Okay, my love affair with Barcelona has come to the point when the bitter-sweet truth must be discussed. I’ve never been one to beat around the bush – so for the sake of raw honesty, this city stinks! I’m not being figurative here, it literally stinks – as in foul odor, smells bad, “pee-ewe”, stench, reek, pong, tang……..ultimately a hold-your-nose kind of waft to the air. I say “thank god the beach is close” or we’d (ahem) be up shits creek.
I imagine that Venice (Italy) smells very similar (es lo mismo) – and actually I asked my “Barcelonian” flat-mate, Alicia, if she knew that to be true – and she does. It is. It’s like their sewage system runs just below the surface of the streets – and the streets have vents!
Whatever the issue, it’s rather unpleasant, especially on these hot and humid days. Did I mention that it’s humid? I finally bought one of those hand-fans that look oh-so-feminine to use while in the metro (underground es hace MUCHO calor y humidio!) and wouldn’t you know it…..I bought one that suggests political conflict! It’s red and orange and says “Espana” in beautiful letters across the fan blades and there’s a picture of a bull. Well, for those of you who don’t know about Catalunya’s history allow me to share (in brief) that the Catalonian people have GREAT resistance to Spain and fiercely believe in their right to exist as a free state/country. They have their own language, culture etc. and DO NOT LIKE BULLFIGHTING! So as you can see…..my new fan causes me to loose some points with the locals! Tomorrow is September 11th – Catalunya’s day of mourning for the battle they lost almost 300 years ago – a reminder of what they’re fighting for. Everything is closed, except for the historical museums and all over the city the gold and red flag hangs from balconies. There are usually (so I’m told) demonstrations and activists in Placa Espana (one of the central plazas) – I’m planning on heading out of town! I toyed with the idea of going to Valencia for four days (no school on Thurs or Friday) but it proved to be more expensive than was comfortable so instead I convinced my local language exchange friend (Alex) to drive me to Figueres where there is a Dali museum – open on the holiday!
I found the flea market today – el mercat de encants velles (that’s Catalan) Gotta love a flea market! I need to pick up art supplies for school and have found the local stores either very expensive or weak in product and hadn’t purchased anything yet. Then today at the mercat I found a big canvas for 6 euros, fabric for 2 euros a meter, a leather pelt for 5 euros, and spools of thread for an average of 75 centavos a spool. Then later I was walking through my little barrio (neighborhood) and found a store with fabric paints. The ‘it’s almost impossible to find’ was found – by chance! My happy delirium sent me across the street to this beautiful looking restaurant where I ordered a pizza with york (sweet ham) and pinas (pineapple). Sadly my happy delirium was quickly turned to vapor – as the restaurant filled with smoking patrons and my pizza tasted like moldy mineral water with bursts of salty sugar. Don’t you worry though - I know how to cheer myself right up! Yes, yes……the sexy Argentinean man who sells gelato. I went for a little visit – and a little dulce de leche ☺ All better!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Aye mi madre!
My sincerest apologies.....I've been neglecting you. It's been WAY too long since I've posted here - been so immersed in life overseas.
I'll paste something a wrote last week (or so) after this note - since I don't have much else to add at the moment. It's not that things aren't happening - or that I don't have stories to tell......it's just that time thing......and I've been inspired at school (can you hear the angels singing?) so my focus has been elsewhere. I should be getting some pics (from my friend who has a digital camera) from a trip I took up North to Figueres to see the Dali museum - a TOTAL trip! and I'll post them once I have them - and internet access.
As is common with me I'm making a lot of British friends - can't help it - we just always end up getting on famously. So there's this small gaggle of women (me being the only American) artists who always seem to find some interesting place to settle in for the day (last week it was a market stall - 2 women from my school rented a booth for the day to sell their work) and laugh - a lot! It's a good 'ol time.
I'm also remembering to spend time with my Spanish friends - who are a wonderful help to me with the language. Alex and Pepa - (who haven't met eachother yet....but I'm scheming a get-to-gether!) are both brilliant humans and delightful companions. I was really ill with a nasty flu for 10 days and didn't get out to do anything - just practiced Spanish from my "Spanish for Dummies" book. It's pretty good actually - but conversation with others is invaluable.
More to come soon, I promise.
con abrazos y besos-
Robyn
I'll paste something a wrote last week (or so) after this note - since I don't have much else to add at the moment. It's not that things aren't happening - or that I don't have stories to tell......it's just that time thing......and I've been inspired at school (can you hear the angels singing?) so my focus has been elsewhere. I should be getting some pics (from my friend who has a digital camera) from a trip I took up North to Figueres to see the Dali museum - a TOTAL trip! and I'll post them once I have them - and internet access.
As is common with me I'm making a lot of British friends - can't help it - we just always end up getting on famously. So there's this small gaggle of women (me being the only American) artists who always seem to find some interesting place to settle in for the day (last week it was a market stall - 2 women from my school rented a booth for the day to sell their work) and laugh - a lot! It's a good 'ol time.
I'm also remembering to spend time with my Spanish friends - who are a wonderful help to me with the language. Alex and Pepa - (who haven't met eachother yet....but I'm scheming a get-to-gether!) are both brilliant humans and delightful companions. I was really ill with a nasty flu for 10 days and didn't get out to do anything - just practiced Spanish from my "Spanish for Dummies" book. It's pretty good actually - but conversation with others is invaluable.
More to come soon, I promise.
con abrazos y besos-
Robyn
Monday, September 1, 2008
La dee dah
Hello all!
Can you believe it’s been two weeks?
I have to tell you that siesta’s are the best invention, ever! The life-style here is so intelligent – which is probably why the people seem so relaxed, so content, so….. together. I know, I know….they can’t be reduced to such a general observation – I am just loving the “la-dee da” stroll that seems to permeate the streets. Summer’s almost over though, maybe I’ll see a change in the energy.
I moved into my new flat. Yes, I had to say goodbye to Gloria and her wonderful hospitality (and I must add this embarrassing little note….her name isn’t Gloria. It’s Maria Dolores! Please don’t ask how I got Gloria from that, or why she never corrected me when I said “Gloria, es me Angel!” I have no answer!). She insisted on having my mobile phone number though so she could invite me to her Paella dinners. It’s nice to think that perhaps she enjoyed me as much as I enjoyed her. My other friends in the building: Ramon – the doorman and (another) Maria (and her two delightful daughters Arriana and Lucia) also insisted that we stay in touch and find occasions to meet up again. Little Arriana intelligently planned a cooking day (peanut-butter bears!) for me and invited me to her 5th birthday party. She cried when I was leaving ☹ I was a bit sorrowful to leave the beautiful, tree-filled foothills of Sarria, Sant Gervasi too – especially since I was headed to L’Hospitalet.
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is, shall we say, rough around the edges but not without charm. It’s a barrio (neighborhood) just on the outskirts of Barcelona proper. It’s a working-class area backed by an industrial-fiesta of production warehouses. The ‘town’ itself has the magic that areas with little ‘extra’ money often have – a creative flair, tons of Asian restaurants, active people (women carrying 8 HEAVY plastic bags full of groceries and laundry) and raucously-wild teenagers. I’ve also seen a prostitute or two……I think. It’s hard to say. My gay-dar and my whore-dar are apparently not working very well in Europe. My school is a 10-15 minute ride on the metro in an area known as Sants – which is in Barcelona. Also a working-class neck of the woods but with a little more of interest than here in L’Hospitalet. (I start classes on Wednesday)
My flat is an oasis in the middle of no-where-land. It’s on the first floor (a hop up from ground level) of a modest 4-story building. The entire floor is big Spanish tile and the décor matches. (pottery, odd-shaped bottles, old native tools, wooden barrels, bull skulls. It’s very Spanish-Mediterranean – and I like it.) It’s very roomy…plenty of ‘living’ space….which is rare for this price range – rare in fact for most ‘student’ flats in Barcelona. My room is the smallest of the three but it is the ONLY room that has French doors that open up to the HUGE private terrace! Being as how this is summer and I’m in Spain…I’m very happy about this fact. Come winter, I may change my tune….but that’s later.
I’ve yet to find a food market near my new home. The only thing I found was a market called Dia – which sells things that resemble food but are actually just processed chemical experiments wrapped in colorful packages. They have a bread called “bimbo”. Need I say more? I think that the Sants area will have more to offer me. Then I can get one of those old-lady wheely carts (just for you mom!) to truck my groceries home in ☺
Onward and forward with project Barcelona!
Can you believe it’s been two weeks?
I have to tell you that siesta’s are the best invention, ever! The life-style here is so intelligent – which is probably why the people seem so relaxed, so content, so….. together. I know, I know….they can’t be reduced to such a general observation – I am just loving the “la-dee da” stroll that seems to permeate the streets. Summer’s almost over though, maybe I’ll see a change in the energy.
I moved into my new flat. Yes, I had to say goodbye to Gloria and her wonderful hospitality (and I must add this embarrassing little note….her name isn’t Gloria. It’s Maria Dolores! Please don’t ask how I got Gloria from that, or why she never corrected me when I said “Gloria, es me Angel!” I have no answer!). She insisted on having my mobile phone number though so she could invite me to her Paella dinners. It’s nice to think that perhaps she enjoyed me as much as I enjoyed her. My other friends in the building: Ramon – the doorman and (another) Maria (and her two delightful daughters Arriana and Lucia) also insisted that we stay in touch and find occasions to meet up again. Little Arriana intelligently planned a cooking day (peanut-butter bears!) for me and invited me to her 5th birthday party. She cried when I was leaving ☹ I was a bit sorrowful to leave the beautiful, tree-filled foothills of Sarria, Sant Gervasi too – especially since I was headed to L’Hospitalet.
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is, shall we say, rough around the edges but not without charm. It’s a barrio (neighborhood) just on the outskirts of Barcelona proper. It’s a working-class area backed by an industrial-fiesta of production warehouses. The ‘town’ itself has the magic that areas with little ‘extra’ money often have – a creative flair, tons of Asian restaurants, active people (women carrying 8 HEAVY plastic bags full of groceries and laundry) and raucously-wild teenagers. I’ve also seen a prostitute or two……I think. It’s hard to say. My gay-dar and my whore-dar are apparently not working very well in Europe. My school is a 10-15 minute ride on the metro in an area known as Sants – which is in Barcelona. Also a working-class neck of the woods but with a little more of interest than here in L’Hospitalet. (I start classes on Wednesday)
My flat is an oasis in the middle of no-where-land. It’s on the first floor (a hop up from ground level) of a modest 4-story building. The entire floor is big Spanish tile and the décor matches. (pottery, odd-shaped bottles, old native tools, wooden barrels, bull skulls. It’s very Spanish-Mediterranean – and I like it.) It’s very roomy…plenty of ‘living’ space….which is rare for this price range – rare in fact for most ‘student’ flats in Barcelona. My room is the smallest of the three but it is the ONLY room that has French doors that open up to the HUGE private terrace! Being as how this is summer and I’m in Spain…I’m very happy about this fact. Come winter, I may change my tune….but that’s later.
I’ve yet to find a food market near my new home. The only thing I found was a market called Dia – which sells things that resemble food but are actually just processed chemical experiments wrapped in colorful packages. They have a bread called “bimbo”. Need I say more? I think that the Sants area will have more to offer me. Then I can get one of those old-lady wheely carts (just for you mom!) to truck my groceries home in ☺
Onward and forward with project Barcelona!
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