Barcelona Blogs

While walking through Girona, I couldn’t stop staring at the streets. The alleys, stone walls, and endless staircases felt like something out of a movie. Turns out, I was right, parts of Game of Thrones were filmed here. The cathedral and surrounding areas have an otherworldly feel. However, I learned on the tour that Girona isn’t just a film set; it’s a city that holds layers of history, and being there helped me connect many of the concepts we’ve been learning in POL 150 and POL 399.  One of the most interesting places I visited was the Jewish Quarter, which dates back to the Middle Ages. It was once home to one of the most important Jewish communities in Spain, until they were forced to leave. The area is full of narrow, curvy streets that were designed for protection, and walking through them really made me think about how space can reflect how the purposes of roads and walkways really fit a different narrative than it does today. As cars can hardly drive through them, and even...

In the last few days in Girona, I visited two very different but equally interesting celebrations: the traditional Corpus Christi festival around the city’s cathedral, and the bonfire-filled chaos of St. John’s Eve, also known as La Nit de Sant Joan. Both were fun and intense, but they gave me a look into how culture, space, and community identity come together in public celebrations. From a class perspective, these moments connected perfectly to POL 150’s discussions of citizenship and nationalism, and POL 399’s exploration of urban space, regulation, and public safety. The first festival, Corpus Christi, took place at the Girona Cathedral. The area was filled with intricate flower carpets, traditional Catalan music, and even a procession featuring a metal rooster that marched ceremonially to a nearby church. It was colorful and very religious, but open to anyone. I learned that Corpus Christi is a Catholic feast celebrating the body of Christ, and the procession and floral displays a...

I took the Barcelona metro on my own for the first time in Barcelona when doing some exploring on my own. While that might sound small, it opened my eyes to how much urban transportation reflects access, planning, and policy questions. In both Barcelona and Girona, I’ve been paying close attention to how people move, and it’s rarely by car. Most locals rely on public transit, biking, or walking, and that says a lot about what these cities prioritize. Through this experience, I saw real-world connections to POL 399, where I researched how urban design reflects power, and POL 150, where we looked at how governments express their ideologies through law and polices. In Barcelona, taking the metro was surprisingly very easy. It has easy access with my Metro card, and is clearly prioritized in the city’s layout. Unlike many U.S. cities that treat public transit as a backup for those without cars, Barcelona makes it central. I couldn’t help but think about the “Pels trens que ens mereixem” pr...

 I had the chance to visit ARA, Catalonia's most widely read newspaper in the Catalan language. It was more than just a press visit—it turned into a real conversation about who belongs in Barcelona, what defines Catalonia, and how space, language, and identity are working together- or not working. ARA was founded in 2010, right as Catalonia's push for independence was regaining momentum, and it still takes a clear stance in defending Catalan culture, language, and journalism. Speaking with one of the journalists helped me see how all these ideas connect, especially citizenship, land use, nationalism, and culture preservation.  When I asked about tourism and immigration, the response was pointed. The journalist told me the problem isn't just how many tourists come, but how they disrespect Catalan culture and language, treating the city like a playground rather than a place with its own traditions and history. That's part of why, he said, Catalans are so sensitive about o...

I visited the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) for a presentation on Catalonia's independence movement, and I walked away with a new understanding of how urban space, memory, and identity are tied to politics. The speaker covered a lot of the trauma of the Franco era to the present-day challenges of organizing referendums in Catalonia. What stood out the most was how landscape and law have shaped Catalonia's political path, especially in contrast with the Basque Country.  When I asked a question about whether the Basque independence movement was similar, the answer was that organizing mass protests and political action is harder in Catalonia than in the Basque region, but this is due to urban accessibility. The Basque Country is mountainous and decentralized, making hiding, organizing, and avoiding government suppression easier. By Contrast, Catalonia's flat terrain and dense urban layout- especially around Barcelona make it easier for the Spanish government to control and r...

 This morning, or more accurately, afternoon, I got a wake-up call I wasn't expecting- literally. Police sirens and shouting filled the street right outside my hostel. When I got out of bed to look outside the window, around 50-60 protesters were gathered with signs, megaphones, and, yes, water guns, firing them at people who walked out of the hostel. Someone sprayed graffiti on the walls that read, "Tourists Go Home." It turns out my hostel was a main pitstop for this anti-tourism protest.  While the water guns seemed silly, the protesters were serious. They were calling attention to how mass tourism is transforming the city, pushing out locals, raising housing costs, and eroding community life. In POL 399, I researched about how cities reflect the priorities of the policies in which they make, and how urban space can become contested when local needs and outsiders clash. Seeing this protest made it clear, tourism isn't just about economic questions here, it's a ...