I can’t believe we’re two weeks into the trip and I’m just posting my first riffs now. One reason it has taken so long is that I’m so far behind on writing and posting to the blog. Ideally I would only be one or two days behind, but right now I’m five days backlogged!
It’s weird, I don’t get as far behind on other trips, but that’s because we’re usually traveling after a few days in each place. If we’re on a plane, train, or ship, there is time to write. Here, we are going non-stop from morning till bedtime. I’m also working, so that takes up some time as well.
I know what you are asking, “Why do you write like you’re running out time?” Okay, so maybe
Hamilton lyrics are not the first thing that come to mind when you read this blog.
On the other hand, readers like the riffs, (the riffs are short paragraphs with observations on a people and place) so here goes. . .
I think Carol and I should retire to Barcelona immediately and teach classes in jaywalking. . .people here are the most passive I’ve ever seen when crossing city streets. . .even when no traffic is coming, they don’t start across the street until they get the walk sign. . .even when traffic stops, they still wait for the walk sign! There’s many time no traffic is coming, Carol and I cross the street, and many others just stand there waiting for the green walk sign.
I know I write this constantly. . .but the food in Spain is the best in the world. . .and tapas provide a wide variety of dishes and flavors. . .I wish we had markets in the States like La Boqueria or Santa Catalina. . .I need to become more experimental in my grilling, especially with fresh fish.
Walking the sidewalks is a risk. . .bikes, scooters, mopeds. . .all careening around. . .thankfully lots of riders are also checking their phones. . .that just increases the odds of getting hit.
Tourism in Barcelona is a controversial subject. . .and not just because someone spray-painted “Tourists Go Home” on a building in Barceloneta. . .apparently people renting AirBNB or VRBO apartments is lowering supply and driving up rents. . .and we rented our apartment on VRBO. . .the good news is that Carol and I are not having boozy parties with loud music and talking. . .I know that must shock my loyal readers.
Barcelona is a city of 1.5 million people, and they get 15 million tourists per year. Everything changed for the city because of the 1992 Summer Olympics. . .Most Olympics are financial losers for the host city/country, but not 1992 for Barcelona. . .It is now the third or fourth busiest cruise port in the world (depending on source), behind two or three ports in the United States.
Some number of the 15 million tourists are bad people. . .They rent AirBNBs, have the parties, and annoy citizens here who have to work. The good news for Americans is that most of those boozy a-holes would be Brits, Germans, or Russians. . .Most Americans who come to Europe don’t do it to party, but to enjoy the history, culture, adventure, and food. . .If Americans want to party and get drunk, there are plenty of places closer to home (New Orleans, for example).
We have not seen a lot of problematic tourists here, but we are also not out past 11 pm most nights. . .The city government, “a left-left” group of people in the words of one of our guides, wants to severely curtail tourism, but they’d be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs for the city. I would bet that most of the people in Barcelona who support such a move do not realize that they would be financially impacted as well.
Our guide pointed out that the city government has no plan for what comes next if they do successfully slow tourism to a trickle.
Because of European law, every website you go to, even American ones, have a cookie notice that you have to click to approve. . .it makes for slower loading. . .and when you are ready to jump into the website for info. . .you first have to get rid of the cookie notice. . .yes, I realize I sound like an old man yelling at clouds!
It's been easy to work at the apartment -- I rise pretty early, deal with the previous day's late afternoon emails, and then around 3pm till dinner. I have plenty of time to write up analyses of the surveys for clients. It's a pretty good place for me to be focused when I need to be.
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