Ba61838

This summer was my second visit to Barcelona. I'm taking time to write to convey my disappointment and,frankly, disgust.
Time and time again the locals just immediately began speaking to us in English. I'm not sure if it's because they want to practice their English or because they prefer Catalan over Spanish but I found it arrogant and presumptuous.

We stayed in the Monjuic neighborhood and were met with the stench of excrement and urine on all sidewalks. Absolutely filthy streets with indigents with living quarters st up in doorways. The neighborhood is filthy and gross.

Lastly, I would never recommend visiting during the summer as the tourists are so numerous that it is beyond crowded and,honestly,it's like being at a Disney park. Never again

Rubicund

This must be a troll post in the hope of indignant replies to a silly post.

bilboburgler

"but mum there are fish in the sea"

b@@@@@y tourists LOL

Whathello

Lol.

AJPeabody

Oddest first post ever.

Dukey1

Fire the curator of the city!!!!!

nytraveler

Well you are a very delicate flower aren;t you? If the natives aren;t speaking their language the poor are living in the street.

Why not stay in a better neighborhood?

And why not learn Catalan if that's what you want to speak?

Oh - and let's get those tourists out of there - how dare they turn up in the summer when the rest of europe is empty of them!

IMDonehere

I totally agree with the OP. And as such, I would take my anger elsewhere and take my revenge out on my crayons and Grand Theft Auto version 197 as you have in the past.

Next time I visit Barcelona, I would stay in a better neighborhood like Oslo or J-burg.

Bedar

I do agree with the OP but find it strange that he/she would go back for a second visit. I was there many, many years ago and have felt no need or desire to return.

frencharmoire

I was just reading a news story about Venice that said locals in one part of the city had taken to putting up signs saying "Tourists go away! You are ruining this area!" There were other handmade signs scolding tourists for littering, and there was a story about some tourists behaving very badly (swimming in the canals, and such) and people screaming at them "This isn't Disneyland!" But even the ones who were just walking around nicely were made to feel unwelcome.

I've been to Venice in the off-season and have wanted to return, so I if I went back in August and it was choking with tourists and the locals were resorting to putting up "go away" signs directed at me, I might be sorry I'd gone back. I might say it was "overrated", but I might vent in a different way.

I've been to Barcelona but it was years ago, and since then they elected a mayor who promised to give the city back to the residents instead of the tourists. So the majority of people there must not feel very happy about tourism, and maybe they would agree with some of the observations.

HappyTrvlr

I hose who live in popular tourist areas often feel that way whether it be in Barcelona or Vermont.

traveller1959

This is one of these threads that lead to nothing.

There are the ones who say "I love Barcelona" and the ones who say "it's overrated".

And those who have not been there and are wondering whether they should go can start their own threads with specific questions.

Cathinjoetown

Too many tourists??? Take a look in the mirror.

Insulted people are speaking English to you? Avoid most of Europe.

Kandace_York

I can't touch the cleanliness issues, but language issues -- unless you're fluent, you should be grateful they are so accommodating. My German is passable and most of the Germans I encounter are eager to show off their English skills, but if I explain that I want to use and improve my German, they often flip right back to German and help me through my rough spots.

I've never been insulted by that and am puzzled that anyone would be, although it's a bit embarrassing that we speak their language so much worse than they speak ours. But that's why we keep learning. ;-)

letsgeaux

I disagree. We spent a week there in April and loved it. We stayed in the El Born neighborhood and experienced none of the negatives you described. The people were friendly, the food was great and there is a lot to do and see. We can't wait to go back.

Smeagol

Troll post...

danon

Yup, trolling

Loacker

I, too, was slightly underwhelmed with Barcelona. I actually posted a trip report a year ago about my experience.

Troll or not, there's a bit of truth in what the OP is saying. Some parts of the Gothic Quarter are too filthy and seedy you forget you're in Europe for a moment.

I'll be going back someday to Barcelona just to give it a second chance, but I will make sure not to step in La Ramblas or the Gothic Quarter. The Eixample and El Born are lovely.

annhig

It's a few years since we went to Barcelona, and we too stayed in the Montjuic area. My main complaint about it was that it was too far from the main centre, but it had a nice neighbourhood feel in places. We did find a dodgy street but that was while we were walking around, and apart from that, we had no problems except for the other tourists who were legion.

Since then the economy in Spain has been vey badly hit and I'm not that surprised that there are a lot of people on the streets there. When we were in Valencia a couple of years ago, we were offered guiding services by someone who wanted only €4 for an hour - he was brilliant and we paid him a lot more than that. Also we saw 4kgs of tomatoes for €1, and someone swiped my coffee from off our table from right under our noses.

I would still go back to Valencia next week, but not Barcelona.

frencharmoire

I don't agree that information like this "leads to nothing." As I said, I have wanted to return to Venice, but after reading more about the growing tensions toward tourists, I would be more choosey about what time of year I went and other things. I haven't got a big desire to return to Barcelona, but good points are being raised about which neighborhoods are more enjoyable if you want to be away from tourist traps, and reminders about how the economic crises in Spain might have affected tourists help people plan better trips.

Not finding it very useful to read people trying to silence other people, but I just scroll past it and fortunately other people have something to contribute that is travel-related.