Contrasts

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I arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon. When the plane touched down I began to have the paranoid feeling that I hadn't travelled anywhere at all, and that the producers of my Truman Show-like life had just changed the sets when I dozed off on the plane. But after a few days in the city, I think it is safe to say that I am indeed in another country on another continent.

Because they are always grouped together as the leaders of the "developed" world, I tend to think of the United States and Europe as similar places. While there are some similarities between them, I have already noticed many stark contrasts between Barcelona and my home. The primary one is the lack of violence in this culture. While my fellow students and I have been continuously reminded to clutch our purses tightly and watch out for sly thieves around the crowded tourist traps, there has been very little mention of attackers, rapists, and otherwise dangerous criminals. Last night I asked my RA, a student from a Spanish university who lives in my apartment, whether it would be safe for me to walk the twenty minutes to a friend's house by myself at ten o'clock, and she replied, "Yes, of course," as if the question was almost a ridiculous one. In New York City, one of the safest cities in the United States, I was constantly vigilant and would not walk even a few blocks by myself after nine or ten at night if I could help it. And the bit of violence I did encounter in New York was senselessly destructive. If someone had tried to steal my purse or pick my pocket instead, at least I would have understood the motive for attack.

I have not yet seen much of the city, but something else I have noticed is that while there are "good" and "bad" neighborhoods, Barcelona is not divided into rich sections, middle class areas, and ghettos. Not only is the city racially and ethnically diverse (probably a result of its long history as a port and as part of a country through which many different types of people have passed over the centuries), but I haven't witnessed the socioeconomic polarization that characterizes many American cities. This is only a first impression, and I'm sure my understanding of racial and economic divisions within this city and country will deepen as I learn more about the history and politics.

A final strking feature of Barcelona has less to do with violence and more to do with history and design. Everyone I've met who has visited Barcelona raves that it is a beautiful, clean city and one of their favorite places in the world. Before arriving I braced myself for disappointment, assuming that these people were just overwhelmed by the euphoria which often accompanies European travel, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find their accounts of the city accurate. Every building and every street in Barcelona seems to have been constructed with great thought, care and artistry. Although I have seen a few standard-looking high rise apartment buildings, their banality is counteracted by the charming parks and gardens at their feet. Walking through the streets of the city, I have encountered architectural landmarks and magnificent spaces that are completely engrained in the urban fabric of Barcelona rather than constructed on top of it. As I visited the city's Arc de Triompf and it's first park, Parc de la Ciutadella, I felt like I was in Disney World. Every inch of these spaces was carefully designed, elaborately ornamented, and well maintained. I think it will take me the duration of my trip to internalize the idea that Barcelona and places like it are not imitating Disney World; it is the other way around. European cities existed long before Walt Disney was even a twinkle in his mother's eye, but the idea of a city with a history that is centuries long is so unfamiliar to me that I can only compare it to the faux-historical elements of the theme parks that I know so well.

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Photos

Beautiful Walkway
This walkway was leads from the Arc to the Parc, both of which were designed for a world exhibition in the 19th century.

Dragon!
One of many carefully carved creatures found around the Parc de la Ciutadella.

Mammuth
A delightfully odd mammoth statue tucked away in the park.

Boating in the Park
I rented a rowboat to explore the small, pretty lake in the late afternoon.