Today, while doing my usual walk to class, I suddenly noticed no cars were whizzing by me. Then people started walking in the streets, and after a few minutes I approached a big crowd with police. My first instinct was that there was a big student protest against, well, everything that's wrong with Spain right now--primarily education and unemployment. But then I saw a huge bus roll up, and I immediately thought, Obama!! Until I remembered I was in Spain, so I changed that to, "King Juan Carlos Primero!!!" This goes to show how relaxed (dumb) my thinking has become here, since the Royals can probably think of a classier mode of arrival than a tacky blue bus.
Anyway, everyone in the crowd had iPhones or video cameras out, so I stayed to see events unfold, even if it wasn't a president or a king. Turns out it was much better, at least in the eyes of the Spaniards....The bus doors opened and out walked the players of the FCBarcelona, Barcelona's fútbol team!! People were chanting and there was so much love in the air. If only I could feel as much for soccer as that tiny, 80+ year-old woman in the crowd, holding her groceries with one arm and cheering with the other.
Although I don't follow Spanish fútbol as much as I should (i.e. religiously), it was a very cool experience. Barcelona is one of the top two teams in Spain, and they came to play Granada today (hm, wonder which one will win??? Granada was only just bumped up into Barcelona and Madrid's league). But to be that close to celebraties is always a great feeling!!! And there is nothing better than celebratory Spaniards :)
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