7-10 Oct: Barcelona's bike paths
I was looking forward to cycling in Barcelona. Wide and busy boulevards with many cross lanes because of the city's checkerboard structure, cars, trucks and mopeds flashing by, scattered tourists stepping in front of your wheel....
Only the latter was borne out: inattentive wandering tourists negligently crossing. From the traffic, cyclists have little trouble in Barcelona: all busy streets have separate and demarcated two-way cycle lanes, even with priority lanes and arrows to turn off. Fantastic!
According to Mar, with whom I stayed, this is an achievement of Ada Colau (1974), mayor of Barcelona since 2015. Mar spent six years in India for Covid. Meanwhile, Ada Colau became mayor, and when Mar returned, all those bike lanes had already been built. Mar no longer recognised the city. The speed limit for cars in the city was also reduced to 30km/h. Many Barcelona motorists were not happy about this....
Ada Colau has been a social activist since the 1990s. She helped protest against the Gulf War, she participated in anti-globalisation demonstrations and she stood up for those affected by the banking crisis in 2009.
In 2015, she achieved with 'Barcelona and Comú' a resounding election victory and now she is in her second term as mayor.
Thanks for the comfortable bike paths, Ada.
It was very enjoyable cycling in your city.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
