Hello All,
The picture above is one that I swiped off Flicker. Someone else took it. This shot is of one of my favorite hangout spots in Barcelona. This is called San Felipe Neri Square, located in the Gothic Quarters, known as El Barrio Gotico. The doors the couple is standing in front of is sometimes painted with different murals, and these doors belong to a Baroque Cathedral.
This area was once part of the Jewish quarters and was built upon an old Jewish cemetary. This is situated in El Barrio Gotico, which is always bustling with tourists, and this little area is kind of hidden, forgotten and therefore peaceful. People are usually too busy shopping or looking at something else to notice this little hole in the wall. I hear that it is has recently been filled with beggars, people on drugs and tourists that like to piss on the walls. But, you know what ? That is really the whole city of Barcelona anyway. So, I guess in comparison to the busier parts of town, this place is more peaceful.
I remember when I was first taken here during my stay in July of 2004. A Catalan guy who was moving to Holland and needed me for English lessons took me here. I felt an instant connection here. I felt like I was going back in time. It is reminiscent of another era. The Spanish Civil War to be exact. When I stopped by, I liked to sit by the old fountain and listen to the water trickle out. In the fountain, I could see the tiles that were falling apart, and imagined what they looked like when the fountain was in good condition. Once in a while there would be someone strumming on a guitar, and I loved listening to the music with the trickle of the fountain in the background, while looking at the architecture of the cathedral and thinking about the action this place has been through.
This place has had an unfortunate past. In the walls you can see the damage that was done from the shrapnel as well as bullet holes. I was told that the Cathedral was used as an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War, and children were killed by a bomb. I was also told that people were lined up against the wall and shot at.
Further to the right is a shoe museum. And almost directly behind where the photographer who shot this is standing is a nice high-end hotel. It opened up when I was there in the summer of 2004. I would love to stay there, if I had the chance. In fact, if I ever make more money or get married, I would love this to be where I stay. Whichever comes first.
There is a lot to do in Barcelona. A lot of famous places to visit, many of them crowded and charge a price. Some of the best places and things to see for me were free.
In fact, I have pictures from the day that I came here to the square. I can't copy them here for some reason, so I will just provide you with my old journal entry with the pictures. In fact, in the entry below, I said that I would dedicate an entire entry to this sqaure. I guess I finally did it four years later. Enjoy :)
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