La Mercè: Barcelona’s Festival That Could Have Been

I had never heard of La Mercè before but when my hosts told me about it I was both very excited and very sad: happy because I actually managed to be somewhere at the right time to experience something magical and also sad because we are in the middle of a pandemic when all the magic has been extinguished either by cancellation or a major reduction in allowed attendance. Normally, La Mercè is a week-long celebration of everything Barcelona with free concerts, the famous castellers (human towers), parades, correfoc (fire run), and massive fireworks. La Mercè is named so in honour of La Mare de Déu de la Mercè (Our Lady of Mercy), the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, and festivities in her name have been going on for over a hundred years. It’s one big party in the city … unless the city is in pseudo-quarantine mode. Then it’s a shadow of its former self with some events happening but not open to just everyone. Even though the tickets were still free, you had to get them in the first place and unless you knew about that long ahead of time, you were SOL. As was I. So, the closest I got to the fun was hearing music coming through the trees in Parc Montjuïc after visiting Fundació Joan Miró.

Instead of hopping back on the funicular, I decided to walk around the various gardens close to the museum, and eventually, find my way to a bus stop. Parc Montjuïc covers a very large area, I’m not really sure if the whole thing is called that or if the hill has a different name, and there are many various gardens, palaces, museums, view points … you name it, it’s there. Oh yeah, I forgot, the Barcelona Olympic Stadium and various other olympic venues are also on this hill so if you were looking for something to do, there is plenty!

I found myself going down some paths, deeper and deeper, lower and lower, through Jardins de Laribal. The hill at this point was rather steep and I was sure this was a one-way road for me, though I felt like the sounds of music I was hearing were getting closer and closer. Except they weren’t. I still don’t know where the festivities were happening, but I was OK with that since I was discovering some lovely quiet spots with no other people around. It was also quite warm out so being away from everyone meant I could take my mask off a bit, and let some fresh air into my lungs.

Eventually, I reached a road and found myself next to el Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món … which was, of course, closed. Unfazed, I continued on, knowing the bus stop was close. Instead of turning left to see the Palau Nacional (pictures of which I had seen many times and wanted to visit), I turned right and found a pretty fountain and a little park dedicated to a cat. Not sure what the deal was with the cat, but it was really pretty. I can’t believe I got that close to that damn palace (Palau Nacional) and still somehow managed to miss it. But the cat fountain was worth a peek as well!

The day ended up being a walk down memory lane more than a search for Mercè festivities. One of the places we couldn’t see back in 2013 was Mercat de Sant Antoni, a huge urban market that rivals the famous Mercat de la Boqueria in variety and also has a whole big section where you can buy clothing, shoes, and a bunch of other household goods. In 2013, Mercat de Sant Antoni was closed for renovations so we definitely missed out on a wonderful experience. I wasn’t going to miss it again and on my third attempt I finally did make it there. Yes, I said “third.” You see, a few days earlier I attempted a visit to this mercat only to find it closed. I think it was some holiday or Sunday or something so of course it was closed. I was luckier this time around. And not only was I luckier, I enjoyed the place enormously. I’ve never really understood the appeal of la Boqueria; every time I’ve been in there I’ve been disappointed. I find the place dark, wet, and since I often go there too late in the day, half closed. Sant Antoni was the opposite: beautiful outside and bright and airy inside. I enjoyed watching the fishmongers, the charcutiers, and the grocers. I don’t know what you call the folks who sell olives but then again, I didn’t know there was a need to sell so many olives in the first place. Walking around made me hungry so I picked a restaurant right in the middle of the market: their menu suggested tripe so I really had to try it. When I sat down, however, I noticed my neighbours sharing an amazing plate of various seafoods and my mind was made up, assuming a single portion was possible. To my delight it was and I settled in for a scrumptious lunch.

After having my fill, I continued through the Sant Antoni neighbourhood towards Eixample, the area where Ori and I roamed a lot during our stay. I had to stop by Plaça de Catalunya, the heart of Barcelona, with its famous fountain and sculptures, and, in normal times, more tourists than you’d think were possible. Fortunately I didn’t really have to contend with many of those this time but the place was still busy. This really is THE meeting place for anyone and everyone, similar to Plaza del Sol in Madrid. All roads lead to Plaça de Catalunya and that is quite literal. Eixample is a very swanky Barcelona neighbourhood so, of course, every famous brand has its flagship store on one of the main avenues here and la Rambla de Catalunya has more than most. I did have to go take a peek at the Desigual store since it beckoned to me with some sale signs and I did indulge a little by buying a very handy little knapsack-purse-like thing which I absolutely adore. Only a block away was the apartment building where we stayed in 2013, and I was extremely happy to see that the ground floor was now a book store! The Casa Viva store was still down the block, but most importantly, our favourite bakery and coffee shop were also still there. It was too late for coffee but I did go and get a chocolate-filled croissant and a yema candy that were just as delicious as I remembered. The croissant was still the best I’ve ever had. Ever.

I couldn’t leave the area without visiting my other favourite Gaudí-designed house, Casa Batllò, although doing a tour of it would have been beyond me at this point. I did take a few photos and had to be happy with the fact that I took hundreds (or so it seemed) back in 2013. As I looked over those just now I realized I really should do a gallery of the old photos too. Maybe that will finally be possible, if I can find the time …

As I made my way home, I was happy to know that I had not only made new memories but also visited places that were already close to my heart. It seems this is what Barcelona does to me … every time I see a new place, I just add another favourite and the city becomes more mine. I feel good when I walk these neighbourhoods … there is comfort in their familiarity and a promise of many, as yet undiscovered, haunts as well.