Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, it was the first time that we met. Barcelona, how can I forget?
It’s the mix of the classic with the modern that gives Barcelona its flavour. The same way the operatic melodies of Montserrat Caballe combine with the stylised pop of Freddie Mercury’s voice in their song ‘Barcelona’.
I don’t know why I think about this song when I think of Barcelona now. It’s been weeks since I was there and I have only discovered the duet since then, as I did research into a city that I feel calling me back. Perhaps the song is part of that: siren-like, it’s more like the city than it ever meant to be.
Montserrat Caballe, the opera singer and Barcelona local, asked Freddie Mercury to help her write an ode to the city in preparation for the 1992 Olympic Games. She was supposed to be the guide, the local expert with the guiding hand. Instead, it was the excited foreigner who takes control and directs the action.
Her warbling, so controlled and so perfect, contains the restrained pleasure of a Spaniard who knows how much joy there is in Barcelona. His almost-shouting is like an excited child who has just discovered it for the first time.
“Such a beautiful horizon, like a jewel in the sun”, Mercury sings. In Spanish, she acknowledges that the charms of the city will be revealed and all are welcome. “Ring the bells”, her harmonious words can be translated. “Open your doors to the world.”
It works, though. His enthusiasm is complemented by her grace without either tempering the other. And it’s this consummation of the two which captures the city for which the song was recorded.
Barcelona’s new and old
Take Antoni Gaudi, for instance. He may have been born in the region but his flamboyant architecture was as foreign as any British singer. It was embraced by Barcelona and by one of the most traditional organisations in the world – the Catholic Church. This was not just the new and the old… this was modernism and tradition and a pairing that defines the city today.
The doors of Barcelona have well and truly been opened to the world. It is the fourth most-visited city in Europe and the sixteenth in the world. The Olympics did their job and there is no need to ring the bells anymore. As an example: the Port Vell, the waterfront harbour entertainment district, went from a rundown industrial area before the games to a magnet for more than 16 million visitors last year.
But the modern complex on the shores of Barcelona sits just metres from the historic quarters of the city, with their small winding alleys leading pedestrians in circles to squares built upon the houses of the holy cross. On the steps of the King’s Square (Placa del Rei) it is said that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella welcomed back Christopher Columbus from his discovery of the New World.
Little did the citizens of Barcelona know how, 500 years later, people would be leaving this square to return home and regale others of their worldly discoveries. Little did they know that the welcoming bosom of an opera singer would be used by a blogger as a metaphor for a classical European comfort unweathered by the New World which had just been found.
Returning to the song and to Freddie Mercury. In one line he sings the sentiments of most who visit Barcelona. I know he speaks for me. “And if God willing, we will meet again someday.”
Time Travel Turtle was a guest of accommodation website HouseTrip but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.
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Turtle, like the name suggests, likes to take things slowly. Luckily that's one of the best ways to see the world - and that's exactly what he's doing at the moment.
This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.
23 Responses
I will go to Barcelona someday.
Elmer Cruz recently posted..Toilets of the World – My Adventures “Going” Overseas
I’m sure you’ll love it!
Wow. love that video and I also the aerial view of the place. It’s almost perfect.
Thanks. Yeah, it’s a really pretty city with lots to discover!
Perhaps my favorite city on the planet…
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..The Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate – Check-In Florida
I’m not surprised. I’m not willing to give that title to any city yet (except perhaps home) but I can see how Barcelona would be a good contender.
The city I lived in for over 8 years and have been visiting for over 24 years. A great post highlighting the contrast between old & new. Barcelona is a must see on every travellers list. My tip is to visit the Plaza Sant Felip Neri and discover the tragic history of this corner of the Gothic quarter.
Oh wow, thanks for the tip! Hopefully I’ll get back there sometime and will check it out.
Barcelona is such a great city and you have a perfect eye for details
love your pictures!
Anita recently posted..Common Ground – Biennale Architektur 2012
Thanks – I always think it’s a lot more fun to look for the little things that make up a city. The forest for the trees… or something like that, right?
Gorgeous photos of Barcelona! I’ve traveled through there a handful of time but have yet to actually visit Barcelona. I really need to do that one of these days!
Jennifer recently posted..The Traveler’s Guide to Short Breaks
How could you pass through and not stop to see the place! Dios mio! But I do understand that there’s so much to see and do it wouldn’t be the kind of place you’d just want to pop into.
Barcelona is certainly on my travel list and have many friends there
will surely take your suggestions for my travels.
Abhishek Behl (Wild Navigator) recently posted..”10 Shades of a Scottish Autumn” Wild Pictures of the Day by Graeme Mackenzie
There’s a lot to explore in the city. Just make sure you’re prepared!!
Barcelona was a place I was initially wary of visiting – so many people had told me how wonderful it was that I was worried it could never meet the hype. But it did just that and more – one of the few cities I’ve visited where I could see myself spending a great deal of time
Laurence recently posted..Hanging out with Lub D in Bangkok: a review
It’s got that perfect mix of excitement around every corner so you can keep exploring… and a natural comfort that makes you instantly feel at home. I’m sure you’ll get back there and settle for a bit one day.
I’ve been to Barcelona a couple of times and never get tired of it. A friend used to live there so I visited a lot – even seeing the Gaudi houses, Sagrada Familia or strolling down the Ramblas more than once never gets old!
PurpleTravelKate recently posted..A musical road trip in the Deep South
That’s exactly it – it never gets old. It’s one of those cities you can live in for months and always be finding new things. Or keep going back to visit, and always discovering a different area. Or just enjoy the place you already know!
Oh god yes, Barcelona is the place I’d most love to live in the world. Fantastic capture Michael!
Linda McCormick recently posted..27 Holiday Gifts for Your Favorite EcoTraveller
It’s got that kind of vibe, doesn’t it? Of all the cities in the world, there’s something about it that makes people feel naturally at home straight away.
I love that song! I bought the LP back then and everyone expected to see Freddie Mercury at the Olympics. He didn’t make it.
Love it, love it
Cristina Garcia recently posted..Photo of the Week: Red Wolf, WNC Nature Center
Hardly anyone knows that song. I’m so impressed that you not only know it, but love it. Excellent!!