Old Lady at Mercat de l'Abaceria Central de Gràcia

Patiently waiting for her turn this sweet old lady seemed to have stopped time in Mercat de l’Abaceria Central at Travessera de Gràcia, 186 one of the almost 45 markets there are in Barcelona city. The image of elderly people carrying a shopping trolley bag is quite familiar over here as it is relatively easy to buy food just across the street and important markets are just a few bus or subway stops away. Gracia quarter is one of those neighborhoods with a little bit of everything, shops, bars, terraces, architecture, art galleries, pedestrian-friendly streets, trees, beautiful squares and a bohemian atmosphere. Curiously this quarter I haven't covered much in Barcelona Photoblog in the past. I hope I change that soon.

Old Man With Walking Stick

I always remember these lines: "life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend".

The time will come when we will grow old enough to look back and think of the things we did right or wrong or simply didn't do. Then we will regret many things, that's for sure and we will feel nostalgic about our past and the people we left behind and weren't lucky enough.

Do you know how long will it take to get there?, just a snap of your fingers. Or some milliseconds compared to the history of mankind.

Do you know how many people have faced the same experience, when you get to the end of the line? Many of them are there in our books of history, in our collective mind, just an image in our database, many more not even were worthy of being stored.

They were here and were like you and me and they felt the same and looked into their past just as we do now and their visit to this land was brief too.

How much time did they or will we spend fussing and fighting before it's too late?

Barcelona and Its People: Trapped Thoughts

Crossing Via Laietana street and headings towards La Ribera quarter there was this old man wearing a sort of handkerchief or improvised turbant. I don't think it was for religious beliefs. Anyway, I thought he looked tired and absentminded and that there was a wretched story behind his stooping figure. He was trapped in his own thoughts. 

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Elderly People in Barcelona

Upon entering Las Ramblas from Plaça Catalunya you meet rows of benches that resemble chairs occupied by elderly people reading like this man or simply spying on passerbies. In Catalonia 16,39% of the population (6.115.759 in 1991) was over 65 years old in 2006. I won't give you all the figures since you may consult more online and these are evolving demographics.