Barcelona Beginnings

Still jetlagged



went to a free Mojave 3 concert at Maremagnum with Cecilia and boyfriend and Marco.



subway. how many pick pockets can you spot? i don't know if there are any. but you never know. that's why riding the subway is so stressful.



the square in front of the Catedral de Barcelona. reminds me of St. Patricks in NY. these Catalans are doing a traditional Catalan dance called Sardana that Marco described as super boring. They hold hands and kind of bounce up and down. When the music started to swell Marco said "get ready Jason, now is the moment". and they bounced up and down slightly more and then it was over. I learned that he was being sarcastic and that he was right.



Catalans are super prideful



It was labor day, May 1st so there were protests all over the place. It doesn't help that the unemployment rate is 21% now. Marco said here it doesn't get dangerous but in France it does. acutally i remember when bob went to Paris he said he missed a riot hours before and it might have been a May 1st labor day riot now that i think about it.



Selena made Paella



A lovely sunny midafternoon with wine and Paella







after Paella at home we went to Feria de Abril, which is a festival from Seville but they have a bootleg version of it in Barcelona. On the way we saw this protest going on. That smoke is from people setting off m80's or something that makes a lot explosion like noise. The were just standing by. again marco said it doesnt get violent here but in France they set cars on fire and stuff.



some cool building near Diagonal Mar shopping mall and the Feria de Abril celebration grounds.



i guess this is a traditional dress that they wear in Seville.



at Feria de Abril they have Casetas which are temporary festival tents. In Seville they are all private and you have to be invited in. This was really bootleg and like a fair and they were just selling stuff. Here the political parties even had tents.







rabbit.



In spain empanadas look like this. The smaller things we know as empanadas from south america are called empanadillas here. this thing looks like it eats like a meal. I gotta try one!









Port Forum was filled with yachts.





exercise stations.



skatepark



on the walk home we walked past where the protest was happening earlier. they spray painted banks and other businesses. even the horse riding club building. Another full sunny day.