Barcelona; Gaudi and Nina Yunkers!
I just got back from a three day visit to Barcelona, the home of two extra ordinary personalities. One dead, one alive. I feel privileged to have come across these two and having had a chance, even though very stressed since I am editing the Yemen documentary, walking down Las Ramblas again and the Old Town of this very catalonian city. There´s a Moorish influence everywhere, which makes me happy! Just the name Las Ramblas, originates from the Arabic word I know a lot, al ramlat, a stony kind of a desert. The reason I was there was that I was invited to lecture. As you well understand, this is such a privileged life, being able to travel around telling a good story!
The first personality is, of course, Antoni Gaudi. This true oddball, with a sense of being close to the highest one, so it makes me think about the Prophet Muhammed. Gaudi had his revelations and it turned out something extra ordinary! He is just so different in many ways, so it is impossible not to notice his art which is kind of spread throughout Barcelona. Maybe most of all at his magnus opis, la Sagrada Familia. And Park Guell, named after his great sponsor.
The second personality, still alive is Nina Yunkers. Even though she is Swedish born, she is really a parisienne. Or a global citizen. She passed through Barcelona 25 years ago, for a visit, but she is still there. She insists she is still on her way back to Paris. I met her 6 years ago on a party after we had both been honorably picked to do probably the most prestigious thing for a Swede, a 1½ hour talk show, where you pretty much tell the story of your life. Already at this time I realized what an extra ordinary life story and personality. But it has a price being one and Nina has kind of ended up in a limbo being a personality but she has missed the train how to deal with the new Era of blogs and companies as sponsors. She is living there in Barcelona, in great dignity, in probably roughest of neigbourhoods, junkies to the left, Nigerian prostitutes to the right and even though her flat is great, I wish society could understand the need to assist people like her. She has done such a difference to so many people, but get very little help herself.
Nina took me for a long day tour and filled me in with the great stories as regards to Catalonia, Franco, Gaudi and Guell. And I once again I understood the importance of having a good guide to fully understand all theses details to a subject which makes such a difference!
However, my main reason for writing this blog report is not to raise Barcelona to the limits of the sky, it doesn´t need that, especially after Ninas work, but to touch the subject as regards to artistic human beings who doesn´t think too much about the future, pensions and economy, but spend all their time inspiring others! Should they just vanish in poverty? And, yes, I am worried about my future!
