1. més que una ciutat
May. 11th, 2009 01:18 pmThis is Barcelona:
[Screencap from the Spanish film No me pidas que te bese, porque te besaré.]
Or rather, this is "my" Barcelona. This is the Barcelona that I want to spend the rest of my life in. This isn't Gaudí's Barcelona, this isn't the Barcelona that comes to mind when the city name pops up in everday conversation. This is the "real" Barcelona. The Barcelona for Barcelonians (??), the Barcelona for Catalans, and possibly even the Barcelona for Spaniards.
It's a background, it's a setting. It's not the main character, it's not the focus of attention. It's a real city with real people and a real culture. It's unique and beautiful and charming and the most incredible city I've ever had the chance to experience.
It's "my" Barcelona. It's all there, the Sagrada Família, the Passeig de Gràcia, the Parc Güell, all of it. It's there. But that's not what defines Barcelona, at least not to me. The Barcelona I fell in love with last year isn't the tourists' Barcelona, it's the natives' Barcelona. It's the Barcelona that real people live and work in, where they conduct their daily lives. Not that there's anything wrong with the tourists' Barcelona, but it's not for me.
I love Barcelona for what it is. A city with its own culture, its own language, its own way of life. I love it for its culture and its language (I am convinced that Catalan is the most beautiful language on the planet), and if I ever get the chance to live there one day I will relish every minute. Not because "It's Barcelona!" but because it is home. I'd rather look at a city through the eyes of a native than the eyes of a foreigner of a tourist. That's how I fell in love with Barcelona.
This is my dedication to the city that stole my heart in May of 2008. Because it's more than Gaudí, it's more than a tourist destination. The local soccer club has as its motto "més que un club", "more than a club" in Catalan. Barcelona, to me, is "més que una ciutat", "more than a city".
[Screencap from the Spanish film No me pidas que te bese, porque te besaré.]
Or rather, this is "my" Barcelona. This is the Barcelona that I want to spend the rest of my life in. This isn't Gaudí's Barcelona, this isn't the Barcelona that comes to mind when the city name pops up in everday conversation. This is the "real" Barcelona. The Barcelona for Barcelonians (??), the Barcelona for Catalans, and possibly even the Barcelona for Spaniards.
It's a background, it's a setting. It's not the main character, it's not the focus of attention. It's a real city with real people and a real culture. It's unique and beautiful and charming and the most incredible city I've ever had the chance to experience.
It's "my" Barcelona. It's all there, the Sagrada Família, the Passeig de Gràcia, the Parc Güell, all of it. It's there. But that's not what defines Barcelona, at least not to me. The Barcelona I fell in love with last year isn't the tourists' Barcelona, it's the natives' Barcelona. It's the Barcelona that real people live and work in, where they conduct their daily lives. Not that there's anything wrong with the tourists' Barcelona, but it's not for me.
I love Barcelona for what it is. A city with its own culture, its own language, its own way of life. I love it for its culture and its language (I am convinced that Catalan is the most beautiful language on the planet), and if I ever get the chance to live there one day I will relish every minute. Not because "It's Barcelona!" but because it is home. I'd rather look at a city through the eyes of a native than the eyes of a foreigner of a tourist. That's how I fell in love with Barcelona.
This is my dedication to the city that stole my heart in May of 2008. Because it's more than Gaudí, it's more than a tourist destination. The local soccer club has as its motto "més que un club", "more than a club" in Catalan. Barcelona, to me, is "més que una ciutat", "more than a city".
