Sights, Sounds, and Smells
Our Apartment Building at Carrer de Sardenya 98
We had dinner last week with our friend Mike and his brother Gary. Mike has been living here for almost two years and his brother was visiting from Hagerstown, Maryland. During our conversation, we asked his impressions of Barcelona. He said that it seemed like just another big city to him, sort of like Washington, DC, a town with which he was familiar. There was a sense of familiarity to that as I recalled living in Center City Philadelphia back in the day. It made me realize that primarily, Les and I would have to adjust to urban living in addition to becoming acculturated to life in Spain.
We’re hoping that by taking Spanish lessons and getting out and about in our daily lives and meeting people, we will become familiar with and get to know the Spanish people. Nevertheless, it is city life that will present opportunities and challenges for us. I lived in Center City on and off for about six years in the 80s. Les lived in the Bolton Hill section of Baltimore back in the late 1990s. So it’s been awhile since our senses have been confronted with the stimuli that comprise the fabric of a city, for better or for worse.
What do we see that stands out? Buses, trams, motor scooters, electric scooters, taxis are the prominent modes or transportation, unlike the suburbs where private vehicles such reign. Small, independent shops and businesses dominate rather than chain stores and restaurants (except for the Domino’s Pizza which we will avoid, like the Noid)! There’s also a fair amount of greenery with the Parc Ciutadella nearby. We have noticed, too that the streets and sidewalks are generally free of litter and debris. Street cleaners come by several times a week and there are trash receptacles spaced throughout each block. Also, lots of wild birds and pet dogs but we’ve seen no cats at all. There is plenty of graffiti decorating the storefront shutters. It’s generally tasteful and quite colorful, seemingly done with a purpose and not bothersome at all. Barcelona does have its share of homelessness, like most large cities worldwide. It doesn’t seem as prevalent as in the US, though. I don’t know what the state is of providing them with social services but it can’t be as bad as in big American cities.
The sounds can be a bit disconcerting. It’s great catching snippets of conversations in Spanish and Catalan. However, the students in the neighborhood can get a bit rowdy on the weekend at the local tapas bars. You know they’ve been drinking too much cerveza or vermouth when they start singing at the top of their lungs! The ambulance sirens can be startling. Their sound is unlike any I’ve ever heard. I suppose it’s to ensure that cars pull over to let them pass. The birds can be very vocal, particularly in the morning. Seagulls, parrots, and yes, white wing doves which I thought were only native to the American Southwest, can be especially raucous. Dogs can get boisterous, too. We have heard drama from our balcony between some of them. We are just glad that Farrah isn’t involved in any of it. Oddly enough, I suppose that our time living in cities has helped us get used the commotion.
I haven’t noticed any distinctive smells in the city. Certainly nothing gross or disgusting except for maybe the errant whiff of cigarette smoke (people do tend to smoke more here than in the US). Our frequent walks through the city usually take us past cafes, pastry shops, bakeries, restaurants, markets, and more than a few places where we are enticed by the aroma of one of the reasons why we came to Spain…the food! As for smells on a granular level, Farrah would be the best judge. She seems to spend most of her walks sniffing, more so than she ever did. Les was sure that she would be aroused by the smells of city and whatever they are, she is in heaven.
