Interesting how the Pope's visit to Spain has given rise again to a debate around the Madrid versus Barcelona aesthetic: the flashy, noisy spectacle in the Bernabeu versus the solemnity and good taste of the Sagrada Familia. I'm not sure if I am wholly convinced by the binaries, however. Clearly the Madrid elites are tacky as hell, only capable of projecting their status through concrete and bombast, but nostalgia for the neoliberal spirit of '92 or traditionalist Catholic Catalanism seems a limited counterpoint.
Lo que hemos visto estos días es que Barcelona sigue siendo la de las olimpiadas mágicas del 92. Creatividad, buen gusto, precisión…y Madrid la del Relaxing Cup of cafe con leche en la plaza mayor. Almeida y Ayuso dignos herederos de la Botella.