Barcelona is not known for it's green spaces.  By nature of the climate and urbanization the parks are usually dry, sandy and the green bits are palm trees or the like. However, in our neighborhood of Eixample, the garden of Palau Robert is a very nice find.  It is hidden behind the old Palau which was once a private residence but is now part of the Catalan government. It serves as a tourism and cultural center and has interesting temporary exhibits about Catalan culture-- Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame, local clothing designers, photography

Here, we can always find a sunny bench to sit on and do some relaxing while people watching.  Usually the children are the most entertaining with their open, expressive faces.  If they are happy, they smile and if they are disgruntled you can see it.  The kids here are free to express themselves without inhibitions.  The parents seem relaxed and the kids are left alone to play with little or no monitoring…attempting to climb a small tree or play tag or dig in the sand…occasionally someone will talk to the parent but mostly they are busily playing without the interference of mom, dad or grandparents.

One of the outdoor exhibits this autumn was about Wales.  I thought, "How unusual to have a special exhibit about Wales."  Large panels were set up to display lovely photographs of<em> Gales</em> or <em>Gaŀles, </em>the Catalan word for Wales. But the significance of dedicating the entire garden to this small, UK <em>country</em> was not lost in light of the fight for independence that is currently and continuously in the news and a topic of local discussion.