Adventures with Agnes

Our legs carry us around the block for the third time, on a mission to find an underground theater with 1 Euro vegan food and beer. The sinking sun casts an eerie glow onto the buildings in Barcelona’s misunderstood El Raval neighborhood. Alone on the darkening street in what some consider a “seedy” part of town, defeat weighs heavy.

Suddenly, a guy carrying a guitar catches my eye as he slips behind an unmarked door. Quickly, I too, step into the portal that leads me into Artkatraz.

If it’s possible for someone’s heart to sink and jump at the same time, that’s exactly what mine does. My eyes follow the graffiti lined concrete walls to find a stage, ping-pong table, book exchange, clothing swap, and the promised 1 Euro vegan food and beer. Where are we?

My weight shifts from foot to foot – do we look like total tourists? Two guys play hacky sack, their lone dreads wiggling down their respective backs; a gorgeous caramel-colored woman with an afro the size of a beach ball spray paints a mural.

Unsure of ourselves, we make a beeline for the rickety food both. Paper or plastic is not an option; you get your plate from the washing station, where you clean up after yourself in a soapy wash bin. It’s kind of like grandma’s house – if your grandmother is a hippie. As we wait for what turns out to be a rice and vegetable mash (looks questionable, tastes delicious), a young Canadian girl with messy hair and twinkling eyes chats us up. We’ve made a friend. My shoulders relax.

We eat, swap stories, and I rummage through the clothing, pocketing a stained tank top from a Parisian circus. Then the stage erupts – it’s time for an improv comedy show. Plopping onto a folding chair, I try to catch some of the Catalan whizzing by my ears. Despite my lack of understanding, the actors’ energy is electric. The hairs on my neck stand because I am experiencing something so truly Barcelona. Here is a place so diverse, welcoming, and open-minded yet fiercely rebellious all at the same time. Vale, as they say.

Ever since stumbling upon Artkatraz, I’m convinced that the secret to finding authentic adventure is to circle the block one last time and keep your eyes peeled. Let your guard down and dive in – I almost didn’t.