Sheer Driving Pleasure ... not

To put it plainly, you need nerves of steel to drive here. Fortunately, I do not have to drive here as I use the metro, buses, trains and trams for a mere 51 Euros per month - much cheaper than owning a car. I am sure just one tank of petrol will cost that much! To be honest, I miss the convenience of having a car though. The luxury of being able to get into your car and go directly to the end destination in a matter of minutes instead of having to catch a train and a bus (or two) to go 4 kilometres and having to wait for either of them!!

Wide streets with many lanes and bikes shooting out of all spaces!

That said, owning a car here is very expensive. Parking is another story. It is like finding a needle in a haystack. Its hard to find parking and then it can cost you an arm and a leg. If you find free parking you are going to need to have good insurance to cover the dings and dents your car receives from other drivers who bash it when trying to get in and out of the spaces in front and behind you. Parking can amount to 10 euros for 3 to 4 hours. There are toll roads on the highways. The distances between toll gates are often very short. You think you have just passed one and there appears the next. It is aggravating.

An insurance claim is on the way - to get out of this parking space.

I have seen a few accidents. The drivers usually get out and walk up to each other. Sometimes I have seen tempers flaring and a nasty exchange of words. Other times I have seen a casual friendly approach and both drivers just get back into their cars and drive off without much said.

A friendly exchange after a ding in the rear !

In the city there are long streets, often with 4 to 5 lanes of traffic driving in the same direction. And these cars can move! I thought South African drivers do not adhere to speed limits. I think Spanish drivers do not either. The most frightening thing when you are in a car, is when you are driving straight ahead and somebody from one of the middle lanes just turns out in front of you, into the street on the left or the right. It is extremely dangerous if you ask me. I cannot understand why the outer lanes are not designated as the turning only lanes. Instead, you can just turn from any lane. It can cause chaos. Choice words being used by drivers, hand signals being shown and heated exchanges. I have seen some episodes of road rage when a car from the inner lane turns out in front of a car in the outer lane, that is driving straight.

I met a Mexican guy who the other day, who told me not to try to understand Spanish things. He said
"Where logic ends, Spain begins". I love that. I laugh when I think about it. There are many things in Spain that one cannot understand. You just have to accept them.

A happy ending

Every evening I end my run with some stretches before I come back inside. The park / courtyard where I do my stretching is just outside my building. It is always a happy ending to my run / jog. As I come running up to the courtyard I hear the sounds of children playing and laughing and adults chatting. All this, at 11pm at night, in the outdoors. It is a good feeling. Life is out there. In some parts of the world at 11pm there is dead silence and nothing goes on. People are fast asleep.

This is the park/courtyard. Palm trees grow around the sandpit (in the daylight).

There are adults sitting about in groups laughing, chatting and gossiping about neighbours I guess. Groups of  boys wearing Barcelona Football Club shirts kick a ball from one to another. Teenagers sit on benches with their cell phones and shriek every time they receive a text! Little kids play in the sandpit or on the jungle gyms. A little girl nearby, playing on a rocking horse said something to me in Spanish and kept talking to me. Then came the part when she was expecting an answer from me. I just blurted out a "ci" which means yes - to try to give her some response. Obviously the question she has asked me was not a Yes/No one as she repeated the question to me. I did not know what to say or how to respond so I smiled and said "ci". She kept talking to me, as I was leaning against a Palm tree doing some calf stretches. I was taken back by the innocence of this little girl. She just kept talking to me even though she had no clue I didn't have the faintest idea what she was saying. Truly priceless.

Some of the buildings in my area.

Where the bulls once ran

As you walk towards this centro commercial (shopping centre) you cannot but wonder if it is a stadium - an ancient one at that. It is only too good to step inside it though. Air conditioning... A relief from the heat and humidity outside... This new mall with contemporary designs and all the brand name shops you will find in the rest of the world is a very different mall though. It is what used to be a bull fighting arena. Bull fighting is no longer permitted in the region of Catalunya (the province Barcelona is in). The shopping centre is called Las Arenas  - the Arenas. It was used to host bull fighting in Barcelona until only recently - when bullfighting was outlawed.

Las Arenas - once an arena, now a mall

Views of Plaza Espanya from above

The mall is a busy place which is located on the Plaza Espanya. It gets lots of tourist traffic because it is a "shopping must" for the shopping types but it also has a rooftop deck with restaurants and picturesque views over the city.The arena was earmarked for demolition but some genius architect came up with a plan at the last minute. His idea was to save the building from demolition by keeping the shell and transforming the inner part into a mall. The upper level of the mall is an open deck which you can walk around and get 360 degree views of the city. You look onto the surrounding hotels and apartments and can take a peek at who is doing what. It is a unique place which seems very popular at all times of the day and night. Expensive but very extraordinary.

People bathing on a rooftop pool next to the mall

The life of a beach vendor

When you sit on the beach here you cannot help but become aggravated by the continuous harrassment of the beach vendors who ply the sand with their goods or services for sale. The vendors selling drinks call, "Cerveza, beer, coke, water, agua fria." They are usually Pakistani people who can sometimes become very bolshy. Then there are Thai or Asian women that go around calling "Masajee Masajee". There are also some Asians selling tatoos and sarongs etc. The Africans seem to sell African curios. All this taking place on the beach while you try to soak up the sun and let your mind float away...

Jewellery vendors at work

I have seen the same beach vendor a couple of times, on the beach. He has begun to say "hi" to me if he sees me. He is not like the other vendors as he is not pushy but polite and talkative. I think this sales pitch works for him as he attracts buyers and not repels them. People may feel sorry and buy a drink! He had previously greeted me in Spanish on a few occasions. I had replied in my somewhat beginner Spanish. I guess he thought I must be Spanish. Today I did not even notice him walking up, when he came up to me to say hi. I automatically responded, speaking English. He responded in English too, and we began a conversation for the first time. He looked tired and weary compared to other times I had greeted him.

The woman with the red bag is a "Masajee Masajee" vendor.

I learnt that he is Pakistani and has been here for 3 years. He has been selling drinks on the beach all the time. He told me he speaks Urdu, Hindi and one other Asian language which I forget. He also speaks English and now Spanish too. I asked him if enjoys living in Spain. He said it is not better here. He said that the only reason he is here is because he can earn some money. In Pakistan he cannot earn any money. I told him it looks like he makes a lot of money on the beach as he is always walking up and down selling drinks and talking to people. He told me that the police are a big problem and demand bribes from the beach vendors.  He said that the police want a daily payment from each vendor. He told me he lives alone here with no family or relatives. They are all back in Pakistan and he is the provider for them. His eyes welled up with tears as he spoke. It was an uncomfortable moment. I will not get irritated by the bombardment of vendors on the beaches from now on. They are just trying to make the daily wage demanded by the police. 

In too deep...

This week I bought a pair of goggles as I figured I am not getting enough swimming done these days. I don't belong to a gym so it is not easy to swim. I don't really enjoy the sea that much as it is very salty. So this week I decided that it would be a good idea for me to get goggles as it would make sea swimming more desirable.

The sea is usually calm like this

Armed with my new pair of goggles, I went to the beach. Gray clouds were rolling in and the wind picked up by the time I got there - about 6pm. It is light until after 9pm so 6pm is not late. The beaches are at their fullest from 4 to 7 pm I would think, as the sun is not at its fiercest from 4 pm onwards. I arrived and looked at the waters. I felt like I was in Durban, not Barcelona. What is usually a very calm sea with small waves lapping the shore had become high breakers crashing onto the shore. It must have been the wind. So I got in and swam in the waves for a little while. It was lots of fun ducking and diving in the waves. My plan was to swim out to the floating buoys which demarcate the swimming area. The buoys are about 300 meters from the shore. I have often swum out to the buoys and had a really good swim. Today I was a bit hesitant though.

After building up some confidence in the surf I decided to make a go for it. I noticed two other swimmers out there so the safety in numbers gave me comfort. I made my way past the breakers and then began to swim through the swells, heading out further. It felt good and liberating to be out there - amidst the forces of nature. Until ... I saw a huge swell which seemed like it would turn over a boat! I thought this might not be such a good idea. Then I saw what looked like a professional swimmer, swimming to the side of me and I thought "I can't quit now". More courage, and I headed towards the buoys. It was easy swimming out there as there was a backwash which pulled me out. Finally I reached the buoy. I noticed one other swimmer holding onto a buoy a few meters away from my one. This couldn't be so dangerous!! Happy to get heading back, I turned around and got freestyling out of there! Me against the backwash. It was a rough ride!! Anyway I made it back with short stints of swimming in the swells and lots of lying back and kicking - backstroke. When my feet touched the sand again, I felt glad to be back on solid ground.

Love is in the air

Every sight and every sound. Love is in the air. Everywhere I look around.  

So it is not Paris but this city is also a place that is full of love and romance.

I cant help but notice that love is all around! As I sit on the metro I notice couples rubbing each other's backs or hugging tightly. On the bus, I see young lovers sitting hand in hand and staring in each other's eyes. As I  walk in the streets I notice couples - young and old - walking hand in hand or arm in arm.  Teenagers lie in the park with their tops off and tease one another. Old timers sit on benches, arm in arm, taking in the sea view. Middle aged couples wander along pathways, hand in hand. Straight love, gay love, old love, middle aged love, young love, and everything in between, you will find.

It is good to see that so many people are still in love. The way of the modern world suggests that more and more people are living a life of "singledom" nowadays. What is it that makes singledom so common ? The inability to find love or a suitable love ? The  flexibility and liberty that singledom affords ? Whatever it is, I think love still is the victor. The human being needs to feel loved. As Oprah says, "We all want someone to say : I hear you". Someone to  witness our lives. Don't think I am watching too much Oprah. Her show has finished. It is just something I remembered her saying.

This is a short entry so I will place a few pics of lovers I have managed to capture on camera. Let love win the day. May your day be filled with love. Young love, old love. Whatever love you have to give or to receive. Wishing you a love-filled day!

Globalisation - to be, or not to be?

I was at a rooftop bar last night, with aerial views above the city and the gentle sound of water from the rim flow pool. It was another Meet-up event. There were people from all corners of the world and a variety of languages were represented. Admittedly, I stood out as my Spanish is not up to scratch. There was a  Japanese girl there who could speak better Spanish than English. Puts me to shame...

So back to the globalisation issue. I had just had a conversation about Globalisation yesterday morning with my aunt and we had spoken about many of the problems the world is facing now. Economic crises, unemployment, falling rates of literacy, increased sickness, mass migration, social unrest and others. Many of the problems of the world are due to the inter-connectivity of countries and the merging of people/cultures. So my opinion is that it is not necessarily a good thing.

I think the world was a different place when societies and countries had their own identities. There was little political unrest and more social coherence. People are less divided when they are the same. Globalisation has resulted in the loss of identities and caused people to think they are the same but fundamentally there are still small but significant differences in culture, values, norms between people.

I personally feel that globalisation is a type of economic and cultural colonisation. The rich and powerful countries and societies set the trends and all the other countries follow... People of the world are now exposed to the same things so they want to own what everyone else owns and to do as everyone else does. Got to keep up with the Jones'  and to do as the Romans do! That is what I feel Globalisation is doing to the world. There is a loss of individuality and identity as cultures, traditions and norms become a global blend.

Many people see globalisation as a good thing because they see access to foreign culture (food,movies, music, clothing etc) as exciting. The ability to meet people from other places and more freedom of movement may be appealing too. But that is not all globalisation is about. Those are just the most visible effects of globalisation.

A burger and a coke - in the remotest of places!

Whatever it may be, globalisation is upon us and is moving forward faster than we think. There has emerged a new power to colonise the world, Globalisation.

Live to run or Run to live

Views of the city from Mont Juic

I am currently somewhere in between the two. I used to be a "Live to run".

I am a keen runner. I have run for the past 12 years and am addicted to running. I feel like something is missing if I have not had a daily dose of my addiction - a run. In the first few weeks here I did not enjoy running. Well, to be honest, I did not do much running. That is because living in the centre of the city there are just city blocks - and running in a city is not great. Heavy traffic, pedestrians, stopping at traffic lights every 50 meters do not make for a good run! So when I moved to the flat I currently stay at, I resumed my running.

Some off road running on the mountain

One of the reasons I decided upon this flat was because of my "back garden", which is perfect for running. I have really enjoyed my runs in this area. The mount provides some undulating terrain as well as some interesting attractions to run past. My running group back home would be a little disappointed with me as the distances I run here are so small compared to what I used to do. Here I may only run 5 to 8 kilometres on a single run. I have not run over 10 kilometres in over 5 months!! At home that is just too short to even talk about. There, we would run anything up to 50 kilometres in one single run. How the mighty have fallen...

Running past palaces

I run past palaces, museums, castles, fountains, stadiums, live concerts and other exciting things on my daily runs. All of this is found in the tranquil setting of fleshy green trees and excellent pathways which are found on Mont Juic. I usually run in the evening after dark. It is cooler. I find it ironic that I come back with sopping wet clothing even at night. The humidity is so high (even at night) that I work up such a sweat - without even running at full tempo.Thank goodness there are taps and drinking fountains all over the place for me to get a squirt of water. There is a variation of roads, paths and off road terrain to run on. I have run with a running group a few times but I find their group run time at 8pm is too early for me so I just brave the mountain on my own most days.  The views of the city, the harbour and surrounds are amazing from up there. Mont Juic is the ideal place for running. It is a runner's dream in a huge bustling city like Barcelona.

Some water at last!

In my back garden

The Athletics Stadium

It is about time I wrote about what is in my back garden. Well... I don't have a back garden. I live in a flat which is on the first floor of the building so there is no garden or back garden. I do like to think that there is a back garden though. I open the window in my room and in full view, is an embankment with lots of colourful plants, trees and weeds. It is comforting to know that I do not have to look at another concrete tower when I open my window - to say the least. Beyond the embankment are some of the sports facilities which make up the Anel Olympic (Olympic ring). The Anel Olympic is the collection of sports stadia and other facilities which were used for the 1992 Olympic Games.

The Rugby field

There is a tunnel which runs between an athletic stadium and a rugby field. This tunnel is used for rock climbing by all sorts of climbing enthusiasts. I have walked past there after midnight and people are still climbing and standing around in groups socialising with each other. The socialising culture is live and well, all day long. The athletics stadium I referred to above was used for the European Athletic Champs in 2010. Yes. Barcelona held that Athletics meet as well. It seems like this city gets more than it fair share of attention. The stadium is used by professional athletes, as well as by teams playing frisbee and other more fun activities. I even go there sometimes to do some track running. Far off professional level for me though! The professionals are all showered and gone by the time I take to the track! I find it interesting to watch the pole vaulters and the high jumpers in action - when they are on their part of the field. It is great to see these sports are well supported and that there is talent out there. I feel like I am in the midst of greatness when I take a stroll or a jog in my back yard...

The climbing wall

Basketball, Hockey and Tennis

A Joy Ride

I am taking in all that happens around me when I ride the metro. On one ride, from the time I was seated until the time I got up to get off the train there was a constant flow of activities to keep me entertained. The first disruption was a gypsy beggar who came bellowing in Spanish that he was sorry to inconvenience everybody but he has nor job, no money, no family, no food and no whatever else. His high pitched voice made one think he was going to start crying anytime soon. He walked through the carriage with his hand open and relied on the kindness of others to fill his hand with coins. He then moved down the train into the next carriage after receiving money from some generous passengers.

Passengers sit and watch the sequence of activities in the carriage

The next disruption was a middle aged woman who did not say a thing, she just pushed her tin cup in front of passengers and expected them to place some coins in there. The next one was a physically disabled guy who walked through the carriage on his wonky legs and did not do any dramatics. He did not earn any money at all from the passengers. I could sympathise with the guy as he seemed genuinely badly off. The next one was a tissue bearing gypsy. He would give you tissues for your kind donation. He went to far as to go down on his hands and knees and cry, in his plea for money. Same story - no home, no job, no food, no family, no .... I wondered why there are so many poor people in this country. I thought Europe looks after all its people and there is nobody without. What has become of the rich countries of the Northern Hemisphere - as they are known ?

A busker plays his instrument in the carriage (in the back right of the photo)

To lighten up the nasty train journeys for the day, later in the day, on another metro ride there was a Romanian busker playing music in the carriage. He played a Frank Sinatra song which really got the crowds going. Old People even started to do some formal dancing in the carriage. It was wonderful. There was a festive atmosphere in the carriage. The busker received good tips. I noticed some people putting 1 and 2 Euro coins into the busker's cup. When coming home at 3am on the metro, the carriage was full of youngsters who were partygoers. They were in high spirits. Probably after lots of alcohol! Anyhow, one of the guys held a Spanish fan in his hands and stood up and did some Flamenco style dancing with the fan!! Whilst he danced, some people took photos of the guy doing the in-promptu faux flamenco! His group of friends sang La Bamba and other songs for him to perform to. Other people in the carriage got caught up in the excitement and were singing along or clapping. Oh, what a joy ride it can be when riding the metro...

Another birthday in Spain

This time it is not mone. It was my Aussie friend Mel's pre-birthday fiesta. Mel is well organised and on the buzz all the time. She knows what's going on and where to go at any given time. I think she should live here - given how "in tune" with this place she is. It is a pity Mel is leaving on Monday to continue her travel en route to Australia. I am glad I bumped into her on the street a month ago - and wish I had been in touch with her a lot longer. She is lots of fun and is always having a get together or arranging things.

Fiesta De Gracia

The first thing we did on Friday was to go to watch the Human Pyramids. The Fiesta de Gracia is on at the moment - in the area called Gracia. The residents come together to decorate their streets and squares and terraces in a competition. The street/terrace/square which is judged the best will receive a prize. The residents use recycled materials such as plastic bottles, cardboard, glass etc to create all sorts of decorations which are hung up in their part of the suburb. Each street has a different theme. The Fiesta de Gracia is a musical festival which has various bands playing different types of music in the different parts of Gracia. So many people go to Gracia to see the decorations, listen to the live music and to eat in the many restaurants or just to party, dance and chat to other partygoers.

Human Pyramids

Partying in the streets of Gracia

So Friday kicked off with some Human Pyramids in one of the squares in Gracia. This is an ancient sport whereby the people build pyramids up to 6 humans high, by standing on top of each other's shoulders. Then a poor kid or two has to climb right to the top to complete the pyramid. Scary stuff. I was scared just watching as the little kid climbs with the agility of a monkey right up to the top of the human pyramid. As the people construct the pyramid, there are several people who gather around them on the ground, and hold up their hands to cushion a fall if any of the climbers should fall. As the pyramid gets higher, you can see how their legs begin to shake. I wondered at some points whether someone would fall. Luckily, no falls. I am sure these groups of people train hard and practice this well.

Street decorations in Gracia

Then Mel, Garth and I went to a Tapas restaurant for a quick dinner. The Patatas Bravas were excellent. I will be back for more... At 11pm we left to go to Bar Paraguay for live music. We met some of Mel's other friends before we went inside and had our first drink upstairs. The drinks upstairs are cheaper than the drinks downstairs!! Downstairs is where the Live music takes place so the prices are highly inflated. The music began just before Midnight. The band playing is a soul funk music group. The sounds were great. The lead singer is a Moroccan lady who sings in English, Arabic and French. She sang brilliantly. Just after midnight Zaida mentioned to me that we should go to say Happy Birthday to Mel. I said, let us ask the band to sing "Happy Birthday". So we put in a silent little request for Happy Birthday. The birthday song was sung in French and Mel did not even see it coming. She thought I had given the lead singer my phone number!!! We danced to the soul funk until almost 3am - when the band stopped playing. What a great night. Thanks Mel, Zaida, Ed, Tyler, Oleg, Lena, Garth. What a brilliant night. I had such energy and was in a good space. The Moroccan singer even came to thank me for my energy. She said she was feeding off my buzz! If you need a star audience, call me!! Wonderful night.

Soul Funk Music

Picnic in Switzerland

Mountain water is cool and fresh

Yesterday we set off for a picnic at was said to be a nearby place. Felix and Nuria rushed up mountain passes and curvy roads in their 4 x 4 whilst I was in a little Mercedes A class 140. Not exactly the type of car for mountain passes or dirt roads. The driver – Pillar (Felix's sister) explained at every scraping of the undercarriage or curve in the road that her car was not a 4 x 4! I felt sorry for her. Little did she know when she agreed to come on a picnic, but her little Merc was going to take a pounding!! Anyhow, we finally got to the picnic site after what seemed like a long drive.

Poor little A Class Merc...

The place was stunning. It felt like being in Switzerland. Just to have that feeling was worth the long and arduous drive to get there. The smell of fresh air, the whirring sound of the wind moving through the pine needles of the fir trees, the trickling of water in mountain streams, the vistas of sheer mountain tops all around. It was priceless. Just as good as Switzerland.

The green grass is greener up here

Wind blows through the trees

Felix and Nuria came very well prepared. A big collapsible table and fold up chairs for everyone. We had an excellent lunch and sat chatting in CatSpanglish (Catalan, Spanish and English) for a while. Then we heard the sound of bells coming closer. This could not be cows. Cow bells exist only in Switzerland!. Not any more... Before long, a herd of cows with bells around their necks approached and walked right through the picnic area! Some people even had to pack up and move. It was more like a stampede of cows came through the picnic area... A memorable picnic in the “Alps”.

The cows come home ...

Don't move, they are just cows.

Military Base in the Moutains

Back to France for this entry. King Louis the fourteenth of France realised that France needed to reinforce its border with Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. He sent a military expert to the area to find an ideal location for constructing a fortress. This was in 1679. So the military expert found the perfect location on a hill in the mountains. In 1679 work began and by 1681 the fortress was complete. It took only two years to build this gigantic fortress, with some 4500 labourers.

A model of the fort

The military base is more like a city and can house up to 2500 soldiers. The National Centre of Training Commando use it today for the training of French and foreign armies. Each year more than 3000 trainees pass though this place, for mountain training.

Entering "military property"

The entrance to the fort

Before the tour the young - but extremely informative - tour guide told us that photography was not permitted on the tour. The tour was conducted only in French so I did not understand every detail because my French is not perfect. At one point of the tour, the guide permitted us to take photographs. This was in the cold room where the underground well was situated. There was a huge wooden wheel which was used to pull buckets of water up from under the ground. There was a pool of water in which barrels and crates were placed to keep perishable food cool.

Wooden wheel to pull underground water

The refrigeration pool

After the visiting the "cooling room" we gathered outside to continue the tour. I decided to take a quick photo of the entrance to the cooling room as the tour guide and group walked off in the distance ahead of me. Sneaky... No risk for us Africans who take huge risks every day just being alive. Nuria and Felix saw me taking the shot and came rushing back to tell me to stop. I had already taken a photo. I got a mean military machine in the photo too. They seemed quite shocked at my taking a photo and told me that I might end up spending the night in jail and that they were not the right people to help me as the French hate the Spanish. Blahdy blah I thought. Then Nuria pointed out the security cameras which are focussed in from the guard towers. Oh !! What was I going to do if they had noticed me ? Delete the photo taken in the highly sensitive military zone... I put my camera away and did not want to look guilty. I was feeling a little guilty though. The African visitor who can take big chances because Africa is far more risky than Europe. Well, beware of Big Brother who is watching...

The "forbidden" photo

Luckily for me, the tour ended and nobody had even noticed my transgression. The tour guide escorted the group back outside to the front entrance and I sailed through the security checkpoint without notice. So much for security cameras in the military area. Sigh of relief...