Jun 2007

After 29 hours of traveling Lily finally arrived in Barcelona – a bit dazed and very tired, but definitely pleased to be off the plane. She is going to spend the next 6 weeks in a Spainish/ European / English summer – a nice change to Bathurst in winter.

That is one of the main shocks for the body to acclimatise to – to replace the thermals with a bikini. The other difference is the time – but Lily has always been a good sleeper! - no problem going to sleep when the clock says rather than when the body says.

The days seem long though with lunch at 2.00 and dinner at 9.00. But it is light until so late here and the schools don’t finish till 5.30 and shops stay open till 8.30 – it is easy to do things later.

The food is a difference – seasonal and regional differences aside, the diet here is based on rice, fish, beans, bread, coffee, olive oil, bottled water, beer and wine. No too hard to get used to.

And the language of course – be limited to saying ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ doesn’t get you very far. Max is finding that he has to be the personal guide and translator.

And just getting around – the metro and buses are easy to use but you have to know where you are going. Even walking out the door – because all the streets around here are on a grid pattern, they all look the same and until you recognise the street names or different shops it is really easy to confuse them.

But Lily doesn’t have to do any of this on her own. At last Max has someone closer to his age to share converstations and experiences with, and we are really keen to have someone to show around, translate for, introduce to people and places, explain customs and share our Spanish life with.

The Spanish love their sports, and none more than football (soccer). We are drawing to the end of the soccer season and there is just one more week of interclub matches. There is a game on each weekend and lots of talkback and sports shows where everyone gets a chance to have their say. There is one show called ‘Don’t tell me…' (that you don’t like football). The second part of the name is not even used usually. There was almost rioting in the streets when Ronaldino was sent off a couple of games ago. The bars all televise the games and the atmosphere is almost as tense as being at the the game itself. Ronaldino does his share of TV ads, complete with mum and brother. The local tourist shops do a roaring trade of number 10 Barcelona soccer shirts. Sometimes you see a whole family of them!

Barcelona have two soccer teams. Barca (pronounced Barsa) and Espanyol which sounds like a spanish team and had us confused for a while until someone explained to us it was a local, home-grown Barcelona team. Everyone follows the soccer and it is important to have a favourite team and follow it religiously.

At the moment we are watching Nadal and Federer play the Roland Garros final. Rafa as he is affectionately called here is looking the strongest at the moment. The locals will be very happy tomorrow if he wins. He is their golden-haired boy who can do no wrong, and features in a series of TV commercials for Cacaulaut – (like Milo) and Nike and maybe some others too. He is in huge posters around the city and over the cover of magazines and newspapers all the time …. that is when the limelight is not taken by Ronaldino.

PS: Rafa won – so everyone will be in high spirits tomorrow.

You can’t get away from it – art is everywhere in Barcelona. From architecture, to lamp posts, from parks to street sculpture; it is just part of the life.

Barcelona being an old city has buildings dating back several hundred years, and these of course are majestic and ornate, but the buildings from the 21st century, especially the Modernist period, are the ones that dominate the streets. There are carved cherubs, stone flowers, ornate iron work, sculpted columns, spiral staircases and tile work. Gaudi was not the only architect to leave his mark on Barcelona - he was just the most extreme with his free-flowing style.

Modern buildings too, in many cases, spurn the idea of flat walls or unimaginative roof lines. An unusual balcony, a curved wall, a glass panel … there is often something a bit different.

The streets are also used as open air galleries and exhibition spaces. It is a lovely way to interact with the artwork. The works are appreciated by the tourists and locals alike and I think it makes for an interesting environment to be able to sit in the shadow of a sculpture and eat lunch or have a coffee, or walk past them as you go to and from work.

There is a new exhibition in Plaza Real starting today right outside our tango room. It is recycled 'rubbish' made into statues - much like the 1000 or so chinese soldiers all standing in order. I'll include a picture soon.

Even the graffiti is very good quality and more artistic than just names and writing.