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| Las Rambla image courtesy: www.spain4uk.co.uk |
When I look back at 2003, I think of my zit infested face peering down at a podgy hamster scuttling about in his cage in a pet stall right in the middle of one of Barcelona's busiest streets. I'm talking about Las Rambla, the centre of activity in the port city of Barcelona, Spain. For many reasons, a vivid picture of things in and around that street are embedded in my memory, and I've noted them down here…
Las Rambla is a commercial street lined with shops, eateries, hotels, flamenco clubs and museums. It has two motorable roads, about 6 metres each, on either side of a triply wide pedestrian plaza, running along the entire 1200-odd metre length. The street terminates at a T junction where, I remember, stood the statue of Christopher Columbus.
When we walked past the statue, across the perpendicular road, we found ourselves on a wide bridge which led to an expo-center, surrounded by the sea on all sides. The shiny, metal skin of the building gleamed in the strong sun as we approached it, with the stark backdrop of the endless blue sea and the orange sky - quite amazing. It had shops, restaurants and a temporary reptile exhibition as well!
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| A pet stall on Las Rambla image courtesy: www.tracystravels.co.uk |
Walking down the main spine of Las Rambla was an experience in itself. Lined with shady trees on both sides and rows of evenly spaced stalls, it had vendors selling everything from magazines, flowers and gadgets to postcards and even pets. My joy knew no bounds when I saw a baby caiman (from the alligator family) swimming around in a tiny aquarium in one of the stalls! A very interesting thing about the restaurants on this street was that they had their seating in the pedestrian area, complete with large umbrellas and easy-to-move furniture, but their kitchens were on the other side of the road. Waiters running across the roads, dodging the traffic with plates in their hands, was quite a site!
The cobbled by-lanes, branching out of the main spine, were equally interesting. They had some of the quirkiest shops and best restaurants - I can still taste that sea-food paella in my mouth! One of the high points, was Picasso's old house which had been converted into a museum. I distinctly remember an intimate courtyard with an external staircase leading up to a viewing gallery.
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| A street artist image courtesy: www.barcelonaphotoblog.com |
Las Rambla was no less than a carnival with street performers, enthusiastic salesmen and a multi-ethnic assortment of people, right from the Arabs to Indians to Africans. One of the most influential aspects of any place are the people who inhabit it, and Barcelona boasts of vibrant population.
Barcelona is certainly a city of the arts, right from the awe-inspiring edifices of Gaudi to the elegant Spanish opera houses and dance-forms like the salsa and flamenco. One of my most cherished memories of Barcelona is of the last night we spent there, when we went to a small club which was staging a flamenco performance. It was a small hall, stuffed with people, sitting informally around a small, dramatically lit platform. The Sangria (a drink made with wine and fruit)was flowing and the mosaic walls looked psychedelic. The sharp, suave movements of the man complimented by the flowy, riveting movements of the woman were enthralling. It was a perfect ending to a very memorable trip, indeed.
[Assignment for 'Theory of Settlements';Date of Submission - 06/08/2010]
[Assignment for 'Theory of Settlements';Date of Submission - 06/08/2010]
Good piece!
ReplyDeletethanks! i'm guessing you went there recently, so you can relate to it as well :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome, awesome beginning! I LOVE the first line.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading it, even though you'd told me about it.
TYPO:
with plates in their hands, was quite a /site/!