What an incredible week learning about Spain’s remarkable culture and politics! I did not realize how important the Bar?a football team was to this community until we went and visited Camp Nou. touring the museum and the stadium itself was truly eye-opening. Not only is the football team a point of pride for both Spain and Catalonia, but it is also deeply concerned with giving back to the community. The team recruits children from across the region to come and improve their athletic abilities while also ensuring that they are enrolled in school and are receiving a traditional education as kids should. The team started a school for impoverished kids that children from all over Barcelona and the region now go to improve their lives. Additionally, Bar?a has been a large supporter of Catalonia’s independence movement. The feelings behind this movement started while the fascist Fransisco Franco was ruling with an iron fist over all of Spain. He did not allow the people of Catalonia to speak their own language, practice their unique customs and traditions, or practice the amount of self-governance that they had become used to. This led to long-standing resentment against the national government even after the fall of fascism and in 2017 the region held a referendum and voted to declare independence from Spain. the National government responded by sending in the arming and violent protests ensued, but as of now Catalonia is still firmly a part of Spain and will likely remain so without further bloodshed.
On a lighter note, I also learned a lot about the exciting and lively culture of this beautiful region. My friends and I hiked up the trail that leads to the Bunkers Del Carmel. This spot was used as ariel defense during the brutal civil war but now it is a popular place for locals and visitors alike to go and watch the sunset. Hill on which the Bunkers are set is covered in the crumbling remnants of old forts, and the peak provides a spectacular 360 view of Barcelona, the Mediterranian, and the surrounding countryside. We also learned more about Antoni Gaud? as we toured Casa Mil?, a beautiful home along Passeig de Gr?cia. His work is largely inspired by nature and often resembles animals, plants, and geographic formations. He is famous for believing that we shouldn’t search for originality, but rather that we should imitate nature as it is the origin of everything.
I also traveled to a smaller town this weekend to see if a could get a more authentic experience of the country, and it turned out to be a thrilling adventure. My friends and I found a train one morning that would take us from Barcelona to Figueres and we took a taxi from there to Cadaqu?s on the northern coast of the region. We made it onto the train platform about thirty seconds before departure and embarked across the breathtaking Spanish countryside. It was like a scene out of an old war movie, gently rolling hills and fields of grain, broken by isolated farming towns with houses made of brick and stone. When we arrived in the coastal town of Cadaqu?s, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have never seen something so picturesque. The crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean reflected the white stone houses spread along steep rocky cliffs and smooth stone beaches. We wandered around eating tapas and gelato and exploring the local churches and hot spots such as the house of Salvador Dal?. We then swam with the locals in the frigid waters out to a floating platform and sat talking about the differences between our two countries.
I’ve only been here for a week now and already I feel myself becoming accustomed to the laid-back and easy-going lifestyle of the Spanish people. Without the hustle and bustle of American life, we are free to enjoy life and admire the scenes and experiences that life is providing. I have no idea what else Spain has in store for me, and I can not wait to find out!
