Barcelona eye Faktruma: 20 facts about the first impression

Hello friends! In late September, the team Faktruma with support Aviasales went to Barcelona to spend a week there, see the city, visit the sights and get acquainted with the way of life of the Spaniards (or rather, the Catalans) and tell our readers about this wonderful city in the format of "Facts eyes of Russians." We present our series of posts "Barcelona Faktruma eyes»!

This trip was the first in which we have gone completely independently, without the help of travel agencies, tour guides and escorts. It was a bit scary to be in another country, where no one knows not what the Russian and even English is not very common. But everything went just great, and now we urge all experienced travelers do not waste money on the agency, and to go anywhere alone, especially since it is much more economical and allows you to plan a trip exactly the way you want.

To go anywhere, you need:

Passport, visa itself (if to visit the country require a visa) Plane tickets booking at the desired number of days



With the first and second point, everything is clear, but with regard to the 3rd and 4th, we honestly did not even know that everything can be so simple :) buy plane tickets: go to www.aviasales.ru, choose the city of origin and destination, dates, number of travelers, set daw" back and forth "(by default, and so it is). Click on the button "Find". And then the magic happens: the service itself is looking for 728 airlines, 40 sales offices and 5 reservation systems of the cheapest tickets, with all fees included. Ticket prices depend on how urgent your trip, that is, the further the departure date, the cheaper the cost tickets. For us it was a great discovery to learn that fly to Spain is cheaper than in Moscow from Samara (!) For example, tickets for 2 people to Barcelona in late January, is now worth 17,000 rubles back and forth, and in Moscow from Samara - 19 000 rubles. For booking and ticketing Aviasales not take the money.

Then book the hotel. The principle is the same: in the search box on the main page, open the tab "Hotels", exhibited the date and number of persons, click "Find." The system gives all proposals, starting with the cheapest. You can book accommodation in a hostel (for very very funny money) or in a hotel, with very good suggestions to find, you can use the rating that is listed next to the name of the hotel.

We have checked the operation of both services for yourself and authoritatively confirm - everything runs like clockwork, sought tickets, hotel booked, pay no problems have arisen, at the airport and hotel - too. The site can be found Aviasales lot of useful information for novice travelers and search engines are equipped with all sorts of filters allows you to choose the best options for travel. In general, the most favorable impression.

Now, actually, about the journey. For convenience, we will not have to dump all the impressions in one pile, and defeated them in several positions with different themes. Today's theme of "20 facts about the first impression of Barcelona».





1. A little bit from Wikipedia: Barcelona - capital of Catalonia, which is something like a "state within a state" in Spain. The city is home to about 2 million people, are full of attractions (chief among them, of course, the structure of Gaudí) and many tourists, including Russian.

2. Although legally Catalonia still - a full-fledged part of Spain, the Catalans themselves, this fact is not to say that very much. From time to time they are trying to secede and become an independent state (under the slogan "Stop feeding Madrid!"). But all the time something stops, mainly economic considerations. Although Catalonia is the most economically strong regions of Spain itself to conduct its affairs in a country where only 7, 5 million people, apparently, it seems hard to Catalans.

3. The spirit of patriotism is felt as soon as you enter in Barcelona on balconies everywhere hung the flags of Catalonia flags found in the signs of shops and restaurants, and the main square of the town proudly called (would never guess) Area Catalonia.

4. The historical part of the city is from the "Old Town" and the "New City" (Eixample). It is very small, we were able to get around her almost the entire foot. Every time needed to reach the next attractions, looked at the map and found out that before it - a couple of kilometers. So in the subway not to time and do not fall, and used the bus a couple of times.





5. Barcelona is divided into blocks of streets running parallel and perpendicular to each other. Only in the Gothic Quarter, there are narrow crooked alleys, where, it seems, from the balcony you can shake hands with a neighbor from across the street.

6. taxi everywhere. Cars painted in black and yellow colors and are part of the urban transport. While most of the cars drive "private entrepreneurs", they all get a license from the state and have the same rates are low, it should be noted. Travel through the city from the Spanish to the hotel, we cost the 10 euros (400 rub.)

7. Speaking of transport: from the airport to Barcelona every 10 minutes a bus. Travel costs 5 euros (200 rub.), Journey time - 20-25 minutes. Dresses need the driver.

8. All the walking part of Barcelona is covered with tiles, in some places quite ancient. Tile is hundreds of years, and the same amount will lie. Beautiful and practical. Although studs, probably not very convenient. However, studs here and do not wear.

9. The rate of movement in the city is very, very measured, even in comparison with some Russian cities (Moscow and nothing to compare). No one seems in a hurry. Machinery travel at a speed above 60 km / h and are regularly at all pedestrian crossings. People do not seem to go and walk. I have the feeling that you are in the resort, not in the capital, though small.





10. About 30% of urban trees - palms. They live green cheeky parrots who occasionally flies down and enter into battle with the pigeons for food. Fight unequal as pigeons in Barcelona very, very much.

11. A stray animals on the streets at all. We met only one cat living in a zoo.

12. Even if we knew the Spanish language, not the fact that we have managed to find a common language with barselontsev they often speak their own, Catalan and Spanish spoken quite unintelligible.

13. The daily siesta, during which a few hours most of the shops and catering establishments closed, as it turned out, really is absolutely necessary: ​​we arrived just in time and almost burned in the sun. Given that the temperature does not say that is very high at this time of the year (22-24 degrees), the sun is just ruthless. In the summer, probably without sunscreen does not do.

14. The population density in Barcelona a little: then we had to go in a very lively place, but these only occur near the sights, and distant from these streets people quite a bit. Rush Hour is also held in the Lite version - no honking traffic jams and crowds hurrying.





15. All, to which you can reach, graffiti covered walls of houses, garage doors, fences and even trucks. Moreover, the quality of performance is low, but the number is simply amazing.

16. Here and there quite cluttered streets: a pack of cigarettes, cigarette butts, cans, packaging out of the fast food strewn under the feet and on the lawns. Although the boxes are placed at every step. Barselontsev not name Neat, but utilities like clock work: all quickly removed.

17. in hotels, compared with Russia, much simpler: you are given a room key and more of you are not interested. No need to take the key the receptionist every time you leave, the maids do not check when leaving a room. The problem of paid minibar solved simply - it is not. We stood in the refrigerator for a few free bottles of water and no alcohol.

18. While on the appearance and behavior of barselontsev will be a separate post, said the first impression of them - friendly but not intrusive. Barselonets accustomed to the constant presence of foreign tourists in the city, can help you in a difficult situation, but it will be formal and restrained.

19. In Barcelona, ​​smoking, of course, smoking in public places, so equipped smoking areas do not have anywhere except the airport, where they actually were not, except for the boxes for smoking on the street. But near every cafe has a couple of tables outside, where you will be served an ashtray.

20. With the Internet in public places is not just bad, and very bad. Networks wi-fi set, but a password. There are a couple of free municipal wi-fi network, but if you do not have a local SIM card, you do not have the access they provide. To always be with the Internet, will have to buy a sim card and to choose the right tariff plan that without knowledge of Spanish is a problem. We decided not to bother and do-wai FEMA in the hotel where he was also not so hot, but still was.





Today, everything and in front of the posts of barselontsev, tourist everyday life, as well as the sights of the city: Barcelona Zoo, House Mila and Sagrada Familia, Gaudi, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Barcelona Cathedral, the Gothic Quarter and a lot of what else, in Generally, stay with us! :)

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