Sunday, 28 August 2011
English
Most people seem to speak English fairly well and so we got by without having to learn Spanish.
Cafes and bars
Most cafes seem to be bars as well. So you can buy food, coffee and alcohol.
We were amazed to see people drinking alcohol such as beer and wine at breakfast time.
We were amazed to see people drinking alcohol such as beer and wine at breakfast time.
Mobile phones
Before we went to Barcelona, we bought UK SIMs for our iPhones from Vodafone. The plan allowed for up to 25MB of data per day in European counties such as Spain. We found that this was enough on most days but it was best to turn off data roaming until we needed it.
Top tourist sites
We went to some of the top tourist sites including:
- La Ramlas
- Catalunya Plaza
- Barceloneta
- Sagrada Familia
- Christopher Columbus monument
- Spanish Village
Siesta
Many places close at lunch time for a few hours - just like other Mediterranean cities. However, they are still open in the evening.
This practice is understandable because it is hot in the early afternoon in summer time.
This practice is understandable because it is hot in the early afternoon in summer time.
Pickpockets
Before we left on our holiday, we'd heard that Barcelona is the worst city in the world for pickpockets. Of all the places in Barcelona, the worst place is La Ramblas - the wide avenue that runs from the centre of the city to the harbour.
I came well prepared. I had a decoy wallet in my back pocket that had nothing in it. I kept credit cards, etc in a pouch around my neck and I had a small amount of cash and a credit card in my cargo pants pockets below my knees. A pickpocket stole the decoy wallet but didn't get any of the wallets that contained cash or cards. The plan worked.
One of our guides threw some light on why there are so many pickpockets. He said that Spanish law has very low penalties for thefts less than a particular figure - I think it was 500 Euros. So people can get away with minor theft without any serious consequences. On the other hand, he said that any violence results in a jail sentence.
I came well prepared. I had a decoy wallet in my back pocket that had nothing in it. I kept credit cards, etc in a pouch around my neck and I had a small amount of cash and a credit card in my cargo pants pockets below my knees. A pickpocket stole the decoy wallet but didn't get any of the wallets that contained cash or cards. The plan worked.
One of our guides threw some light on why there are so many pickpockets. He said that Spanish law has very low penalties for thefts less than a particular figure - I think it was 500 Euros. So people can get away with minor theft without any serious consequences. On the other hand, he said that any violence results in a jail sentence.
Beaches
When we were planning our trip to Barcelona, we'd read that there are nudist beaches near Barcelona. We never got to see them because we stayed within Barcelona.
The beach in Barcelona is at Barceloneta. It is beautiful long beach with golden sand like we see in Australia. Topless bathing is quite common and we saw a few people (men and women) who were completely naked.
There are coffee shops at regular intervals along the esplanade. At one end there is the luxurious W hotel and at the other end there are numerous restaurants.
The beach in Barcelona is at Barceloneta. It is beautiful long beach with golden sand like we see in Australia. Topless bathing is quite common and we saw a few people (men and women) who were completely naked.
There are coffee shops at regular intervals along the esplanade. At one end there is the luxurious W hotel and at the other end there are numerous restaurants.
Drinking water
It is recommended that you don't drink tap water in Barcelona and so you need to buy bottled water. When you go to a supermarket or corner store, a large part of the shop is taken up by bottled water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)