New Year on Ramblas Boulevard

I found myself on the Ramblas half an hour before New Year's Eve, having entered it from the port. There was almost nothing to say about the current event, the number of people walking was not much different from the usual time of day. Some difference from the usual day was made only by sellers of New Year's accessories, including "wild" sellers of champagne, beer and bags of grapes - according to tradition, they are supposed to eat 12 pieces exactly at midnight. Although they say that such a business is prosecuted with a fine, the merchants did not hide much. After a hundred meters, the crowd density increased considerably, but it was still possible to walk without the help of elbows. Surprisingly, with such a large crowd of people, I didn't see the police at all.

A couple of blocks before the Boqueria market, I decided not to go any further, especially since there is very little time left before the cherished second. Access to the square was only through the framework of metal detectors and security checks, and these checkpoints formed a traffic jam. One person said that he still met the New Year on the square, having come much in advance and then stood in a dense crowd, where he lost his smartphone and cash.

I stopped at the corner of one of the side streets where people kept coming. Some, seeing such a dense crowd, did not dare to plunge into it and turned back, scattering to the numerous bars. It was also the right decision, because just a few minutes after midnight, it was already crowded.

Towards midnight, the noise subsided, and everyone turned towards Plaza Catalunya and waited for the clock to strike. Of course, it was impossible to hear anything at this distance, and the moment of the 2013 offensive was marked only by noise and fireworks in the direction of the square.

Very quickly, a wave of cheers and popping traffic jams reached the place where I was staying.

Someone was drinking champagne (by the way, I was treated by good people), and someone was dancing.

It ended much faster than I expected. After destroying the alcohol supplies they had brought with them, people gradually began to disperse along the side streets in order to have time to take tables in cafes and restaurants. After about an hour, the Ramblas and the streets of the Gothic Quarter were empty of the holiday, except for the scattered candy on the pavement and the overflowing bottle bins.

In conclusion, I would like to add that New Year's Eve in Barcelona is much more fun than, for example, in Paris - there at midnight on the Champs-Elysees I saw absolutely no excitement. On the other hand, in Prague, Warsaw, Berlin and Budapest, gay crowds walk the streets until almost morning.