Raval

I've made my way back to the neighborhood of Raval. So far, I've spent nights in Raval, L'Eixample, and Barceloneta, but will be eventually settling in Barrio Gotico, the old city with winding streets and awesome architecture.

Back in the day (and until about 25 years ago), Raval was a tough neighborhood. It was filled with immigrants, the working class, drugs, and prostitution. All those things can still be found here, but it's a neighborhook I really like with tons of culture. The food in this area is amazing. You can get great Indian, Pakistani (they are different), Chinese, and Turksih food. Bakeries are everywhere, as are trendy shops for the average person. It's still close to many tourist attractions (I can walk to Las Ramblas in about 2 minutes), but you feel a world away. The only time you see tourists here are when they are lost, because there isn't much in the "guidebooks" to see.

Tomorrow starts the grand festival of Merce. Talk soon.