Jardinet dels Gats

On a brief trip to central Barcelona in search of English language books I came across a surprising little garden. In the courtyard of a small stone church, just yards from the tourist-saturated Rambla, stands a garden of park benches, jungle gyms and old furniture, all of it being used by dozens and dozens of cats. The Jardinet dels Gats was founded in 2008 on the donations of a rich and eccentric cat lover in the heart of the Ciutat Vella - some of the planet´s most expensive real estate. The volunteer-run cat santuary is dedicated to caring for and relocating street cats. Through the bars of the garden I saw maybe 30 cats - all of whom seemed happy and well fed. Who knows how many more cats were living inside the ancient church itself?

In a city which has sold so much of its soul to international tourism, it was a pleasure to stumble across such a kind, humble and local enterprise. Meow.