When we went to bed last night we expected that we might be awakened by over enthusiastic soccer fans after the big Madrid v.. Madrid match concluded. Instead we were awakened after 11 pm (23:00) by the sound of a loud speaker on it’s highest setting and a large crowd. Getting out of bed to investigate we saw a candlelit religious procession winding through the streets below complete with the saint’s statue being carried on a flower-strewn platform. Hopefully they were on their way to a midnight mass otherwise it is hard to imagine as to why they chose to do this at such a volume at 11pm. It was, however, a sight to behold.
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The locals seem to take their weekends very seriously. Just walking in their neighborhoods, sitting in cafes or in the parks with friends. So that is exactly what we did. Just walking in our own neighborhood this morning. There was some excitement in plaza that houses the offices of the government of Catalunya (the Generalitat). There was a demonstration in favor of Catalan independence from Spain. There was a great deal of flag waving, chanting of slogans and noisy confrontations with the amazingly calm guards. All in all probably a lot milder and more civilized than your average Trump rally.
This afternoon we walked slowly through the El Born neighborhood to the Parc de la Cuitadella. Today the Parc was THE place to be. There were families and groups of friends enjoying each other’s company. Rastafarians, Jugglers, Acrobats, children gleefully squealing, couples rowing boats in the small lake.
Then there are the dogs. Dogs in Barcelona are perhaps better trained than in any European city. Without the aid of leashes they walk right next to their owners through busy streets. They rarely bark (except of course, for the two that spend a great deal of their time on a balcony just down the block from us who are barking as I write) and they come when called. The favorite breed seems to be the pug and in general the smaller varieties, although they come in a variety of sizes.
Our neighborhood has narrow curving streets. The buildings are generally five or six stories high and made of stone. We are on the 5th floor (which is really the 6th – since the ground floor is “0”). During the day we generally keep our three 8 feet high French doors open so that the sounds from below drift up. It is like living directly on the street but we love it.
This afternoon we walked slowly through the El Born neighborhood to the Parc de la Cuitadella. Today the Parc was THE place to be. There were families and groups of friends enjoying each other’s company. Rastafarians, Jugglers, Acrobats, children gleefully squealing, couples rowing boats in the small lake.
Then there are the dogs. Dogs in Barcelona are perhaps better trained than in any European city. Without the aid of leashes they walk right next to their owners through busy streets. They rarely bark (except of course, for the two that spend a great deal of their time on a balcony just down the block from us who are barking as I write) and they come when called. The favorite breed seems to be the pug and in general the smaller varieties, although they come in a variety of sizes.
Our neighborhood has narrow curving streets. The buildings are generally five or six stories high and made of stone. We are on the 5th floor (which is really the 6th – since the ground floor is “0”). During the day we generally keep our three 8 feet high French doors open so that the sounds from below drift up. It is like living directly on the street but we love it.
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