It had been seventeen years between trips to Catalunya. I was not sure how much change I would see. After all, to Americans Europe is timeless. But I knew differently. Barcelona has become a world city, full of diversity, world class cultural attractions, yet a strong sense of its Catalan nationality. While the Catalan language was very prominent during my last visit, I did not recall seeing so many Catalan flags. It made the city feel like a capital of an independent country. Still, Castillian was very much an important second language so I had ample opportunity to practice my Espanol. By the end of my journey I actually started thinking in grammatically poor Spanish. That is the first sign of being comfortable in a language. I was having dinner with a new friend in the Figueretes area of Ibiza and I caught myself having a conversation in Spanish without translating in my head first. I know it was poor, but my good accent covers some of my mistakes! I really do need to properly learn this language. Every time I am in Europe I feel shame that I can only speak 1 1/2 languages. Many people I encounter speak at least three. Many even more. Knowing multiple languages is the key to understanding people of different cultures, since so many things get lost in translation. In this increasingly globalized and conflicted world, learning to better communicate to each other would seem to be a key to world peace.
I was happy to see La Sagrada Familia’s progress since last time. It truly feels like a church now. However, the tourist hordes do take away from the sanctity of the building. Perhaps a consultant from the Vatican could assist. Vatican City deals with the massive crowds but somehow manages to retain a sacred feel. It was disappointing that Parc Guell now charges to see Gaudi’s masterpieces, what is worse however is that you need an appointment. I understand the entrance fee. But the appointments seem silly unless it is a very busy day. On a Monday evening my cousin and I were willing to pay but was told the allotments were full. When we found a part of the free area of the park that overlooked the Monument area, we noticed there were not a lot of people. So people like us willing to pay, who traveled thousands of miles were not permitted entry for no good reason. We made the best of it and were rewarded with beautiful views of the city.
I cannot say enough about the Barcelona Metro. It is clean, frequent, efficient and goes everywhere a visitor would want to go. It is well coordinated with the commuter rail system, buses and trams. However, the random two hour strikes are annoying and seem pointless. Go big or go home! Anyway, investment in a one or two day pass is invaluable. Barcelona is a very hilly and sprawling city, it is completely worth it! Your legs and wallet will thank you.
Tiny Catalan speaking Andorra is a wonderful country to visit from Barcelona, if you go beyond the very commercial capital. The fresh air, beautiful mountain scenery, and unique culture were a genuine surprise. I lived in tiny Delaware years ago where the people had the same pride in their small forgotten state even though they were in the middle of the busiest region of the United States. The food in Andorra was super fresh, especially the cheese and mushrooms. It was strange feeling a Mediterranean vibe in the middle of snow capped mountains, but that was complimented by the New England vibe that went with it. What a great place to rejuvenate one’s body and soul.
Ibiza is a party. It reminded me of the cool, beautiful kids in school that everyone wanted to hang out and party with, but when you scratched the surface you realized there was not much substance. Sad thing is that there used to be and deep down still is, but for how much longer?
It was a nice varied trip to go from magnificent cosmopolitan Barcelona, stunning but quiet Andorra, to gorgeous but touristy Ibiza. Although all officially Catalan areas, I started in a largely Catalan speaking city, to a country that has somehow fused it with Spanish and French, to an island that seems to have forgotten that it speaks Catalan. I love that this minority language is still thriving somewhere, that it has not been homogenized for the greater good of the larger republic, as is the case in France. I hope Catalunya retains its unique culture and history. I also hope it is not another 17 years before I visit this rich country again.
