La Boqueria

Just off La Rambla is Barcelona's most notable food market. It is called La Boqueria. In Spanish "la boca" means "the mouth". Translated literally, this is the marketplace for the mouth. As you can imagine, this is the place you are going to go, to sample food and drink. Typical Spanish food and drink are on sale.

The place is very typical of a market. There is a mix of stalls selling fish, meats, vegetables, fruit, nuts, confectionery etc. It is a famous place. Tourists go there to get a traditional Catalan experience. You can find little eateries selling tapas and paella there too.

The place is not light on the wallet but it does offer an authentic experience if you are seeking a typical Spanish eating experience for the mouth! There are more tourists in there than locals though. Even if you did not know about it in advance, you will stumble upon it as you wander down La Rambla - and you will be enticed to sample something. You are assured of a sensory experience. The sights, smells, tastes and feelings will ensure you leave fulfilled.

Font Majica

At the foot of the Nacional Palace there is a huge fountain. This fountain is called Font Majica in Spanish because it is a magic fountain. It is called the "Magic Fountain" because it is not just an ordinary fountain. It is a fountain with music and lights. In the Summer months the fountain springs to life four nights per week.

The show has begun. The crowds are swarming .

I have often jogged past there, and there were swarms of people all around the fountain. The show began at 9.30pm and continued until 11.30pm. Tourists begin to arrive at about 8pm though. It is advisable to arrive early to secure a good view.

The show is awesome. The light and music create such a mood. There are classical songs and there are modern songs too. Some of the songs get the crowds going. I have seen people dancing and people even formed a train and were dancing in a circle around the fountain. It is lots of fun.

The street leading up to the Font Majica is lined with smaller fountains.

Now that Winter has come, there are far fewer tourists. The fountain only operates twice a week. Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. As I run past there nowadays, it is dark, crowdless and silent. Oh, for the Summer...

Barcelona's waterways

Barcelona actually has 3 ports. Port Olympico is the port near the Olympic Village - which is where mostly smaller, private yachts are moored. Port Forum is where the expensive yachts and big private boats are moored. Port Vell is the old port, which is where the cruising and cargo activity takes place.

From the castle there are good views of Port Vell below. Port Vell is the city's oldest port. It is the largest and busiest cruise port in the Mediterranean. The port is a hive of activity with a large number of cruise ships which come and go. Several ferry services to the Balearic Islands also operate out of this port. Apparently close to 3 million passengers pass through this port yearly.

A cruise ship is berthed and containers wait to be whisked off.

Being strategically placed in the Mediterranean there is also a lot of cargo activity. There are always many cargo ships in the port, or waiting out at sea. Freighter ships and container ships bring tons of cargo to Barcelona each day. Countless containers are waiting in the port, to be delivered to other destinations. Barcelona bids farewell to many vehicles which travel by ship, to other parts of the world.

The working port

Part of the port has been developed into an entertainment area, with a mall containing high end shops, cinemas and restaurants. This Waterfront mall is hugely popular with tourists and locals seeking entertainment options.

Waterfront retail mall

Mont Juic Castle

Just up from, and behind where I stay there is a castle on the hilltop. The castle is built right on the edge of the  cliff so it affords panoramic views over the old city below, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. I go up there often as it is a perfect place for running. Nice off road terrain for my running - as well as scenic views to motivate me!!

Entering the castle, by bridge.

The cannons around the castle.

The castle boasts thick high walls and has very attractive gardens. I do not think it is on every tourist's agenda because it is not always crowded with people. Thus, it is a pleasant place to go to. In the Summer  open air movies are screened in the garden outside the castle. A huge screen is placed against one of the tall walls and the movie is projected onto the screen. I have often run past there in the Summer evenings and seen a movie being projected onto the screen.

Open air cinema in the summer months.

Manicured gardens.

The history of the castle is rather interesting. It is the only place in the city of Barcelona where you can still find a statue of Franco - the former dictator of Spain. The castle was used as a prison for anarchists and political prisoners during the Franco dictatorship. The President of Catalunya (this region of Spain) was executed at the castle too. So it is a place the Catalans would not like as it reminds them of their oppression under Franco, the dictator. Catalunya never wanted to be part of Spain and did not like being governed by Spain. It has always favoured self-governance.

View of the sea.

View of the city bowl.

A home in the city

People who live in the inner city are not spoilt for choice. In the inner city it is mainly apartment block upon apartment block. Most of the buildings are very old and not too appealing. There are others which offer apartments that are big and full of character - such as balconies, rooftop gardens, wooden floors and pressed high ceilings. The older buildings tend to have bigger apartments - as the rooms are more spacious.

Old, with character.

Old, without character

In the newer apartment buildings the rooms are often very small, with less character - balconies, wooden floors and pressed ceilings. The building I live in is one such example. The entire apartment is small and the rooms are small. The kitchen, lounge and bathroom are tiny. The bathroom is the worst. If one sits on the toilet, one's knees have to be pushed up to avoid being pressed against the bath.

Newer but very densely populated (Mont Juic)

Smaller and newer complexes in Mont Juic

There are few houses in the city. Most houses are in areas outside of the city. Up on the Mont Juic hill there are however a few streets with houses. The houses are not that small but they are indeed very old and offer no gardens or outdoor recreation area. Space is at a premium here...

Stand alone houses in Mont Juic

This evening at Spanish, there was a presentation by a local juntamento (municipality) officer. She came to give information about living in Barcelona and which services were available to immigrants or visitors. She stated that that this city has a population of close to 4 million people, of which 17,6 % are immigrants. She mentioned that most of the immigrants live in the Ciutat Vella (old city) district because the buildings were smaller and the rents were cheaper in this area. The living spaces however are not that desirable. A lack of light, a lack of ventilation, lots of noise, overcrowding and many other issues were mentioned.

Old buildings in Ciutat Vella

Any takers for a new abode in the inner city ???

I would prefer a home in the "burbs" but I just don't have that kind of money...

Ultra modern apartments in Hosta Francs (on the edge of the inner of the city)

The plight of African refugees

I am studying Spanish at an NGO institute called EICA. EICA's aim is to help immigrants immerse into society. They offer Spanish courses to anybody, for free. Most of the people there are illegal immigrants who have sneaked into Spain and are on the way to legalising their stay here. In my class there are 5 African boys who are all 17 years old. Rachidu is from Bissau, Muhammad is from Ghana, Seidou is from Ghana, Khufulu is from Ghana and Rodrique is from Cameroon. The Ghanaians speak an African language. Rachidu does not speak a language which others can understand. Rodrique speaks French.

I was talking to the Ghanaians on Thursday after our Spanish lesson - which took us to a market, to practice buying food and asking prices etc. It was a useful and interesting lesson.

Khufulu and Seidou were the ones I spoke to. Kufulu has been here 6 months. Seidou has been here 2 months. They did not come together so they do not share the same experiences.

I begun the conversation by asking them why they are not in their countries, at high school. They told me their parents cannot afford to pay for them to go to school. Their parents are not in the higher class and do not have money. They do not go to school and are not looked after by their parents any longer. I was quite shocked. I know some Ghanaian people who are so well educated and who speak English with such eloquence. Then I asked how they came to Spain. They told me they came here by land and boat. They took buses, taxis or walked from Ghana to surrounding countries and finally made their way to Morocco. It was a harrowing journey which took months and exposed them to great danger. Nothing compared to the danger they faced when they would finally take the boat journey though.

They had to catch buses and walk between towns and cities in Africa. They would have to sneak across borders and wait until it was dark or safe to enter other countries without risks of being caught. It sounds very scary. They did not travel with passports as they were advised not to carry documents which would indicate where they were from. They said it was very hot and difficult getting across the desert to Morocco. It was also not a quick journey. The journey took several months as they would often have to stop in a town or city and work a while before they had money to move onwards to Morocco.

When they finally arrived in Morocco they had to earn the money to pay the boat master who would ferry them across the Mediterranean Sea to Spain. Spain is the preferred destination for so many immigrants because it grants permits to illegal immigrants after 3 years of being here. Once they finally had the money to pay for the boat trip they were able to complete the final leg of the journey. The aim being, to sail across the Med and land on Spanish shore. As soon as they were on Spanish shore they were safe and could begin to find their dream - to live a better life.

The boat trip was a frightening part. The boats leave from Moroccan shores. Many people were crammed into small boats. The boats depart for Spain but do not carry navigational equipment. The captains of the boats haphazardly guess where they are going. The crossing can take days. Captains do not know which way they need to go, to reach Spain. They see other ships and try to signal for help. Other ships will not allow them to get near. Other ships try to avoid the boats carrying illegals - perhaps for fear of being charged with assisting illegals or fear of being attached. One can never be sure if the boat is carrying poor refugees or a horde of pirates who will try to take control of the ship. So ships never help.

The journey can take a long time. There can be adverse weather conditions and rough seas. In the long hot Summer days, the passengers bake in the sun and many get so hot they dehydrate. Sometimes the boats get lost as they drift out into the Atlantic Ocean and are nowhere near Europe. People die from hunger and thirst. Sometimes passengers become so disillusioned that they jump off the boats and try to "swim" to land - in the hope that land is close by. Some of the people can barely swim so they do not know the dangers facing them - if they have to swim a long distance to reach the shore... People jump to their own peril.

Died swimming to shore

Some boats are discovered by Spanish Coast Guards. Khufulu told me of  his boat being found by helicopters who then sent a Coast Guard boat to arrest the passengers. Once they were on the Coast Guard boat, they were brought to Spain and then detained in a refugee camp for 2 months. Khufulu told me that if you want to stay you have to have the right "story". If the Spanish do not like your story you will be put on a boat and sent back to Africa - which is why they do not travel with passports. After his 2 month stay in the refugee camp he was allowed to stay. He was not sent back.

Spanish Coast Guard

Seidou has a different story. He also made his way from Ghana to Morocco under difficult circumstances. But his boat journey from Morocco to Spain was effortless. He had no hiccups or getting lost at sea or being caught by the coast guard. He arrived on Spanish shores and then made his way up to Barcelona by begging, working and getting money any way he could.

Now that both boys are in Barcelona, I asked them if their lives are better. They both said No. They said that this is not the paradise they had thought they were coming to. They have many problems here. They have no place to sleep. They sleep on benches in parks or near the sea. (The police in Spain are very relaxed and do not bother to harass Africans. The Spanish seem to like Africans but dislike Arabs.) Tonight it is raining so I guess they are battling out in the rain. They cannot work as they do not have documentation which entitles them to work. They try to get any type of job they can - helping an older person to carry things or to clean a shop or wash dishes in a restaurant. Anything to make a couple of euros per day. They day I spoke to them, they had not made even one euro.

So why do they stay ? They told me that even though it is hard here, it at least offers them more than in Ghana. In Ghana they do not eat. Here they at least go to soup kitchens where they are fed 3 times a day.
In Ghana they do not even go to school. Here they come to school (they call EICA their school). They can learn Spanish but nothing else. But it is free for them. And most importantly, here they can earn something - even if very little. So it is certainly more advantageous being here than in Africa.

In the class most of us take notes during the lesson in order to remember and learn. I have watched the African boys. When they are asked to read a word or a text, they are hesitant because some of them cannot even read. The other day I was sitting next to Rachidu and I observed him writing. I think he is barely able to write. His eye-hand coordination was very poor. He wrote like a 6 year old and could not produce the letters correctly. I spelled a few words out to him and he did not know the alphabet. He kept asking me if the word was written correctly. After several attempts, I just said it was.

I was really taken back. I just assumed that everybody in the class could read and write but there was the proof, that even in 2011 there are still people who do not go to school, and cannot read or write. This was a very touching experience. These young African boys have travelled so far and with such difficulty to find a better life but they still face such hardships and yet they are happy and eager. They all come to lessons wearing a smile and participate enthusiastically. Rodriques especially. He is a clever kid and is very diligent. He tries so hard and is a cut above the rest.

So what does the future hold for these boys? They will have to wait for a family to "adopt" them. But some familes will simply adopt them on paper and not provide any means of support. They will be happy with even that. It is simply just a way to get the documents to stay legally. They are all trying to find somebody who will adopt them and then they will be entitled to permits which will enable them to go to school, to work and to improve their lives.

How complicated their lives are and they tackle their circumstances with such courage. My heart goes out to them as they face a cold rainy night outdoors.

This could be anywhere!

The other night I walked past some Chinese kids playing on a pavement, outside a fruit and vegetable shop. I stopped to think about this. Was I in China? There were many Chinese people about. The shop itself was run by Chinese people too.

Something I have noticed since being here : this city does not feel like a European city at times. There are so many foreigners here, which makes it feel like it could be city in the Middle East or Asia. There are so many Chinese people here. Every other shop is Chinese run or owned such as the : Woks (restaurants) general dealers (selling plastic buckets, toys, umbrellas, hats etc) or  souvenir shops (selling made in China souvenirs of Barcelona). 


Then you have the Pakistanis. There are lots of them about too. They own small little convenience stores selling everything you can buy at the supermarket at inflated prices - when the supermarket is closed. The Pakis also seem to have their hold on all the Fruterias and Verdulerias in the city (Fruit and vegetable shops). But they are not too bad. Many of these Pakis stores are very pleasant. The Pakis usually speak English and are offer good service.The Chinese on the other hand do not! They just want to get your buck in their hands... 

The best Fruit and Veg I know

There are the Marrocs. They look something like a cross between an Asian and a European. Tanned skin colour but dark hair and eyes. They are not very open people and I have not had much dealing with them. But there are a whole lot of them too. 


There are Philippinos too. They usually are not too different in appearance from the Latinos (I am not even going to describe how many Latinos are here - there are too many of them). The Philippinos speak Tagalog but they have some sort of cultural ties with Spain and there are many of them about too. On the weekends they often have weddings in parks.

Oh, its a Filipino wedding in the park!

The bride

Then you have the gypsies. They are often seen rummaging though the bins to find food, recyclable clothing or recyclable materials such as metals, glass or plastics. 

A rummager with this goods...

With all these people, is there any wonder that I am confused at times, thinking this is not a European city ? It feels like being somewhere in Asia. Muslims, Chinese, Arabic, gypsies. Wat 'n gemeng!