Ravel field trip

Raval Field Trip

Our final field trip of the semester was to the Raval Neighborhood.  Raval is located just on the left side of La Rambla, opposite of the Gothic Quarter.  This was an area greatly improved by the renovations to the city after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.Before the Olympics, this area used to be filled with sailors working on the port, prostitutes and drugs dealers.  Now it is a mix of students, families and all types of people.  It is also a neighborhood in Barcelona where you can see a lot of skateboards and young people hanging out in the plazas.  This was the first time during my stay in Barcelona that I had been to Raval, and I wish I had been more.  Friends who had studied here before had recommended restaurants and bars to me in this area, but I didn't know the area so I never came.  I actually came back to this area a day later to get a real European haircut, which turned out great.  

This is the Convent dels Ángels, an old convent that is now a church

 This is the sign outside of the Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona

The Museum of Contemporary Are of Barcelona

Just outside the campus of University of Barcelona, the largest public university in the city.  You can see young people lingering in the plaza outside of their classes.

University of Barcelona Campus from a distance

A Plaza near UB where you can usually find many people with their dogs or people skateboarding

A sign for the CNT-One of the Anarchist parties of Spain in Barcelona

Since the streets in Raval are too small for trash trucks to drive through, their garbage is dealt with underground.

One of the streets in the neighborhood

After the field trip, I decided to stop by La Boqueria Market because it was nearby just on la Rambla. This is the biggest market in Barcelona, and you can find any food you possibly need here.  They have fresh meat, fish, bread and pastries, fruits, vegetables, drinks and all kinds of ready to go snacks.