BARCELONA 1

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I once execrated to a Spaniard about how I thought that Britain was a filthy place, that it was screwed up in the way many of it's citizens were quite content to disregard their environment and foul it profligately with their refuse. I put it to him that this was one of the real reasons why I would never consider myself a patriot, because I could never have empathy with a nation that for it's physical environment did not give a good God damn. And then he told me that if I thought London was bad then I should visit Barcelona.
This was about 6 years ago and London has actually cleaned up it's act a bit since then (Hounslow's still shockingly filthy mind). What's also happened since is that I've visited enough foreign countries to know that this arrogant trait isn't confined to the environs of the Great British Isles. The train tracks and embankments of Thailand are piled high with rubbish, the sub-urban streets of Prague are rampant with Graffiti and just as the Spaniard said it seems Barcelona can be pretty grubby at times too. On a hot day the back alleys of Barri Gotic reek of sewage and it's not exactly free from rubbish or dog produce either. Despite this it's still an interesting place to roam (and drink) given it's maze like qualities and abundance of humorous graffiti. Cartoon graffiti is a European conceit I feel and nowhere is this more true than in Barcelona. It's no bad thing either, strange creatures sprayed everywhere you turn, a strange juxtaposition to the Mediterranean back drop.
That's Barri Gotic for you though but most of the city - the bits which attract the tourists at least - is kept pleasingly clean.
And to such sights it was that I headed for soon after my morning arrival in Catalonia's capital. I'm normally a bit tokenistic when it comes to checking out the local land-marks but Barcelona is not your average city in this regard. Thanks chiefly to the indelible mark left my famous architect Antonio Gaudi there are buildings to see that are genuinely very worth seeing. Rather gladly given the heat and humidity, two of the most impressive - Casa Mila and Casa Batlo - were within walking distance of my Barri Gotic Residence. They were very worth the look despite the amount of tourists with the same idea which is more than can be said for Barcelona's famous 'Las Ramblas, a tree lined strip stretching from the Centre de Cataluyna all the way to the sea playing host to an array of street vendors and bombastically dressed human 'statues' on the way. Think Covent Garden but longer and lined with better architecture.
When the sun starts to settle and the heat begins to slacken Barri Gotic becomes a more welcoming place. One should head to Placa Reial for a drink if nothing else. With a healthy variety of bars and an almost North Africa ambience it's the perfect place to sit and unwind. If you can find it you may want to try and get into the Pipa Club, ostensibly a bona fide old fashioned English boozer tucked away up some stairs. You're required to ring a buzzer to gain entrance and before you know it it's like you're back in Soho.

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Photos

Barcelona
Barri Gotic Art