Miro and Picasso are role models for Barcelona

Avoiding Ciutat Vela on a Saturday is an obligatory duty for adopted Barcelona residents like me – who don't like crowds – no matter how well the city does at eliminating large groups of tourists. The day before yesterday was an exception. I was running out of time to see the Miró-Picasso exhibition, which had been on my to-do list a week before it closed, and there was no other option but to drive up the Ciutat Villa to the Picasso Museum, one of the two main residences. of the sample. Waiting until the appointed time allowed me to shower among the crowds, which was repeated later at the art gallery. It was difficult not to feel like a minority among the many international tourists, especially Asians, while admiring the artists' works.

This had nothing to do with what happened 24 hours later at the Joan Miró Foundation, also home to the exhibition. Montjuïc is not Ciutat Villa, especially if Barcelona is not playing. I was able to access it without reserve and without waiting, just as I was able to be alone in front of many of Miro's pieces. Then I walked around the mountain and found a thousand free places on the terraces or in these viewpoints where you can stay. Even the cable car has been closed for maintenance.

It is a shame that Barcelona continues without exploiting Montjuïc's potential and that improvement plans continue from 2019 indefinitely and beyond. Its wide offer in sports, culture, nature, education and heritage also tempts tourists more than locals. In the distance there is a large public park open to everything we long for, without difficulties in access and with public transportation, maintenance and security. So it will be difficult for Montjuïc to provide the oxygen that tourism in the city center so desperately needs.

You can relive the debate over Montjuïc and catch the spirit of cooperation that existed between Miró and Picasso. Guided by their love for Barcelona, ​​they have given it their own legacy, with two cultural institutions bearing their titles and setting international standards.