, dubstep and break beats, plus I imagine some tunes that are unclassifiable. Here's the lineup.
After hinting at summer last week, the weather took a bit of a turn for the worse right around the time Standard & Poors downgraded Spain's credit rating. This news was followed by unemployment reaching twenty percent and the forecast this week calls for rain so the outlook isn't too sunny right now.
The recent spat of bad economic news was followed by some thoughtful articles highlighting the differences between the Spanish situation and Greece in terms of government debt, pointing out that even while downgrading the country, S & P found little chance of Spain going into default. This is, of course, great news, but it doesn't mean it's hunky dory since public debt is only part of the equation.
Sources: Bloomberg, IMF, European Union Commission Estimates
As the data shows and the related article explains, Spain's problem isn't so much its public debt percentage, which is actually lower than Germany's, but its current account balance, which is a combination of public and private debt. The latter was used primarily to fund the real estate bubble and when it popped, there's been nothing to replace it other than government spending because the economy's been nothing but construction and tourism the last twenty years.
So the one bright spot, its public debt, is increasing as a result of the crisis. At the same time, private sector debt, mostly tied up in mortgages, is increasing due to the housing crash. Meanwhile, the international community is calling for a period of wage deflation as prices continue to rise. Growth isn't projected until 2011 and even then it'll be anemic, which means there's little hope of the unemployment situation turning around anytime soon despite what the Spanish president says. That's the best case scenario.
One of the tragic ironies is, just when Spain has found a way to harness its famous sun for something other than tourism and become a player in the emerging renewable energy market, the subsidies needed to help nascent groups like T-Solar might be cut in the name of austerity. It makes me wonder if there had been less building and more investing where the country would be now. Of course, I've never understood why a French company, Alstom, won the contract to build the trains for the Barcelona metro either. Sometimes is seems the only thing Spanish are the banks and their empty buildings anymore. Actually, that's not true; there's the chiringuito once the clouds pass and summer finally arrives.
For anyone interested in doing a bike tour of Barcelona, Steel Donkey offers an alternative view of the city thanks to some locals who are eager to show your more than the standard sights and streets. Meanwhile, Suite Life offers not only apartments for visitors and locals alike, but also services aimed at making your stay more enjoyable. One way to ensure that is to avoid the pickpockets and speaking of which, I know someone who got robbed in Barcelona is a Facebook page that's recently become quite a phenomenon with over a thousand fans and a write up in La Vanguardia. Dedicated to helping people avoid the latest scams and places notorious for their thieves, it offers maps and updates on local initiatives. Become a fan because it's a worth cause. Finally, Pocket Cultures, where Marta from English in Barna contributes, is a great resource for any traveler offering insider tips and insights so make sure to bookmark it. Enjoy the weekend!
If you move to a foreign country, will you become more creative? A study last year in the Economist seemed to support this. Meanwhile, when I think of all the great artists ranging from painters to writers to poets, most had spent some time away from their home lands. Still, all of this is anecdotal in nature, lacking anything concrete specifics, so is it true or a myth that living abroad inspires creativity?
Speaking from my personal experience, I do feel more creative since moving to Spain. Part of the reason, I think, is the need to communicate in a foreign language. Searching for the right word, trying to find the correct way to ask for something forces my brain to be active even when it's something simple like buying milk. Of course, sometimes, even today, I can't always come up with the right word or the correct tense, which makes me look for non verbal ways to communicate: miming, sketching, a combination of the two with a few made-up words thrown in. The end result is: I usually get what I want, utilizing parts of my brain that wouldn't been used otherwise, making even the most mundane of actions stimulating.
But more than the language, I'd say the increased creativity has more to do with the freedom of thought and openness that comes with moving to a foreign land. Basic assumptions about life are challenged by new experiences. I've learned that there is often no right or wrong way to do things - only different. A walk in the park triggers a whole new thought process when I compare my new life to the one I left. While without the comfortable surroundings of my past, I'm forced to get out and experience life, rather than settle into a daily routine of letting it pass me by as I watch T.V. or daydream. So by the end of even the most unadventurous day, my mind is full of sights, sounds and smells that it wouldn't have been otherwise, which in turn spurs my creativity inspiring me to write.
So if you're feeling bored, stagnated and uncreative at home, sell your possessions, buy a ticket for a place you've always wanted to go and set a goal to stay for one year. Perhaps, you won't stay forever, but even if that's the case, you'll return a different, more creative person with enough material to paint that picture, sing that song or write that book which you've always had in you.
I'm not sure if that's a word, but Barcelona is full of them - little squares hidden amid the alleys and buildings of the city's older districts. Often lined with bars and restaurants, each one offers something distinct, whether it be a lively atmosphere or a feeling of being transported in time, making them the perfect place to meet friends for drinks and tapas now that spring is here. The problem is, there are so many of these squares littered throughout the city, that it's impossible to name them all but here are a few of my favorites.
Plaça de Sant Pere. Located in the upper El Born, where Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt and Carrer de Sant Pere Mitja meet, it's sided by a few bars, a La Caixa and a small medieval church, which apparently doesn't exist on any map. Probably the least crowded of the ones on the list, I'll never forget sitting outside listening to the music of a string quartet coming from inside the centuries old stone walls of the church while tucking into some patatas bravas at a terrace outside.
Plaça del Sortidor in Poble Sec offers a mix of bars and restaurants amid the chaos that is Spanish streets. Sitting at one of the tables that lines the inside perimeter of the square, you can see kids kicking a football around, sometimes chased by a small dog. A honk of a horn and you'll watch as a delivery truck squeezes through the narrow street separating the tables from the bars, producing a shout from the kid behind on the scooter to hurry up. Then, like everyone else who has been observing, you'll return to the conversation you were having with friends about what to do that night as someone in an overlooking apartment hammers away to Queen playing on the stereo.
Plaça del Sol speaks to Barcelona's Bohemian side. Surrounded by bars and restaurants, it's in the heart of Gracia, which had been its own village for much of its history and still maintains a bit of an independence streak. One of the few squares that's popular throughout the year, the crowd, like the neighborhood itself, tends to veer to the more artistic and relaxed compared to the elegance of L'Eixample district that rests below.
Plaça del Rei. Tucked behind the main Cathedral in el Barrio Gotico is a square that can either be bustling with a concert or as quiet as it was centuries ago. Unlike most found throughout the city, it has only one bar, L'Antiquari, which is more like a stone tavern with a basement. Sitting outside at its terrace, looking at the engravings on the stone walls, it's difficult not to be impressed by the sense of history that surrounds you.
Plaça de Vicenç Martorell. Just off Carrer Tallers is a small square that surprisingly also has some greenery in the form of a patch of grass and a playground. Perhaps that's why under the arcade are the tables to some of Barcelona's better fruit, vegetable and sandwich bars. A great place when you need a break from the crowds of Las Ramblas just two blocks away.
Like I said, Barcelona is full of these little squares or placetes. It's one of the reasons, I think, it's such a fun city to get lost in, so feel free to add to the list and see how many the really are.
La Liga is winding down so there are only a few more chances to see Barcelona football club until September. This Wednesday they host Inter Milan and face the difficult task of overcoming a 3-1 defeat in Italy. After that, they have Tenerife visiting on May 6th and Valladolid on May 16th. Their lead on Real Madrid is only one point, so each match is critical if Barça wants to retain the title.
There are still tickets available to catch the team live and plenty of hotels near Camp Nou. The stadium itself is an impressive site so before the match check to see if there are any tours available to get an insider's look.
Today is one of my favorite days in Barcelona, la Diada de Sant Jordi, or Saint George's day. Honoring the patron saint of the Catalunya who is famous for slaying the dragon, it's celebrated with the simple gift exchange of a rose for her and a book from him.
Surprisingly, it's not a public holiday, but if you're out and about it seems like it is based on the crowds strolling the streets and looking at the flower and book stands. And what is truly amazing is that it can rain the day before and it can rain the day after, but no one I know remembers it raining on Sant Jordi.
So if you're in town, make sure to take in the sights and sounds of one of the more special days here. If you're not, why not buy a rose or a book for a friend to celebrate anyway. Here is an interpretation of the legend behind the celebration. Enjoy.
