The Plaza del Lago

The Plaza de la Merced, or as we like to call this little little little piece, the lake, has been a constant crossroads in my life, and surely for much of you.

Four times a day I passed by, by bus or walking to go to the Adoratrices College from my neighborhood, Santa Lucía.If I was walking, it had advantages and disadvantages, just like if I was only or accompanied by my mother.

From the bus I only had a few seconds to observe the girls of the College of San Miguel who went up eating crews and the lord of the ice cream kiosk.And if I was walking, I had to assume the fatigue of the day, the horrible itching in my legs when I passed through the square bastarreche, something that I never did to know why, but luck, especially if I went with my mother, to get aIce Cream, Buy Giant Magdalenas delicious in the Maestre bakery and stop to look at the showcase of the Basy perfumery that always had the last novelties.At that time my eyes opened a lot at those cases so well presented in the Don Cotton, Mango neighborhood and those for which all the girls of my age went crazy about having.

That's why a few days ago, when I passed by, and not by chance but because my feet guided me, I made a slow 360 degree turn.Well, because my feet guided me and because there is a place that I like to visit periodically and I do not get tired of doing it, the Aguirre Palace.The representation of the city's modernism, which is so beautiful ... I am a lover of Victor Beltrí, and how lucky that miner, Camilo Aguirre, to order him to build that palace where every time I go I feel a little princess.

And in my slow and observer turn, and as I always advise, looking up, that balcony and eternally perfect viewpoint of the building of another architect who makes us dream, Tomás Rico, which they put the name of "The house of Celestino Martínez".Ummm, hopefully Eva's house was called, you would be all guests, but well, I am happy to have at least one window, which is not little, ha ha ha ha.

I am at that moment that if I close my eyes, I am amazed at the memories that this square brings me.And here, next to the lake's lamking, I can feel the murmur of that early market where I heard a thousand times, and see that it was little, that of: “Have you stolen the cassette radius?, Then see the lake early that surelyYou find it and you can buy it.".Of course, you are small but you hear ....Well, that seems that fame was not good, but of course, there would be everything, although I don't remember it well. Supongo que antigüedades y muchas otras cosas, además de los puestos de aquellos “amigos de lo ajeno".

And then I remember a narrow, long and dark store where there were military clothes and things like this. Era muy niña, así que si “me columpio" me perdonáis.And I think I have heard a story that the owner of that place or perhaps another near.And it is that the legend says that I was very very crying, and ....bueno, no sé la que montaría yo allí para que esa amable señora quisiera “salvar" a esos padres primerizos, y dotarles de unos minutos de tranquilidad para terminar la merecida cerveza de fin de semana.

That said, that every time I spend here, I am amazed and I am witnessing how much this place has joined us.

And that is when I come to my curious head in the ideal bar, where I was and was the protagonist almost a year ago of my first article.Could it be that I am a cyclical person and that is why I have returned today?

That is when I miss Puerto Rico cafeteria, and when I remember that one day a person full of wisdom and experience that wanted to advise and know, in my newly released journey of telling all these things that excite me that excites me.A man with impeccable presence, exquisite education and full of stories of those that I love, with whom I had a three -hour coffee.What do you think? People like us are not profitable for hospitality!

And the bulb turns on, and among everything he told me, there was something that I was missing today in this square.He was in charge of Puerto Rico cafeteria with his father!

Let's see, as we have been together for almost a year, we are going to stop for a few seconds so that you think about what happened after.

ACTION REACTION!.Appeared answer!

Ese hombre que estaría tan relajado leyendo, paseando o en el sofá de su casa recibe un watsapp que dice: “por favor, por favor, me encantaría que nos viéramos, ¿sabe usted la ilusión que me hace, la esencia que me puede transmitir contándome tantas cosas sobre éste, su lugar?"

Y ya he dicho que he tenido la suerte de cruzarme con personas estupendas este año, de esas que merecen la pena de verdad, por lo que después de insistir un poquito, la respuesta que recibí fue:" dígame sitio y hora y allí estaré".OLE and OLE, I'm a lucky girl.

And that's how in an instant, I.B, as he wants me to call him because he does not want prominence, but that everyone knows that I speak of the son of Antonio Bobadilla, a first -year worker who was in charge of the ideal bar until one day, of a beautiful project with his son Isidoro and hisYerno Pepe Sánchez, Puerto Rico Cafeteria were born, I was by my side to share with me his experiences.Puerto Rico arrived in Cartagena on November 4, 1.962.

It is incredible as each one we have lived our own memories in this place, and as Isidoro has been able to move to a Cartagena where I have been able to hear the noise of the bitumen cans beaten as a footballer's kick by those children who developed their ingenuityTo have fun in that Plaza del Lago, which first went on earth, but then was paved and that can already rolled with greater joy.

How I breathed that atmosphere at the night of the meeting where thousands of people crowded to live that beautiful morning from Thursday to Good Friday, of friends and neighbors who went to Juanito's winery to check the results of the football matches and check theirpools…

And how this square enjoyed great importance, because there the trucks full of mining workers that would take them to fulfill their workday, farmers, employees of Bazán, of the military arsenal …… of the military arsenal …… everything seemed that it started and ended here.

And most importantly, how Puerto Rico cafeteria would be a smile observer, confidences.Witness of fatigued faces of the miner who resurfaced with that coffee and his splash of Brandy, of afternoons in which whole families after a film in the central cinema tried to be treated the first, given the restlessness of the waiter who had three rows of people togetherTo the bar.Times were times!

I listen to Isidoro describe what he lived in that place, and I need to give him that diploma of sociologist who has won.Although he knows his luck, and that is why he speaks with a special pride of his father and his brother -in -law.The union is strength, and the illusion, professionalism and restlessness to innovate and attend as he says, to the people who entered as if they were invited from their own home, all that makes the difference.

Y me ha contado algunas cosas, que esas nos las guardamos para nosotros, ¿verdad Isidoro? Porque Café Puerto Rico se caracterizaba por muchas cosas, por la calidad de sus navajas y mejillones, por su excelente café que tuvo ese eslogan que a nadie se le olvida, “rico rico rico… el Café de Puerto Rico", por aquel primer carajillo, por los mejores asiáticos, esos del principio donde se echaba la leche natural y eras capaz de tomar varios sin que el dulzor y espesor de la leche condensada, que llegaría después, te llevara a una subida de azúcar súbita….

And do you know that this was an essential place for actors such as Arturo Fernández and Paco Rabal?They did not conceive of our city to act without going through this cafe, the cup, the tender ox steaks and the exquisiteness of this corner.

Isidoro tells me that it was a very characteristic place because it closed too late.And what does it imply? Well, that a thousand stories, that many decisions, that great businesses arose here.And of course, Isidoro that is perceived in the air that has been an interested party of everything that “cooked“ at that time, because at that time he shared a table, coffee, cup and conversations with all of them.What if I told you that the project that General Electric arrived in Cartagena forged here? And that the writing of the newspaper El News, between smoke clouds extended the night and prepared news at Isidoro's expectation?

Magic place without a doubt, places of those of that time, where magic arose without having to look for it.

And there is a special place where I want the spark to jump and shine again in this special location of Cartagena, central cinema.Do you know that it is the oldest building that is preserved in our region dedicated to cinema?And what is an architectural jewel that has inactive and dying little by little many years?They say that there is a project, that there has been a contest …… Please, the soul of seeing its interior, its red seats covered with dust and its ceilings that if it takes a long time ...

Hopefully and we can soon enjoy that cultural activity that they say will be resurrected, where once, on a Sunday afternoon eating popcorn and in the last row of the armchair, beautiful love stories emerged.

HAPPY SUNDAY OF MEMORIES.

Eva García Aguilera