You never get lost in Barcelona – at least in the Gothic center of the city. Not because of a brilliant signage system (because in fact there are no signs whatsoever telling you what the next corner brings)but because the narrow streets and alleyways flanked on each side by tall buildings and bombarded by natives, tourists, children, dogs, kiosk and shops selling everything from jewellery to food – all of these seem to lead to the same plazas or to the unique famous Las Ramblas.
We stayed at a hotel. However, it wasn’t a high class, five star hotel, devoid of any culture or Catalan fragrance. It was a cheap, clean, fairly new hotel occupying the whole of the second floor of a 60’s apartment building located an arm’s length away from the port. The staff acted as receptionists and maids alike, working round the clock and yet always smiling and happy. We had to switch three rooms because the portable air conditioners were old and grumpy, but each room was clean and well kept. We walked down the road each morning to have breakfast at a fancier hotel, however felt a bit like a native leaning out the old style balcony and looking at the somewhat distant pavement when we came back.
Never having been much of a morning person (my partner being even worse than me at waking up in the wee hours) each day we would exit the hotel at the lazy hour of 10 (or more often 11, sometimes even 12). That left us with about 3 hours of roaming the streets until the afternoon sun hunted us down and we finally complied with the local habit and went back for a refreshing siesta. Thus, we would walk down very large boulevards and open plazas towards the narrow alleyways leading into the town center.
The streets feel like a completely different universe from the rest of it, and as you advance deeper into the maze it gets livelier and livelier. It cannot be said that all them alleys smell like roses, but all of them are cool and provide a much needed respite from the sun.
Deeper and deeper you go and from just a couple of breakfast places, laundry shops and people walking their dogs, the streets seem to gain personality. It feels a bit like walking backwards into someone’s life, starting with them old and advancing into their crazy youth.
More and more shops sprung up. Spanish is accompanied by Hungarian, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian and what not – you name it. Soon you are moving along with the street, an individual and yet a part of the current.
One other aspect of these amazing streets is – it doesn’t matter how well you’ve learned them and how well you know the way. Once the sun starts setting and the shops close it’s a whole different map. The streets change so much you end up having to learn it all again.
And if you’re short of cash and looking for an art gallery, do wander these streets after closing time. They have a habit on painting graffiti on the garage doors of the shops, most times seemingly painted by the owners themselves to reflect what the business is. It’s an ad hoc, free way of expression, so often beautifully executed and taken for granted.
So next time you’re in Barcelona, do all the touristic stuff, take the culinary adventure, hit the beach hard. But make sure you do go see the side streets. They’re a lively one.
Ioana 🙂
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