seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from China
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from Japan
seen from China
seen from Georgia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Vietnam
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
A little country in the middle of the city (Plaça de Sant Galdric, BCN)
Nothing more than basics (Plaça de Sant Jaume, BCN)
Life's true face (Passeig de Lluís Companys, BCN)
Carnestoltes 2019 BCN
BCN: What’s Hot, What’s Not
I have been here a month now and picked up on a few things about the city. Enjoy my musings...
WHAT’S HOT?
Independence
In the month I’ve been here “we” celebrated September 11th - the national Catalonia pride day - and voted on the automas (federal, I think?) government. The pro-independence parties formed a winning coalition and will set a course for freedom from the tyranny of Spain by mid-2016. Catalan flags hang proudly from many balconies across the city, and change is certainly afoot. Whether that’s for more autonomy for the Catalan region or for full blown independence is to be seen. Watch this space.
Independent Shops
I have not seen a Starbucks since I arrived. All over Barcelona independent bakeries, clothes shops, and fruit shops flourish. It’s refreshing. The quality is generally good - the baked goods are amazing - and small businesses seem to do well here.
Fiestas
One month in, and we’ve had two already! With apparently 16 bank holidays a year, there’s a lot of down time and fun events throughout.
“Chinos”
The incredibly racially charged name for the ‘odds and ends’ shops that also thrive here. Owned and run by immigrants from all over Asia (hence Chino) they stock almost everything: home furnishings, stationery, DIY equipment, photo frames, fancy-dress, plastic flowers... you name it, chances are you’ll find it in a chino.
WHAT’S NOT?
Public Restrooms
Just where are they at? No-where it seems. Most annoying for people, and cafe owners etc who have to police their own bathrooms from marauding non-paying users.
The System in General
Catalonia runs at a slower pace of life to the UK. Emails get replied to when people feel like it, bureaucracy is king, and language schools seem to actively dissuade your custom. And that’s before I even start applying for my national identification number; a barely legal (as it comes close to infringing on EU freedom of work acts) hoop la of red tape. Oh joy, let me at it.
Public Transport
The system is amazing, but people do not know proper (London) etiquette. People move slowly, they don’t hold on to rails so frequently crash into you, people move into the way of the pushchair (like it’s big enough, see me!), they don’t stay on one side of the escalators... My list could go on. People of BCN - sort it out.
