One of the first things we noticed about Barcelona is how many motorcycles there are! There seem to be more motorcycles than autos. They even have special parking on many streets just for them. On some streets, the parking is in the middle, with a bike lane on one side and auto lane on the other side of the parking area.
We are kind of glad that we don’t have a car. It is very easy to get around on the Metro system of subways and buses. We got a subscription to “Bicing”, the bicycle sharing program for residents and now we are getting around by bike too.
Another thing we noticed is that there are stores devoted solely to ham know as jamonerias. I think we are going to get very spoiled living here and getting to eat the amazing varieties of jamon! There are also many, many xarcuterias that sell a huge variety of charcuterie.
There is a lot of public art in the city of Barcelona. Not surprising as Barcelona has been home to quite a few famous artists from Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso. Joan Miro was born in Barcelona. The largest collection of his works in the world is right here in Barcelona.
This is one of his works of sculpture.
Another observation we made is that the McDonalds here have patio seating! We didn’t investigate this too much, but did notice that they had bocadillos jamon (ham sandwiches) on the menu that looked like the bocadillos at many other restaurants and cafes.
And finally, we couldn’t help but notice how big the glasses of sangria are!
¡Salud!
Thanks so much for putting this blog together. I remember the Mannheim transfer, the castle in H. , and so many things about Barcelona! Good luck with your Spanish lessons. All your efforts will pay off. I plan to be an avid follower. (You know, this is how travel books get started)
Thanks Jon, I’m glad you like it!
I’m enjoying the opportunity to see your adventure through your eyes. You might comment about the picture at the heart of your blog. Is it the view from your apartment? If so – nice digs!
Thanks for your suggestion Steve. That was not the view from our place. It was the view from Parc Guell showing some of Antoni Gaudi’s famous sculpture. It was a free picture we found on the web.
But that reminded me that I wanted to change the picture!