Barcelona prides itself on being a modern, stylish and prosperous city, but I would contend that this is largely a marketing fantasy. The main tourist thoroughfares are almost like theme parks, portraying a view of the city tailored specifically to the vacation industry. But as soon as you step literally a few 10s of meters away from the main streets in the center you enter a parallel world that is more reminiscent of a developing economy than one of the most highly regarded cities in Europe.

The next few images to be uploaded show scenes all taken around Las Ramblas, presenting a very different view of the city than the Gaudí infused tourist brochures show.