We’re going to have some fun in Barcelona's Parc de la Ciutadella.
It's the main park of the city and on this particular day it was jumping and as you'll
see.
We've got a lot more of those energetic dancers coming up later in the program, part of the
weekend of the Merce Festival where we got to sample the foods, listen to the music and
enjoy the- people-watching and just stroll about in his beautiful park.
This is by far the most popular park in Barcelona and it's also the oldest -- it was opened
in 1872.The park has about 70 acres with lovely grass fields, trees and benches.
It is only 800 meters east of the Cathedral, so when you're strolling around in the Ribera
neighborhood come on over and have a look at the park.
The old town pedestrian zone in that blue circle is quite large and you can see the
park is almost as big.
Nearly everybody that you see in the park are local residents because tourists just
somehow don't seem to be able to find this place.
It's another reason why you should spend more than two days when you're visiting Barcelona.
There is so much to see in the city has we have presented in our many other movies.
The park is also home to a zoo, science Museum, a giant water fountain, a small, lake and
the Catalan Parliament.
There are usually a couple of food stands here in decent weather but we really hit the
jackpot on this weekend being the Merce Festival.
People are out by the thousands and there were over a dozen food wagons with lots of
great food, and people having a good time, mingling and striking up conversations.
I'll come back after the short dance break with a little history.
(music and dance) You'll see lots more of the dancers coming up shortly.
A long time before there was ever a park here it was part of the city.
There were thousands of people living here.
It was an extension of the la Ribera neighborhood, but 300 years ago it was totally destroyed
by a Spanish conqueror, Philip the Fifth of Spain and he demolished everything and built
a major fortress occupying the entire area.
They said it was the largest fortress in Europe in the early 1700s when he built it.
There is a long and complicated history involving the war of Spanish Succession.
I'll spare you the details but in summary it was almost a world war that occupied the
whole continent of Europe including what amounted to a civil war within Spain pitting the Catalans
against the Bourbons.
Barcelona lost the war and was occupied for 100 years by the hated Spanish oppressors
who were finally pushed out, and in the mid-1800s the Barcelona city officials demolished the
fortress, finally creating the park which opened in 1872.
That's all the history you're going to get and that's also all the narration you're going
to get.
The rest of the program is strictly visual, just for people-watching, strolling around
and getting back to those wild dancers.
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