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Barcelona 2004
A
p r i l
On April 23, Catalonia celebrates the festival of
Saint George. The streets are filled with rose stalls and people
walking from Rambla Catalunya down to Las Ramblas. It's
always a sunny day, a day for lovers even more than February
14. According to tradition, the boy has to give a red rose to the
girl, while she offers him a book (I rather prefer to be present-
ed with both).
B
arįa
The name by which the FC Barcelona football club
is known around the world. I hate football. I hate my boy-
friend for spending Sundays in front of the television. I'll never
understand men.
C
atalunya Square
Symbolic centre of the city, a place
shared by groups of the homeless playing chess, Peruvian musi-
cians playing native songs from their country and killer pige-
ons which are better to avoid (although some people even feed
them unbelievable!).
D
e s i g n
Barcelona is a city of design. There are design
schools, associations, foundations, galleries, magazines, etc.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the F.A.D (Deco-
rative Arts Fostering), 2003 was "the year of design, the year
of nearly everything, the year of everybody". There were more
than 337 activities (among them, exhibitions, awards and artis-
tic projects) with the purpose of bringing creativity and design
closer to the people.
E
ixample
is a modernistic architectonic set unique in Euro-
pe which was designed by the engineer Ildefons Cerdā. It's com-
posed of a big framework of spacious perpendicular and trans-
versal streets which draw a huge grid (look out of the window
if you arrive in the city by plane).
F
o o d
Bread with tomato, all i oli (a garlic and olive oil
sauce), fuet (typical kind of cold cured meat), butifarra (Catalan
sausage), ham and also paella... I'm vegetarian. Favourite
dish: salad with goat cheese and avocado.
G
rācia
My first flat was situated in Verdi Street, in front
of the cinemas. I had a terrace which I painted in white with
my friends. Grācia smells of paint, beer and friendship. It's a
good place to meet.
H
ot I
n the summer, Barcelona has got around 10 hours
of sunlight. The average temperature is 15ēC with a minimum
of 6ēC (it's never below zero) and a maximum of 28ēC. It rains
a total of 97 days a year (are you jealous yet?).
I
d i o t
It's how I feel when I'm introduced to someone I
like. I stammer, I blush, I laugh nervously: I make myself mad.
J
...
I prefer not to talk about it. He broke my heart.
K
ey
In order to win over a Barcelona citizen (apart from
praising the city, of course) use some Catalan words e.g. Adéu,
Bon dia, Grācies, Si us plau, Que maco, Petķ.
L
oneliness
Nothing makes me feel as lonely as walking
around the commercial centre at Christmas time: Pelayo, Por-
tal del Āngel and Portaferrissa Street.
M
o n t j u i c A
five minute walk from my house. Here,
I sit on a terrace with a coffee and enjoy the view at my feet
lies the city, to my right is the deep sea (Poble Sec is a neigh-
bourhood to discover): there are so many possibilities!
N
oise
Entering a pub, don't be scared if it's loud. We're
not angry.
O
h!
1. Yes, Barcelona is going to astonish you. 2. The tourist
guidebooks of Barcelona surprise me because I don't recog-
nise my city in them.
P
l aya
Beach: Barceloneta, Villa Olímpica. June 23 is
Saint John's Eve, it's the shortest night of the year. If you are in
Barcelona, go to the beach and enjoy watching the sunrise
in good company.
Q
uote
Barcelona is considered the city with the highest
number of motorbikes in Europe. I have been driving a scooter
since I was sixteen. Now, I've got a little mustard-coloured
motorbike and I have to concentrate while driving because
I easily get distracted: I like looking at other people too much.
R
ava l
In the Āngels Square, in front of the M.A.C.B.A.,
racial integration becomes a reality while mothers from the
neighbourhood sit by country, race or ethnic origin without
mixing, their kids all play together. It's beautiful.
S
agrada Familia
Living in Barcelona, you only ever
visit as a kid with your parents or when showing the city to
someone. There are plenty of obstacles: coaches, Japanese
tourist groups taking pictures, long queues. It's better to go at
night.
T
erraces
They are everywhere. You look for the sun and
you sit down to drink something, no matter what. We are like
sunflowers.
U
. B .
The University of Barcelona can look back on more
than 500 years of history. The central building (constructed by
Elias Rogent in 1863) was declared a national monument in
1970. Nowadays, it is home to the faculties of mathematics
and philology. My school, the
ESCAC
(University of Cinema and
Audiovisuals of Catalonia) is a centre ascribed to the
U.B.
V
a n i t y
We go out at night to look at others. But more
than that, we go out to be looked at. Make yourself look beau-
tiful!
W
ednesday
Audience Day in Barcelona's cinemas with
reduced ticket price (in cinemas showing films in the original
version, it's on Mondays).
X
Forbidden: Wearing sandals with socks (of any colour),
not using sun cream, and thinking that your language is spoken
everywhere.
Y
o
Me, Elena Trapé Delgado, 27 years old. I'm studying
Film Directing in Barcelona. When someone asks me which is
my favourite film, musical group or song, I never know what
to answer. I don't remember any.
Z
The last letter. The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters. The
largest one is the Cambodian with 74 letters. I wish our alpha-
bet had more letters because I have so many things to say...
Ą I T ' S V E R Y W E I R D W r i t i n g A B O U T MY C I T Y,
I P R E F E R T O S H O W I T !
Pictures: Elena T
rapé Delgado
On Saturday, December 11, the European Film Awards 2004 will be celebrated in Barcelona.
Elena Trapé Delgado
, one of the film students
who produced filmed postcards for the European Film Awards 200 3, lives in the capital of Catalonia. For all those who cannot wait
until December, her very personal alphabet of Barcelona explains some of the characteristics of the city and why to fall in love with it.
B A R C E L O N A ,
M Y S E N T I M E N T A L A L P H A B E T
E L E N A T R A P É D E L G A D O
