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Today, my favorite place in the world is Bartola in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Not because of the amazing coffee, location, people . . .
Nope, it’s because of the music.
I am always delighted to sit down and write at one of the Bartolo coffee shops. The background is always filled with pleasant conversation chatter and mixed tunes—jazz, blues, rock, modern versions of my favorite 80s/90s disco, and everything else under the sun. It’s always a fun variety. I never know what to expect, and I love it all.
But, last Tuesday, was different.
I woke up tired, discouraged. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had no agenda, no expectations.
I left my house to get away from the chaos and the noise in my life. With temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius, I could no longer work in my outdoor writing shack in the courtyard. I just knew I needed to get away.
I needed a good dose of Bartola.
I loaded up my backpack and my iPad to spend the morning writing at my favorite cafe.
In the first hour, I had already written two pieces, inspired by the colors, ambience, and the people around me. My belly was full of my favorite cafe con leche and tostada con tomate—with garlic.
I felt content.
Then, I heard it . . . it’s a tune that I recognize immediately. It only takes a few beats of that song to get my heart, feet, and body moving. Still seated, I was dancing, rocking to my favorite beat.
Was that really “Beat It”? Yes it was.
“Michael!” I screamed out loud to the two gals behind the counter, Leidy and Margarita. “This is my favorite music in the world!”
I went on to tell them and the other customers in the coffee shop, “Michael Jackson was my first concert when I was 10 years old in Kansas City. I wore the famous red leather jacket and the white sequined glove.”
They smiled.
I smiled too. The grin on my face was about to burst.
I was obviously showing my age. The others listening to my story in Bartola were all youthful, probably in their 20s.
“If you haven’t seen the movie, ‘Michael,’ you have to go. It’s fabulosa. Michael was a musical genius.”
One more reason to love Bartola—MJ.
Another Michael song came on, and Leidy turned up the volume and grinned at me.
“Yes!” I exclaimed, moving my body to the beat.
Boy, I was NOT expecting that! I was not expecting a taste of my home country and culture—an American awakening—at Bartola! I was immediately transported back to my birthplace.
I was not just content, I was happy—all of me.
Life might be hard. But, I now had a good dose of Bartola in my heart and a good dose of Michael in my body.
I’ll be back if they play “Beat It” again, and next time, I’ll do the moon walk with my cafe con leche in hand!
As I walked out the door, I told Leidy that we needed to close the door of Bartola and transform the place into a discoteca one day. She laughed and went on to tell me that tomorrow, Sunday, May 31, 2026, from 11-1, they are having a DJ at Bartola.
I’ll be there. Too bad my mother sold my red leather jacket and white sequined glove in a garage sale long ago.
Join me at Calle Postigo, 1 in Alcalá de Henares!
Let’s “Beat it” at Bartola!
—Marci Renée, The Cultural Story-Weaver
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—”THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
What about you? What music or favorite tunes transport you back to your home country and culture when traveling or living abroad?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
