European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Taft. Tab Ladabo t of. To % gub Park w Quot a Quot v a. A Barcelona Cauer Lapeer a or a in q i Sagrada Camilla a Church Spanish Village Calle de c Aragon co 5 Gran via de Las Cortes catalans Council Cathedral both Dong / City Hall let a Goth a \ 1 / a a a \ Quarter s. \ j / triumphal Arch \ Weeo a a Cacao museum Gizell Palace a a of a modal ii Uez Palace b a Jgr museum maritime Matt ugh \ 32o< Columbus visited Catalonia s capital maybe you should too a amps photos by Peter Jaeger by Leonard Hill assistant features editor where did Christopher Columbus go to Tell his tales and show off his Quot Rich and strange spoils Quot from the new world to the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in Barcelona that s where. And to Mark Barcelona s sponsorship of that momentous event there s the great explorer himself perched on a Golden Globe almost 200 feet above the waterfront casually pointing a Finger for some reason toward the Eastern Mediterranean. Just offshore there s a replica of his tiny flagship the Santa Maria which in its Day had a Crew of 52. To the catalans it was Only natural that Columbus should come to their capital. It was one of the great Mediterranean ports and the Center of a seafaring Empire that took in parts of Greece As Well As Sardinia Sicily and Corsica. Before you Ever set foot in the place you have to realize that Barcelona does t see itself As Spain s second City. It s the capital of Catalonia an autonomous Region whose people Are ferociously Loyal to their own culture. As such Barcelona sets itself apart proudly from the rest of the country. Madrid is the Young upstart of a capital. It was also where the dictatorial Generalissimo Francisco Franco sat and suppressed catalan culture and language a not allowing it for example to be used in churches schools or newspapers. As if to get Back at him today you can go into Small restaurants and find the menu printed in catalan with translations in French English and German a but not the Spanish castilian. It seems Odd that the catalans do so much Honor to Columbus because it was his discovery of the new world that caused a major slump in the fortunes of Barcelona and the surrounding Region. When the monopoly of Trade with America was granted to Andalusia Catalonia went into a commercial and cultural decline the one time rival of Venice and Genoa lost its standing. Go today to Barcelona a a bustling megalopolis of 3 million people that is busily preparing to Host the olympic games of 1992 a and you d never know that any such thing had Ever happened. Tucked away in the Northeast Corner of Spain Barcelona is a City in an Amphitheater backed by a coastal Chain of mountains. To the Northeast the Costa brava s rugged Cliffs stretch toward the Edge of the pyrenees and the French Border while to the Southwest the Fine Sands of the Costa Dorada extend for 100 Miles or More. Inland Are castles ancient churches monasteries in the mountains vineyards and what was once Bandit country. At the heart of it All is Barcelona. It s an immense sprawl of a City. On one Side High chimneys belch out the byproducts of Industry on the other Side is a Busy port. In the Middle you discover a stunning historic City brimming with treasures and surprises ancient and modern. The catalans love opera Bull fighting soccer arguing eating outdoors singing in choirs standing on each other s shoulders and dancing la Sardana in which participants form circles sedately hold hands and dance in the measured and gentle Way of a stately procession. Everyone on the Street joins in in Impromptu circles to do the dance. It s All in marked contrast to the fiery flamenco. The part about standing on each other s shoulders is no joke but a popular tradition in which teams vie for honors. Dozens of Young smartly uniformed Castelles form a tight round base on the ground on which to build a High human Pyramid. The Climax is when a very Small agile and Brave boy shinnies to the top of the swaying column Waves for a moment to the onlookers and then carefully descends. These human Castle building contests Are part of Many catalan fiestas and you Don t have to know the rules to appreciate the Speed skill and teamwork required to keep them from collapsing. If you arrive in Barcelona unaware of the fairy tale architecture and strange facades created around the turn of the Century by Antoni Gaudi and his followers Domenech i Montaner and Josep Puig i cad Falch then you re in for another Surprise. You come upon them unexpectedly As you wander continued on Page 6 the statue of Christopher Columbus Points toward the Eastern Mediterranean. September 6, 1990 stripes Magazine 5
