The eclipse that has not made everyone lift their heads

BarcelonaBarcelona was darkened prematurely for a few seconds. And even when the Sun was still shining, it was noticeable that it was not a normal day. The terraces on Rambla de Catalunya were half empty, a strange occurrence for a day in the first half of August. “You can tell it's eclipse day,” explained Arantxa, a waitress, with less work than usual. However, in the Plaça de Catalunya area, some Barcelonians were having beers at La Sureña and did not hide that they were some haters of the eclipse. They had no problem admitting it. "I don't care about the eclipse, I'm fed up with it," Marta said. "The only thing we'll do is light a cigarette when it starts. We'll see which lasts longer, the eclipse or the cigarette," Sergi said, laughing. They think it's being made into a big deal.

This disillusionment with the event that has filled headlines in recent weeks is also shared by Mauricio, who is looking at a couple of books by Víctor Català at La Central. “I love astronomy, but I hate these mass phenomena,” he admits. In his opinion, with the amount of "wonderful and complex things the world of the sky has to offer," he doesn't understand why so much attention is paid to an event as simple as an eclipse. "People who watch the eclipse are like people who buy one book a year and make sure it's the bestseller, just so they can talk about it with the rest of the planet," he states.

In many restaurants in Ciutat Vella, normally full of tourists and locals grabbing a bite, there were only two or three tables occupied. Others were directly closed. Many people have moved to the rooftops: the rooftop from the center were full to the brim. "There's no one else here," said the manager of H10 on Rambla de Catalunya. Marta and Aida ran towards the rooftop of El Corte Inglés, well prepared, to see what has been, for many, the astronomical phenomenon of the century.

There was also a certain indifference in the Catalan capital. Marta and Laura were going to the cinema to see The Odyssey and they said the eclipse didn't interest them much. Along the same lines, Johnny and Joan, dressed in cycling jerseys and heading to Montjuïc by bicycle, said they preferred to do some sport.

Everyone has looked up at the sky

Some tourists seemed to be unaware of the event. Twenty minutes before the Sun aligned almost completely with the Moon, a family of Americans said they would love to see it from a bar's rooftop. None of the three, however, had the required approved glasses to look at the Sun safely. "We hope to find some at a pharmacy," said Kate, the daughter. They didn't know that the glasses had been sold out for a few days.

They are not the only ones who have missed it due to a lack of glasses. Pol, who was entering the gym, said he would have liked to get some and go somewhere from where the total eclipse could be seen. Since he didn't buy them in time, he preferred to go to the gym with his friend. Renzo said the eclipse seemed to him "a barbaric thing" and that he would have liked to see it.

There are also those who have not seen the eclipse due to lack of interest. When it got dark, Ben and his four friends – all British – were well aware they were missing it, but they weren't sorry. "I don't care," he said. "The only plan I've made for tonight is to go watch a football match."

Indifference. Frustration. Madness. The feelings the eclipse has evoked are as diverse as there are people in the world. But one thing is for certain: Plaça Catalunya was not filled with its usual noise. When the city filled with darkness, everyone looked up at the sky. Even those who had decided that the eclipse of the century "wasn't that big a deal" couldn't resist the curiosity.