Yes and no. Tiny Spaces Deep Connections, Day 2

Valencia - Barcelona - Civitavecchia

I work in the area of the hostel from where I can see the trains. Sitting in front of the window I feed the starter, fill jars, write labels. People who just got off a train or people who are about to travel pass by, some stop to look at what I am doing, somebody even tries to scan a QR code through the window. When I make a hand gesture to invite him inside he shakes his head and points at his wrist where there is no watch but I know what he means.
Matilde arrives and we talk about her Institute of linear Research and Sociópolis, an iconic “unfinished” social housing urban development in the outskirts of Valencia about which she wrote her PhD. She gives me a little tour through de Estacion del Norte, showing me her favorite parts. In the train to Barcelona I have an aisle seat, something i normally don’t like. When I travel on a train I prefer to sit at the window so I can look out at the landscape. This journey, working on the train and meeting people comes first and an aisle seat is more practical because it is easier to move around if I want to. It is also less private, and since there is a performative aspect to what I am doing, the more visible I am, the better. This time there is a restaurant car (I think that is what the wagon containing a place where you can get drinks and snacks is called), there are no proper tables or seats but you can hang around, drink coffee, stare out of the window or chat with other passengers. A man who is drinking his coffee next to me inquires after the suit and I tell him my story. He gives me a question, Sí o no, explaining that when he was younger, he was often in doubt about or even fearful of things that were new to him but lately he started just saying yes more. It had brought him in some awkward situations but it mainly gave him a lot of wonderful experiences. When I return to my seat I embroider his question while thinking about it, about his “yes”, but also about the art of saying “no” when you know it will disappoint somebody but it is necessary in order to take care of yourself.

It is strange and normal at the same time to arrive in Barcelona, a city I know so well because I lived there for many years. I hope to meet two Austrian artists who are visiting the city and I hang around the Columbus monument that is loved by many but equally despised by many—it is a symbol of colonialism—, trying to organise a meeting point but in the end there is too little time. I leave a little jar with sourdough starter on the chair I was sitting on and make my way to the ferry. I don’t remember the last time I travelled in this way, it will be a whole new adventure, 22 hours at sea.