Ciutadilla, Castellserà, Agramunt, Palacio de Anglesola, Bell-lloc, Bellvís, Alamús, Juneda, Bovera, Torregrossa, Torrefeta, and Florejacs… Bread ovens, especially small ones, have been proliferating in rural areas in recent years. Although still tentative, the opening of new businesses is counteracting a trend that seemed dramatic. "What was in decline until now seems to be a trend," says Toni Frias, the current president of the Bakers' Guild of the Lleida region. But this is no coincidence. At least, not in the eyes of the industry. "It was the result of time and a lot of dedication," Frias states. In recent years, the Guild has dedicated significant effort to promoting and organizing courses and training for new bakers and shopkeepers who have converted to traditional bakeries. "Now we are reaping the rewards," concludes the president of the organization.

Closed shops in and around Joaquim Costa street in the Raval district of Barcelona are the exception, fewer than one in ten. Most shops are weathering the crisis as best they can, helped by local consumption and by the same network they have created among themselves, despite the fact that the moment is not easy and income has plummeted like everywhere else. The image, however, is far from that offered by some streets of the neighbouring Gothic Quarter, much more doomed to the tourist monoculture and lacking in neighbours, where the pandemic has closed - temporarily or permanently - 30% of businesses, according to data from Barnacentre. The collapse is more intense in very central streets like Ferran Street, and it has called into question the sustainability of the model. The Raval, on the other hand, has plenty of residents, with 42,669 inhabitants per square kilometre - twice as many as the Gothic Quarter - and is one of the most densely populated areas of the city and also one of the most diverse: 60% of its residents were born abroad. And the area of Joaquim Costa is an unusual sight of commercial vitality.