Magic in Barcelona's Cathedral Square
On Christmas Eve we were having lunch in Barcelona's Cathedral Square (Basque tapas, or pinxos, as they are called -- mini sandwiches with hot sausage, peppers filled with tuna mousse, pickled anchovies -- a meal to remember). That's when I met an angel. No, really! I met an angel and it was a magical moment. Here's what happened:
I was strolling around the square watching happy families, a juggling artist, the ever present South Americans with Pan flutes. That's when I saw him. He was one of those people who make some extra money pretending to be a statue, only he was tired and had climbed dowh from his box to have a moment's rest.
He was very beautiful and not at all aware of being watched. I took his picture, but still couldn't make myself move on. Finally, he raised his head and met my gaze and it was one of those moments...
This little story of the angel and me even has its own heavenly sound track, with its own story: I was in Barcelona this summer, during a heat wave. We were walking the wonderful, narrow streets of the historic quarter behind the Cathedral when we heard an etheric kind of music. Around the corner, we found a young man playing an instrument we had never seen or heard before.
We didn't stop to listen because the sn was beating down on us and we wanted to get inside. But the memory of the stragge and lovely music stayed with me. When we returned to Barcelona 5 months later, there he was, on the same corner, playing the prefect music to go with my angelic enclunter. The instrument is called a hang and it is a kind of steel drum. Even though it has an exotic sound, it was designed in Europe.
