This Story developed in  one the most magical places visited during  our F8 travel  journey . Park Guell , is located in Barcelona Spain, is a place where we spent a day enjoying the beautiful landscapes of the City , from above you can see the city, its charms and the Ocean .   The real treat is to walk within  the admirable work and  life of Antonio Gaudi , sublime architecture , ahead of his era,  his vision in architecture , and furniture design are spectacular , and the colors he utilized are outstanding !!

I urge you  to  discover this amazing artist, perhaps you already know about him,  his life , a man of faith and extreme humility. His most famous work is  La Sagrada  familia,  Basilica  , and  Parc Guell among many . I could spend hours talking about him, he fascinate me  , for his unique talent , and beautiful art , but moreover for the stories of true compassion and humility , told by the nuns who clean his house ,  his legacy to the world  has no comparison.

Having described the green and unique architectural scenery i will now tell my little story about buying earrings in the parc. As we were walking in the paths of Parc Guell , between the restaurant and the museum and shop  , the street vendors spread their clothes and items for sell . from Scarves  , ornaments, to lizard replicas and all ,

Buying from a street vendor is something that for many years has been very controversial and an insight fight within my values , It is in a gray area for me , in one hand you don’t want to support illegal business  , perhaps  tax evasion , Selling Cheaper without overhead cost, In the other hand,  the tempting items with irresistible price !!  it hurts to pay double or triple somewhere  else.

I know everyone has to do what It  feels good in your heart . In mine in this case, I gave in.  so here i was immerse picking my 3 for 10 euros sets, My Pakistani  vendor had all this earrings pinched in an umbrella , fascinated I was picking them , These were not just any earrings they are “the” earrings. Perhaps explaining why I wanted them so bad , you can understand me better. They looked like a pair my bff and colleague Izabella from Munich bought while we visit Incredible India. I always loved them , rounded  golden earrings, very simple yet makes you feel life a million dollars . (Only women can understand this feeling ) .

These earrings were similar to hers , so I indulge and lost myself in time picking and looking round and around on his big umbrella , a few seconds before I finished picking the last pair , I hear : “excuse me , excuse me , I will be back and in a split of a second , he closed  the umbrella  And started running for his life , as well as all the street vendors , here I was empty handed , no magical Indian earrings standing in the middle of the road  in and empty of vendors  path ,  seconds later a motorcycle police patrol with bright lights looking and chasing the street vendors .  When you observe the scene , I was paralyzed in shock not so much for being left without the earrings I long to have, but for the almost inhuman way the street vendors were chased , and  run to hide in the upper bushes, hiding, while the motorized police are circling the path  chasing to get them , and looking up for the prey, I couldn’t get over the scene, there I was speechless seeing the police swiveling, waiting for them, and the street vendors looking through the branches. I was so sad, in one hand, how frustrated for the police officers, I imagine they didn’t plan after a hard police training to end up in such an unflattering job to chase the street vendors all day, and then this guys, dozens of vendors, knowing is not allowed they just don’t  bother, break the rules,have spotters,  and do it because they know “we” would buy!!! Big dilemma! I decided to tell the guy , better say send him signs, because he  was up hiding in the hill, that i would buy only if he get outside the park.

Only then, i got my earrings with bittersweet feelings, sort of embarrassed, not too proud of supporting the illegal vendors, but thinking that is their ” modus vivendus ” but also know everytime I wear them, i will think of a beautiful park that hold the most amazing architecture, history and many many secrets.

Cessy Meacham

what do you think of my story? how do you feel about street vendors?  your thoughts and comments are  appreciated!