The Spanish Dream
4 galleries
What is the Spanish Dream? Well it depends on who you ask. For North Americans it is often related to romanticized views created by authors, painters, political heroes and ideal vacations. Living this dream only started to become a reality in the last 37 years. The oppressive government of Franco and high level of poverty made it a place to dream about, maybe visit but not to live.
The growth of a new democracy starting in 1975, the Olympic games in Barcelona in 1992 and the entrance into the European Union in 2000 increased the popularity of Spain with international tourist. Cities like Barcelona, Seville and Madrid started to see a growth in the number of foreigners not only visiting but also coming to live.
This photographic report takes a close look at several North Americans living in Barcelona and examines their Spanish Dream.
The growth of a new democracy starting in 1975, the Olympic games in Barcelona in 1992 and the entrance into the European Union in 2000 increased the popularity of Spain with international tourist. Cities like Barcelona, Seville and Madrid started to see a growth in the number of foreigners not only visiting but also coming to live.
This photographic report takes a close look at several North Americans living in Barcelona and examines their Spanish Dream.
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12 imagesOriginally from Portland, Oregon, Marat graduated from high school and wanted to travel. He came to London in 1996 for an anarchist convention and ended staying. He met a girl and chased her to Barcelona. Her brother introduced Marat to the squatter community and he has been squatting off and on since. -
10 imagesRebecca married a Catalan man from Barcelona when they were students in Chicago. In the early 80s, after her son was born, her husband needed to get back to Barcelona for family reasons. This worked great for Rebecca because the dictatorship of Franco had ended and Spain was an interesting new adventure. -
12 imagesRose was born in Greenwich Village, New York in 1923. Her parents and grandparents were Italian immigrants but she had never visited Europe until after her husband died in the early eighties. She came as a tourist and on her third visit one of her tour guides suggested that if she loved Europe so much she should go live in Spain where she could have a good life as an English teacher. -
12 imagesFinding a large, beautiful l'eixample apartment in the center of Barcelona for a reasonable price is next to impossible these days, but twenty-five years ago it was not that hard. Patrick should know because that is when he found his current apartment. It was a dump when he moved in but the rent was low, the location perfect, and there was more than enough space.