Vallcarca and the bunkers of Carmel: the upper reaches

Having a dog is a great excuse to get out and explore new areas of the city. My latest trips have taken me uphill, where the views of the city and the sea are marvelous, and there is also some nice street art hiding in the steep hills above the city.

The first few pictures come from the area near the Bunkers del Carmel, which served as the city’s defenses from fascist aerial attacks during the Spanish Civil War. The views are spectacular, and if you go during the week, you might be able to recapture some of the secluded off-the-beaten-track appeal. At the top of the hill you can find some walls which are painted with some murals, including one of the famous literary figure Don Quixote.

The rest of the photos are from the Vallcarca neighbourhood, which lies just next to Park Güell. This area is worth exploring as there are some interesting buildings and plazas, as well as some spectacular views of Barcelona spreading out toward the Mediterranean.

The dog days of summer are probably not the best time to explore this area as the sun seems to beat down a bit harder the higher you get, but a cloudy day in early autumn would be perfect for a climb, and besides, the pictures come out shadow-free on cloudy days.

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Paral·lel, celebrity tributes in Raval, and a gritty garden

Today’s shots come from the free walls at Tres Xemeneies, near Avinguda Paral·lel, some random wanderings through the neighbouring Raval, and a new location (at least for me): the Jardins de Walter Benjamin, which are just near the Port, and mark the last frontier before the city gives way to Montjuic Park. As suggested in the title, the “gardens” themselves are nothing to marvel at, but the walls, which separate them from the playground of a local school, are the main attraction.

The Raval was full of tributes to famous faces, among them Debbie Harry, Kafka, Dennis Rodman, the late Prince, Jesus Christ (by artist sm172), and Football Club Barcelona’s favourite tax-dodging wunderkind, Neymar Jr.

As my geo-tagging feature on my camera app has become a bit unpredictable with the latest android update, my locations aren’t quite a precise as before. That said, a good wander round the Raval/Poble Sec area does a body good!

 

Back to the neighbourhood: zombie tourists,paste-ups and killer popsicles

For my second May post (which is actually hitting in June) I’ve decided to return to Gràcia, as I haven’t posted much from the surrounding area lately. Most of these shots come from strolls around the vila over the last three or four weeks. As suggested in the title, one of the more interesting ones is a portrait of tourists as paella-wielding, selfie-sticked zombie hordes who come to invade our quiet little neighbourhood nearly year-round. This sentiment can be seen in occasional graffiti which read “tourists go home”. As a foreigner who first came as a tourist, I’m a bit torn; while I recognize that tourism is vital to our local economy, and that a good majority of tourists are well-behaved and civilized, I also know as a resident what a putada it can be having the area so constantly crowded. On balance, I’m in favour of tourism, but I think that we need to start moving toward a more sustainable model. This is what the current city administration (in theory) is going for–a city planned and built for its residents, but also welcoming for tourists. A difficult happy medium to achieve, but a noble objective, in my humble opinion.

The other shots are rather random and generally political in nature, along with some anthropomorphized popsicles from konair, and some paste ups which have been appearing with increasing frequency.

Lenin in Love

Mr. Lenin with his balloon and the later-added love are very close to my front door. Next to the art gallery on the corner. The “Love” was added by street artist Tmnk.

Migration

This is a plaque that I had walked by hundreds of times on my way to and from work. It’s just two streets up from me, so I finally decided to add it to the collection. Translated it means “Migration is a human right”.
The idea of people being able to move as freely as capital–globalization on a human level…

Who is that masked, balding man?

This one is stuck on another anonymous metal door next to a Suma supermarket… I like to imagine tha he wears the face mask to block the aroma of rotting vegetable and expired meat products that probably cross under his nose every night just after closing time. And considering the position of the organic trash container, for a long time after, at least until the garbage trucks come by…

In reality he’s probably like most people in Spain today and needs the mask to block the aroma of the rotting system and the zombies committed to saving it at all costs…

Anonymous…or undercover?

Found these three along the protest march route. They made for a great photo, but from the fashion sense (or lack thereof) of the one standing in the middle, I got the strange sensation that they were undercover cops. The other two on top of the dumpsters not so much, but there was something off about the guy on the ground, I think the posture seemed a bit out of place also. Well if one, none or all of them are undercover cops one thing’s certain with all these masks: whoever’s got the merchandising rights to “V for Vendetta” is laughing all the way to the bank.

Graffiti from protest at Plaça Catalunya, May 2012

This is a piece of graffiti which I encountered as I made my way down the Passeig de Gràcia to Plaça Catalunya on the 12th of May for a large demonstration to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the 15-M “indignados” movement. Translated, the phrase means “If nobody obeys, nobody’s in control.” Seemed a bit naive and idealistic only a few months ago. Now in July with various protests taking place all over the country every DAY, it may not have been so far off base.

A sealed doorway

I find these sealed-off doorways all round my neighborhood of Gracia and also in the older parts of town. I think they’re sealed to prevent “okupation”, but they soon become full of all manner of poster and flyer. Especially busy with the current state of discontent.