Monday, October 24, 2011

Magic Fountains

Back in 1969, while in Toronto living with my grandparents and uncle Victor, all were usually busy at work when I came home from school, occasionally I would forget my keys, and I’d squeeze my then skinny arm through the mail slot of our apartment door, reach up to unlock the door. I was not allowed to go out and play, the very few times I did, I would somehow get into trouble; so most of the time I watched from our eighth story window, while the others kids played below. The old  b&w tv we had, sat on top of an old faded yellow leather suitcase that sat flat on the floor, we didn’t have a sofa, we did have a couple of chairs and a small dining table, but I preferred sitting on the floor, the commercials were different versions of fun, kids and circus people enjoying peanut butter, which I had no idea what it might taste like, but everyone loved, as did the kids in my class at school. After months of begging, my grandmother surprised my with a small jar; I was so excited, my mouth watering, and when finally the peanut butter touched my tongue, my world crumbled around me, it was disgusting!, how was it possible? 
I remember one evening, we watched Ed Sullivan interviewing Robert Wagner, Ed asked the question: “if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?”...
I had asked myself that same question once in my life, about 15 years ago, and after much thought I answered myself: driving along Pacific Coast Highway with my friend Heather at the wheel, going nowhere in particular and enjoying a little toke.



Anyway, back to Robert, he answered: “on the steps of Montjuic in Barcelona watching the colored water fountains”...Oh boy! I was so excited, my grandmother too; but it was my grandfather who would take me there several times throughout my childhood and it was always such a treat, and it still is, actually now it’s even better, cause back in the 80’s they added music too. My grandfather told me the engineer Buigas, who designed the fountains, had died penny-less for lack of work afterwards.
I had been wanting to go for awhile now, so when Alicia called about going to the big city with her kids, be both agreed, let’s do it. 
A week after that I met Sandy, who hadn’t been back here since the 60’s, and I only got to spend part of one day with her, as I had to go to one of my classes and she had planned train/bus trip to Cadaques. We tried to take it easy, by not going too fast, but still, there’s so much to see that walking is the best way to get around, otherwise you miss a bunch. The one place she said she wanted to see is Parc Guell, which is a treat, except that it’s loaded with tourists. 
We walked up towards the mountain, through and stopped for lunch in Gracia neighborhood, ate a traditional catalan menu for 10 euros each, and went to the parc right after, around 4pm, usually not so crowded, and best before kids let out of school.