Barcelona notes N 1
Jan. 18th, 2005 11:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snydersInteresting city. Especially because it is sunny for a winter Europe. We were lucky with weather all 3 days, and it became cloudy only on the last day. Temperatures in January were 15-18 during the day and 6 during the night.
We rented appartment from "Apartments Ramblas", as a result we got a very nice appartment (kitchen, tv set - which we however never tried, an aircondition, but no phone:( ) not exactly in an area I imagined. There were several BUTs: the appartement clearly listed a baby crib, however it came out that the crib was available from the main office, which was 20 minutes walk. Trying to convince the clercs to bring it to the appartment was impossible. Alas it was a wheeled and light one so we managed. Another BUT was the area: our choice of La Ramblas area was after consulting with tourist guides, which showed that this is the city center and most of the attractions would be walking distance. That was true. However we didn't imagine that the city center of Barcelona is a bit different from what one would normally expect.
Just walking one block inside those quarters (esp. true of El Raval - the former red light district and presently a harbor for immigrants from the 3rd world) and you save yourself a trip to Marakesh or Pakistan. Of course going through the garbage El Raval even during a day was not very nice, so we mostly made a round trip via big streets or went by metro. Thus our plan of living "walking distance" didn't quite work. Our appartement though inside El Raval was luckily on the very border of it, so walking 100 meters one would find 3-4 star hotels and a metro station PARALLEL. Walking just round the corner one gets into Carrer de Sant Pau - a strange oriental street crossing El Raval, a different country, a different world. Even stranger, this street hosts Gran Teatre del Liceu on one side and ruins of not well kept romanesque sant Pau del Camp on the other.
The old town Barri Gothico was also a bit of disappointment - plenty of narrow streets, but most of the houses look at most 200 years old and nothing spectacular, those really old are not well kept, with toilet and garbage smells in the air. Many places look like this
Entrance to the cathedral was guarded by six marrocan beggar women clad in black.
The last pessimistic note: you have to be very carefull of thiefs and pick pockets in Barcelona. Especially if you plan to go touristic areas and make photos. Places in old town quarters, La Rambla and Place de Catalunya, Guadi attractions (even inside), airport are quite dangerous. The crime is (typically) not violent, but often barefaced and daring. It does not look strange in Barcelona if you wear your back pack in front, be sure nobody is behind you if you study the map or make shots. All of this means only one thing - if you are looking for a relaxing vaccation where you don't have to be on guard every minute -- do not go to Barcelona.
We rented appartment from "Apartments Ramblas", as a result we got a very nice appartment (kitchen, tv set - which we however never tried, an aircondition, but no phone:( ) not exactly in an area I imagined. There were several BUTs: the appartement clearly listed a baby crib, however it came out that the crib was available from the main office, which was 20 minutes walk. Trying to convince the clercs to bring it to the appartment was impossible. Alas it was a wheeled and light one so we managed. Another BUT was the area: our choice of La Ramblas area was after consulting with tourist guides, which showed that this is the city center and most of the attractions would be walking distance. That was true. However we didn't imagine that the city center of Barcelona is a bit different from what one would normally expect.
Just walking one block inside those quarters (esp. true of El Raval - the former red light district and presently a harbor for immigrants from the 3rd world) and you save yourself a trip to Marakesh or Pakistan. Of course going through the garbage El Raval even during a day was not very nice, so we mostly made a round trip via big streets or went by metro. Thus our plan of living "walking distance" didn't quite work. Our appartement though inside El Raval was luckily on the very border of it, so walking 100 meters one would find 3-4 star hotels and a metro station PARALLEL. Walking just round the corner one gets into Carrer de Sant Pau - a strange oriental street crossing El Raval, a different country, a different world. Even stranger, this street hosts Gran Teatre del Liceu on one side and ruins of not well kept romanesque sant Pau del Camp on the other.
The old town Barri Gothico was also a bit of disappointment - plenty of narrow streets, but most of the houses look at most 200 years old and nothing spectacular, those really old are not well kept, with toilet and garbage smells in the air. Many places look like this
Entrance to the cathedral was guarded by six marrocan beggar women clad in black.
The last pessimistic note: you have to be very carefull of thiefs and pick pockets in Barcelona. Especially if you plan to go touristic areas and make photos. Places in old town quarters, La Rambla and Place de Catalunya, Guadi attractions (even inside), airport are quite dangerous. The crime is (typically) not violent, but often barefaced and daring. It does not look strange in Barcelona if you wear your back pack in front, be sure nobody is behind you if you study the map or make shots. All of this means only one thing - if you are looking for a relaxing vaccation where you don't have to be on guard every minute -- do not go to Barcelona.
