Walking through Barcelona, avoiding the direct sunlight, steadily searching for shady stretches. It´s time for a rest for eyes and feet. La Taverna del Cuore (the tavern of the heart) catches my interest. I am in Carrer de l`Argenteria53, El Born, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At Placa de Jacint Reventòs. Just for orientation.
This taverna has big open doors, front and left, which is an invitation. The building is in the shade and promises a cool and quiet retreat. Some tables are free and I have the choice. A table at the back wall has my interest. Sitting at the wall, facing the doors straight and left, I have a perfect view to tavern and square in front of me.
A laminated note on the table asks for attention. The menu is available online by QR code only, in Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese and French. There is also a password for wifi connection for the free network, provided by the tavern. This QR code is linked to tripadviser, but just in Spanish. Should learn this language, one of the world wide spoken languages.
The QR code also is linked to Google. Registration on google required. In this case the language changes automatically to the language which is set on the phone. Access to the menu in Spanish and English with no hurdles. For the German language they want to know your location and to agree to all cookies. Why is there a difference in performance? Surely the waiter won´t have an answer.
What I learn more is the web address www.latavernadelcoure.com of this tavern. Owner is the La Pomada Grup. This company has three more premises: https://pocaxsolta.com/, https://eltrosdelarambla.com/ and https://restaurantglaciar.com/. Sitting at this table, using my mobile phone, I get plenty of information which I don´t need. But easy access and a touch of nosiness brings me there. What did we do before the age of mobile phones? In just one case I act like a kind of a rebel. I don´t log in, using my own data allowance for security reasons. Modern times or is this not modern any more? Do I live in the past? Information overflow.
The waiter sees me putting down my mobile phone. A sign for him to take my order. I don´t have to wave at him like we did in old days, I think to myself. My priority longing is a big glass of beer. And soon it arrives. A big glass with a handle, nearly icy cold, water is dripping down on the outside, giving even more a sign of coolness and refreshment. Time to lean back and watch the world go by.
A taxi is passing by, no passenger on board. Only now I realise the amount of people outside. Like a bus load of people, coming from the left and from the right, not disturbing each other. That taxi in slow motion in the middle of it. And another bus load of people from the left and from the right. Looks like bus load by bus load passing by. So many people on the street and on the square. Just this taverna is not crowded, not yet, I guess.
Around the square are typical Barcelona town houses with up to five floors. Most windows are protected by metal grids with ornaments. No balconies. Standing in the window, leaning forward, holding yourself at the metal bar, you can chat to the neighbour or just observe life.
Another beer please and a peep into the menu for a nibble to eat. To read the menu again I have to use my mobile phone. No chance to detox from this electronic gadget.
Still a good time to relax and reflect. My mind is in gear, to develop new and to dump old ideas and wishes. A good day in life to sort out and to clean up all the rumble in my head.
But reality is not far away. Something very simple tells me where I am and what I´m doing at the moment. No beer mat on the table, the glass is dripping, beer and water drops all over me on my shirt and trousers. Like it urges me to put everything in perspective.
A woman on the square is singing, a very good and powerful voice, people stop and listen, donating coins. This charity behaviour causes disruption to the ongoing flow of people. Groups of people still flushing through the street. Some people get confused, not noticing the reason for this traffic jam. Some get angry. Not shouting but in a very loud body language, trying to overtake, spreading their elbows, causing even more of a traffic jam. A good singing voice and a charitable act cause anger. What a sad moment.
The singer is a small lady in her 40´s, I guess. She wears a long green dress in Catalan style, giving something for ears and eyes to the spectators. She´s singing in Spanish or Catalan, I don´t recognise the difference. I get the impression that such melodies are about love or loss.
The menu offers a good mix of local and international dishes. I have the choice. I have a choice, pops into my head. I even feel hungry, I never experienced what hunger is. I should say to myself, that I have some appetite. That would be honest. I have never had any hunger and I´m happy to live in Europe. I´m grateful having learned to read and to write. Such thoughts take over in my head while reading the menu. I have a choice. I have another good day. Life is good to me.
I wonder, is it the name of this place that makes me humble, positive thinking? It´s the tavern of the heart. The name of this place and the wide open doors pulled me in anyway. Am I vulnerable to this? Where is my knight´s armour for protection?
I go for a Spanish potato and onion omelette as well as the Fried „Padron“ Peppers. That´s more than a nibble, I have to confess. I feel well and this positive feeling has an effect on my stomach. What did a politician say once;
“One should offer the body something good, so that the soul may desire to dwell in it”. I´m a weak human, I know. Being weak feels good in this moment.
Should I feel guilty?
There is something uncertain in my thoughts. Something not giving myself full permission to relax. Lingering with this mental development for a while, my thoughts get focused on the amount of people in the streets. Pushing each other through, don´t stop, move on or escape to the next shop, slide in the door of a pub, somewhere, but get off the street, which is not a help, not a solution. There are too many people in the shops already. It´s true, too many visitors in Barcelona. Overcrowded.
This town is attractive, this town makes itself attractive. Several museums, high profile music concerts, international exhibitions and fairs, the church Sagrada Familia and other buildings from Antoni Gaudi, more and more events of all genres, a good cuisine, not too expensive, a high number and range of hotel rooms, situated at the Mediterranean Sea, a pretty beach, this town is calling for visitors, big time.
Don´t shoot at tourists with water pistols, reduce your uncountable offers, is my advice. The more attractions there are on offer, the more people will come to Barcelona. But there will be a disparity between natives wanting to live in their town and companies with profit interests only.
Like a siege many attractive places on this planet attract tourists more and more. The behaviour of tourists is dreadful. Noise, waste, wasting the planets resources, water and food waste especially. Fine, not all of them, but the majority of people. Last years there was a short kerfuffle about protecting nature and climate changes, but we all still drive cars, take planes, waste food, kill the worlds resources. Like to keep our current lifestyle is more important. Convenience and greed will destroy our planet and will destroy ourselves.
Stop, I talk to myself. Don´t get overwhelmed from these thoughts. You won´t change that dreadful behaviour. And you are a tourist yourself. But I will write about it, will mention it. I have changed my daily behaviour to a sustainable way of life.
Food is served and I order another beer. Lovely place. Finally time to enjoy the day after sorting my thoughts. Still feeling guilty because I´m part of this modern chaos. I will behave, I will travel consciously even more.
Tavern of the heart and Barcelona, you gave me time to sort some thoughts about the reality of modern life. It could be worse but it could be much much better.
