As we are now around the midway point of the semester, I would like to share some of my observations so far while in Barcelona. Some things may be obvious, but others may not. This is just a random assortment of information that I have picked up on throughout my time here. If you ever decide to travel to Barcelona, some of this information may be useful to you and some you may find pointless. Nonetheless:
1. Strangers will stare you in the eye and not look away.
2. Waiters have no incentive to provide quality service because there are no tips.
3. There is PDA everywhere you look.
4. Siestas are a real thing and can last anywhere from 3-5 hours.
5. Almost everything is closed on Sundays, and many things are closed on Mondays.
6. Bull Fighting has been outlawed in Barcelona.
7. The easiest way to signify that you are a tourist is to take a picture with an IPad. I will never understand it.
8.Wine and water are often times pretty similar in price here in restaurants.
9. Apple products are incredibly expensive relative to its competition here. Much more so than in the United States.
10. Having a clothes dryer in your apartment is not very common.
11. Quality dry-cleaners are also not that easy to find.
12. Spaniards walk very slowly. Life moves a little slower in Barcelona.
13. Pringles are very popular here for some reason.
14. Many Spaniards seem to say "gracia" instead of "gracias"
15. In the Barcelona area, a lot of signs will actually be written in three different languages: Spanish, Catalan, and English.
16. The metro system in Barcelona is great and taxis are also relatively inexpensive compared to other major European cities.
17. If you are studying abroad, and looking to travel a lot within Europe then Barcelona is a fantastic home location.
18. Bocadillos (sandwiches) are very popular, especially ones with Spanish ham.
19. The most popular/standard tapas are patatas bravas, croquettes, Spanish omelettes, and bread with tomato. Cerveseria Catalana is a fantastic tapas restaurant.
20. Pickpocketing is definitely very common here. Most likely scenarios include: going out and drinking at night in clubs, standing in large crowds watching a performer, and especially on the metro.
21. This being said, wearing your backpack in front of you is not necessary and it is the ultimate tourist move. Pickpocketing is done in a nonviolent way in Barcelona almost 99% of the time.
22. Barca is not an abbreviation for the city of Barcelona, but rather for the FC Barcelona soccer team.
23. The street called Diagonal runs through the entire city of Barcelona basically cutting it into two halves. South of Diagonal is the touristy side of the city.
24. Catalan Independence is a huge deal and Catalonians are a very proud people.
25. There are amazing nightclubs right on the beach that stay open until six in the morning. See: Opium
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