More than a city

Barcelona, where do I begin? I think the only reason I came here was something to do with looking at the list of upcoming marathons, and finding that the Barcelona one fit with my schedule (it perfectly being the weekend after my exam). That and also me hearing good things about it; one particular friend saying that it was my kind of city, and he wasn't wrong!

I think it would be difficult to find a place as pleasant as Barcelona. And a large part of this is thanks to its people. They seem extremely chilled out and happy (and with such beautiful weather, who could blame them?). I spoke to a German guy in the airport on the way back, and we were talking about the crowd's support along the marathon route, and he mentioned something interesting: they weren't really cheering the runners along, they were cheering the fact that you chose their city to run in. I could tell from the start that they were an extremely proud bunch of people; not really in the bad sense, and you could see their familiar red and yellow striped flags adorning balconies and shop windows everywhere. They have their own language. They're extremely proud of their football club (and who could blame them; Messi is a legend), whose fitting motto is 'more than a club'. Barcelona were actually playing the evening after my marathon, but with my aching legs, and my lack of expertise dealing with the black market ticket touts in another language, I thought better not to. They won 7-0, Messi scoring a hattrick, becoming the highest ever scoring player for the team in its history, and I heard the whole match commentary (not in English) blaring from a neighbour's flat nearby. I think I may have made the wrong choice.

Anyway, here in Barcelona, you could tell that they were happy with who they identified themselves to be, and with the stunning city they lived in. I liked the way old men relaxed together under the shade of trees, or how a neighbour would have a chat with you, not because they wanted anything, but just because they were friendly. I don't know what makes them like this, but I'm sure it has something to do with the weather; imagine the UK was more sunny, how we'd be! (Actually, I'm sure we'd find some way to complain). It could be something to do with many of them being descended from immigrants, and the social cohesion needed to keep everything working. Either way, they were an extremely welcoming bunch.

I'm not oblivious to the fact that there are social problems. Apparently unemployment is extremely high, and the Catalans want to separate from mainland Spain (also interestingly, the German guy also told me how barely any Spaniards support their national football team, because the populations of each region are 'patriotic' to their region and their region alone). There also seemed to be a more sinister element which I didn't completely understand, reflected in a lot of anti nazi graffiti I saw. And then of course was the whole episode over privatisation of their health system (which we can obviously sympathise with).

On the topic of graffiti, I found that a lot of it actually beautified the city and made it more colourful. The whole city seems like thought has been put into its design, and I'm sure this Gaudi artist guy has had some impact. Even after my marathon, with my aching legs, I felt so happy (yes, genuinely happy) walking for hours on end in this city. And getting lost. That is one of the positives of travelling alone; no one will get annoyed at you for losing your way, and instead you can take your time and ask directions from the locals, and maybe even take a detour because a certain place looked interesting (and trust me, there was loads of that).

In terms of the marathon itself, it was amazing (if you don't count the latter half which involved extreme pain, cramps and searingly hot weather). The pre-race atmosphere was like none I had been in before (with confetti and everything), and the people along the route enthusiastically cheered you on (oh and they could pronounce my name properly!). As nice as the marathon was, I still think nothing I have seen so far matches up to London, but Barcelona comes in a close second.

I also saw Muslims. But what saddened me was that it looked like, apart from being an obvious minority, they weren't in a happy place economically (I'm talking about the residents, not the random Arab tourists who walked up and down La Rambla like it was Edgware Road). The Pakistanis seemed content with their fruit shops and small takeaways, and there was a mix of other nationalities. Maybe it was just the short amount of time I spent there, but it did not look like Muslims were particularly people of a high social class in Barcelona, and this reflected in the main mosque being near the red light district (well, I saw women loitering on doorsteps; I didn't ask too many questions). Compare this to when Muslims were ruling Spain for 800 years before the Spanish Inquisition, being at the height of civilisation and the envy of the rest of the world. Whilst it saddens me to see us in such a helpless state, I know things will change, but that will only come when we better ourselves and the people around us. It also saddens me how the locals aren't Muslim, especially with how nice they are, and how awesome they'd be if they were guided to Islam. One day.

Overall, Barcelona was a breath of fresh air, exceeding all my expectations. I definitely want to come back and spend more time taking it all in, maybe alone, or maybe with friends who have the same 'wanderlust' as me, and who won't lose their patience if we decide not to take public transport everywhere. And yes, since I've been back in the UK, getting on the tube in this not-so-pleasant weather, I have been tempted to learn Spanish/Catalan and disappear to Barcelona, maybe working as a doctor there before I run out of clean clothes and come rushing back home. :P