The Classic Tale of Rich & Poor

How are you adjusting to various aspects of Spain culture? What are your favorites? What are your least favorites?

Five days. Five Cities. For the first three days, we traveled from Madrid to Seville, to Granada, to Cordoba, and Barcelona then back to our home base, Madrid. Could I ever pick a favorite? A difficult question. Adjusting to each of these cultures and feelings were overwhelming and exhilarating. I loved how Seville was a blend of rich history and youth from cozy cafes to crazy nightlife. Granada, touching base on its Arabic roots with the symmetrical designs that paved the streets to the tips of the buildings that touch the sun, quaint Cordoba with its historical time capsule bubble, and lastly, Barcelona, where it was a blend of a new type of Spanish, art, and business blended together.

Overall, it was the hardest for me to integrate in Barcelona. I enjoyed the beauty of the Sagrada Familia cathedral and the seamless blend of mountains, modernization and history. However, there was a distinct divide of classes to be seen. The sense of community was lacking as opposed to the other cities. No matter where we walked, there was always a sense of entitlement towards foreigners and their own. I understand both the politica and class divide in which Spain faces. Never had I seen it so blatant in Barcelona, where one would openly sneer at people leaving certain metro stops or to people on the streets. I almost wanted a Robin Hood to be spoken of in the news in Barcelona to bring a sense of equilibrium. However, I know fixing an issue as old as the Rich and the Poor is not one to be solved through wild fantasies. (If only, Disney.)