The Zeitgeist

An interesting meditation to read now when I'm travelling. I've often imagined living in the places I travel to, comparing Rome to Barcelona, Melbourne to Bahrain.

Barcelona does grip me as a city and even moreso as a possible place to live than Rome, in all its historical splendour. The people here seem more youthful and free, without so much societal constraint. It's almost as if the Romans are weighed down by their history, politics, statuses and expectations. Walking through the, some narrow, some wide, streets of Barcelona that appear to be teeming with life, I am drawn to every colourful shopfront and every noisy tapas bar. I am drawn to its diverse inhabitants all chattering away in their beautiful language.

I am drawn to a balcony in an old gothic building, one I can make my own with pot plants and vines, that I can smoke, read and voyeurise on with a loved one or alone as Barcelonian ants crawl around below. I have a strong urge to discover every nook and cranny of this city, the best cafes, edgiest bars, most delectable delicacies and those shops that stock the one thing you want at a particular time. I romanticise about the idea of being one of those Spaniards with their funky glasses and fashionable haircuts, joking with their friends and kissing their novias.

The Romans were a stylish, poised and attractive bunch but the Barcelonians, them I could fall in love with.