The Ramblas

The main street of Barcelona is called Las Ramblas and is known for street performers, tourists, and being the #1 spot to visit if you want to get your wallet stolen. It's lined up and down by restaurants, souvenir shops, flower vendors, and is the "emotional hub of Barcelona" (according to Wikipedia).
















It runs from Placa Catalunya (below, where I'm living near now), down to the harbor.














































During the day and into the night, there are different vendors on the street to meet your every need, from buying a bouquet of flowers to purchasing a new pet parakeet.


































Then there's Mercat Boqueria, the biggest market in Spain:



And finally, a picture a souvenir shop just because I'm easily amused by signs with my name on them:



The man in the door looks a litle confused as to why I'm taking a picture...

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From walking up, down, and across Las Ramblas every day since I've been here, I've seen my fair share of street performers, or "estatuas" (statues), as they're called. I've developed a love/hate relationship with them. On one hand, they make the walk to the metro more colorful and serve as a good landmarks ("Let's meet at the restaurant we ate at the other night, you know, the one behind the man sprayed in gold paint holding a giant globe"). On the other hand, when I'm trekking to the metro in heels on my way to my fourth class of the day and pass a girl in a cow costume sitting on a cardboard box with her hand out for money, it takes a lot of energy for me to contain my urge to ask her what exactly she's charging for.

So, for the audience at home, I'll document the good, the bad, and the just plain obnoxious (i.e. mimes) so you can decide for yourselves.

For now, we have:


Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas
We were cool until I went up to give him a few coins and he put his spindly skeleton fingers in my hair. Not OK, Jack-O.








This one we'll call "Gold Man Holding a Snake".









This might have been me if I hadn't found a teaching job in the first few months here. I wonder what my act would have been...?

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So, there you go. Photographic evidence that I'm actually in Barcelona. It only took me a month to get around and take pictures. More to come soon!