Plaza Felipe Neri, Barcelona

A melancholy air often hangs over this hidden square in the heart of Barcelona. Some say the pock marks on the church walls are from executions carried out here during the civil war, others that they were caused by the shrapnel of a bomb that fell in the square killing 42 people, including 20 kids, in 1938 all of whom were sheltering inside from the air raid.

Now, my middle name is not Sherlock but I know a bullet mark when I see one from our days living in Budapest and the clustering here with not a lot above head height and the fact that these walls are pretty stout to protect those inside the basement of the church from an external explosion makes me think the first rational for these marks is the more likely. I think the church took a direct hit in 1938 which penetrated down to the basement through its roof. I've done some googling on this and can't find any definitive version. Whatever, it's still a reminder of tragic times, and I hope the holes are never erased.