1st of May / 1 de Mayo

The Rambla has always been a place of freedom of expression and lots of demostrations have shared their concerns and thinking up and down the avenue. 

Today is 1st of May and the traditional and huge demonstration organised by the Trade Unions is walking down the Rambla with music and speeches to remind us the working rights our predecessors fought so much for and that we must maintain and ensure for our future!

La Rambla ha sido siempre un lugar de libertad de expresión y de muchas manifestaciones que han compartido sus preocupaciones e ideales por toda la avenida.

Hoy es 1 de Mayo, y la gran manifestación tradicional organizada por los sindicatos está bajando la Rambla con música y discursos para recordarnos todo lo que lucharon nuestros predecesores por sus derechos laborales y hay que garantizar para nuestro futuro!

12 months at the Ramblas of Barcelona

Today we will be closing one year more in this centenarian avenue: the Ramblas/La Rambla of Barcelona. As a fully engaged inhabitant of this avenue, I would like just to share with you an overview of the main activities, changes and concerns we have been into during 2015:

• January: Departure of the Barcelona World Race: amazing sailing race departing from the "Rambla del mar" with the best and most prepared skippers of the world.
• February: Santa Eulàlia festivities, patron saint of Barcelona till the 17th century, as symbol of solidarity and defence of justice.
• March: After some years and lots of debates, the Gardunya Square (behing the Boquería Market) is officially opened. Squares are always welcomed and it may give the market another entrance gate (extremely necessary for the Ramblas).
• April: Easter holidays with two of the main processions going through the Ramblas. It's an amazing and impressive tradition!
• May: The Sant Ponç Fair, one of the oldest street markets and a great place to buy honey and natural products.
• June: A great event where important catalan chefs meet at the Ramblas and share their delicious and tasty creations: Tasta la Rambla.
• July: The main touristic month that needs some attractive regulations to make tourists live together with the Ramblas inhabitants....(this is a MUST)
• August: A difficult month with lots of tourists and, at the same time, the immigration drama and the city hall trying to face the incresing number of "top manta" (street vendors).  A situation not yet solved.
• September: The Mercè festivities, patron saint of the Barcelona since the 18th century. Full of activities around the Ramblas. Year by year they really get better!
• October: The "Festes del Roser" with the 1st edition of the "Rambla en Flor", a demonstration of floral art in some of the building's facade. This activity enlarged the area of the flower shops towards almost the whole avenue with very colourful decorations.  
• November: A very calm month, the best to visit the city. 
• December: Christmas weeks with still hot weather. New design of Christmas lights that give a different perspective to the avenue!

Rules, rules and rules.....

It's really terrible to see how old traditions fight to survive in the Ramblas. In the past decades we have seen the transformation of our street in positive and negative ways, but these last ones are mostly to be the common ones in the past years. First, the decision to move the human statues to the end of the Ramblas which, in my opinion, has cancelled this artistic spot in the city. Second, transforming the old pet shops into poor souvenir shops, with no references to what that piece of Ramblas symbolised more than a 100 years and last, but not least, the decision to struggle the flower shops which, due to the current economical difficulties, must also sell souvenirs. This is, again, a new way to transform the Ramblas into a more touristic site and not easy to manage for locals. Without us, the people living, selling and paying for its maintenance, the Ramblas would never be what they are! Please, sign on the booklet the flower shops have at the disposal of whoever wants to contribute to stop this.

Morning walk

An early morning walk is showing us the contrast between natural lights of the rising day and the electric ones. Have a nice Friday!

"Ramblistes" awards

Every year, since 1962, the Catalan regional government, the Barcelona's city hall, and the Friend's of the Ramblas Association award as "honoured Ramblistes" people or entities that have estimated, devoted efforts and impacted with their professional or personal dedication to the famous avenue. This year the awarded people have been:

- Ferran Adrià: chef and business man.
- Documenta: a relevant Bookshop.
- El Tricicle: a famous theater group.

The three of them have been and are very important for the Ramblas as cultural promoters.


Congratulations Documenta, Joan, Paco, Carles (Tricicle) and Ferran!

Jazz up the Rambla!

Opening of the Ramblas celebration!!

Some rain on the Spanish national day

Ramblas have woken up with rain on a day expected to have a big demonstration. Anyway, tomorrow Les festes del Roser start and lots of activities are foreseen in our famous ave!

Good morning!

Today most of the catalan people will start again to work after some holidays so the Ramblas are starting to be busy!

8th December, "la Purísima" day

The 8th December is a day off in Spain where we celebrate the christian festivity devoted to the Inmaculada Concepción virgin. Since 1644, this celebration takes place in all Spain the 8th December and some churches organise processions all over the city. This one took place in the Ramblas during the morning of the 8th:

Fire in number 42

An afternoon of expectation in the lower Ramblas due to a fire in the first floor of building number 42!