The City

I can hardly believe that I have been in Barcelona for 1 month now. The time here has gone by so fast. I have enjoyed spending time in this city and our trip to Madrid, Toledo, and Bilbao. These cities are so different from America, especially in their medieval areas. It is amazing to see the density of the side streets and the large pedestrian streets like La Rambla and Diagonal. The experience seems more focused on human interaction, and there is not such a reliance on cars. In America, a trip to Walmart includes walking into the garage, driving to Walmart, and walking inside; there is such a limited interaction. But here in Barcelona, and in the other cities we have seen, the sequence of interaction is so different. Walking to Corte Ingles there is an unavoidable interaction with hundreds of people, street venders, restaurants, and little shops; I still haven't determined if this is a positive or negative interaction. Most of the time I feel less secure, and the danger of pickpockets is very real, but the experience of the city is much more personal. As a whole, I love these cities with their tight streets bordered by beautiful balconies, the open plazas filled with fountains, families, and dogs, and wide promenades with venders and street actors.