Raval
Rambla de Raval
They like to clean the street every 2 hours here.
Thursday night at 8:30pm.
My make-shift studio (i.e vacant corner of my bedroom that has filled up with lots of paper and paint)
Favorite summer activity (other than beach). This is "Playing Cinema" at the CCCB. They show 3 films a week in their courtyard, for free! GRATIS! Hundreds of locals come. Last week was 'Down By Law' by Jim Jarmusche.
For the longest time I thought that this barrio was either full of pick-pockets, perverted drunks, prositutes or even worse, too-cool-for-school scenesters (haha) that I tried to get away from in the first place. But man was I wrong. I mean, from time to time, you get the odd one from the list above, but whatever. My view on Raval (as a very scared tourist during my first week here) has since changed, I'm relieved to say. Today, for example, I was walking towards the beach and I came across the most beautiful couple down the road. They were both probably in their 80's and barely walking. But arms linked and walking their little dog. I just wanted to go up to them and give them a hug or offer to carry them... Probably a very good thing I didn't! They were managing just fine.
As for the young, I love how persistant the skaters are in the MACBA square, constantly at it with their tricks, and in this heat! Even the slightly creepy grocery store/ loquotorio keepers are starting to become charming. Kind of. And I hope that the loud Romanian neighbours of mine will become as endearing. Living on street level, they are extremely noisy, and the king of the castle chooses to (or maybe the wife has made him) sleep on a matress in our street at night. And boy, does he snore. Haha, let me explain... since our road is in the heart of sketchy Raval, we have locked gates that close the path off at 10pm from cars and the crazies. So I suppose, he feels quite comfortable dragging his mattress onto the path at 1am.
Well, I'm happily taking many photos since I got back. I hope to catch some of these characters on film soon. But here are a few for your enjoyment.
My backyard.
My street.
They like to clean the street every 2 hours here.
Thursday night at 8:30pm.
My make-shift studio (i.e vacant corner of my bedroom that has filled up with lots of paper and paint)
Favorite summer activity (other than beach). This is "Playing Cinema" at the CCCB. They show 3 films a week in their courtyard, for free! GRATIS! Hundreds of locals come. Last week was 'Down By Law' by Jim Jarmusche.
For the longest time I thought that this barrio was either full of pick-pockets, perverted drunks, prositutes or even worse, too-cool-for-school scenesters (haha) that I tried to get away from in the first place. But man was I wrong. I mean, from time to time, you get the odd one from the list above, but whatever. My view on Raval (as a very scared tourist during my first week here) has since changed, I'm relieved to say. Today, for example, I was walking towards the beach and I came across the most beautiful couple down the road. They were both probably in their 80's and barely walking. But arms linked and walking their little dog. I just wanted to go up to them and give them a hug or offer to carry them... Probably a very good thing I didn't! They were managing just fine.
As for the young, I love how persistant the skaters are in the MACBA square, constantly at it with their tricks, and in this heat! Even the slightly creepy grocery store/ loquotorio keepers are starting to become charming. Kind of. And I hope that the loud Romanian neighbours of mine will become as endearing. Living on street level, they are extremely noisy, and the king of the castle chooses to (or maybe the wife has made him) sleep on a matress in our street at night. And boy, does he snore. Haha, let me explain... since our road is in the heart of sketchy Raval, we have locked gates that close the path off at 10pm from cars and the crazies. So I suppose, he feels quite comfortable dragging his mattress onto the path at 1am.
Well, I'm happily taking many photos since I got back. I hope to catch some of these characters on film soon. But here are a few for your enjoyment.
My backyard.
My street.
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