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Barcelona
facts and observations
The following list contains observations and
facts that you would only
get after spending time in Barcelona observing the culture. Very useful
whether you are visiting or moving to Barcelona.
1. When using your
credit card you will always need to sign and must
bring some photo ID, either a passport or driving licence. Chip and PIN
is virtually non-existent in Barcelona.
2. The main
language of Barcelona is Catalan, but the most widely
spoken is Spanish. Catalan is spoken by 75% of the population, but
virtually 100% of Catalans speak Spanish and there are many immigrants
from South America and indeed from the rest of Spain, so Spanish is
universal. In many bars and restaurants, Spanish is the main language.
3. Many large stores (such as supermarkets) do
not let you bring large
bags or backpacks into the shop. Many provide lockers with keys just
before the entrance.
4. Pedestrian
crossings - beware of the green man! In many countries
when the green man flashes you have enough time to cross from one side
to the other. Not in Barcelona. You normally have about 3 seconds to
cross. If you are halfway across the road by this point you will
probably need to start running. Do not attempt to start crossing the
road when the man is flashing. This takes some getting used to.
5. Ticket
validation for public transport - you must validate your
ticket for all forms of public transport (trains, metro, trams, buses
etc.). Validating means getting your ticket stamped in a small machine
located in buses, or on the platforms when taking a train. Metros have
a turnstile system where your ticket gets validated.
6. Metro
turnstiles - when entering the metro you will need to insert
your ticket into the gate to get through. Confusingly there are two
types of gates: turnstiles and automatic glass gates. When entering
though the turnstile gates you will need to pass the ticket with the
left hand and pass to the right of the ticket. For the glass gates, you
will need to pass the ticket with your right hand and pass to the left.
When exiting the metro, you will not need your ticket at all.
7. Electronic
goods are expensive in Barcelona, even more so than in
the UK. In particular, computers, TVs and white goods are very
expensive.
8. On the other
hand, alcohol is very cheap. In bars (except in tourist
areas) a bottle of lager will cost about 1.30€ and a decent bottle of
wine in a supermarket will cost about 3€. It is also possible to buy
bottles of wine for as little as 1€ or less. Lager in supermarkets is
also very cheap. A 330ml can of normal lager can cost about 0.25€ in
supermarkets, but a known brand will cost double.
9. Smoking in Barcelona (and Spain) is extremely
popular. There is a
saying that goes "if you're Spanish you smoke". Spanish law has
recently banned smoking from work places and applied smoking
restrictions to restaurants, but many restaurants have smoking
licences. The majority of restaurants in Barcelona are smoking or have
a smoking area. For the locals, smoking in public is considered a
right, so if you are in a restaurant eating a meal don't expect the
customers sat on the neighbouring table to wait for you to finish
before they light up.
10. In Barcelona,
people like to take their time. If they have queued
for a service (e.g. in banks or supermarkets) they will not be rushed
once they are being attended to, even if the queue behind them is long.
This can be frustrating if you are in a hurry, but it is part of the
culture and they believe it is their right to take their time if they
have been queuing.
11. Lunch in
Barcelona is extremely important to the culture. If you
are working in Barcelona for a normal Spanish or Catalan company then
you will probably leave the office at 1:45pm to 2pm at the earliest and
lunch normally lasts at least 1.5 hours. No matter how busy work is,
very rarely is this hour and a half sacrificed. It is virtually sacred.
12. Tap water in
Barcelona is perfectly safe to drink despite what you
might have heard. Most people in Barcelona buy their own water because
the tap water here does not have a particularly pleasant taste. It is
normally used for cooking instead.
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