Barcelona, Spain

A city full of rich and sometimes dark history, this was one of the best places I have ever been to!

I loved so much and so many stories made me shit my pants. (not literally)

I lived in one of the most vibrant, colourful and dangerous parts of the city. This was a ghetto earlier, separated from the fancy parts with a wall. It is called Raval and it is ALWAYS alive. 

It has people at 4 am and 4pm both. I witnessed a fight on the road at 3 am at night. Raval features Indian style fruit and vegetable markets with crazy cheap prices and so many India, Bangladeshi and Pakistani as well as Dominican restaurants. 

It is a bit dirty and chaotic but I truly felt at home here. Apart from the tourist part of Barcelona, lies this neglected gem. I would highly recommend walking through Raval if you ever go to the city. 

Every shop has a painting of what it features on its doors. Its really cool

At night, our guide informed us about the dark past of the quarters of Barcelona. Back in the day, there was slave trade and we witnessed the churches where they would tie up the slaves. The slave children who were extra were sold, killed or used for sexual exploitation before being paraded around naked. The slaves were both black and Chinese. 
 

Later, we also saw a baby dropping booth. No, its not as cute as it sounds. As immigration and inflation rose together, the mothers could no longer handle the fiscal responsibility of their babies. They disposed these babies in these eery baby disposal booths that still exist to this day. The babies were sometimes educated and the surplus was sold or disposed. 

Aside from this hidden history of Barcelona, there is also a lot of beauty, structurally speaking. 

Cathedral of Barcelona

This monument is exquisite. There is a huge space in front of it where there are mainly musicians and dancers doing their thing. I listened to a beautiful choral group and it was a great experience. 

Arc de triomf

I would not say this is similar to the Arc de triomphe in Paris. I mean, the one in Paris is all white and precious. Meanwhile, this one holds character. It is a reddish brick structure and very intricately carved. Overall, it is just wonderful to look at. 

The Gaudi Architecture

Spread out through this area, there is a ton of architecture made possible by a man called Gaudi. This includes the colourful Casa Batlló, a few others that I did not take pictures of and of course, the Sagrada familia, one of the most monumental pieces of architecture I have ever seen. It is still under construction. It features minute intricate details and it is the most weird but interesting church I have ever seen.

Rooftop view

There is a panaromic view of the entire city of Barcelona from this hotel. We went for free. I really do not remember the name but it is right next to the streets of Raval. A big, black building. We can see all the monuments with the binoculars that are available on all the sides. 

Plaça de Sonia Rescalvo Zafra

While walking towards the Barceloneta beach, we stumbled on these beautiful gardens. We walked in because we heard music coming from there. There was a beautiful fountain with these horses and walking further, there was a tropical made paradise. There were also salsa dancers. The true vibes of Barcelona lies in these out of the blue art masterpieces! This garden is dedicated to the transexual woman who was murdered here by a group of nazis. 

Barceloneta Beach

An awesome place to chill. The changing rooms are clean and so are the toilets. It was great to change into my bikini. The water is awesome and comes from the Mediterranean sea. 

Bonus: Columbian Meal

Our very gracious host made us this awesome Columbian delicacy. It is called Cazuela de Mariscos. Along with that, he made smashed and double fried raw potatoes. It was an awesome meal and the cherry on the top to an already awesome day!

Aditi's recommendations

• Walk, walk, walk. It will take a little time but the city is hugely walkable and it's better to be IN the city rather than see it in a tourist bus.
• Try not just the Spanish but also the Indian, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Dominican, Columbian and all other food! Barcelona is very multicultural, with a beautiful blend of cultures. It is worth trying the deep variety of restaurants. 
• Try shopping at the local cheap vegetable market in Raval. I spoke Hindi and did my shopping like I would in India. 
• Experience the city musicians and dancers. That is the real true vibe of the city. 

Thank you for reading. I love Spain and I love Barcelona. Until next time!