Visions of Shadow and Light

I have some colleagues going to Barcelona in the near future. Unfortunately due to my heavy travel schedule I won’t be able to make the trip, which makes me sad. Barcelona, Sydney and San Francisco are my favorite cities (thus far) in my travels.

But I thought I’d put some of my experiences down here for those interested in Barcelona.

• If renting a car while in Spain, are there any driving tips, like '''It helps to understand Spanish'''?
  • Yes, it does help to understand Spanish - but it isn't necessarily critical. Their road signs are quite good on the whole. Make sure you understand roundabouts though or you could be in for a big surprise!! Also they tend to be pretty agressive (not mean, but like on our east coast). Finally, pretty girls in their teens and 20's just step out in front of traffic at random. Apparently it is a cultural thing where traffic just stops for pretty girls. You have been warned!
  • Also note that what we think of as “Spanish” isn’t the primary language in Barcelona. They are bi- or tri-lingual, speaking Catalan which is the regional language, Castellano (Spanish, Espanol) and often English (at least in the city) – get outside the city and you better have some Espanol or you’ll have a rough time
  • For just being in Barcelona I wouldn't bother with a car. They have a subway and cabs. You can also walk in most major areas of interest. My wife and I walked all over the place, as I did with some friends at Tech Ed. Maybe a car is required due to the hotel location though - that's something to check on
  • Buy the insurance - you might be required to anyway, but you don't want to mess with credit card insurance in a foreign country in case an accident did happen
  • Your US perks might not translate - many frequent traveler perks from the US don't appear to exist in Europe (or at least Spain), so be prepared to fill out lots of paperwork, etc.
• Places of interest include:
  • La Rambla - lots of street performers, restaurants, shops - best seen at daytime, it can get rowdy at night - on one end is a big park and the Hard Rock Cafe, on the other end is a statue of Columbus
  • About half-way down La Rambla on the west side is a market, where you can buy dried fruits (and lots of other foodstuffs) – but the dried fruits are sweet and make for a great snack to carry around – I like the yellow best, but the red was quite good
  • On the east side of La Rambla many streets wind back among shops, and in those shops are some excellent deals if you can take the time to explore – we got some really nice Spanish silk wraps that we brought back as gifts for instance – not the touristy stuff from La Rambla itself
  • Also on the east side is a great square called Placa Reial/Placa Garibaldi  which has lots of decent places to eat – and if you are a Babylon 5 fan then anyplace with Garibaldi in the name catches your interest
  • On the north end of La Rambla you can go north on (I think Passeig De Gracia) to see some famous Gaudi buildings - a friend of mine works in one of them actually, and they are really worth seeing
  • On the Columbus end of La Rambla you can cross the street toward the water and get out into the floating mall. Very cool to be on a floating mall - and you get to see the marina - the IMax is out there as well
  • Southwest from the floating mall is L’Aquarium de Barcelona, which is a very good aquarium – I think the largest in Europe – near there is also a cable car you can ride back into a different part of the city
  • Northeast from Columbus and the marina (quite a distance, but we walked it) is the zoo
  • East from the zoo yet is Port Olimpic - which is another mall, and more street performers and artists
  • Immediately west of Port Olimpic is the city beach, which is decent enough
  • If you want really nice beaches, take a train northeast up the coast perhaps 45 minutes - the train follows the coastline, so just get off at a stop where the beach looks awesome and where you can see at least a small shop (for water, etc.)
  • You MUST tour the Sagrada Familia - it is an awesome cathedral-in-progress, designed by Gaudi - it has its own subway stop
  • Gaudi also has a park that displays much of his sculpture, and which is quite relaxing and a good way to spend some time wandering and getting away from the city rush
  • The Gothic Quarter is well worth the time – old, winding streets, lots of shops and art dealers and a beautiful cathedral (not on the scale of Sagrada Familia, St. Paul’s or Sacre Coeur, but really nice)
  • If you have the time, take the funicular up Tibidabo Mountain to get the best view of Barcelona (otherwise climb to the top of Sagrada Familia for a darn good view and some serious exercise) – my wife did this and had a great time
  • Last time we were in Barcelona we visited Palau Reial, the Royal Palace, which is very beautiful and has a lot of history
• Buy a guide
  • We have a Frommer’s guide to Spain, but I imagine any of the guide books are good – well worth the investment
  • My list above are just the highlights… My wife and I like to walk, so we’ve covered a lot of ground, and there’s a whole lot more fun to be had and sights to be seen than in my list here
• Be wary
  • Barcelona is a large city. As with any large city there are dangers – con artists, scammers, pickpockets
  • Pickpockets are a big deal, as with any large city - I got pickpocketed once in Paris, and have thwarted at least two attempts in Barcelona - thieves are good, and use scams
    • They aren’t after just your wallet
    • They’ll take your camera, cell phone or anything else they can get
    • Don’t carry a wallet – spread your money, credit cards and so forth around in different pockets
    • Use a money belt for anything truly valuable (like your passport)
    • Avoid using external bags (fanny packs, packpacks) because they are easily entered and you can’t easily protect them while distracted
  • The following list isn’t meant to scare you off, but rather is meant to make you aware so you can be careful
    • One will distract you while another gets your stuff
    • Groups of gypsy girls will mob you and get what they can
    • One will covertly squirt your back with a squirt gun, and then will make like it is bird crap and he’ll be very concerned and “helpful” – all of which is a distraction so his partner can get your stuff
    • One will get in front of you on an up-escalator, with another behind (not so you’d notice) – then the one ahead of you will drop something bright near the top of the escalator and will fumble to get it while still on the escalator – this carries you right into him, and immediately the one behind “tries to get around you”, all the while getting your stuff (this is how they got me in Paris, and it can get kinda rough)
    • If you do carry an external bag they'll open it and take the contents, or even cut the strap and take the whole thing - a lady I know lost her purse this way and didn't even realize it right away - same with backpacks, they'll open them while you walk, or slit them and get the contents that way
  • Street performers, while fun to watch, can be a scam
    • Watch for the dice games, shell games, card games, etc. – if you watch for very long and don’t play the heavies will come out and “encourage” you to move along
    • The actual performers are cool, but watch for pickpockets working the back rows of watchers – and tip the performers, as they are working hard out there! Seriously - some of them are really good and it is only polite to tip them a bit
  • Don’t touch the flowers – apparently it is rude to touch the flowers from street shops and you’ll likely get hissed at (a warning) and a rude look
  • Don’t eat street food – just like any large city, the street food isn’t always safe – stick with actual restaurants
• Do drink the wine – Spanish wine is quite good, and there’s nothing quite like sitting outside a restaurant in a little courtyard back in the Barrio Gotic (Gothic Quarter) with your wife for much of an afternoon eating great food and enjoying a bottle of wine – that’s a memory you’ll have forever! I do so love Barcelona!