Barcelona: A City Alive Everywhere

By Arnie Greenberg
Contact Arnie at
Ultours@gmail.com

I thought I knew how friendly and lively Barcelona was. I had been there many times but not for so long. With a month to get
to know the city better, I wandered the streets of different districts and made new discoveries.

(There always seems to be something going on in Barcelona)

There was something going on every day. Sometimes it was planned ahead and I just fell on it, while at other times it was something I had been told about.

One day there was a street festival with giant statues that danced around controlled, I discovered, by people on stilts. They represented the Queen, King, animals and old people. The whole affair which coincided with a religious holiday brought out cotton candy vendors, musicians and children everywhere.

Another day I fell on a gathering of three bands with people dancing to celebrate the opening of a new square.

(A band plays as people dance the sardana on a Sunday afternoon in Barcelona)

(And meanwhile, the crowds enjoy the dance...)

But these were special events. On Sundays, people of a certain age gathered near the cathedral, held hands in a circle and danced to live music.

This was the traditional Sardana, and after a few weeks I noticed that some of the same dancers (almost 200) were the same. The music was infectious. One week longer and I'd have joined in. Today, dancing the Sardana is like an expression of freedom, since it had been outlawed by Franco. It is also an expression of the unique Catalonian verve and spirit.

Then there were the artists and their street scenes that I couldn't resist. Near the cathedral there were always musicians and even an opera singer. These were talented men and women who sold their CDs and collected tips. There was always a group watching.

(There are enough street artists to capture your attention all day long in Barcelona)

But it was along Las Ramblas that I had the most fun. Every day, and especially on Sundays, men or women would stand on a soapbox and pose without moving. They would come alive when the sound of a coin was dropped in a box.

(A live "statue" in Barcelona: drop a coin in his box, and he moves for you!)

Then they would pose with the donor. I saw a man who looked like the navigator of a ship, and another who sat on a bicycle without moving, then suddenly came to life.

(Like a ship's navigator, this "statue" stands very still)

There was a North American Indian; an angel and a man who manipulated a walking duck. The children were enthralled and put coins in the duck's mouth which were laboriously swallowed to the joy of the crowd.

(A child places a coin in the duck's mouth)

There were young Argentine tango dancers who were very popular and one statue of a cigar-smoking Cuban one would swear was Che Guevarra.

Every few minutes he, too, would come alive and begin a diatribe about Cuban independence and the cause of his people. These statues or mimes were always there, ready to have their picture taken. I often sat on one of the permanent chairs and spent an hour watching in the warm sun.

(Barcelona's streets even have room for impromtu tango dancers!)

Yes, Barcelona in January was in the 50s and 60s. It even allowed for a wonderful water display, where hundreds gathered as the fountains played in various colors to the sound of classical music… (Picture)

The city is like a virtual theatre…and there's no charge for watching…