Barcelona and Spain’s Quebec

In Barcelona, a local told me, “Catalan is Spain’s Quebec.” Traveling here, you see how the people of Catalan have an affinity for other “stateless nations.” Locals don’t like to call their corner of Iberia a “region” of Spain…that’s what Franco called it.

They stress that they are a “nation without a state.” And they have a kinship for other people who didn’t get their independence when they drew the national boundaries. They live in solidarity with other stateless nations — finding Basque or Galician bars a little more appealing than the run-of-the-mill Spanish ones.

Even ATM machines are in solidarity, offering the correct choice of languages: Along with Angles, Frances, Castilla (Spanish), you’ll always find Gallic, Euskara, Catalan. Even though there’s likely not a person a year who would speak only Gallec (from Galicia, in northwest Spain) or Euskera (from Basque country), they give them the linguistic respect they would hope for in a foreign land.

Like many of Europe’s minor languages, Catalan is actually blossoming. It’s the language of the local schools, and these days, children here speak Catalan first…Spanish second.

A recent affluence has elevated the city. There’s barely a hint of danger in Barcelona’s once-frightening Gothic Quarter. I remember the city’s main boulevard, the Ramblas, when it was rich at the top and very rough at the port. Lurid prostitutes would line the street where it finally hit the harbor. Today, it’s rich at the top and rich at the port. And the only thing left of the prostitutes are holes ground by anxious high heels into the stone threshholds of brothel doorways that once faced the boulevard.

The toughest thing surviving on the Ramblas are the roving gangs of thugs who run the high-energy, extremely twitchy shell games. With spotters uphill and downhill and a full team of shills, nervous men scoot their dodgy peas. It’s amazing there are enough fools on the street to keep them in business.

My highlight with this Barcelona visit was less exciting — Pimiento de Padrón (or in Catalan, Pebrots de Padró)…lightly fried peppers salted and served piping hot. They’re a kind of Russian roulette for the taste buds as the eager eater knows that every once in a while, you’ll hit a super-spicy pepper.

Comments

24 Replies to “Barcelona and Spain’s Quebec”

  1. Discovery game when you are in Barcelona

    Barcelona is the only city where I have seen a full size palm tree
    On the top of a large building.

    It is on the corner at the top of about an eighth story building.
    Makes a great unique photograph.

    Can you find it?

    Hint: after you watch the sardana dances outside the cathedral or you finish your visit to the cathedral turn right on the big square, go to the end where there is a main street.

    Just across the street I seem to remember a very nice coffee shop which I think also had nice pastries. Stop there if you like. At the street itself turn right… Now it’s up to you to find the tree.

    Hint#2: there is an old church or museum… Can’t remember exactly… In the same vicinity. Remember… It’s high up on a roof.

    Good luck. Have fun and take a photo when you find it!!!

  2. Rick
    I am so enjoying your Blog. My twin sister and I are planning to backpack for 3 months next year in France, Spain, Portugal and southern Itly to celebrate our 70th birthday. Of course we are using your books to plan. I did your 17 day in Italy trip in 2005 and really loved it until I broke my arm in Assisi.
    So now I will get to go back and see all that I missed in Southern Italy. My twin has done extensive traveling in Europe and Journals to everyone while doing it so this trip she will be my tour guide.
    Looking forward to the rest of your trip.

  3. Hi Rick! Thanks or the blog!

    Feels like Michele and I are back there again through you. Las Ramblas is definitely a different place at night than it is in the daytime. Not too rough though as long as you’re paying attention. We spent our evenings munching on those peppers at Taverna Mikel Etxaya each evening, just off the Ramblas(Carrer de Ferran). Those peppers go great with Sidra! Enjoy your trip and keep the news coming!:)

    Bryan

  4. I am a Belgian living in Georgia, USA, I love to watch your show and Spain is bringing back a lot of memories, since I went there a lot during my childhood. Oooh, i am sooooo jealous, I need to really move back to Europe to experience the real life again. Keep on traveling and blogging!!

  5. Which hotel do you recommend and why?
    Which area of Barcelona is it in?
    We’re a ‘new senior’ couple who would like hotel with charm, comfort, moderate price, quiet & convenient location, a pool & A/C.
    I’m sure I’m dreaming…
    We’ll have only 3 days in July.
    Is there a city tour that you recommend?
    Thank you!

  6. Unfortunately, Barcelona became our least desirable city after thieves stole our bag out of our rental car as I stood on the other side. We believe they had punctured our tire coming into the city and then targeted us as we were stressed and immobile with the flat tire. The police were polite but said they can do nothing about the gangs on scooters who operate daily all over Barcelona. The police station was filled with tourists who had been robbed. We will not go back to Barcelona unless they eventually clean up the problem. Beware!
    Lynn

  7. We spent 12 days in Spain in March and became Pimientos de Padron addicts! They were fabulous! When we got back I started looking for them in the states. Ha! 17 dollars a pound online from California. So I am growing my own. I ordered seeds from a little boutique seed company and for 10 dollars I now have 400 healthy little PdP plants that will hopefully bear fruit in 3 or 4 weeks. I’m giving them to all my friends and relatives to grow their own. Our mouths are watering just thinking about them. It will be interesting to see if they taste the same as they did in the charming tapa bars of Spain! What a wonderful country. I am so enjoying your blog Rick!

  8. I loved Barcelona when I was there two years ago. Stayed at your recommended hotel, Duc de la Victoria, the breakfast buffet was the best meal in Barcelona, but my favorite location was Santiago de Compestela and a tapas bar in the old town that was packed every night. Shopping at Mango was the best!
    Sandy and Jen.

  9. I recently booked air travel to Barcelona from Paris on a low fare airline, Ryan Air not knowing that both airports are located over an hour from the cities we depart from and arrive to. We are prepared for this particular leg of our trip to be more adventurous but would like to be somewhat prepared for the options. Any suggestions how to get to Beauvais Airport located Northeast of Paris and how to get to Barcelona from Girona airport, northeast of Barcelona. All the travel is during the day.

  10. A most unusual Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), is being built in Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí, and a most interesting design it is. Four colossal openwork spires, the tall round towers or spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, remind us of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, built with a similar style by an Italian immigrant, named Simon Rodia. Only the towers and part of the front of Sagrada Familia are completed, no auditorium yet. (1979)

    Emmy ate a buffet lunch at a large Department Store in Barcelona, Spain. She enjoyed herring, various salads, roast beef, chicken, artichoke hearts, even ice water with plenty of ice. First time Emmy has eaten paella, a rice, fish, and chicken dish. I just kept her plate filled, and I watched her eat, as I have done hundreds of times. You’ve heard the story, “I would rather — do this or that — than eat.” Well, “I would rather keep my Sweetie’s plate full, than eat.” (1979)

  11. Shelly,

    Last summer, my family and I (five of us)booked a flight from Paris Orly Airport to Barcelona . This small airport is much closer than Beauvais and Charles De Gaulle. Visit http://www.easyjet.com and flights are very reasonable like Ryan Air. From Barcelona (BCN), we stepped outside, bought a fairly inexpensive bus ticket and it literally dropped us off in front of our apartment at Placa Universitat which is about a block from Placa de Catalunya and Las Ramblas. The bus stops there too. The bus ride took about 15 minutes.

    Good luck. Hopefully, you can cancel with Ryan Air if you find a better flight with Easy Jet. Happy Travels!

  12. Shelly,
    if you can’t change it, there is a bus service from Girona airport into Barcelona; takes just over an hour and timings fit with Ryanair flights. I imagine something similar is organised to get you to Beauvais from central Paris (certainly from Treviso to Venice there is: that’s the only Ryanair route we’ve done:Girona-Treviso return). We’ve flown Easyjet loads of times over the years and they are excellent.

  13. We have absolutely no desire to visit the land of the Catalan separatists. Their pretend language should still be illegal. Their art and architecture, if you can call it that, is preposterous. Their anarchist, communist, socialist politics is a disgrace to the heritage of Spain, which, whether they like it or not, they are and will always be a part of. Spain is the most beautiful country in the world. We have visited four times, three of the visits in the last 7 years. You couldn’t pay us to visit Catalonia. Galicia, on the other hand, has a small separatist, communist minority. Galicia rose for Franco during the Civil War and represents the best of traditional Spain. Considering the Gallegos have been loyal Spaniards, their language, which Portuguese is a dialect of, should be taught and preserved. Catalan should be consigned to the scrap heap of linguistic history.

  14. We just returned from a trip to Spain using Rock’s 2007 edition. We had a great time. Barcelona was our first stop. Wow-it wasn’t anything like we were led to believe. We felt very safe (we stayed at the Hostal Opera just off Las Ramblas) By the way, you can keep the suggested tapas crawl, some of the bars were closed, some were ourt of business and some I just felt uncomfortable entering. However we did find a great restaurant right on the corner of your tapas crawl: Safra. The food was great and the ambience was very comfortable and welcoming. The Basque tapas bar that Rick recommends was so good we went twice! The Museum of Barcelona is a must see for the excavated Roman ruins! Fascinating! Just wish more of the exhibits were in English. Spain overall was so laid back. We never felt like depised Americans.

  15. Rick’s book on Spain and, the chapter on Barcelona, in particular, gave us all the info we needed (and more) to enjoy Barcelona’s sites. With Rick’s book on-hand, making it all sound so easy, we also got up to Figures and Cadeques, two unforgettable and delightful areas. Catalan is a gorgeous language and easy to understand if you know Spanish. In our daily adventures, we found many older people spoke French. My daughter is fluent in Spanish and I know French, so we got along just great. Some of the steet musicians in Barcelona are wildly talented. When you’re there, look for a duo called MAB (minimal acoustic band) who play a didgeridoo and percussion.(www.mab.com.es) And stop to listen to Gadjo (www.gadjomusica.com), a group of 8 costumed energetic performers playing various instruments and singing in their own unique, captivating (Catalan?) style.

  16. a few years ago on a month long trip to Spain we started off in Barcelona. Returning from a day of wandering to our apt in Barcloneta I took the escaltor up from the metro and at the top of the stairs a man was fumbling for a lighter he had dropped, yep his buddy got my wallet out of my front pocket along with 40 euros. Yeah I was wearing my R.S. money belt but for some stupid reason I had my wallet in the pocket that time. It clicked about the same time that I had been had. The thief walked off but he was wearing a rather unique shirt and I ran after him, caught him and shook the wallet out of his pocket and recovered it and the credit card, in hind site not the smartest move I could have been hurt, I never did figure out who his friend was that actually picked the wallet. It wasn’t until later that I realized he got the 40 or so euros I had in the pocket. cheap lesson. Off to the Med this fall and to South America next year. Life is indeed a bowl of cherries.

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