Finding my roots in Israel

A trip eternally postponed. I recall my father repeatedly expressing his desire to go on a trip to Israel to visit his aunt since I was a small kid. And I confess, for some years, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to visit a country that appears on the press as being almost constantly on war. Also, being a teenager, you don’t listen much to your parents or you just want to do the opposite of what they tell you.

Anyway, long story short, after many years of indecision we finally packed our bags and left for 9-day trip to Israel last August, a month before my father’s aunt turned 100 years old.

For some reason I knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary trip, but I didn’t expect I would feel the connection I felt. It’s called the Holy Land for some reason, there is a special energy at the place.

“Cinema a la Fresca” in Barcelona

One of the main attractions in Barcelona consists in visiting the Montjuïc mountain. Home of the Olympic stadium and swimming pool as well as the Miro Foundation, Montjuïc is a must see for any Barcelona visitor.

Every year an outdoor cinema season (Cinema a la Fresca ) is organised at Montjuïc Castle at the top of the mountain. Showing a selection of all time classics and recently acclaimed films, there’s always a chance one of the movies might be in your to do’s list.

Or maybe you have already seen the movie and you just want to enjoy the experience of a picnic in a great surroundings, with some live music and a short film screening before the actual movie starts.

Reaching its 11th edition this year, I am quite ashamed to confess that this passed Monday was my first time at Cinema a la Fresca. There were several reasons that made me finally go. First, I found a meet up group that organized a meeting and it seemed the perfect place to meet foreigners and locals and share the experience. The second reason was that they were showing “Drive” which I really wanted to see.

So there I went with the group and we all enjoyed sharing food and life experiences ( What’s your name?-where are you from? -how long are you staying in Barcelona? – oh! you’re a local? -and so on…), and at 10 p.m. the show started.

The introduction of the movie with its magnetic soundtrack was promising and I almost understood all the Ryan Gosling frenzy among my girlfriends. Who’s that man with such self -control? Does he lead a double life?

However, as the movie went on, I realized my questions would remain unanswered as the main point of the film was not to portray the secrets and complicated personality of a taciturn character. I didn’t find the plot specially clever or original either but, I must admit the music and shooting blend perfectly together.

In spite of my slight disappointment in the film, I really enjoyed the experience and highly recommend this summer outdoor recreation to anyone! Make sure to check the agenda!