Author: Pat Shiplett

‘Generalisimo’ Franco dictated which names these petanca players could be given at birth – the name of almost any run-of-the-mill saint would do.
Plaça de Gaudi, Barcelona — Franco’s Spain dictated how its families were structured, what religious practices were tolerated, what questions could be asked and what media was safe to consume.

The language these men spoke at home as children, Catalan, was forbidden in public.

The Spain of their youth was a mid-century backwater passed over by the Marshall Plan. But that didn’t stop the U.S. from conspiring to keep its fascist dictator in power. The men on the “petanca” court today could tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard Francisco Franco had died. What they felt about the changes that followed might be more complicated.

They were already middle-aged when the XXV Olympics Games transformed Barcelona’s desolate shoreline into the beach that made it the glittering playground it is today.

Success hasn’t come without a price. The conversion of apartments into short-term, airbnb-style rentals is pushing working-class families out their neighborhoods.

‘Petanca’ is still played in the plaza next to the Sagrada Familia. Bragging rights, and who buys the next round of drinks, are measured in millimeters. (If today is any indication, women in the barrio have found better ways to pass an afternoon.)

One liberty these old men have allowed themselves is to pick up their stainless steel petanca balls by dangling a magnet on a string. Their knees and hips, like their country itself, have changed since they were young men.

They’re not minor offenders working off their time by doing community service.

They’re professional ‘barrenderos’ who enjoy coveted, full-time municipal jobs with Cuidem Barcelona.

Somehow it’s startling to see a crew of smartly uniformed people, brooms in hand, working their way down a street. The movements of this particular squad seems as effortless and choreographed as a dance troupe.

It’s work, of course, but it’s out in the fresh air in a Mediterranean climate with relatively little rain. It doesn’t seem excessively strenuous and the sweepers come equipped with earbuds and playlists.

Most of Barcelona’s streets run one way. There are lanes for bikes and scooters used year round. Ignoring crosswalk lights can prove dangerous to unsuspecting visitors.

Each intersection is cut on a 45º bias for visibility and light. It turns each corner into a small plaza.

The city is in the process of ‘pacifying’ its streets — closing them off to the motorized vehicles. It’s an idea other congested cities are turning to as well.

Traffic can back up on these narrow urban streets. Traffic lights and road signs aren’t as easy to see as they might be; and parking can be a nightmare. Fortunately an unlimited, month-long Metro pass costs only 20€ ($21.90).

Even during rush-hour it’s rare to hear drivers leaning on their horns. Just as surprising are the sirens on Barcelona’s emergency vehicles.

They sound like they’re carrying someone off to a birthday party.