A suspiciously smooth journey kicked the trip off and we arrived in Sitges yesterday safely and raring to go.
In its third year, Mr Harris’ Barcelona jogging club had a record attendance on Sunday morning with a grand total of 4 embarking out for a morning jog – well done to Hamish and James who joined Mr Harris and Mr Calwell for a run on the coast.
Our day in El Raval has been wonderfully varied. We started by exploring some of the local community spaces that residents have reclaimed from the international corporations that own huge spaces of land across the city. Staggering murals depicting the complex web of political allegiances in the region overshadowed us. We then meandered north through the old hospital, where Gaudi died in 1926, to districts experiencing more visible regeneration such as the Museum of Contemporary Art. The imposing structure of glass and white stone juxtaposed with the youngsters skateboarding in the courtyard perfectly captured the tensions and contrasts in the area. Somewhat hypocritically, having spent the day discussing the unethical and ugly encroachment of tourism into the area, we quickly popped up to the viewing gallery on the roof of the 5 star Barcelo hotel for some wonderful panoramic views.
Hamish C: “being a big fan of sailing, I have been closely following the Americas Cup for the last few weeks. Whilst the event ended yesterday, the signs of discontent and hatred of the competition around El Raval was still very present. There were numerous signs stating ‘no Americas cup’ which was interesting as you would think that an event happening on the water which requires minimal infrastructure would have a positive effect on the community. On further research, I found that a protest occurred 6 days ago with over two thousand locals. It focussed on the frustration created by increased prices of rent and services due to the event.”
Fraser: “For me, the vast disparities between the levels of development in the North and the South of the area were eye-opeing simply by the difference in aesthetics. In the south, balconies of apartments were filled with washing lines, gas canisters and overgrown shrubbery. Contrasting this in the north where the balconies that were often bare, or with occasional bits of plant life and smart patio furniture. I marvelled at how something so seemingly insignificant that I would usually overlook could convey the trend in development throughout El Raval.”
Sara C: “I was really struck by the community gardens we saw dotted around mainly south Raval as I felt it was an example of how the poorer communities have blatantly rivalled the regeneration project in the area, creating a public space which all can enjoy together. I found visiting these spaces heartwarming and encouraging.”
Mr J Harris, Sixth form Direction of Studies and Head of Geography