Grácia

One advantage of our location is that we are only a couple of blocks from Grácia. Until the middle of the 19th century, Grácia was a separate village, about a kilometer outside the walls of Barcelona. When the walls were torn down and the new Example was laid out, its grid of streets surrounded the old village of Grácia on three sides. Today Grácia remains distinct. The character and appearance of its narrow, irregularly laid-out streets and plaçes (plazas) contrast with the Example's broad street and open intersections with chamfered corners.

Can Robert, where we eat so often, is on the Carrer de Tordera in Grácia.
A little further on is the Plaça de la Vila de Grácia, the main square of Grácia with its distinctive tower.
Outdoor cafes ring the square, and the center often is filled with school children playing - for them the tower is merely the top of a very tall football (soccer) goal.
While Andrew and Katie were here, Grácia held a week-long festival. Many streets were closed and elaborately decorated. This block's street was turned into a streetcar lined with old pictures of Grácia.

The Plaça de la Vila de Grácia was filled with decorations, and people. As you can see, the festival attracted plenty of people, day and night.

Bandstands were set up throughout Grácia, and people of all ages danced.
According to the 60-page (!) booklet of events, many (other) bands played until 2AM - although we cannot personally confirm that.

On one evening tour of the festival, the four of us visited a square in front of a church, where kiosks had been set up for local artisans.
I think Katie was deciding what to buy.

Of course the firework-bearing dragon and its keepers put in an appearance in the main square.
Waiting their turn to perform.







No Catalan festival would be complete without castellers (unfortunately not until the last day, shortly after Andrew and Katie left).

As usual, the castellers were piped in by the Catalan version of a fife and drum corp - reinforced this time by an apprentice drummer.










The three different groups of castellers built towers. First they formed the base - known as the piña (literally pineapple) - and then began climbing.They built some very tall castels indeed!
















The festival was great fun for everyone - and certainly for the children.