Barceloneta Walking Tour

            Barceloneta is one of my favorite areas in Spain. I typically only travel to Barceloneta for the beach, but I was thankful for the walking class because it allowed us to further explore the area. The narrow back streets of Barceloneta give the feeling of an old village. There are decorated balconies with the Catalan flag, Spanish flag and other patriotic symbols. But, with Barceloneta being a great beach location, this area also attracts many tourists. It’s interesting to walk around the small corridors of the older town, then turn the corner to see a line of expensive sea food restaurants with waiters and waitresses beckoning people inside.

The beach at Barceloneta with the famous W Hotel in the background.

            I find the history of this area incredibly interesting as well. The neighborhood was constructed during the 18^th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona. Fishermen were the first to populate the area due to the close proximity of the sea. (De la Garza, 2014)

           One of the most interesting aspects of Barcelona, was the way that the streets resemble the politics and the social movements of Barcelona. Barceloneta may not contain the most popular examples of graffiti art like the graffiti corner in Barcelona, but I believe the art still carries a similar weight. (Street art and graffiti in Barcelona, n.d.) Graffiti covers the walls of Barceloneta. It is hard to find a blank garage door or electrical box that hasn’t been brightly colored. During the walking class, I was in the group to study the graffiti. Some were scribbled words in Catalan or Spanish, and others were elaborate pictures. We also found different yellow ribbons representing Catalan independence as well as a sign that symbolized the Okupa Movement. In this area, it was very clear that people used their voice through this domain.

An example of graffiti that we found in Barceloneta on a electrical box.

           In addition, it was interesting to see the amount of people in each area of Barcelona, depending on what street you were on. At by the water, there are crowds of people, watching the water or gawking at the sand castles built along the beach. Even though I am a temporary tourist, I find myself getting overwhelmed with the crowds. It made me further understand why in addition to flags, some people had signs that encouraged tourists to leave the area. Being in Barceloneta really did make me think about the impacts of tourism on Barcelona. The beautiful streets in that area look almost as they did 200 years ago, and I do realize that many people have grown up in that neighborhood and have been greatly impacted by tourism. Especially, with the influx of Airbnbs and illegal temporary housing for tourists. (França, 2014) But, at the same time, the area greatly benefits from the influx of people as there economy is greatly impacted with the money spent in the area.

An example of the pyramids that are built in the sand as a tourist attraction.

            Overall, Barceloneta was a great area and I enjoyed seeing both the traditional areas, the daily life and also the tourism in the area and how locals react.

Sources:

De la Garza, M. M. (2014). Transformaciones urbanísticas y movimientos vecinales actuales. El caso de la Barceloneta, Barcelona. Geo Crítica. Recuperado desde: http://www.ub.edu/geocrit/coloquio2014/Muna%20Makhlouf%20De%20la%20Garza.pdf

França, J. (22 agosto 2014). La Barceloneta, un barrio desbordado por el turismo. El Diario. Recuperado desde: http://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/Barceloneta-barriodesbordadoturismo_0_295020536.html

Street art and graffiti in Barcelona. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/art/street-art-and-graffiti-in-barcelona

Girona Walking Tour

Girona was a beautiful city and one of my favorite walking classes. Touring Girona allows you to travel back to more than two thousand years of history. And, although I don’t watch The Game of Thrones, it was interesting to see the different areas where the show was filmed.

            One of my favorite attractions in Girona, the Forca Vella, is the mighty fortress with an almost triangular perimeter that the Romans built in the first century BC. It was the first city enclosure and it remained unchanged until the year 100. This fortress was well protected by a defensive wall (Girona Tourism For All Guide, n.d., p. 10). Parts of the wall can still be seen today and the towers provide a beautiful birds eye view of the city of Girona, and the best part is, it’s free! The famous Cathedral of Girona is located at the heart of the Forca Vella. The Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona, was built between the 11^th and the 18^th centuries. According to the Girona Tourism For All Guide, “The beautiful fortress includes a series of walls and spaces in different styles, from Romanesque (the cloister and Charlemagne tower) to the baroque façade and steps. Its most singular feature is its large Gothic nave (15th‐16th centuries) which, at a width of 23 meters, is the widest of its kind in the world.” (Girona Tourism For All Guide, n.d., p. 11) The audio walking tour was extremely informative and it was amazing how well kept everything in the church was. In addition, we learned that certain scenes from the Game of Thrones were filmed at the front on the steps which I thought was very interesting.

The Girona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona. It was built between the he 11^th and the 18^th centuries.

               Another spectacular site located in Forca Vella was the Jewish Quarter. It is known to be one of the city’s most emblematic areas with a labyrinth of narrow streets and patios that still have their original medieval appearance (La ciudad histrica, n.d., para. 1). It is also known to be one of the best persevered Jewish quarters in the world. It’s interesting as well going back and diving into the religious history of Girona as it actually didn’t start out as a primarily Jewish area. The dominant religion in 717 was Islam as Girona was predominately Muslim. The first Jewish families didn’t move into the area until between 889 and 890. The first synagogue wasn’t documented until 988 and it was said to be located nearby the cathedral (Girona, jewish city, n.d., p. 2). Between the founding of the Jewish quarter and the today, the Jews went through a series of persecution and attacks. Today, just as Spain is as a whole, the primarily religion in Girona is Catholicism, as symbolized with the large amount of cathedrals in the area.

A tight alley way we explored in the Jewish Quarter.

              Lastly, I enjoyed Girona for its Catalonian pride. The majority of the people I overheard were speaking in Catalan and in addition, the streets were dressed with Catalan flags draping over balcony’s and yellow ribbons were scattered around the city. Barcelona has a mixed view on the independence of Catalan, but it seemed as this town was all in agreement. Also, by having a strict culture of Catalan with little influence from other areas, it made me further understand the cultural difference between Catalonia and Spain, just another reason why they desire independence.

This building sits directly outside of the train station. It is decorated with the famous Catalan flags and labeled with a sign that reads Liberty. It is one of the many symbols in Girona that represents their desire for freedom from Spain.

Sources:

Girona, jewish city[PDF]. (n.d.). Girona: Ajuntament de Girona. Retrieved from http://www.girona.cat/adminwebs/docs/g/i/girona,ciutat_jueva_eng_web.pdf.

Girona Tourism For All Guide[PDF]. (n.d.). Girona: Ajuntament de Girona. Retrieved from http://www.girona.cat/shared/admin/docs/g/u/guia_accessibilitat.eng.pdf.

La ciudad histrica. (n.d.). Girona: Ajuntament de Girona. Retrieved from http://www.girona.cat/turisme/esp/monuments.php.

Catalonia – A Bird’s Eye View

These yellow strings were tied around the central bridge in Ribes de Freser in Catalonia, Spain, representing the pro-independence movement for Catalonia.

This Catalan flag is displayed on a someone’s front porch in Girona, Spain. The flag is a vexillological symbol based on the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, which consists of four red stripes on a yellow field.

This human tour event took place near the Les Corts metro stop in Barcelona, Spain. There was an event where four different teams competed. This photograph is a team from Sitges, Spain.

Before studying in Barcelona, the only fact that I confidently knew about the Catalonia region was that they speak another language, in addition to Spanish. Now, after studying in Catalonia for a few months, I have begun to grown and understand this region and how unique it is compared to its Spanish counterparts. As I studied the region, I began to have more empathy and understanding for its desire to be apart from Spain. It is not just the language that is different, its everything from its culture, to political views and even personality of its people. Catalonian people have a sense of pride about who they are and where they are from, and this all stems back to their roots, before they even became a part of Spain.

I believe the story of Catalan is written through their fight to speak their own language. Spain became a unified country with the Catalonian region in the 15th century under the reign of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castille. Their marriage united both their regions into one. In the beginning, the region was allowed to speak their native language and practice their traditions. But, this freedom was short-lived. Depending on the king or dictator at the time, Catalans often times lost their right to speak Catalan in public. (Holland, 2009) This form of oppression was most recently seen during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. During the control of Franco, people were killed for speaking Catalan in public. In addition, parents couldn’t name their kids Catalan names such as Jordi or Josep and worst of all, they disrespected the language by classifying it as a dialect. (Carlin, 2017) The language oppression slowly came to an end with the death of Franco in 1975. Today, the region is free to speak their native language and practice their traditions. Catalan is currently the co-official language, taught in every school, and the basis of the Catalan identity. I believe that this persecution led to the pride around the Catalan language the exists today.

Looking back at history, it seems as if Catalonia has always been fighting for their identity – a fight we can see today in their desire to be independent from Spain. I was shocked coming to Barcelona and seeing how many people wore the yellow Catalan ribbon on their clothing, representing their desire for Catalonian independence. But, I’ve started to look past their outward sign of independence and started to understand that when people hang their Catalan flag on their balcony, it represents more than just political desires. Identify with Catalonia means claiming an identity. Catalans are known to have the values of entrepreneurship and hard work, values that have led to Catalonia’s current success. In addition, Catalans are known to have a certain type of energy. It’s demonstrated in their traditional game, “Casteller” or the human tower in English. According to Cultural Narratives, “The popularity of the “Casteller” is symbol of Catalan energy:  taking risks, but planning carefully; reaching higher based on collective work, passion and expressivity; getting together but with a common goal.” (Abensour, n.d.) What I first thought was a niche competition that just a few Catalans participated in, I know realize aligns with the Catalan identity that this group of people holds so tightly to.

Overall, learning more about Catalonia, inside and outside of the class has allowed me to have a deeper understand and level of respect for this resilient region.

Sources:

Abensour, C. (n. d.). “Seny” or “rauxa”? Retrieved, 16 May 2018, from: http://www.abensourandpartners.com/232/

Carlin, J. (2017). Catalan independence: arrogance of Madrid explains this chaos. Retrieved, 16 May 2018, from: http://www.collectiuemma.cat/article/2813/catalan-independence-arrogance-of-madrid-explains-this-chaos-john-carlin-in-the-times

Holland, J. (2009). From Barcelona: What is a Catalan? Retrieved, 16 May 2018, from: https://www.expatica.com/es/insider-views/From-Barcelona-What-is-a-Catalan_103436.html