JOIN USHola from Barcelona!
When you say ‘football’, which world-class teams are you reminded of? If your heart beats faster at the sound of FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, then a special “Hola!” to you. Let’s take an armchair trip to Barcelona — a major Mediterranean port and cultural centre.
Let’s get a bit of politics out of the way. Madrid is the capital of Spain. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, which is an autonomous community in north-eastern Spain. The Catalans have long struggled for Independence from Spain and have so far achieved autonomy and official recognition of their separate identity. Every year, the city conducts an annual Independence protest, which is well organised and almost has an air of festivity. Culturally, the Catalans see themselves as distinct from the rest of Spain. Their language is Catalan.
It was during the time of the Roman Empire (about 2,000 years ago) that Barcelona acquired significance as a major port. Its beautiful location between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains added to its attraction. The Romans called it Barcino. But a strategic location can be a good and a bad thing. It was heavily fortified and this prevented the city from growing for a long time and led to congestion at the heart.
Barcelona not only has a famous football team but also unique architecture and a world-famous white sand beach. Interestingly, the beach did not exist until about 30 years ago. A rocky waterfront was converted into a beach with sand brought all the way from Egypt as part of the beautification before the Barcelona Olympics. Since then, the sand has been replenished to make the 4.5 km beach one of the prettiest in the world.
But it’s the architecture that remains one of the biggest talking points for people. Barcelona has nine pieces listed as World Heritage Sites and many of them owe their stature to one architect — Antoni Gaudi.
If Catalonia considers itself ‘different’ from the rest of Spain, then Gaudi symbolises this uniqueness. Nowhere would we see a church such as La Sagrada Familia. And, after 100 years, it’s still a work in progress! While the tallest spire represents Christ, 10 more spires are yet to be finished, which will represent other major Biblical figures. Gothic and Art Noveau styles are combined with Gaudi’s own style to create an architectural masterpiece. Gustave Eiffel originally planned the Eiffel Tower for Barcelona but the city rejected the plan.
As a cultural hub, the city hosts several music festivals, carnivals and street parties all through the year. It has been home to writers like Orwell and Hemingway and artists like Picasso.
About 12 million people visit this ‘different’ city every year? Would you like to be one among them?