People, Barcelona

Despite of being Spain for a long time, Catalonia and its people more and more want to have their own independent country with a capital of Barcelona. It is easy to see how locals try to show they are not Spanish, put Catalan flags on their balconies, having such autonomous objects and Catalonian Parliament or Generalitat.

Once in metro station we met one man, who sold us an all-included ticket to Serra de Montsserat. He asked where we from and asked for our support about their independence as he did the same for Lithuania. He told they are different from Spanish, not “bull fight – lovers”.

I made the mistake of wearing shorts while in Barcelona and became the subject of many stares and weird looks. I am a girl and apparently there girls do not wear shorts, it is a dead giveaway that you are a tourist.

Before I left for Spain, my co-worker, who used to live in Spain, told me "In Spain, anything goes." Boy, she was not kidding. When we were walking up Passieg Gracia in L'Eixample, right in the middle of the crowd coming from the opposite direction, was a man who was stark naked. Just walking down the street in the crowd, naked as a jay bird! The really funny thing was, no one seemed to give two hoots about it. A couple of people did double takes, but that was it. I don't think people would be so blase in the US.

There is something to be said about a culture that is so tolerant that one could walk down the street without a stitch of clothing on, and no one is going to jump him and handcuff him.

Now, having said all of this, I also have to say this guy was the only naked guy I saw in Spain (other than my husband), so please don't take away from this tip that half the country is walking around in their birthday suits. The vast majority of Spaniards do wear clothing.

While walking through Sant Jaume Square there was a festival of Santa Eulalia and a band concert - lots of wooden seats were set out for the audience, but we watched from the sidelines for FREE. The band played lots of music from Broadway shows and from blockbuster movies my favourite was the theme from Star Wars - Magic - creating a perfect opportunity to see a local band playing excellent music on a sunny day.

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We saw some children in the Gothic Quarter performing a Sardona which is a traditional Catalonian Circle Dance dating back to the sixteenth century. The young girls were dressed in traditional costumes of red flared skirts and white tops. It was a wonderful experience to see some local culture and all because we were in the right place at the right time. The girls did a great job with their skilled dance steps which kept the crowd entertained.

The many buskers provide good entertainment in the many tourist areas of the city. Colourful people and usually good music will grab your attention. The buskers are a common site at the many bus stops on the tourist route, they know how to make money in crowded places = if you like what you hear toss a Euro in the bag as it is passed around the crowds.

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It is quite common for women to take off their bikini tops on Barceloneta Beach. The way the rule was described to me was that if it doesn't create a public disturbance, you can do it. In fact the further down Barceloneta Beach you walk, the more clothes people seem to lose. If you make it to Mirabella Beach, which is about a twenty minute walk down from the big Golden Whale, you will see a large amount of nude sunbathers many of whom happen to be male. This seems to be common and quite legal so be prepared for a shock if you are not used to this type of public nudity.

Si os interesa la cultura de los gitanos y quereis comprar quiz?s alg?n que otro libro sobre ellos, poneros en contacto con la Uni?n Roman?. Os atender? el Sr. Francisco Santiago por las tardes, de 15 a 19 h.
Romanes also spoken- more or less.
To get CDs of true flamenco, look at Discos Castell? in c. Tallers.