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The purpose of this thread is two-fold. I found out I'm going to Barcelona next month for a work trip. I'll probably have 1 full day, a half day, and 2 or 3 afternoons/evenings to explore. I first wanted to know if people could some suggest a few 'must do' things? I already have Parc Guell (spelling?) on my list. I would like to be able to buy a few souvenirs for family to include wine (Cava?).
Secondly, I wanted to know if any African American females on this board have traveled there before? I need the inside scoop on how we are treat there as I've been doing some research online and reading that Barcelona is quite racist
check tripadvisor barcelona forum . Those people have a ton of info on what to do in barcelona. Anyway, with such a short time, you will have to choose a couple of highlights. I would recommend 4/5 full days in barcelona to get a fair feeling of the city.
as for racism, i would say you could find an occassional jerk like in any other place, but it is not common. barcelona is a big city and you get all races and faiths. And also there are millions of tourists from everywhere going there every year, so everyone is used to anything.
I just came back from Barcelona. Honestly I don't recollect seeing many black people, but it was off season and like pointed out, Barcelona is such a huge touristic destination and being black won't be a problem for you (I am Asian).
As to recommendations, I did Park Guell on the first day I was there as unlike other attractions, it is a bit out of the day. You need to take the subway and walk for a good ten minutes plus a lot of stairs. I suggest you buy ticket online in advance as the line may be long, and the ticket will indicate the time you can enter - it might not be right after you get the ticket. I waited for more than half an hour to be allowed in. Honestly I wasn't too impressed by the Park and wouldn't regret if I didn't go. Honestly if time is limited, you may consider skipping it and focus on the old city.
Sagrada Familia is a must see of course. Make sure you buy tickets online in advance otherwise you might wait for an hour or more in line. St Pau Hospital is magnificent. Many people don't realize how beautiful it is as a hospital, definitely check it out. Picasso Museum. I am not a museum person, but I enjoyed the visit. Casa Mila, it is just a house but very impressive, especially the roof top. A bit pricey. Casa Batllo, another Gaudi product. I didn't go, maybe next time.
The Gothic quarter itself is fascinating with so many historical sites for you to explore. and the small alleys are mesmerizing. Definitely check out the Catedral - so much history happened there. Picasso Museum is in it too.
Les Rambles are world famous, but it is extremely tourist oriented. It is still worth going and I don't recommend spending too much time there, or dine there. Too many tourist traps. I spent about an hour walking down the famous street.
Surprisingly Barcelona's waterfront is very nice and walkable too. I went in Feb and saw surfers.
I also highly recommend a walking tour led by a local guide. It is usually free but you decide to tip the guild in the end. It is a very efficient and educational way to see a city. I do it in most historical cities.
Be extremely alert about pickpockets AT ALL TIME. It is the thing with Barcelona. The city itself is safe but pretty thefts can be very annoying if you lose your passport or wallet.
The purpose of this thread is two-fold. I found out I'm going to Barcelona next month for a work trip. I'll probably have 1 full day, a half day, and 2 or 3 afternoons/evenings to explore. I first wanted to know if people could some suggest a few 'must do' things? I already have Parc Guell (spelling?) on my list. I would like to be able to buy a few souvenirs for family to include wine (Cava?).
Secondly, I wanted to know if any African American females on this board have traveled there before? I need the inside scoop on how we are treat there as I've been doing some research online and reading that Barcelona is quite racist
Check out the Nomadness group on facebook, you have to go through an online bootcamp to be able to join but it is a large (over 9K members) group of mostly African-Americans dedicated to travel. They will be able to give you an idea of what to expect. My old roommate went to Barcelona while she was studying abroad in Madrid and found that Africans may have issues but African-Americans were treated well
The color of your skin is irrelevant in Spain, the color of your money (green) is what matters.
Boticelli covered the must do's. I would add, if time is short, Barcelona has one of those convenient double decker tourist buses that visit all the sights and you can get off and on.
The walking tour - I can't remember the link but one group offers free tours with a certain theme (i.e. history or art) that last a few hours. You tip them at the end what you feel the tour is worth. Our was excellent, and incidently given by a young American lady/person of color.
The color of your skin is rarely "irrelevant" when you obviously stand out from the natives.
Spaniards will see her as an American before her skin color. We stick out like a sore thumb from the African immigrants in Spain.
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