For our field trip to Medieval Barcelona, in particular El Born, it was my first time in that area of the city. The part that I found most interesting was the Jewish area as I am Jewish. In most of my classes the base of the material is always speaking about the Franco era and its long last affects on the rest of Spain, in particular the area we are in, Catalonia. During Franco’s time we all know how there was no religious freedom and Spain was a Catholic country. During this field trip it was the first time that I had actually learned that Jewish people lived in Barcelona dating back to the times of medieval Barcelona. Seeing the Jewish synagogue and the several street signs in Hebrew gave me a better understanding of how my ancestors lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago in the city that I have been living in the past few months. Seeing all of the older architecture also was interesting as its hard to believe how well the structures built back in those times with the lack of technology they had. Also it was obvious to see the few buildings that have partly ruined the overall aura of the area. It was also cool to stand in the same area that many of prisoners and traders of the past had lost their heads and to see where those heads were hung to remind the people of Barcelona the consequences of such actions. Finally, it was nice to have a good understanding of the area as when my parents visited they were interested in viewing the Jewish area of Barcelona as well. Having this field trip and prior knowledge allowed me to relay that information to them, and for that they were truly grateful.
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