What To Avoid, Barcelona

2 more images

Even though we were only two blocks off the main center and section of the city-Las Ramblas, it appeared to have a sense of danger surrounding the area. Raval used to be the mecca for crime, drugs and prostitution. Supposedly the city "cleaned up" Raval area near the water edge in late 1990's. However, during the nights, I would not want to venture outside, and we were told to make sure the doors were locked tight, and the even the window air ventilation above the door, because they will come through that to get inside. Our door had two areas to lock, but it could have been broken into. W e were right off Av Parellel and 2 blocks from Columbus monument, which should have been a good feel; not.
The problem with Raval is there is a large number of youth from many countries, and young families; most of all seem to be unemployed. That leads to further problems and crime. Police and the city downplay it, though. I researched the facts before we booked the apartment, but only once you get there do you really know how a situation feels uncomfortable.

Around the city I saw a fair number of homeless people milling around with little to do, but mill around. It appears the police tolerate the occupancy of sleeping in places that seem out of character for what is presented as a "romantic" city. This is one of those that has a bed laid out. There were also beggars, especially around the churches

You might be an FCBarca fan or Real Madrid lover but please don't fall for the "football moves" from a total stranger. He would come up to you, be accommodating and super friendly, and ask you if you love football. If you say yes, the conversation would go on and he, your newfound friend, would demonstrate a few football moves on you. Sporty and fun? I'm afraid not.

You would lose balance, fall on the ground or trip, accidentally letting go of your personal belongings or your mobile phone or camera. And that football player "friend" of yours would snatch whatever valuable you have and run off. He may have scored a goal. Sadly.

Be careful when you're out, especially at night. They can appear friendly and warm, and exotic-looking and attractive (because they really are), that's why you have to guard your possessions all the more because they are thieves in disguise.

Legionnaire's disease is caused by the legionella bacterium. Air conditioning systems are a potential breeding ground for the bacterium (others include grubby showers, cooling towers, and humidifiers).

Barcelona has had several outbreaks - lack of official inspection and poor maintenance of air conditioning plants are the main culprits.

On 28/9/2000 NRC Handelsblad, a Dutch newspaper, published a list of European hotels where at least 2 cases of legionella had been detected during the previous 5 years. The Information was provided by the Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport [Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport.]

It is estimated that 12,000 European tourists were infected with legionella in the 5 years up to 2000 (most of the cases in Southern Europe), with some 240 tourist deaths a year.

The following list was obtained from an updated (27/8/2001) NRC Handelsblad report (see web site below). Accommodation marked in red is in Catalonia. Try to check current status (don't expect the local tourist board to tell you).

Spanje [Spain]

San Carlos, Rosas (2001).
Hotel Ramblamar, Rosas (2001).
Fariones Apartments and Hotel, Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote (2000).
Rey Don Jaime, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca (2000).
Aparthotel Jardin del Sol, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca (2000).
Motel Picon del Conde, Monasterio de Rodilla (2000).
Bermudas Apartments, Benidorm (2000).
Hotel Playa Margarita in Salou (2000).
Hotel Pionerp, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca (2000).
La Brujula Hotel, Monasterio de Rodilla, Castille y Leon (2000).
Estrella Del Mar, Alcudia, Mallorca (2000).
Hotel Victoria, Rosas (2000).
Hotel Nautilus, Rosas (1999).
Hotel Fiesta Park, Benidorm (1998).
Presidente Hotel, Benidorm (1998).
Hotel Tropic Parc, Malgrat de Mar (1997).
Hotel Cambrills Princess, Salou (1997).


The Dutch authorities took the lead in publishing these lists. It is a pity that other countries are less willing to protect their nationals travelling abroad.

My Wife and I went to Barcelona March 2010. On the metro, before even arriving at our hotel, my Wife's purse was stolen from inside a zipped handbag inside another bag. The pickpockets are so skilled they stole the purse even though my Wife recognised the diversionary tactics (one of them waved a scarf while another stopped abruptly in front of us, pretending to be lost) and commented on them.

The second theft was at the PALACIO DEL FLAMENCO.

It's advertised as flamenco with dinner. The performance is on a high stage in a room that needs no amplification, yet it is amplified. There are rows of tables like a school refectory, which was cold and unwelcoming. There was a set meal for everyone (over-cooke paella), one glass of fourth-rate sangria that I couldn't drink, and a crema catalan that tasted powdery that I also couldn't eat (and I'm famous for eating anything). There was no choice, - we couldn't even order a second drink.
The alleged flamenco show started with recorded music! The dancing was poor. The stage itself was miked, so that the fast zapateado (tap dancing) was amplified to an uncomfortable point. There were two guitarists, three singers, a percussionist and a violinist. The singers were miked up. They didn't need to be, and any sense of intimacy there might have been was killed. I play flamenco guitar, so I could see that the guitarists were reasonably accomplished flamencos, yet the balance of the amplification system was so poor they could not be heard at all.
We felt we had been robbed again. It was very clear that if they had performed without amplification or recorded music (which, by the way was not flamenco, but Victorian music-hall music) it would have been nearer to authentic experience.
There was one male dancer, whose zapateado was quite good, but he began delivering very fast, dramatic sound very early. It was obvious they wanted to get straight to the drama by going straight into fast and loud, with no artistry. I am only part Spanish, and I don't live in Spain, but I felt ashamed (as well as angry) that a part of my heritage was being so shamelessly corrupted, for profit.

plmb1

In April of this year we booked an apartment through http://www.apartmentsramblas.com/. We arrived to take up our reservation at 10.45pm on Saturday 5th September. However, the apartment was completely unacceptable as a holiday let for the following reasons:-

• The initial entrance door to the property was insecure. There there was a missing panel of glass in the door and no lock. It would have been a serious security issue in any city, but given the area of Barcelona in which building was situated it presented major security problems.
• The entrance hall was filthy, with greasy layers of dirt on all the walls. On the date of our arrival we noted a used condom on the floor at ground floor level which gave rise to further concerns.
• We were prepared for the fact that the apartment was on the 5th floor and that there was no lift, but half the lighting was unserviceable on the staircases which presented an unacceptable risk to anyone using the staircase.
• In addition to the broken lighting, several of the steps were badly broken with loose tiling on the leading edges of the steps. This was a severe health hazard to anyone using the stairs.
• All the walls on the staircase were coated in greasy filth and had obviously not been cleaned for several years.
• On initial entry to the apartment we were greeted with a bucket right in our pathway, the bucket had at least a centimeter of grime coating it’s top surfaces.
• The bathroom emitted a smell of bad drains.
• The apartment bore little resemblance to the photos on your website. The brightly coloured sofa-bed was covered in a dirty looking grey blanket and the pretty bedspread was nowhere in evidence. All in all a dingy facsimile of the photos.

Please see the reality here http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t223/PattiP_01/Barcelona%20complaint/?albumview=slideshow

We refused to stay at the apartment and were faced with finding a hotel at gone 11pm on a Saturday night. The person from Apartments Ramblas who met us with the keys seemed to think the hallway was perfectly acceptable and he was very unhelpful. We did find an excellent hotel (http://www.denit.com) with helpful and welcoming staff.

We went to Apartments Ramblas office on the Monday to complain, but they were not interested. We subsequently emailed them on our return home asking for a refund of our booking fee. They refused on the grounds that the accommodation was perfectly acceptable.

WARNING! Do not book through this website unless you are prepared for severe disappointment, dirty apartment, bad service and a couldn't care less attitude.

Please please don't buy anything (including food) in Les Rambles, its a total rip-off. you can buy the same food for quarter of that price if you take one of those side streets from Les Rambles. Even the market stalls in Les Rambles were rip-off. I paid 12 euros for 6 small peices of pik-and-mix sweets. In the UK, same will cost no more than £1. Later I spoke to locals who said I was so stupid and Les Rambles is a no-shop area for locals, its there just rip tourist off. The only thing reasonably priced in barcelona is public transportation.

The following streets are next to each other left of the Ramblas, so just paint the streets red on your map (btw I live in III and have friends living in I)
From worse to bad:

I C/Hospital between C/Robador and Rambla del Raval.
II C/Sant Ramon

III C/Robador
IV C/Sant Pau between C/Robador and Rambla del Raval

So if you want to visit Rambla del Raval, just get there from below (C/Sant Olegue), top,
or from the left using C/Sant Pau (or C/Hospital)