Blog #5: Barcelona - August 27-28
On August 27th we boarded a high-speed called Ave (Bird) that in three hours took us from Madrid's Puerta de Antocha Terminal to Barcelona Sants Terminal. Since our Airbnb reservation did not kick in until 5:00pm, we waited patiently around the station, with our luggage and all, until it was time to take a cab to our destination.
To our disappointment, our Airbnb was located in a proletarian area, far away from Barcelona’s downtown core, contrary to what our host let us to believe. If that was not enough, there was no elevator, which forced us to drag our luggage two flights up to then find a small, stuffy and untidy apartment. The host was not in town, so his friend, a very strange, almost scary looking man let us in. It did not take us long to realize that the place was filthy, lacked air conditioning and had a very bad vibe. Our awful first impression got confirmed as we explored the space, more of a dump than a tourist safe heaven. It was so bad that we immediately called the host to ask if we could leave, given the circumstances, yet he refused to give us a refund on the basis that we were the only ones to complain, as his place is booked 24/7.
We were relieved to find alternative accommodation at Hostel Paraiso downtown, and we contacted Airbnb to express our disappointment. After a long conversation, we agreed to stay one night only, as we had nowhere to go at that time of day, but ended up filing a formal complaint to get our money back for the remainder of our stay. We supported our complaint with photographs that evidenced the bad condition of the place.
More bad news, that night I decided to do some laundry in the ancient washing machine. What a big mistake! The machine stopped in the middle of the cycle, locking up our clothes in the drum. At the point of tears, together we pulled the drum open to take out soapy load, then rinse it at the leaky kitchen sink and then put it in plastic bags. The inconvenience was huge and we were very upset, yet we truly took the reins to move forward. The next morning we rose up nice and early and dragged our luggage as well as two bags full of wet laundry. The experience was like walking up the Via Dolorosa, but we made it safely to our new destination.
Our new location at Hostel Paraiso was awesome. The old facility has lots of character and we were fortunate to get a private room with shared washroom. Fortunately, during our stay there were no guests, so we had the floor to ourselves. The loveliest thing of the place was having an elegant iron forged balcony facing the main street and witnessing the 24/7 bustle of the lively neighborhood. We were also relieved when we found a wonderful laundry facility within walking distance where we were able to wash our laundry and get this wet load off our backs.
On our first walk down town we ended up at Las Ramblas, the site of the recent tragic terror attack that killed 16+ tourists and locals. The street memorial appeared before our eyes and caught us cold. The boulevard was covered with candles, flowers, notes, toys, gadgets and prayers and crowds of tourists stood before it in a state of disbelief. I could not process how a handful of evil individuals can cause such devastation to their own community. Nadia and I prayed for world justice and peace.
The next day we joined a free walking tour of Barcelona's downtown core by Javi, a tour guide volunteer who inspired us with his knowledge. Amongst the many landmarks we visited, I was most engaged when we passed through Barcelona's Jewish Quarter, a route Javi took on our behalf after learning that we are Jewish. Javi drew our attention to several blocks of stone on a church wall where one could recognize Hebrew letters. He explained that the rocks belonged to graves in a Jewish cemetery which was defaced and the good rocks were put to good use by the church. I felt sad and angry, wondering whose tombs they belonged to.
Javi was so good that in the afternoon, in spite of being tired for walking three hours in the heat, I, not Nadia, decided to join his “Gaudi” tour. Javi led a large tourist group through Barcelona’s landmarks including Casa Milá, Casa Batlló, Palau de la Música Catalana, and last but not least, La Basilica Sagrada Familia. At this point I was dragging my feet, but when I stood in front of this unfinished architectural masterpiece I realized what was before me. I was speechless. Again, I am short of words to describe the magnificence of the various architectural masterpieces that I saw that dress that adorn the city with unparalleled artistry.
I learned that Barcelona is part of Spain’s community of Catalunia, and that Catalan is the official language that uses a combination of Castellano and French. At first, we had trouble understanding signs and conversing with the locals, yet everyone appeared to be fluent in Castellano and the two languages have much in common. I also learned that Catalunians still hold a grudge in order to attain recognition and independence from the rest of Spain given their unique culture and language.
Last but not least, I learned that the color violet is Barcelona’s favorite, also the color of the uniform of their soccer team.
Did you know that Barcelona has Nine Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
http://www.apartmentbarcelona.com/blog/2015/02/18/world-heritage-sites/
To our disappointment, our Airbnb was located in a proletarian area, far away from Barcelona’s downtown core, contrary to what our host let us to believe. If that was not enough, there was no elevator, which forced us to drag our luggage two flights up to then find a small, stuffy and untidy apartment. The host was not in town, so his friend, a very strange, almost scary looking man let us in. It did not take us long to realize that the place was filthy, lacked air conditioning and had a very bad vibe. Our awful first impression got confirmed as we explored the space, more of a dump than a tourist safe heaven. It was so bad that we immediately called the host to ask if we could leave, given the circumstances, yet he refused to give us a refund on the basis that we were the only ones to complain, as his place is booked 24/7.
We were relieved to find alternative accommodation at Hostel Paraiso downtown, and we contacted Airbnb to express our disappointment. After a long conversation, we agreed to stay one night only, as we had nowhere to go at that time of day, but ended up filing a formal complaint to get our money back for the remainder of our stay. We supported our complaint with photographs that evidenced the bad condition of the place.
More bad news, that night I decided to do some laundry in the ancient washing machine. What a big mistake! The machine stopped in the middle of the cycle, locking up our clothes in the drum. At the point of tears, together we pulled the drum open to take out soapy load, then rinse it at the leaky kitchen sink and then put it in plastic bags. The inconvenience was huge and we were very upset, yet we truly took the reins to move forward. The next morning we rose up nice and early and dragged our luggage as well as two bags full of wet laundry. The experience was like walking up the Via Dolorosa, but we made it safely to our new destination.
Our new location at Hostel Paraiso was awesome. The old facility has lots of character and we were fortunate to get a private room with shared washroom. Fortunately, during our stay there were no guests, so we had the floor to ourselves. The loveliest thing of the place was having an elegant iron forged balcony facing the main street and witnessing the 24/7 bustle of the lively neighborhood. We were also relieved when we found a wonderful laundry facility within walking distance where we were able to wash our laundry and get this wet load off our backs.
On our first walk down town we ended up at Las Ramblas, the site of the recent tragic terror attack that killed 16+ tourists and locals. The street memorial appeared before our eyes and caught us cold. The boulevard was covered with candles, flowers, notes, toys, gadgets and prayers and crowds of tourists stood before it in a state of disbelief. I could not process how a handful of evil individuals can cause such devastation to their own community. Nadia and I prayed for world justice and peace.
The next day we joined a free walking tour of Barcelona's downtown core by Javi, a tour guide volunteer who inspired us with his knowledge. Amongst the many landmarks we visited, I was most engaged when we passed through Barcelona's Jewish Quarter, a route Javi took on our behalf after learning that we are Jewish. Javi drew our attention to several blocks of stone on a church wall where one could recognize Hebrew letters. He explained that the rocks belonged to graves in a Jewish cemetery which was defaced and the good rocks were put to good use by the church. I felt sad and angry, wondering whose tombs they belonged to.
Javi was so good that in the afternoon, in spite of being tired for walking three hours in the heat, I, not Nadia, decided to join his “Gaudi” tour. Javi led a large tourist group through Barcelona’s landmarks including Casa Milá, Casa Batlló, Palau de la Música Catalana, and last but not least, La Basilica Sagrada Familia. At this point I was dragging my feet, but when I stood in front of this unfinished architectural masterpiece I realized what was before me. I was speechless. Again, I am short of words to describe the magnificence of the various architectural masterpieces that I saw that dress that adorn the city with unparalleled artistry.
I learned that Barcelona is part of Spain’s community of Catalunia, and that Catalan is the official language that uses a combination of Castellano and French. At first, we had trouble understanding signs and conversing with the locals, yet everyone appeared to be fluent in Castellano and the two languages have much in common. I also learned that Catalunians still hold a grudge in order to attain recognition and independence from the rest of Spain given their unique culture and language.
Last but not least, I learned that the color violet is Barcelona’s favorite, also the color of the uniform of their soccer team.
Did you know that Barcelona has Nine Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
http://www.apartmentbarcelona.com/blog/2015/02/18/world-heritage-sites/
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| Street Memorial at Las Ramblas |
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