Barcelona bits and pieces – a final wrap up.

NB Hwving some difficulty uploading this in an intenet cafe in paqris!

I am writing this entry on the train from Madrid to Barcelona… appropriate I guess returning to the scene of many crimes! I have, of course, spent 10 days away flitting from Valencia to Sevilla to Madrid and you’ll hear about them next, but for now let me give you some of my random Barcelona moments and thoughts that haven’t been documented…

I will start by returning to one of my first “discoveries” in Barcelona that crazy-ass building that I found on some random meandering through the streets of my neighbourhood (shoot me if I use the word random again in this entry). The first time when I took pictures I had accidently cut off one or two of the banners and wanted to work out what it all meant… well now I have, kinda.
Obviously the first is “Freedom is not free”
The larger banner says "The every gesture of revolt is interpreted as a terrorist act we need to stop the fear controling us - solidarity and resistance will."
Up close there were many other little interesting bits and bobs. Essentially this edificio is and anarchist/punk/resistance squat. Yee hah.

MUSIC – one of my favourite things (even at home) is to have my music maker on shuffle and have a random-select sound track escort me through the world. I wait for it to change my mood, change my noticing, change my reality… it always does. As I write this I have Cat Power going … and I am contemplative. I have to say I have been listening to my iPod less while travelling – I am too keen to eavesdrop on the soundscape around me! Though I do remember one moment on the metro… a perfectly happy, perfectly pedestrian trip til a song came on and tears welled in my eyes… the song? The Carlton Footy theme song – well fuck me, I didn’t even know I had it on my iPod! It’s ok – my overly emotional response also cracked me up. Guess I was lucky not to become another Cornelia Rau locked up in a foreign country for loopy behaviour!

Bwahhahah, now as I write this Kelly Marie’s “Feels like I’m in Love” is playing … stand back for euphoria everyone!

AN INSPIRED DAY
I have told you about how irritating I’ve found some tourist experiences and places .. but there was one that – for whatever reason – was truly awesome! I had decided to head out on my own for a whole day “excursion.” To catch the teleferic/cable car across the bay from Barcelonetta to Montjuic… to wander through the parks there and then go to the Miro Museo and The Nation Catalunyan Art Museo.


I’m not entirely sure why this day was so euphoric – maybe the random soundtrack worked it’s magic… it didn’t hurt that that the weather was blissful. I AM AN UNAPOLOGETIC SUN SLUT! Anyhoo just walking to catch the teleferic I passed a salsa band playing by the sea. I could stop and listen – time was mine. I then wandered a bit further – stopped and sat under these eautiful weeping trees in dappled light while kd crooned “Hallelujah” – trite but true.





Finally I made it to the teleferic. Now I’m not usually afraid of heights but to be suspended by a wire over a bay suddenly seemed fucking dumb! Especially with such basic mechanics and a tendency for the whole thing to sway
(OMG just glanced outside the train as it pulls into a station and there was a cute little rabbit ). Anyhoo, the views were spectacular. To see Barcelona from up high was worth the minor panic attack

I arrived at Montjuic – and, again, meandered along paths and stopped at look outs and ENJOYED the depth of green and clarity of blue that only perfect sun can produce. I ate my desayonuro - pulpo y tomates bocadillo. Then I headed for the Miro exhibit which also had a temporary contemporary exhibit by Pipilloto (not sure if this is accurate spelling)





Well fuck me this exhibition was awesome. I spent at least dos horas en todo. Pipilloti’s was a free wheeling video/projection installation that went over 5-6 rooms. It seemed to confront the audience with the visceria of humanness/domesticity and quiet moments. It was cerebral, experiential and playful. Some rooms required you to lie down – almost meditate while a series of images and an accompanying soundtrack – moody and melodic (at times disturbing) transported you. Other giant spaces projected images onto a kitchen.
One of my favourites was a dark space of diaphanous cloth where words were projected. The cloth was hung in rows and as gente walked down each one we were inevitably incorporated into the exhibition as the words were projected onto us. But even more special was when a child decided to run free-flight through these “curtains” of cloth, freeing the adults to do so 
OK everyone, sing along... "she's got the whole world in her ..." yeah!

The tactile interactivity seemed to carry through to the Miro exhibit which I also loved,। The rug is not done justice – at all – in photographic form… it is two floors high and so luscious in texture and vivid in colour… I had to really restrain myself from stroking it (another potential Cornelia Rau moment)

I loved it all – the space, the freedom to wonder (and take photos on the sly hehehe!)... oh and the art itself

The roof-top terrace filled with sculptures is special… the backdrop is an outlook across Barcelona and beautiful parks – colours again heightened by the contrast with terracotta coloured edificios. Oh and do you like that I found my doppelganger? Same top, same glasses, same skin tones and posture!

When I had finally finished it was my intention to walk for 20 minutes to the next museo But I forgot that even in the most touristy spots the Spanish shut up shop at 2p on a Sunday. So, instead, after I had another mini-picnic of grapes beside a waterfall, I wound my way down Montjuic and did the long walk home. A perfect day… though I did end it with a slight rojo glow!

TRAVELING ON YOUR OWN IS FULL OF MAGIC MOMENTS. I think being in your own head allows contemplation and noticing. It leaves space for resonance … for wandering and wonder. Even when with others you can reverse back into your self and allow those unexpected moments to cascade and breathe.

But it’s always small, private, human interactions that fascinate me। I need to start this one by saying that old people are out and about MUCH more in Spain। They leave their pisos and head to the placa where they sit and talk or watch or… just estar. They wander about taking in their surrounds – kinda like I do when on vaccacion! I have also observed that their middle-aged/elderly children and sometimes teenage grandkids take the time more to walk with them – hold them, support them and take them for their wander, slowly, gently. They treat their old folk better than we treat our dogs… in fact many in Australia don’t even treat their dogs that well. (Note to self – take mum for a walk when I get back ;) )

Anyways this day a VERY frail and elderly man was shuffling along on his zimmer frame alone. Moving more slowly than I have seen anyone move. But he just kept shuffling along – clearly on a mission. In 5 minutes he had moved less than half a block. I was fascinated and admiring … then I realised I wasn’t alone.

A young girl – maybe 5-6 – had also seen him and was fascinated. Her fascination took her further. After a minute or two she began to follow him and exactly mimic his gestures. There was nothing cruel or mocking in her intent – she was just mesmerized and needed to feel his experience… hell I might have done it but (see Cornelia Rau paranoias!) For about 1 minute she mirrored him without him being aware… until her mum yelled out at her to stop.

IN SPAIN I THINK OF MY GRANDMOTHER with every cup of tea and bowl of cereal – essentially because ALL the milk here – even when you buy it from the fridge section of the supermarket – tastes like powdered milk, which she was a big fan of! And be very careful as a tea drinker if you ask for te con leche (tea with milk) you may need to be more specific. Twice I have been served tea lat`es! I लिखे it a milky tea… but only when it’s made with actual milk… and some water!

ACTS OF KINDNESS. Being in a foreign country, you are frequently treated to moments of kindness – people who act as interpreters, people who notice you are lost and give you directions… people who notice you’ve left your bag/wallet open (again) and let you know.
A couple of acts of kindness in my last few days really moved me…
Jan kindly agreed to look after my luggage while I trekked around Spain – thank fuck it would have been a real arse pain – he even lugged it up 3 flights of these rickety stairs!
A lovely woman who locked her shop and walked with me to show me where there were some hidden loos!
On the last day or two of my time in Barcelona I was quite crook with fever/flu.. one evening when we were leaving tapas to head home (well I was heading home) it was absolutely pissing rain. The others jogged off to the station but Emre and Thomas toddled behind with me getting drenched.
But what really moved me was when Jan arrived at school the next day… he had brought 3 packets of Lemsip (a drugged up lemon drink) with him. How fucken nice!
It’s these gestures that are noticed and matter… the Lemsip also actually helped me sleep on the train to Valencia… he single-handedly stopped me from dying of pneumonia I'm sure ;)
And that Thomas stayed up after clubbing to say good-bye at 7am was also really lovely!


REGRETS – I HAVE A FEW… but not many. There were a coupla things on my to do list that I don’t really care that I never did – some galleries and stuff but a few things I do regret. I never made it to Park Guell which is meant to be lovely for some random (it’s ok, I just shot myself) wandering I wanted to go to Figueres to see the Dali museum (it’s a whole day trip – bugger eh, Jane?). I also wanted to go to Sitges (a seaside town about an hour away) but never made it… I’ve added them to the “next time” list! I probably also regret not living with a family while studying (I REALLY enjoyed living in the flat BUT I would have immersed myself in more Spanish language rather than English!). I regret not spending a week in Barcelona when I wasn’t studying – even if it was only 2 hours a day! I regret not seeing any live theatre. I regret not having more time!

For now though I will get off the train and meet up with the only 3 fellow tourists that I met … Johannah, Jan and Emre. Then it’s time to head to Paris. Life is so hard!

PS I had a lovely last day in Barcelona soaking in sunshine and lovely company... some of whom I feel sure I'lल. meet again... somewhere!