The last three weeks I had the opportunity to travel in Europe, my first trip since 1990 when I visited nine countries in six weeks on a student Eurail Pass. This time I limited my trek to France and Spain.
The inspiration for my visit: a swim competition in Paris sponsored by IGLA, the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics organization. Three teammates and I were guests in the homes of French swimmers, and other aquatic sports participants from around the world also were hosted throughout the city. In between five days of swimming events, I found time to revisit the grand sites in the City of Light: the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Ponte Neuf along the Seine. I also trod through some new neighborhoods, like the elegant Montmartre, on my final evening. The refined and historic elegance of Paris is like a fine wine. It matures with time, and memory distills its essence.
Following a short visit with a friend in Nice, I boarded an overnight train to a place I'd never been before. I'd heard over the last several years so many positive reports about Barcelona - its food, fashion and nightlife - that I couldn't get it out of my mind. I arrived the first Saturday in June for a week's visit. I would celebrate my birthday here.
Every guidebook talks about Las Ramblas, the historic street where much of the life of Barcelona emanates. A friend called it a tourist trap, said I'd want to spend only a short time there before heading off to worthier sites.
Instead I fell in love with Las Ramblas. The street musicians and performers intermingle with tourists and locals.
There are flower stands and canaries for sale, chirping night and day. Cafés spread out chairs and tables for morning, afternoon and evening dining. Old people sit on benches watching the crowds stroll by. Pick pockets and petty thieves do the same. The wide plaza is a gathering place for a sea of humanity. On either side are two neighborhoods, the Bari Gotic, or old town, and El Raval, a working class neighborhood and former red light district that is home to a large open market and new trendier restaurants as the area gentrifies.
A ROUTINE
Each day I would make my way to this lively thoroughfare to experience the joy of the human statues. Street artists in makeup and costume stand on both sides of this strolling plaza. In bronze or silver makeup, you can see a flower girl, a Roman general or a wild-haired madman emerge from a black box with a big question mark chalked on the door. People drop a coin into a dish or slot and the statues come to life. I've never laughed so merrily watching the crowd react to the statues, young and old alike engaged in the moment.
Stately buildings with balconies, patisseries, and other shops overlook the plaza with narrow strips of road bordering each side. But the pedestrians rule on this swath of land with decorative trees and benches. You can hear, smell and see life approach and pass.
After one or two days being seduced by Barcelona's charms, I began to think of Capitol Hill's Broadway. Could Las Ramblas hold the solution to making our main avenue a vivid and engaging thoroughfare again? The city and neighborhood have a plan to invest in safety, plant flowers and decorative flags, reduce graffiti and enhance walkways. Developers are making efforts to humanize the scale and design of their buildings. Amenities like the Capitol Hill branch library a block to the west and Cal Anderson Park one block to the east make for alternate entryways.
A USEFUL EXAMPLE
Seattle and Capitol Hill are known for supporting a large community of artists. Why not take a hint from the engraved dance steps on Broadway's sidewalks and invite artists to showcase their talents and enliven this district day and night? Would it be possible to start small and close off the street once a month to make Broadway from East John to East Mercer street the Las Ramblas of Seattle? Like a monthly street fair?
Perhaps we might consider graduating further once Sound Transit begins digging up Broadway. Since car traffic will be limited during this time, might we consider experimenting with further street life where room permits?
Might we even consider turning the street into a plaza with narrow road strips on either side for buses or minimal car traffic once the underground transit is up and running?
Capitol Hill is one of the most dense urban communities on the West Coast. If there is any place worth trying an urban pedestrian walkway, it is here. We would contribute to environmental integrity, community-building, support of culture and artists, tourism development and so much more. Broadway could once again claim its uniqueness as a destination set apart from downtown and other urban malls, much like University Village.
Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca called Las Ramblas "the only street in the world which I wish would never end." Wouldn't it be nice to feel the same way about Broadway?
Jack Hilovsky's column appears in the first issue of each month. He can be reached at editor@capitol hilltimes.com.[[In-content Ad]]
