The good, the bad and... the rest...

For the last month I've been experiencing Barca and I came to the conclusion this is a city of extremes. There are great things here and others not so great but no matter whose opinions you've heard, don't limit yourself to that, come and experience it first hand. I've put together a little personal alphabet of Barcelona to help me remember my impressions in the future.

Apartment(s) - poor quality but expensive as hell! It took us one month to find a decent apartment at an OK price. Also, remember August is not the best month to move here and do business. The whole city is on vacation! The other thing to consider is agents. I did not know that to find a decent place, one needs to go to an agency which will show you a few places, and then if you decide to rent through them, the agency will charge one month's rent in agency fees. Gone are the days when we were offered one month rent free just to move in.

Beach - great beaches in and around Barcelona. Very easy to get to Bogatel or Mar Bella even going by bus. My favorite beach so far is in a little town called Sitges, a half away southeast of Barca. Talking about buses, Barcelona has the best public transportation. (See transportation for more details).

Closed - or cerrado is for sure the most annoying thing in Barcelona. Banks close at 2PM every day and of course are also closed on the weekend. Stores close during the day from 2PM to 5PM and then again at 9PM so if you have to do grocery shopping you need to plan it. Restaurants open for lunch at about 1PM and for dinner from 9PM onwards. Do I have to say more...

Dogs - people here love dogs, especially little white ones, but what they don't like is to scoop the poop. So, if you happened to come home at night keep an eye on the pavement in front of you. You never know when you might hit the jackpot and step into one! I was thinking to invent one portable poop detector! Who knows, maybe I would hit the jackpot with that invention. The good things about dogs is that rarely you will see stray dogs or cats.

E through J have nothing to say, for the moment...

Kisses - without a doubt, Barcelona is the best city for kisses! It has the best kissing places plus its climate induces to romance. I think even the shy people lean to kiss in public after spending only a few days in Barcelona. Take a stroll in a park and you'll see people of all ages kissing . Go to a party and the first thing you'll do is to do the customary kiss while you are doing the introductions. Kissing is part of the Spanish culture as mush as tapas and wine are. Don't miss out on it!

Late - everything in Spain happens late. Dinners are served really late, people come to meetings late, parties start late...we went to a disco where the crowds were just arriving around 2AM!! The funny thing is that I start to get used to being late as well, even though before I used to be quite strict about punctuality.

Moto - or scooter is the favorite for or transportation in Barca. They make a lot of noise but seem to be quite efficient. I've seen all sorts of people riding them: little old ladies, business men dressed in suites, young girls going out for a night in the town and ordinary people carrying all sorts of things from household objects to grocery bags! The variety is amazing. The best things is to see the motos lined up at a stop light and then, as the light changes from red to green, they all take off in full force, competing for positions.

Noise - I'm still sleeping with my earplugs in my ears. Does that say it all?!

O...

Party - or fiesta is what everyone comes here for! There are plenty opportunities to party every day of the week! Don't miss the fun and excitement during carnivals and holidays! I surely won't!

Q ...

Restrooms - public restrooms to be more specific, don't seem to exist!! Quite counterintuitive in a city which hosts a great number of tourists every day! And this people are here to party! Consequently, at night the streets in the most touristy areas smell like... you guest... a public restroom!! The good thing is that when it rains, it pours. So the streets get cleaned in a natural way. When it doesn't rain, the cleaning crews power washes the streets to restore its dignity.

Sun - or Sol it seems to be always present, and when it's humid the heat feels unbearable. Nevertheless I love the sun and I enjoy every minute of it.

Transportation - and here I'm referring to public transportation, is best in class. You have a choice of day and night buses, metro and all sorts of trains (RENFE, cercanias, etc). If you don't feel like taking the Nit Bus after a night of bar crawling there's always a taxi, and they are inexpensive most of the times if you have a vague idea where you are and where you are going. At night they add an extra fee for night shift, I guess, and if you carry extra luggage they charge extra for that. In Barcelona there's always a tax for something.

Umbrella - when it rains an umbrella is truly necessary. Back in Portland I use to wear my gore-tex jacket almost year round. In Barcelona is too hot for it. I know for sure because I tried to wear it once and I felt like I was in a steamer, slowly cooking to perfection. So, I'll have to put away my rain jacket together with all the other cold weather clothes I brought with me. Umbrella is definitely the way to go.

V...

Wine - is cheaper than water!!! Love it! And that's not all. Even inexpensive wines are great so don't be shy and try the wines in the grocery stores. Wine is part of the Spanish culture and is quite acceptable to have wine with your lunch and then return to work after the siesta break. Tap water has an awful taste (even though it's potable) so if you are thirsty and don't feel like buying bottled watter, keep on drinking wine instead.

Z through X... de momento no tengo nada