I almost didn't publish the bad experiences I had in Barcelona and in fact, I haven't touched on all of them. I don't like doing it about any place but my time in Barcelona as a tourist was both good and bad, in ways that I hadn't experienced while traveling lately.
The tiredness of those I met in the tourist industry was noticeably different to any place else I had been and in some instances I wondered about the burden of tourists on locals in Barcelona.
So if you want to only read of the good, then choose the appropriately titled post ...
Hasta la vista.
I left New Zealand mid-2003, bound for Istanbul and a new lif. After two years, a Belgian guy lured me into his world, deep in the heart of Europe. For a long time I was an in-process immigrant. One day we married. These days it's about photography, a little red wine and wandering ... and so the journey goes.
The tiredness of those in the Spanish tourist industry can be noticeable indeed Di.
ReplyDeleteBarcelona is a very busy hotspot, (I visited on a bus-tour from nearby upscale coastal Sitges, which feels totally different during the summer),
but in spite of all the stunning beauty,
there is at times a sense of "we're working in Disneyland and really had it with you tourists".
While this sentiment is often limited, individual and noticeable in any busy tourist location worldwide, I got that very same distinct feeling, both in Barcelona, but even more so in the classic Spanish build-up coastal towns.
I must note that this tiredness was nowhere to be found in Turkey last summer, where everyone I met was courteous.
Because I love to read you, I read both posts. I spent 3 days in Barcelona in Nov 2006. I don't recall noticing hostility at all... I did notice that attractions were packed, you had to queue for everything, and there was a certain predator-prey aspect that I felt from some males that I'd encountered.
ReplyDeleteBut, that being said, the small out of the way tapas restaurants were delicious, the weather was a welcomed change from the cold gray city that is Brussels, and with a little bit of effort with the language I found it pretty enjoyable...
I think if you were with friends who were hosting you the tourist experience would have surely escaped you.. like the bus trip for example :P