Trip 8: From Four Seasons Shopping Center to El Corte Ingl
Comment Replies
Haven't had any comment lately, so no replies.
---------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, I want to say thank you to all people who have viewed and commented this CJ. We have hit more than 1000 views! I wouldn't gone this far without your comments and advices , so thank you very much! And now, let's go to 2000 in this taxi cab where you always see something new...
Carrer C (C Street), 12:38 p.m., 6th of May
I woke up with the same humor than all the nation. We had a mixture of sensations. In one hand, F.C. Alarconia had reached the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League, but in the other hand, H.C. Alarconia of handball was eliminated from the European tournament. Everything last night.
As always, I bought the Catalan version of Alarcònia Avui (Alarconia Today) newspaper and took the English version of Metro newspaper in the Central Railway Station. Here's the frontpage.
I hopped into the taxi and began my work of today.
After three or four trips, I was driving along Carrer C (C Street), and in front of the Four Seasons Shopping Center, somebody made me signals to stop. A woman carrying lots of bags with the Four Seasons brand impressed, entered into the taxi.
"Good morning, where do we go, miss?" I asked in English..
"El Corte Inglés Department Stores" she replied, with a clear American accent.
"Here we go."
We were now in the Barri Vell (Old Quarter) of Alarconia, the first settling in the history. The Founders placed here the first streets and first building, in a grid pattern of six north-south and six east-west streets; under the revolutionary ideas that came from the recently founded United States. It was one of the most pleasant zones in Alarconia to drive.
I tried to turn left to Carrer 3 (3rd Street), seeing Plaça de Daniel J. Alarcón (Daniel J. Alarcón Square); what was used as a main square during the 19th century.
We had left behind the Antic Ajuntament (Old City Hall) and were in front of the Alarconia Central Administration Building, they were all historical buildings.
"Good day to go shopping..." I said.
"Yes, very good. In weekdays there are any queues, crowds... you can go shopping on your own without bothering..."
She seemed rich.She wasn't working right now and dressed very well and I would have to mortgage my life to buy the watch she was wearing on the right hand. Left-handed.
"I can't understand how people goes so mad because of some guys running behind a ball..." she said.
"You know... we need a way to take stress off..."
"Yes, but it's pointless! They don't do anything for you, they don't even know your name!"
"It's like we've been educated, I guess..."
She said nothing more, seeing we would never agree in that topic. I turned right to Carrer A (A Street) and went down the slope.
We were now approximating to The Wall. It was the first place in Alarconia City were large blocks of tenements were built.
It was named like this because this zone was the edge of the city during the 19th century. Blocks of tenements were built in a row and when the blocks were built, and the city began to grow to the south, people from the Old Quarter couldn't see what was behind the blocks as happened with the people from Barri de l'Electricitat (Electricity Neighbourhood). Because of this, this zone was named The Wall.
Suddenly, a shadow came over us. It was Ixterconnections Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the city, but not the tallest. It house the main offices of Ixterconnections, one of the biggest computer hardware manufacturers in the world. Ixterconnections is in the vanguard of technological corporations in Alarconia. It was once calculated that every PC assembled before 1980 has at least one Ixterconnections component inside.
Now, we had to cross under the Autopista.
It was a quite dangerous zone. People tends to go off the Autopista very fast, there were frequent accidents in this off-ramp because they took it in an unadequated speed. We were now in Districte de Les Planes (Plains' District). Built over a plateau, this was the point Alarconia City began to grow eastbounds.
"Do you like politics?" she asked. I'm not used to this question.
"Well... I'm interested on how Alarconia goes..."
"Politicians are a bunch of liars. From the President to the City Mayor..."
"It depends..."
"Berguedà accuses Smith of corruption... I would like to know who is more corrupted of both!"
"It's always the same thing..."
"I'm tired of this style. We, the citizens, are tired of ths situaiton..."
I drove around Porta de Les Planes (Plains' Gate) roundabout and took Carrer de la Victòria (Victory Street). When we passed the crossing with Carrer dels Presidents (Presidents' Street) I stopped the car.
We were now in front of El Corte Inglés Department Stores. On its shy international expansion, that Spanish brand of department stores, opened one in Alarconia, in a perfect spot to do it. They had everything you could imagine in clothes, but their books and electronics section are overwhelming too.
At our right hand, we had Palau de la Presidència (Presidence Palace). Before 1940, all Alarconian presidents have lived there, when Les Planes was still a quiet and secure community.
It had been a short trip, the taximeter only marked 13.40 AL$. The woman gave me 15 AL$ and told me to keep the change, I had a good tip. She hoped off, without forgetting her Four Seasons bag and got into the department store, ready to begin another while of "tiring" shopping.
2 Comments
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account