Page 21 - 2026年9月號

All that changed with the 1992 Barce-
ᛉʌɪؚሧߕ౻ٙɛdۆ݊ί
᜗᜕Ց̋इඤ̵ԭ˖ʷf™
From top: lona Olympics. “There was a great trans-
Julio Sorjús formation in the city, and one of the things
(left), a past RI that transformed was the waterfront,” says ৵؍ίഐҼҧڡٟ͛ૹ
͂રଢא݊ᎇ׌ሷɓఙԑଢf
director, and Aragón, chair of the convention’s Host Or-
ᅰϵΤൺ٫խᄟϾཀd
ܝ׵ 2013 ϋ̋ɝˋ෦ඤॶҧ
Sergio Aragón, ganization Committee. “All this area was
the convention restructured in order to make it much
ቃٟdμί 2019 ϋۃֻᅃ਷
˼ࡁ౨ႀഹ࿩ᄹdߠɪߠٙᔝ
host committee more attractive.” Today, Port Olímpic is
chair, at the Reial home to hotels, shopping, restaurants,
˫ఆ̪ᅧ׳ഹቤኼٙࠪᆀfҢ
ဏఝਞ̋ɛ͛ୋɓఙҧቃϋ
Club Marítim nightlife, and beaches. “It’s fun to just walk
de Barcelona; a and spend the day there,” he says.
ታԑᝈ޶dࢨᓃҜʔИซ̋ɝ
ึfίԟ༁dμڢ੬ఃᛇᐝ༆
tableful of tapas. As we chat, waiters whisk out tapas,
the small, shareable plates that Spain is
˼ࡁٙБΐdҁΌ஗வࢭ̹۬ ІԒҧቃٟʘ̮eΌଢҧቃ͍
famous for: fried artichokes, calamari,
mussels, a smoky eggplant dip, a lemony
ٙᇻۉݺɢהชݑf ί೯͛ٙɓʲfμႭj ˜຅આ
fish crudo. We drift from our conversation
about the city to talk about everything
ໄԒ׵ɓఙ਷ყϋึࣛdઆึ
from wild boars to coffee culture. (“I don’t
mean to exaggerate,” Aragón says, “but
Гफ˫d৸ˬ஗ΐމա ፋ଻޶Ցʡჿ݊ྼყ༶ЪϞࣖ
the two places in the world you can get
the best coffee are Italy and Spain.”) Sor-
在جܛڭᚐٙ਷࢕˖ʷ፲ ٙ€˙جe຾᜕eᝈᓃf™
jús, a past Rotary International director
ପɓ௅ʱdኋ၍̴͍ࠦᑗ˚ू ৵؍੭ҢԸՑᘩҦఙٙ
and the HOC chair in 2002 (the last time
the Rotary Convention was in Barcelona),
৷ပٙˀ࿁ᑊईfᒱ್ˋ෦ඤ ᚣ˂௟ᅽdԟ༁̙˸ 360 ܓΌ
quizzes me about Santiago Calatrava, the
Spanish architect responsible for the most
ॶ௰ܝɓఙ৸ˬᒄ݊ί 2011 ౻࠶ᐚவࢭ̹۬dԨணϞε࢕
famous landmark in my hometown of Mil-
waukee: a breathtaking pavilion added to
ϋdШԱ್̙˸ீཀிஞˋ ᎛ᝂdઆ̙˸ίԟ༁৾वd୚
the city’s art museum. As we talk, I pause
occasionally for a taste of food followed
෦ඤॶᘩҦఙ (Las Arenas de ୚ۜբߕ౻f৵؍༆ᙑႭdவ
by a contented sigh. So good.
It’s all this — the food, the culture,
݊μ௰ఃᛇ੭Ըஞٙҧቃٟʾ
the friendliness — that B
Barcelona) Ը᜗᜕வݬዝ̦ٙarcelona Rotary
members will share with convention at-
ɓ௅ʱdவࡈఙ᎜൷ᕎϋึ ΍ආૉ᎛ٙήᓃfμႭj˜આ
tendees come June, says Aragón. “Bar-
celona is a very attractive city,” he adds.
上起：ۃ਷ყҧቃଣԫߡԢᆄ‧ ึఙ̥ცภ࠱ˋ෦ඤॶή᚛ ̙˸޶Ցɼජd̙˸޶Ցႆˈ
“It’s a cosmopolitan city. It’s friendly, it’s
॰ߡ౶€̸ၾϋึή˴։ࡰึ ఻१у̙Ց༺fவࢭ৸ˬఙ Աдʆ (Montjuïc)dɓʲேး
easygoing. The Mediterranean atmo-
˴։෦ဧΛෳ‧ԭז্ίˋ෦ඤ sphere and the surroundings make it a
called panot. And when you’ve had your fill of architecture, ׵ 1900 ϋ઼͜dԨ׵ 1977 ϋ
very attractive place.”
ϗ଻ֵf™
ॶެ࢕ঘऎࡆᆀ௅iᓖတɓࣲٙ
Passeig de Gràcia offers an array of luxury shops, including Aragón attended his first Rotary Con-
vention, in Portland, Oregon, in 1990. He
Cartier, Prada, and Chanel. ᑘ፬ə௰ܝɓఙ৸ˬdίඝໄ
Гफ˫ʃΦ
After a full morning of sightseeing, I’m famished. Luckily, was drawn to the opportunity to see the ԟ͍݊ҢࡁટɨԸࠅۃ
magnitude of Rotary and the ease with
two new Rotary friends are about to show me what the Mediter- εϋܝ஗ᔕࡌމɓࢭତ˾ʷٙ ֻٙή˙jႆˈԱдʆdɦ၈
ranean way of life is all about. which you can make connections. “You
ٙᐑྤᜫ̴ϓމɓࡈڢ੬ˏɛ ᒅيʕːfνʦdઆ̙˸ίவ ˜೓˄ʆ™d੻Τ׵ʕ̚˰ߏ
start friendships which then last many,
ergio Aragón and Julio Sorjús are sitting on the terrace of many years,” he says.
ɝ௷ٙή˙f™
The meal has left me stuffed and sleepy.
S the Reial Club Marítim de Barcelona, beers in hand and ༁޶Ցᅰɤ࢕ਠֳeɓ࢕ཥᅂ ࣛಂணͭ׵ʆ˳ɪٙɓࢭ೓˄
a small dish of multicolored olives on the table. Flags on the After I’ve had a chance to indulge in an-
ԭז্׵ 1990 ϋՑߕ਷
other Spanish tradition — the afternoon
many sailboats in the century-old yacht club’s marina waft in ৫d˸ʿۜᎻߕ࠮ၾභࣘٙλ ྥ෤fவ༁ᒔϞɓࢭ̶ɽٙ
the gentle breeze. Cable cars soar above the sea, and in the dis- siesta — I head back to the waterfront for
ڶਔ֥ψتतᚆਞ̋˼ٙୋɓ
ಌ؍̹۬ʮ෤d௰ڋ݊Ъމ
tance, people amble across the Rambla de Mar, a wavy wooden ̘ஈf an evening stroll on the promenade along
bridge that extends Barcelona’s famous pedestrian street across Barceloneta Beach. Palm trees flank the
ఙҧቃϋึf˼஗ԟ၇ፋ଻Ԉ
path, and those people who aren’t admir-
the water to historic Port Vell. ˋ෦ඤॶҧቃٟٟࡰeΝ 1929 ϋ˰ޢ௹ᚎึٙึఙϾ
I take a seat on the terrace, and Aragón explains that, al- ing the view from a blanket on the beach
ᗇҧቃ҃ɽ஝ᅼٙዚึd˸ʿ
ක೯dܝԸމə 1992 ϋෳ༶
are hitting a volleyball o
though Barcelona is a coastal city, it lived for most of its exis- ࣛɰ݊ਞၾ༈ᔕࡌʈ೻ࠇ೥ٙr engaging in a
tence with its back to the sea. The city had developed within pickup game of soccer.
ܔጘࢪഺඩ‧৵؍ (Laia Marín)
ආБ዆ࡌfνʦd຅આ߈૞׵
ঐჀᕦܔͭɛყஹഐٙ؟ఖה the
the Gothic Quarter I’d seen earlier and later extended as Opposite: Hundreds of runners fly past, waving
old walls were knocked down in the 19th century (the name for A pan of paella in flags and blasting music on boomboxes
ଉଉіˏf˼Ⴍj ˜Ыึܔͭ
Ⴍj˜ɰ஢Ңࡁତίʔఃᛇ৸
Չගٙʃࢰࣛdึ೯ତ᜗ԃఙ
this newer part of the city, “L’Eixample,” means “expansion” Sitges, a coastal they carry on their backs. I stand and
in Catalan). But the waterfront was used for heavy industry, town southwest watch, tempted to join them, swept away
ঐַᚃ஢஢εεϋٙʾሒf™
ˬఙe৸ˬd˸ʿவɓʲdШ
and locals rarely visited. of Barcelona by the energy of the city. ᎜e௹ي᎜eڀ෤d˸ʿႆˈ
வ཭ᔮସٙߕ࠮ᜫҢԂ ԟಀ݊Ңࡁٙ˖ʷၾዝ̦f™ Աд۬ఝf
SEPTEMBER 2026 ROTARY 33
ɿཱཱིིe׾׾૧ွfίϞֱ᜗ ᒱ್৸ˬʊϓމˋ෦ඤ Ңࡁ੽ᘩҦఙ̈೯dᔎ
᜕ə̤ɓධГफ˫ෂ୕ ―― ॶٙཀ̘όdШ৵؍ڌͪd˼ ഹГफ˫ᄿఙ (Plaça Espanya)
sep26-D-Barcelona.indd 33 ʹܝʹွʘܝdҢࠠอΫՑ ࡁ͍рɢί׼ϋ 6 ˜ҧቃϋึ ٙ෥ᐑԐdضഹɓૢՇࣙર
7/29/26 16:57
˥֦ᗙdίˋ෦ඤʫ෫ऎᛉ ɪ࢝ତՉ˼ෂ୕˖ʷfμႭj ΐഹᄝݰٙ൑༸ۃБdٜՑ
(Barceloneta Beach) ࣙٙᏵऎ ˜Ңࡁ͍ί஝ྌɓఙబϞዢێ ת༺ႆˈԱдᚭˌᄝݰ (Font
ɽ༸ɪԮացૉٙ౳Ӊfಅᖈ ˖ʷֵᘾٙϋึdν؈ҧቃٟ Màgica de Montjuïc)fவ݊ɓ
ዓѰ༸રΐdԟԬӚϞሽίऎ ࡰԸՑவ༁dਗ਼ঐڢ੬Ⴠᕦή ࢭ̶ɽٙ˜ᚭˌᄝݰ™dίत
臺灣扶輪 2026.9 19