miercuri, 2 februarie 2011

Walls that speak (4) - 39.806

"Barris de Ponent" - It is the neighborhood where are the most emigrants living in Tarragona.
He is Antonio, the owner of a traditional Spanish tapas bar. It is a local "full of drunkers" bar opened al the day. Together with his wife he has a double cafeteria. Between 2 streets in the neighborhood of Ponent there are 2 cafeteria - one with the entrance on one street and the other, of his wife with the entrance of the other parallel street.
He has an obsession with the number 39.806 which is also the name of the cafeteria. It is he's lucky number and represent the number of his military service id. From 25 years ago he is developed an obsession for this number in all forms. He even buy all the series of the number 39.806 of the Nacional Loteria in Spain (there is a lot of series for each number, so a lot of people, usually around 100, can bet on the same number in the Spain lottery). He buys all the series and sell them in the bar, a common practice in Spain. I both too a lucky number. But unfortunately it wasn't lucky for me:))

He even rent, from time to time, outdoors space in the neighborhood and advertise only a big number of 6 meters long on a white outdoor: 39.806
He has even personalized bottles of champagne with the number. He sad he will celebrate with that champagne the Big National Lottery Prize when he will win ;everything it is branded with this number.
He has (of course) also sugar branded with his lucky number.

Antonio is living in the neighborhood also and he knows Akim, the graffer (remember?) ...who was invited to paint the iron curtain of his cafeteria with a motif that Antonio like: venetian masks.
T other entrance of his wife's cafeteria is also painted by Akim. She's cafeteria it is opened only for a short time of the day, usually in the afternoon when the wife's are free from the work and get there to gospel.
It is different then Antonio's cafeteria, her's is more calm and cozy, intimate and familiar.

The old south Spanish traditional houses are very common in that neighborhood along with new living buildings (blocks).