In 1965, Salvador Dalí and Gala made a mythical journey between Cadaqués and Perpignan, passing through Ceret. A journey that ended at the train station of the North-Catalan capital and which Dalí proclaimed as the Center of the World. The Dalinian expression became popular ---coming from Avida Dollars it makes perfect sense--- and, even today, Perpignan's train station is nicknamed "center of the world". Whether or not this or any other train station is the center of the world ---I would not want to disparage the Roussillon station nor contradict the Ampurdanese genius---, the truth is that from the late 19th century, with the progressive implementation of the railway, and until the last third of the 20th century, with the popularization of commercial aviation, these railway infrastructures played a very important role and had a strong symbolic charge.
Train stations were the main starting point for long journeys and promises of adventure. Also the scene of painful goodbyes and passionate reunions. A coming and going of strangers loaded with suitcases and dreams. A chaos of luggage, races, tears and hugs. And all of this in often imposing and beautiful buildings. Without going any further, Barcelona's Estació de França, inaugurated coinciding with the 1929 International Exposition and one of the main exponents of the city's modernist iron architecture. A space, by the way, to preserve and reclaim.
Returning to Perpignan station, Dalí dedicated an important large-scale oil painting to it, precisely called The Perpignan Station, also known as Pop-Op-Yes-Yes-Pompier, which currently belongs to the collection of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne (Germany). Édouard Manet, one of the greatest exponents of Impressionism, also has a great work dedicated to a train station, titled The Railway (1873) and in which a mother and daughter appear contemplating the traffic of the Saint Lazare station in Paris, a scene that, by the way, also inspired one of Claude Monet's most famous paintings in 1877.
Train stations were the main starting point for long journeys and promises of adventure. Also the scene of painful goodbyes and passionate reunions. A coming and going of strangers loaded with suitcases and dreams.Train stations have also been the setting for many novels, especially mystery novels. To begin with, the well-known Murder on the Orient Expressof Agatha Christie,Strangers on a Trainof Patricia Highsmith orMr. Norris Changes Trainsof Christopher Isherwood, to name the first three that come to mind. And, of course, if we were talking about cinema, the list of memorable scenes shot in train stations would be endless. Who doesn't remember Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag and walking in precarious balance in high heels on a platform in Some like it hotof Billy Wilder?
Nowadays, large train stations are a bit vintage because years ago we moved much of what they represented to airports. In our time, the airport is the great gateway to and from large cities. It is of capital importance. I suppose that, for this reason, these days, among other reasons, the debate about the future of Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport is experienced with such passion.
Let's think about it carefully: a good part of our dreams, projects, and personal illusions pass through an airport. Just as before they mostly passed through train stations or ports. And in the future? Who knows. Even though approximately ten thousand years ago we stopped being nomads to become sedentary, many of us have not lost the urge to move from one place to another. Because we feel that our world is the world. Because I suppose we want to feel freer or more alive.