Ramblejando, with Dr. Agustí Pedro i Pons (1959)
Chronicle of Andreu Avel·lí Artís 'Sempronio' (Barcelona, 1908-Sitges, 2006) in the journalistic anthology The people of Barcelona(1959). My own translation. Today marks fifty-five years since his deathby the doctor Agustí Pedro i Pons (Barcelona, 1898-1971). Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the UB, Dr. Pedro i Pons was the main author of Treatise on medical pathology and clinical practice (1950-1958), reference work that Josep Pla consulted to write his self-report Myocardial infarction (see this section from 11-III-2013). Pedro y Pons, a cultured man in theater and music, was also a renowned bibliophile and a learned collector of Catalan newspapers and magazines. He wrote the prologue to the exhaustive History of the Catalan Press (1966) by Rafael Tasis and Joan Torrent.
I came to know Professor Agustí Pedro i Pons on the Rambla in Barcelona. This statement might surprise you, since the Rambla is now looked down upon and no one of importance strolls along it anymore. But there is one exception: Dr. Pedro i Pons. He is perhaps the last. rambler "In my younger days, La Rambla was like a familiar path to me," the doctor tells me as we walk down the popular thoroughfare. "From the Hospital de la Santa Creu on Carrer de la Portaferrissa, where the Academy of Medical Sciences was located, I made this journey every day." Dr. Pedro i Pons is a true Barcelonian. He was born on the right side of the Eixample district, and although he has moved houses and streets over time, he remains in the neighborhood. His first childhood escapades took place in the Passatge de Permanyer. On the doorsteps of the small houses there, he watched the illustrious figures of Apel·les Mestres and the pianist Vidiella. We return to La Rambla. The doctor's favorite day, or rather, his favorite night for strolling along La Rambla is Sunday. It's the only day of the week when he can steal an hour from his overwhelming workload. He has an early dinner and, while lighting a cigar, drives his car towards Plaça de Catalunya. Upon arriving there, he parks his car anywhere along the west side of the street, and with his legendary hat pulled low over his eyes and puffing on his cigar, he sets off on foot along the Rambla. I imagine that solitude is an important element of the joy he finds in his walk. I imagine it, and from here I apologize for the times I've dared to join him, having discovered this. What have we talked about in these encounters? Nothing momentous. The Rambla has guided the conversation, inviting us to delve into the past. When the professor, abandoning for a few moments his professional books, journals, and medical literature, seeks other horizons in his reading, he turns to the bound volumes of old Barcelona newspapers, which he always keeps within easy reach. He especially appreciates the 19th-century festive weeklies, which satirized without rancor, which teased without wounding. "The image of that small, simple city pulsates in all those texts," remarks Dr. Pedro y Pons. Amid today's anxieties, this ever-increasing complexity of existence, our grandparents' lives seem enviable... We've spoken before about the theater, their great passion. They recall with enduring wonder the landmark premieres of Catalan theater and lament with me that the stage is in decline. For them, there's no pleasure comparable to what a good theatrical performance gives us. Nor is this love of theater a defining characteristic of today's Barcelonians. Something similar happens with strolling down the Rambla... That's why, when I spot Dr. Pedro y Pons in Canaletes, I'm captivated by him and don't let go, walking down the Rambla, aware that I'm in the company of a true citizen.
Andreu Avel·lí Artís 'Sempronio' 1959