The Cathedral Roof

This Monday morning, Maite and I went on a spontaneous touristic expedition to the gothic quarter of the city. Although at the time we didn't know where we were going, I can tell you in retrospect that our main destination was the Cathedral roof. Walking through Plaça de la Catedral, we decided to pop in for a quick nosey about and, as we were walking around the inside of the Cathedral, we stumbled across a sign saying we could get a lift up to the roof, so, of course, we did.

One thing I love about Barcelona abundance of balconies: they're literally everywhere. For me, the luxury has still not worn off and I love sitting outside for breakfast when it's warm enough, hearing the constant buzz of traffic and and watching the world pass by. I think balconies are even more exciting though when you find yourself in a place like the roof of the Cathedral, which offers panoramic views of the city and also allow you to glimpse into dozens and dozens of balconies, participating in the beautiful irony of watching people who naïvely think they're the ones watching, that they're the invisible spies.I love observing their choice of decor while sneakily watching the odd person hanging around lost in thought. I love looking at the different shutters on the windows, the odd bike hung up on the wall, the architecture and the vibrant mediterranean colours of the walls. The Catalan flags hanging down alongside the displays of exotic plants, the cacti, the little lemon or orange plants. The laughs of children running around enjoying their break time on a nearby rooftop terrace, and the hustle and bustle of tourists below marching through the maze of passageways that define that part of the city trying to see everything before their time runs out. The sun, the blue skies, the hills and the sea.