Though I have been in many cities across the western world, and seen a few town squares, I don't think I ever really understood them. But this one, in my new city, is starting to fall into place. Everything goes through it; the trams, some cars (alas), the connection of the old city to the park to the beach and to the main pedestrianized street. And it is huge and grand and maybe a bit much. This is because it is made for the big moments of the city. And that's probably where I missed understanding in the past.
It helped that when we moved here this giant plaza was the epicenter of the Christmas Market, which extended from either side of it into a kind of long park that runs diagonally from the ocean deep into the city. Then it seemed full, with amusement park rides and seasonal dioramas, decorations and food and vin chaud stalls all around. Now that Christmas is over the central plaza is a bit oversized again, but in a month comes Carnival, one of the biggest in the world, and surely every bit of it will be pressed into service again.
And though I make a few digs at how big it is, it really is lovely. We're through there most days, usually en route to the ocean or to the old city, or looking for the quickest way home. It has weird matching giant seated figure statues high up on poles, a very large fountain, a ferris wheel, and it is surrounded by all the lovely buildings in the rich signiature colors of that part of the city. The statues and the water in the fountain were particularly standing out to me around sunset a couple nights ago, so I took a few pictures.
I did not add cats.
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