Tonight we are in Barcelona... capital of Catalonia... second biggest city in Spain... but most important of all, it is the capital of weirdness in Spain... perhaps in the world.
We took the winding coast road from Perpignan... first to the lovely seaside village of Collioure... where the local feudal lord built his fort right on the water's edge of a beautiful harbour. The amount of brick in the fort probably exceeds all the bricks used in the rest of the village combined.
The drive down the coast was beautiful but slow... each little Bay seemed to have its own village surrounded by steep hills... grape vines decorated the hillsides... rocky outcrops giving a sense of why pirates used to love this coastline.
Our focus was on Barcelona... a city that has made itself a haven for every discontent and weirdo since time immemorial... especially weirdos from the architectural fraternity.
Barcelona started as a small Roman village... noted for its natural beauty rather than its potential to generate wealth. The Middle Ages was a difficult period for Barcelona... trying to stay independent of its larger and more powerful neighbours. The Catalonians don't look to compromise as their first solution to any conflict... they had their own language... minted their own coins... what could Spain or Aragon offer Barcelona that they didn't have already? Eventually, greater Spain emerged and Barcelona accepted its role of Number Two city. From time to time, laws have been passed forbidding Catalonians to speak their native tongue... but the language has survived. Barcelona was a centre for resistance against the Franco regime... a big battle occurred in 1939 that saw Barcelona invaded and a large number of citizens fleeing into the countryside. Tomorrow, is a public holiday in Catalonia to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Siege of Barcelona that they lost (in 1714) after 14 months of resistance... and will give an opportunity to those citizens seeking independence of Catalonia from Spain... (never say die... never compromise) an opportunity to raise their voices.... you have to love it. Even Catalonians in London are joining their voices to the cause... I hope Sydney can forget about how boring democratic elections can be... and join in with Barcelona... to remember the high price paid in other parts of the world for democratic rights.
In recent years Barcelona has nurtured architects with (over vivid) imaginations. Particularly renowned are the works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluìs Doménech i Montaner. We haven't had time yet to see their buildings... but the pictures show constructions that have remained unfinished after a decade or more of construction... buildings that have very limited functional use, but have cost the city tens of millions to build. There appears to be few other cities around the world willing to be so indulgent towards their artists.
Probably because it's different, people flock to Barcelona... they love the place. It is the largest city on the Mediterranean and the fastest growing city in Spain. Perhaps, if Sydney... and other major cities of the world... stopped being so scared of being different... be prepared to be seen as a little crazy... the world would be more colourful... more enjoyable... and more accepting of people who look and behave a bit differently.
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