4. BCN (part 3)

Hello World,

I had a bit of a different idea in mind for today's post but this day brought a very sad information which broke my heart a little. One of the magicians of the city of Barcelona, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, passed away at the age of 55 after a long fight with cancer.

This guy is one of my favourite writers of all time. Probably the only one whose all books I have read (some of them even in Spanish). I was absolutely enchanted by the El cementerio de los libros olvidados series (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books) but, after all, I think I loved Marina the most. I don't know if you ever had the pleasure to dive into the stories that he wrote but if you are into the dark, gloomy atmosphere with secrets everywhere that you are trying to entangle - you'll love them.

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is unique to me because I am deeply into reading about Spanish Civil War, especially in Catalonia. Well, I am into reading about Catalonia in general, but the Civil War was always on top of the list.

Not so long ago I saw Zawsze na wakacjach posting some IG stories about reading Zafón's books in the real locations (SO JEALOUS!) and I thought that the very next time I am at my parent's place, I will grab the main series books and take them with me to re-read.

By the way, did you know that you can literally follow the footsteps of his books' characters when in Barcelona? Yep, for real: 1, 2, 3. You can pay for a guided tour but I think it is more fun if you take a map, put some checkpoints on it and try to discover everything on your own. Even if you get lost somewhere, you may find a place you'll fall in love with (been there, done that!).

Let me take you through a nostalgic series of photos, accompanied by some of my favourite quotes from the books.

“Memories are worse than bullets.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“Do you know the best thing about broken hearts? They can only really break once the rest is just scratches.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

“The moment you stop to think about whether you love someone, you've already stopped loving that person forever.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“People tend to complicate their own lives, as if living weren't already complicated enough.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“In the end, I think that's what matters, that he's truly a good person and that he's real. That he's someone you can hold on to on a cold winter's night and who knows how to make you feel warm inside.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Prisoner of Heaven

“We are fragile. We’re creatures of passage. All that is left of us are our actions, the good or the evil we do to our fellow humans.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Marina

“We all have a secret buried under lock and key in the attic of our soul”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Marina

“I think you judge yourself too severely, a quality that always distinguishes people of true worth.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

“Over time, loneliness gets inside you and doesn't go away.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

“There are no second chances in life, except to feel remorse.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“So long as we are being remembered, we remain alive.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

Farewell, dear Carlos. The World has lost yet another spark of light today.

“Quien quiere de verdad quiere en silencio, con hechos, nunca con palabras.”

―Carlos Ruiz Zafón, La sombra del viento

Till next time,

M.