Larcelona, err, Barcelona
I actually took a day off when we first arrived in Barcelona, keeping off my feet in a somewhat useless attempt to get 'em feelin' better. M., however, went out and saw several people get ripped off, including a purse snatching and somebody losing track of their stuff at an Internet cafe.
Wild. She decided that the name of the place must be Larcelona, instead of Barcelona. It really isn't that bad a place, outside of the touristy old town, but that touristy old town really is hideous. I mean, take it from me, a boy born in Florida, an entire state devoted to squeezing every cent from the tourist[*] -- this was a town that sadly devoted to tourism.
We'd read a couple guidebooks which encouraged us to get a place near Las Ramblas, the main tourist street in town. If only we'd known! The whole street was plastered with nasty stores and bars and restaurants, many of them with touts out front trying to drag people in. The street was covered in a million and one lame buskers, plus a few too many of those all-too-worn-out I'll-stand-still-like-a-statue you-should-give-me-money guys (umm, hasn't that been done to death by now!?). Ugh.
When we actually got out of this mess to look at some of the architect Gaudi's buildings, the town was wonderful, full of reasonable friendly folks, and looking mostly normal, if a little Frenchified. We so shoulda found a place out of that ridiculous tourist mess, and just taken a ride down there when we needed a good meal (there's a kind of gourmet ghetto off to the side of Las Ramblas, surprisingly).
There was a great naval museum there, with a full-sized reconstructed galley, and all sorts of cool stuff. Unfortunately, the signage was all in Spanish and Catalonian, with a lame (as usual) audio guide. Yeesh.
Other than that, Spain's second largest city was a bit of a downer, although I'm still delighted to be here!
[*] Let it be said, Florida is a great place to live. No income tax -- the sales tax does a better job of taking an extra pound of flesh from visitors -- beautiful weather, and reasonably pleasant people. I love the look of the swamps and cypress hammocks and clear spring-fed streams and wild limestone underpinnings. Not that I'm gonna leave California or anything.
Wild. She decided that the name of the place must be Larcelona, instead of Barcelona. It really isn't that bad a place, outside of the touristy old town, but that touristy old town really is hideous. I mean, take it from me, a boy born in Florida, an entire state devoted to squeezing every cent from the tourist[*] -- this was a town that sadly devoted to tourism.
We'd read a couple guidebooks which encouraged us to get a place near Las Ramblas, the main tourist street in town. If only we'd known! The whole street was plastered with nasty stores and bars and restaurants, many of them with touts out front trying to drag people in. The street was covered in a million and one lame buskers, plus a few too many of those all-too-worn-out I'll-stand-still-like-a-statue you-should-give-me-money guys (umm, hasn't that been done to death by now!?). Ugh.
When we actually got out of this mess to look at some of the architect Gaudi's buildings, the town was wonderful, full of reasonable friendly folks, and looking mostly normal, if a little Frenchified. We so shoulda found a place out of that ridiculous tourist mess, and just taken a ride down there when we needed a good meal (there's a kind of gourmet ghetto off to the side of Las Ramblas, surprisingly).
There was a great naval museum there, with a full-sized reconstructed galley, and all sorts of cool stuff. Unfortunately, the signage was all in Spanish and Catalonian, with a lame (as usual) audio guide. Yeesh.
Other than that, Spain's second largest city was a bit of a downer, although I'm still delighted to be here!
[*] Let it be said, Florida is a great place to live. No income tax -- the sales tax does a better job of taking an extra pound of flesh from visitors -- beautiful weather, and reasonably pleasant people. I love the look of the swamps and cypress hammocks and clear spring-fed streams and wild limestone underpinnings. Not that I'm gonna leave California or anything.
posted by K at
8:13 AM
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