This was my reply to SemprePrimavera's posting titled "Barcelona STILL sucks!!!":
I am from Barcelona and live in New England. I am just back from Barcelona and I have to tell you that it is still a great city. I have been gone from Barcelona for 13 years, and the only thing that shocks me when I go back is how few native people are left in the city. I did not meet any waiter or waitress who were either Catalan or Spanish.
If you were looking for "fiesta" the Andalusian way, you went to the wrong location. Barcelona is Catalonia. Flamingo and bullfighting are staged only for "guiris" like you, but have nothing to do with our culture. If what you are looking for is the southern warmth, go back to Sevilla, or go to Cadiz, Malaga or Huelva. Great people, great climate, great food. As a Catalan, I recommend to everyone to visit Andalusia, as well as many other regions in Spain.
Regarding your taxi driver from Sevilla, most propably he did not tell you that his kids feel 100% Catalan, that they support Barcelona soccer club and vote for CiU (the Catalan nacionalistic party) and that he loves to go back to Sevilla every year for a few weeks, but after that, he is looking forward to going back to the organized life in Catalonia.
Finally, being from New York, how do you dare give lessons of friendliness? Next time go to Antarctica. Penguins are really nice and really southern.
2 comments:
hi Ian!
good to hear that someone cares enought to disagree. you make good points (i updated a response for you on my blog.)
as I mention before. while i think barcelonians are not friendly, my rather "hostile" discription of them was meant to be humorous and exaggerated. :)
of course, i realize it may not seem so funny to barcelonians...
but hey, i'm from NY! and that's how we show LOVE by throwing insults around!!! ;) which I realize may seem rather strange to a non New Yorker.
i'll be looking forward to more insight on your blog into the land that is Barcelona- (and pop up once in a while to disagree and be hostile)
What sucks in Barcelona are the thieves that scour the streets and bars looking for victims to rob! In no less than two days, we were robbed twice. It's no wonder the city's inhabitants behave hostile and unfriendly at times, they are fearful you may turn out to be a thug.
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