World’s biggest inter-city rivals
Sue Williams reaches for a whistle to act as referee between some of the most competitive cities on the planet.
Forget outbreaks of hostilities between nations; some of the fiercest, deepest and most bitter enmities are actually inside countries’ own borders. Think the deep divide between Scotland’s Edinburgh and Glasgow, the cultural competitiveness of Tokyo versus Osaka in Japan, and, on a more serious and divisive note, the longrunning antipathy between Madrid and Barcelona that plunged Spain into yet another crisis last year.
Then there’s India’s so-called ‘‘samosa-vada pav war’’ that typifies the bite-sized regional rivalries between Delhi and Mumbai. It’s a case of one country, two cities and almost a world of difference. There’s usually at least one clear winner from the festering feuds, however – the traveller.
City rivalries can also be a lot of fun and, at times, a little silly, even petty, especially for the outsider seeking to define just what it is that makes a place special and different.
That’s why we’re here, to act as referee between some of the most competitive cities on the planet.
Edinburgh v Glasgow
What they say: If you see a man on an Edinburgh street with a golf club, locals say, there’s a good chance he’s going to play golf. If you see him in Glasgow, then take cover. Glaswegians, however, are just as scathing about their rivals. If you visit someone late in the afternoon in welcoming Glasgow, they say, your host’s immediate response: ‘‘You’ll be staying for dinner, then.’’ And if you call on someone in Edinburgh at that same time, it’ll be: ‘‘You’ll have had your dinner then …’’
What we say: Edinburgh has long been the traditional sentimental favourite with its lofty castle, historical Royal Mile and stirring Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. But Glasgow spruced itself up during its 1990 reign as Europe’s City of Culture, and has wonderful food, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – Scotland’s most visited free attraction – and Style Mile, the biggest shopping area outside London.
The backstory: The rivalry apparently began in the 17th century, over a loaf of bread, when bakers from Edinburgh criticised the quality of those in Glasgow, and it has risen ever since, through football, politics, business and culture.
Our verdict: Glasgow is bigger, brasher and funnier – where else would a traffic cone placed on the head of a Duke of Wellington statue be not just tolerated but celebrated? – although the accent is murder to understand at first. Glasgow also has festivals every week of the year, and its Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed 1903 Miss Cranston’s Willow Tea
Rooms are absolutely gorgeous.
Lisbon v Porto
What they say: Porto people insist their city is prettier with cobbled streets and medieval alleyways set along the picturesque Douro River and, they’re keen to point out, it’s where ‘‘the Liberator’’ King Peter IV left his heart. His body, after his death, went on to Brazil.
What we say: Lisboetas also have their history, including the world’s most expensive chapel, the Sao Roque Church, and Jeronimos Monastery, where explorers were blessed before leaving on an expedition. In 1755, an earthquake destroyed much of the city so it also has lots of elegant modern architecture. Porto, of course, has lots of port tastings (they say it has the most alcohol per square metre of any city), and Lisbon, its famed Portuguese tarts.
The backstory: The ill feeling goes back to 1255 when Lisbon was made the capital over Porto, and expresses itself today in fierce rivalry between their two football teams.
Our verdict: Lovely Lisbon has so much to see and do and, being bigger, isn’t as choked with visitors as Porto. It also feels younger, and more vibrant and vivacious.
Paris v Marseille
What they say: Marseillais always feel that their much wealthier, more powerful (read: arrogant) neighbours look down on them, for their working-class roots and racial mix. Parisians swear they don’t (but they actually often do).
What we say: Everyone has to visit Paris at least once in their lifetime for its air of romance, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, NotreDame, the Champs-Elysees, Montmartre and all those other lovely landmarks we’ve come to know so well from the movies. But Marseille in the south of France is a delight, too, for its balmy days, friendliness, beaches, museums, theatres, cinemas, parks, shops, and great restaurants and bars.
The backstory: Paris was a Gallic-built inland city on a river; Marseille was constructed by Greek colonists on the Mediterranean coast. Marseille didn’t come under Paris’ rule, as the seat of the French crown and government, until the
15th century, and remains a wayward rebel.
Our verdict: If you’ve already seen Paris, then check out Marseille. It’s so much more relaxed, easy to get around, informal, hospitable and fun.
Madrid v Barcelona
What they say: Those living in the Catalan capital Barcelona see themselves as at the very vanguard of architecture, art and design, and as the epitome of chic. Many Madrilenos, however, feel Barcelona could be about to vanish up its own traseros and that it has suffocated the golden goose by concentrating so heavily on tourism that visitors and locals alike feel overwhelmed by the crowds.
What we say: Barcelona is an exceptionally elegant seaside city, with all the Gaudi spires and curves, early works of Picasso and gothic medieval sector, while Madrid is full of history, art, culture, music, and amazing gastronomy, with a state-ofthe-art public transport system that makes it easy to explore.
The backstory: The rivalry dates back to the War of Spanish Succession in 1714, putting Spain in charge of Catalonia, and has recently flared again, with attempts at a Catalonia succession and more independence.
Our verdict: Madrid wins on its warm sense of community and fabulous people-watching, especially since it’s twice the size of Barcelona with half the tourism.
New York v Los Angeles
What they say: New Yorkers think people from Los Angeles are all in La La Land, doing odd jobs
in between surfing and waiting for their big acting breaks. Angelenos see New Yorkers as stressed, overworked mice on a bleak treadmill of life, jealous of their laid-back west coast lifestyle, beaches and weather.
What we say: When you’re in New York, you can’t help feeling you’re at the centre of the universe – a place that’s sassy, smart, confident and important. There’s Wall St, Broadway, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and great bagel shops. LA is fun and hip and happening, with Hollywood, Disneyland, Venice Beach, and the chance of celebrity sightings.
The backstory: The cities are chalk and cheese; one the high-rise financial capital, the other a sprawling sunlit suburban oasis. It’s a rivalry intensified by the Yankees versus LA Dodgers and the fact that so many New Yorkers are moving, for lifestyle, to LA.
Our verdict: As the song says, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. New York is simply one of the world’s greatest cities – sleek and sophisticated with so much to see and do, and a buzz like no other.
Delhi v Mumbai
What they say: With capital Delhi the centre of government and Mumbai the financial capital, Mumbaikars are keen to portray their rivals as corrupt deadbeats who rely on political patronage for a living, while Delhiites like to flaunt their comparative wealth over their poorer cousins. What we say: The Indian capital Delhi is a vast metropolis with incredible monuments, including the Mughal Red Fort, the Jama Masjid Mosque and incredible bazaars and street food, such as the speciality samosa. Even better, the Taj Mahal is only a day trip away. Mumbai, the country’s biggest city, has the iconic Gateway of India arch, Marine Drive for water sunsets, even more bazaars selling the local delicacy vada pav, and nearby Elephanta Island with Shiva cave temples. The backstory: Mumbai started out as a fishing village that grew into a great port city. Delhi was a city built from scratch to be the capital. Resentment was always inevitable. Our verdict: You can pick a comfortable time to visit Delhi according to the season you prefer. In Mumbai, you can choose hot or hot and wet.
Tokyo v Osaka
What they say: People in Osaka view themselves as friendlier and more outgoing, with a great sense of humour, and see those in Tokyo as more staid and stand-offish. Edokkos from Tokyo, however, view themselves as more sophisticated than their western region counterparts.
What we say: Tokyo is a furiously modern city with a vast mix of attractions, from stunning skyscrapers to beautiful ancient temples; from the busiest crossroad in the world to the most serene gardens, as well as wacky people and cat cafes. Osaka, the historic capital, has lovely old-world pockets with charm and charisma, as well as fast-paced nightlife and some delicious food. The backstory: As the old capital and the new, the rivalry has been long-standing and is still a regular TV discussion point. The difference between life in the two cities, however, is acute, from the regional dialect spoken to the food, fashion and even which side of the escalator one stands (on the left in Tokyo and on the right in Osaka). Our verdict: Osaka has so much of both the history and the modernity but in a much more manageable size – and with very welcoming locals.
Moscow v St Petersburg
What they say: The tensions in modern Russia between the old autocratic ways championed by Moscow, and the liberalism of St Petersburg, leads to Muscovites calling the Piterets dreamers with their heads in the clouds, while they’re much more hard-working and productive. In return, the Piterets see the Muscovites as rougher, less sophisticated, pushier people, in stark contrast to their own kindly, gentle and more cultured ways.
What we say: Moscow has so much history, grandeur and revolutionary spirit with the Kremlin, Red Square, Lenin’s mausoleum, the Bolshoi Theatre and the beautiful multicoloured, onion-domed St Basil’s Cathedral. St Petersburg has The Hermitage, with da Vinci, Picasso and Rembrandt masterpieces – officials say it would take 11 years to see every exhibit – the Winter Palace and the amazing Saviour on the Blood, the weirdly gaudy cathedral built on the site of the tsar’s assassination in 1881.
The backstory: Cultural capital St Petersburg was planned and built by Peter the Great as Russia’s window to the West and has always served as a force for Westernisation against Moscow’s more authoritarian, conservative stance.
Our verdict: There’s an old Russian saying that Moscow is the heart, and St Petersburg the head and, in my book, heads win. It’s so pretty, with its canals, bridges and architecture earning it the moniker of the Venice of the North.
Oxford v Cambridge
What they say: When it comes to the rivalry between the British cities’ universities, Oxford students see themselves consistently as brighter, while Cambridge students point to their higher place in the world university rankings. Then the entire nation takes sides for the annual boat race between the universities that has played out over a six-kilometre stretch of the Thames every year since 1829.
What we say: Oxford has world-class museums, a Victorian market, the fabulous 1524 Christ Church College that produced 13 British prime ministers, is where Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll once taught – there is a stained glass window commemorating him and Alice – and provided Hogwarts’ Great Hall for
Harry Potter, as well as the location for Inspector Morse’s adventures. Cambridge has similarly architecturally stunning colleges, a great street food scene, a marvellous botanic garden, a huge free museum and the chance to punt down the River Cam.
The backstory: Academics fleeing Oxford founded the only other university in England back then, Cambridge, in 1208, so Oxford claims line honours. Cambridge’s Footlights, however, has grabbed more kudos, producing famous stars, including John Cleese, Peter Cook, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson and John Oliver.
Our verdict: It’s hard to beat Oxford’s dreamy spires and misty vistas in that oh-so-very-British
Brideshead Revisited style.