I´m out in catalonia for a few days and just thought i´d let you know what i´ve been up to. if you haven´t been to this city you should seriously think about doing so. its a myriad of tiny streets, graffiti art is everywhere and the whole town buzzes from 11pm till the early hours... first night here i went to the Nou Camp stadium to watch barca defeat real zaragoza by 4-1, ronaldhino was on imperious form. 80,000 people descended on the stadium. we were pushed for time so had to run up the endless staircases until we burst onto the terraces and found ourselves suspended a jaw dropping distance above the pitch... it was without a doubt the most incredible stadium i have ever been in. after the game it was onwards to the Raval, a ghetto area of late night bars and shady restaurants... we flitted from bar to bar, following the crowds of punks, skaters, beatniks and artisans into watering holes the size of your lounge. its the city´s biggest festival weekend, La Merce, when the catalonians from all over the region flock to the city to take part in parades of giant figurines and religious icons. live music is in every square and it culminates in the fire race on sunday night, when the streets become an insane riot of flames and firecrackers, as torch wielding runners do their best to burn themselves to a crisp...
its a city where there is constant feeling of anarchy... a dangerous edge - theres political graffiti everywhere, and a generally bohemian population who are passionate in their dislike of capitalism... reflecting this, FC Barcelona are one of the worlds only big football clubs to be owned by theor fans; there has never been a sponsor on the club kit. the city really comes to life late at night. if you step off the main tourist street, La Ramblas, you can quickly lose yourself in poorly lit narrow passageways, where an anonymous doorway can lead unexpectedly into a plush cocktail lounge or a smoky tapas bar. its best not to plan where you´re going because an adventure on impulse suits the diverse cultural fabric of Barcelona. we´re going adventuring again tonight... who knows whats going to happen? last night i was sold beer on the street out of a pakistanis rucksack who could do perfect impressions of the cricket commentators, shared cheap wine in an alleyway with a group of bolivian street musicians, and wandered at 3am down a small corridor into a vast ballroom of marble pillars and baroque decoration where hundreds of people were dancing to deep house...
sometimes its good to remember its not all about orienteering...
barcelona
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