A few days ago I was able to visit the impressive gastronomic setup called Les grands buffets in the French city of Narbonne. It is worth taking the AVE or going on a car excursion to devour the spectacle. It must be said that the industrial and service park on the outskirts of Narbonne where the buffet is located is not in tune with what we find inside. In Ripoll we would call it a neat place. Detailed and a little overloaded. All very French. The food is of quality and the wines are first-rate, at prices below market.
Some of our members of the Catalan gastronomic hall of fame should learn and take note when preparing their wine list. Oh! And all the wines and sparkling wines were from the country! We chose to drink a white from the winery of Catalunya Nord Roc des anges, grey Grenache and Macabeo, with the name Llum. Excellent. We sat in one of the newly built halls that have been launched during the confinement. Specifically in the Doré Jean de la Fontaine hall, decorated with baroque style frescoes with images of the poet's main fables.
What stands out most beyond the dishes, the general setup and the stock of cheeses and their great variety of classes, is the silence. We were in a completely full hall, where people moved a lot to go in search of new dishes, in addition to an army of waiters who removed dirty dishes and offered wine and water. Large groups dominated the tables. And, despite that, people spoke in a low, respectful tone. Someone might say that you go there to eat and not to talk. People have enough work trying to taste the hundreds of dishes offered there and are not for gatherings or debates. It is true. But it is no less true that I was surprised by the silence that reigned in the place. Our table was a Catalan island surrounded by Francophones and it became clear to us that the French, when they are at home, do not turn up the volume as much as we do.
Another thing is when the French cross the Pyrenees. For many, going south is synonymous with uncontrolled partying. For them, the concept of the south is derogatory. It represents a place where there is partying all day, where few people work, where prices should be cheaper, and where they can do everything they would never do in their country. On the contrary, when these French people end up frequenting Catalonia or buying a home, they discover that Catalonia and its people do not fit the concept of the south. Catalonia, with all its miseries and contradictions, is a northern country within a southern state. After a first phase of defolklorization, the French end up acquiring a taste for Catalan sobriety.
But let's talk about the silence in our home. Do we really speak too loudly? Do we shout at the table? In the street? At work? It surely varies by neighborhood. There are restaurants in Barcelona where the noise is overwhelming and it's hard to maintain a quiet conversation because of the background hustle and bustle. In most restaurants, when they are designed, this fundamental aspect is not taken into account. Controlling reverberation and using absorbent materials is as important as the sacred distance between tables that we have already discussed in another chapter of this section. Some restaurants also opt for background music, often terrible. Has it never happened to you that in some bar, restaurant, or terrace you ate quickly as if there were no tomorrow because, unconsciously, you followed the rhythm of the music? Music in a restaurant is annoying, but it is true that, if it is soft, orchestral or classical and the volume is very low, it can be tolerated. It is also problematic when the different musical pieces of the loop are repeated to exhaustion. I remember how in a Chinese restaurant in our Catalan capital we counted up to thirteen repetitions of the same musical themes. The excellent duck and noodles became indigestible as a result of the bad vibe that music caused us.
Music in a restaurant is annoying, but it is true that, if it is soft, orchestral or classical and the volume is very low, it can be toleratedAnd on public transport? On the subway, train, or bus? If there is one place that has become a rampant orgy of noise, it is the subwayAlmost everyone carries a mobile phone, where they have games at full volume, shouting conversations, or music that transcends the headphones as a result of the volume's power. Last week I was able to follow part of an episode of a soap opera, I think Ecuadorian or so it seemed, on Line 5 between the Diagonal and Badal stops. The owner of the mobile phone seemed ecstatic with the amorous vaudeville of Jorge Patricio and Evelyss! That gentleman altruistically wanted to share his enthusiasm with the rest of the carriage. Not even the constant warnings from administrations against covid-19 have been able to prevent loud conversations or phone calls on public transport. They scream like possessed.Not to mention this uncivilized trend of walking or scootering on the sidewalk with a speaker hanging from one's waist at full volume. A lack of respect and an unprecedented invasion of public space.Some even set up their own party on a bar terrace, turning up the volume of their speaker to full blast and polluting the space of the other tables. A full-blown intrusion that some waiters or managers of bars and cafes pretend not to hear. Incredible.
Not even the constant warnings from administrations against covid-19 have been able to prevent loud conversations or phone calls on public transport.There have always been those types of people we used to call "a tacky person with a transistor radio," every now and then we still hear them, when we are stopped at a crosswalk and a car passes with its windows down and the music from its sound system at a stratospheric volume. I have never seen any local guard stop and fine them. Lately, they are tuned cars and the music they propagate is reggaeton or trap. Anyway... one more archetype!I was saying that in our country, noise, hustle and bustle, shouting, uproar, scandal, or clamor varies by neighborhood. It is true and easily verifiable that in cultural spaces such as bookstores, theaters, or museums, a quite acceptable silence and respect are maintained. But we will also end up accepting that movie theaters are a cultural exception. In addition to the hateful stragglers who always arrive when the movie has already started and loudly search for their seat, there are those who comment on the movie shouting, and a breed that has been proliferating strongly among the seats, those whose mobile rings and they don't know how to stop it, or those who even answer and start a conversation. It can go like this:-I'm at the cinema. Yes. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll talk. Are you well? Yes, everyone's fine. I'll call you tomorrow at noon, okay? No. I came with my brother...And that's how it goes. Silence, behaving in public with a respectful tone towards others, is something that must be learned at home from a young age, in family units, with civilized conversations and teaching to reason. Sociologists say that these good habits are also instilled by making responsible use of the volume with which we play music, television, radio, or the computer. That is, a volume that does not restrict the freedom of neighbors and does not bother the rest of the family. It is an issue that the school must also insist on. There is a lot of work to be done if we want to be and behave like any civilized and educated city that guarantees a public space of respect.
Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
Stay informed with the latest news.