Visit Barcelona - 5 Things You Will Love & Hate About Barcelona, Spain
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2013
- www.woltersworld.com
The Sagrada Familia, La Rambla, and so much more. Barcelona is one of the best cities to visit in Europe as a tourist. It is amazing. Barca, the best beach and party town in Europe. It has so much to offer from culture to museums to beaches and so much more. Catalan through and through.
filmed in Barcelona, Spain
Copyright Mark Wolters 2013
When he says that Catalan is a mix of spanish, french and what not, he's just describing how it sounds to people that have no idea what it is. I'm catalan living abroad and when you tell people about catalan language (language that half the people didn't know existed) you have to try to find a similarity. It sounds like a mix of french, spanish, italian... because it shares the same root. Is not saying catalan is not a language, it's just to give them an idea of what the language sounds and it is like (so they can compare to the languages they know).
Btw, nobody is going to get mad at you because you don't speak catalan. The media likes to spread a lot of lies about that... We're all (almost) bilingual. Just acknowledge that the catalan culture exists and that's about it. But, say 'adeu' instead of 'adios' and the locals will be thrilled :)
Ps: I consider catalan my first language.
Ladykalashnikov you're absolutely right:)
Ladykalashnikov I want Catalan to never extinguish
Hola. Im a foreigner living in Spain right now. Im still learning Spanish and Im planning to learn Catalan or maybe Euskera next. Just out of curiosity,
If I ever had a conversation with a Catalan and they ask me if Im pro-independence, and I say Im not, will they be offended?
@@ikarly2898 i am a catalan and that really depends on the person that you are speaking with. I am pro-independent and most of the people that I know that are pro-independent would not get mad at you (if you tell them with respect, nothing like we hope that you all go to jail,...). Maybe you end up talking with someone against indepent.
It even sounds a bit Germanic to me with the monosyllables. "Cla", "Plats bruts", "fem" etc etc
I'm catalan and I speak spanish at home, with my friends, everywhere, i just speak catalan at school and with very few people. What I'm trying to say is that everybody speaks spanish in barcelona and its not a problem if you are visitting barcelona and you don't speak catalan, in fact there are a lot of people from other parts of spain who live in barcelona so they speak spanish alomst everywhere. I hate stereotypes. No one will get mad if you speak in spanish (there's stupid people everywhere)
Well said. In addition the South American immigrants speak Spanish as well. So knowing Spanish is very handy when visiting Barcelona. But really it's a very multi-cultural city because of its location and tourism. Close to "Plaça Catalunya" or "Las Ramblas," many languages are spoken.
If I may also ad for those of you interested in learning Catalan, Spanish is a big plus. It will help you understand and learn much more quickly.
victorius I hate Spanish and Catalan people anyways : )
importedmusic I aprecciate that:) you're so friendly
victorius Catalonia is the worst place on earth to learn some spanish because, of course, it's not their language. It's like going to France to learn spanish, it's ridiculous. Anyways, if you look blonde and blue-eyed, catalonians will answer your questions in spanish 'cause they will assume you are a tourist. But in any other case, they kindly will ask you to go to hell and speak Catalonian, particularly in schools and universities, where spanish is strictly forbidden.
Duran, being a blonde haired blue eyed person, my experience was totally different from what you state. In fact most people were very polite and welcoming. That is if you respond in kind and respect their culture. Problems usually arise when you act like a goofball and stand out like a sore thumb.
I'm from Catalonia and I'm sure that this video is one of the best ones about Barcelona.
true, head to gava to the south, real big beaches too. thanks for watching and commenting!
Barcelona is truly a great city. You can take away at least two things on the "hate" list. Firstly, this city is not spread out. In fact it's really compact. Most things you'd want to see is actually within walking distance. Plus it's a beautiful city to walk through. Secondly, it's bullshit that you won't be able to use your spanish. It's true that catalan is official language but spanish is also official language and every catalan speaks it fluently, so don't worry about that :)
Good luck walking from park guell to barceloneta
@@b3arwithm3 I said most things. You can walk from Plaza Espanya through the whole old city with all the cathedrals and historical sights as well as cool bars and other places, all the way to Barceloneta. But maybe I was a bit optimistic with my comment, since it is a quite big city. It's not really spread out though, it's just big, and you'll definitely need the metro in order to see everything you'd want to see.
@@fredrikarhusiander1813 I find walking from plaza espanya to the gothic quarter quite tiring. It is doable, but I won't advise doing it. Especially if one is only spending 3-4 days. Take the metro to save time and energy.
Gothic quarter to casa mila is also quite a long walk.
If you walk from the gothic quarter to la sagrada, the wall isn't as beautiful the old town.
@@b3arwithm3 Sorry I meant Plaza Catalunya.. From there through the Gothic quarter to Barceloneta is a great walk, and you can see a lot. But it's true, Plaza Espanya, Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, better take metro.
@@b3arwithm3 I live here, and outside of Summer its actually not that bad walking from Park Guell to Barceloneta. Considering its basically one side of the city to the other, you can do it in a little over an hour. Not so advisable in summer though. In general Barcelona is an incredibly compact city - in fact, its one of the most densely populated in Europe. There is almost nowhere I can't get to within 30 minutes on one of the electric rent-a-bikes.
Thanks for making these videos! I've been traveling with my flight attendant wife, and every time I'm planning to tag along on one of her layovers, one of the first things I do is search for your videos. London, Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt, and now I'm Barcelona bound tomorrow! Your videos always make me feel like I get a pretty good idea of what to expect before I get there. Thanks again!
Regardless of the age of the video, I always gain so much from watching your stories! Thanks
You're fine if you only know Spanish; Catalan and Spanish are both official languages in Barcelona.
Furthermore, Catalan is spoken by approximately 50-60% of the inhabitants of Barcelona while Spanish is spoken by 98% of people living in the city, so you're actually better off with Spanish. Most major cities in Catalonia have a major Spanish speaking population. It's the rural small towns that are predominantly Catalan speaking.
due to imigration
98% Spanish in Barcelona?? Fake. 98% Spanish may be found in some low-income commuter towns on the outskirts of Barcelona with large proportions of descendants of Spanish immigrants from the 1970s... but that's definitely not the case in Barcelona
I loved Barcelona, we went last summer and had a blast!
Thanks for your video, very helpful for someone who's gonna visit the city!
Great quick points thanks! Can't wait!
If you're coming to Barcelona in winter bring your winter clothes becouse its cold people! Its not hot all the year. Basically now im freezing.
Clara Bustinza very true. very true
What about in April?
well it depends, don't bring all summer clothes or winter clothes bc its gonna get cold at night and a little hot in the day, normally, it rains quite a bit in april so yeah, bring like a jacket or something
Clara Bustinza Gracias! ;)
True, plus the fairly high level of humidity makes it even colder on a cloudy day.
It's funny but I really love using the metro in Barcelona. You get to feel more like part of the daily life of people who live there and see so much life going on, just like the rest of the city. Whereas I absolutely hate using the tube or public transport In London when I visit, it feels unfriendly or something. Barcelona is a city where people live their life outside unlike here in the uk.
Also I don't think Catalans in Barcelona mind that you speak Spanish if you are a tourist because they realise it's because it's a more commonly spoken/learned language throughout the world and you probably don't have a political motive for favouring Spanish. Whereas if you live there and don't bother to learn Catalan after you are already fluent in Spanish they are a bit offended and more distant or at the very least might think you are a bit lazy or inconsiderate to not bother with Catalan. Barcelona is one of the easiest places to get by in Spain as a tourist (vs Andalucia for example) with little to no Spanish, as they favour Catalan and English before Spanish, due to the large tourist presence and also in a way to show their separate identity/have a bit of a dig at Spain.
Thanks for the tips!! I spent my birthday in Barcelona! I will be going back! Beautiful city!!
I absolutely loved Barcelona!!
I love love Barcelona we were there last month & we had a fantastic time. 😍
From a catalonia guy, good video!
Barcelona is a great city, true, but you are also welcome to visit the rest of Catalonia, there's a lot of great stuff to visit too besides Barcelona city :=)
Examples: Costa Brava, Montserrat, Girona, Garrotxa, Pirineus, Tarragona, Delta de l'Ebre...
I've just come back from a weekend in Barcelona. I agree with everything 💫💫
Catalan is not a mix. Just like portuguese is not a mix either... All them are latin lenguages, so they are similar
He’s describing what the language seems like to one who first encounters it. He’s not classifying it linguistically.
It's a stereotype in the rest of Spain that you have to know Catalan in Barcelona and people get angry with you if you don't speak it. But I have lived here for years, and can safely say that has never happened to me. Everyone can speak Spanish and no one will address you in Catalan if they don't think you speak it. Even the Catalan that is spoken commonly in Barcelona is a mix with Castellano - not the "pure" Catalan you will hear in the smaller towns. It might be the case that if you go to smaller Catalan towns you will be addressed in Catalan - but that is because some Catalan people in these small towns really do struggle to speak Spanish. You can tell (even as a non-native speaker) that Spanish really isn't their first language. But in Barcelona you are very unlikely to encounter this. Long story short, don't be afraid to speak Spanish! People will definitely appreciate you speaking Spanish far more than expecting them to speak in English.
Just visited there last week. I have to agree with a lot of your observations. However even though many things are spread out. I think it makes for a good opportunity to walk across the city and really see it. In the quiet areas. away from the hoards. that was my favourite part of going. enjoying a quiet sit on a bench people watching.
thanks! I just love love your videos, very fun to watch,,, this one was in a rush though, i like it when you take your time and show your emotion hhh
merci! gracias! thanks!
Texas A&M architecture study abroad! Been here 3 months now and I love it.
Me and seven friends went to Barcelona last summer for our end of school holiday. We were all eighteen and had the time of our lives, we got an apartment which was pretty cheap. Seriously, amazing city and we would all go back in a second. Perfect city : nice beach, good weather, amazing nightclubs (check Razzmatazz nightclub), beer and alcohol is fairly inexpensive and the there is no shortage of attractions to visit.All the locals spoke to were able to speak a good amount of English. We never had any problems with pick pocketers or thiefs. Having said that, my friend went inter railing here and his friend had his passport and money stolen from him. I couldn't recommend this city more, if you have the chance to go then go!! Just be careful and sensible and you'll have a great trip :P
+Murdo Mccandlish How did the apartment work out? Do you remember the name of it?
+Chemani it was the Alguera apartment Napols, we didn't pay a penny until we got there and then paid at the reception. was great!
Murdo Mccandlish Thanks for responding!
+Chemani no problem at all, have a great trip!
We are going on a class trip there in less than 3 months and i am so excited. I will still be 17, sadly, but i guess its still legal to drink beer under the age of 18 like in germany, right?
Loads of people speak english in bcn. I didnt have any issues getting around without knowing any spanish or catalan.
i suppose they are less touristics neigbourhoods that they might have a little bit more of a harsh time, but mostly young people (older used to learn french) they should undestand
Bro I love your videos, a very clean 'assessment' so to speak...
We just got back and followed the advice from your videos and were vigilant and didn't get pickpocketed!
Go in October - very nice weather, not so many tourists
I visited Barcelona recently and this is a pretty good assessment of the city although I did not experience any pickpockets and thought the driving was actually generally safer than it is in my own country.
Great video keep up the good work
Great video!
I went there this summer! Holy cow, you travel EVERYWHERE. LUCKAYYY.
I lived in brazil in 2006 I wish I would have been making these videos when I was living there. I traveled quite a bit. my top 10 brazil, Rio, the pantanal, joao pessoa, olinda, ouro preto, manaus (amazonas), iguazu, bonito, Salvador, tiradentes. mas nao vi todo o pais
Loved the Gazpacho!
I started doing cross fit, not sure how it will go while I am traveling but it is fun and hard
soy de Barcelona, la verdad es que es un gran video y grandes verdades :)
I really appreciate your tips. Thank you for educating us in such sincere and fun way. I hope you go to Colombia, my native land some day!
one day we will be there :) don't worry!
woltersworld will u come to nepal?
razz kumar hopefully one day I will get to nepal
all your work is so helpful to us parents, as my daughter is of to live and work in Barcelona,,And will be also trying to learn catalan as well as spanish.
I am a professor. so lots of free time and lots of friends around the world to go visit
Good job :)
went there 2 weeks ago amazing place ,go to the fairground in tibidabo up the mountain great views across the city, i want to go back
Mark, I love all your videos! I totally respect and admire all the hard work and efforts that you do to share the culture of each location and to prepare those who are looking to visit these places. I truly look forward to every video that you post up on your RUclips channel. However, as part of my journey to Barcelona recently, as a Filipino-American with a Mexican-American wife (Latin American Spanish speaking - not even Castellano and obviously not Catalan), I feel that there is a need to create a video that honestly discusses the current social climate and what to expect in terms of social treatment, racist profiling and the overall ethnic acceptance in some European cities like Barcelona (or Rome). We experienced an unexpected, extreme amount of this negativity in subways, eateries, hospitals (!?!) and hotels throughout Barcelona (Vall d'Hebron, Metro L1, L5, eateries near Camp Nou, La Rambla, Park Guell, etc.)
What happened? please elaborate
Very sorry to hear that my friend.
well what will happen to me since im black..and plan to go in August
You've lost quite a bit of weight man, that's awesome keep up the good work! Great video too.
amaizing city!
I completely agree!
I love taking public transportation!
He must be rich for him to travel so much. Awesome! :)
There are two kinds of Catalans. One who thinks they're above anyone else, arrogant and will do their best to avoid talking Spanish or have anything to do with Spain. Unfortunately they are deluded and fail to realise that it's very rude. The other Catalans are proud to be Catalan but are educated and accept that the Spanish language still holds importance in the region (not all believe they are Spanish). Reality is that Barcelona is a major tourist destination and Spanish and English is the main source of communication. Catalan is a plus
No habla Español. I will not conformm
Not wanting anything to do with Spain doesnt make us think we are above everyone else...
Good video Mark. I just got back and had a good time. Can't believe how many hustlers late at night in the Latin quarter... Can't even walk the street without being asked to buy something or come into a restaurant. Was the only real downside
thanks. I need to lose a lot more though. Goal is for our 2014 filming to be down 100 pounds from summer 2012. Wish me luck. thanks for the nice words on the video too!
2:16 this is the first time I've ever seen Mark swear
Hi from Barcelona.A Big City? Compare to what? Buenos Aires, Mexico DF, LA? Man, almost every touristic place it's within walking distances. From Gracia to Gothic part it takes you 30 minutes. What do you expected, a village?
in Europe it is big, compare it to mega cities like Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires even New York is but a village.
Berlin is big! Barcelona is only 39 mi2
Everyone I dealt with in Barcelona spoke English. I made the effort to speak a little Spanish out of respect and because it's fun. Next time I go I will speak some Catalan and I will know a lot more Spanish. I can't wait :)
You make me laugh! Although I think you were very lucky (not everybody speaks english in BCN), you are so true ;)
Gracias. No puerdo esperar para volver :)
I have to disagree with you. We lived in Barcelona for 4 years, and the only people who spoke English were the young people. Merchants and people over the age of 40 mostly spoke Spanish or Catalan. The menus at most restaurants are only in Spanish or Catalan. If you go to Spain, you should be prepared to speak Spanish it's that simple. If you are staying for a long time, the local government offers Spanish lessons in one of the local schools for free. (At least they did 2004-2008 when we lived there.) All you needed to pay for was the school book, which was about 20.00 euros. The Spanish are a very friendly people. Yes there are pick pockets there, but they are not Spanish. They are poor people from Africa, and Gypsies. I had my purse stolen there. The police are not helpful, and do not go out of their way to assist you. But there is crime in any large city (London, New York City, Paris, Berlin, etc.,) so you should always be prepared for that. Don't flash your money around, don't wear a purse or put your wallet in your back pocket. Take only the necessary amount of money you plan to spend that day, and keep it in a safe, hard to get to place. Just go with an open mind and enjoy yourself.
Littlegrabner There is nothing to disagree with as I am only referring to my own personal experience which was a ten day holiday in Barcelona. I only shopped in the city. In the cafes in the popular areas I didn't need any Spanish. One day I entered several businesses trying to get some cash and everyone spoke decent English. One small place out in the suburbs I asked for some water in Spanish as I wasnt sure they spoke English. I was staying away from the tourist areas and English was not so common there but if I was staying in a Hotel closer to the centre it would not be a problem. I made the effort to speak Spanish sometimes because I love the language and the locals really appreciate the effort. I am now seriously studying Spanish and will be spending much more time in my favourite country:) I agree you should make the effort. I wouldn even learn a little Catalan to really please Catalonians:)
I will tell the true my dream come true Barcelona Spain 2014 !!!!!!
@woltersworld Awesome vid dude!! So how often do you workout in general since I've heard you've lost some weight? Also what types of exercises do you like to do?
I get to spend 6 weeks in Barcelona starting Nov. 1, 2018 I have an apartment on the edge of the Gothic Quarter. I'm prepared for Spanish and I expect to buy food in a smaller market not on The Rambles. I'm hoping that I am one of the fewer tourists in town at the time. Fresh seafood, cured meats, freshest vegetables, good inexpensive wine and a burgeoning craft brewing community. Add incredible architecture to photograph and Barcelona's new traffic controls and I wish it were the full three months that I wanted.
50% of comments be like: Catalan is not a mixture of French and Spanish 😤😤😤
Like, everybody chill 😂 I’m learning Catalan and that’s kind of how I explained it to people back home who had never heard of the language before. It’s an example to help people get the general idea, not a description
Im portuguese and lived and worked in Barcelona. In all the time i was there, at my work, only 2 guys were dicks refusing to speak spanish and only catalan. Im talking about 2 persons in thousands that i contacted with. So every catalan speaks spanish and it's not a big deal for them to do it with you, because they know it's normal that you dont speak catalan. Cap prejudici si us plau :)
sim, eu tava la! porque nao disse "ola"? Eu estive com dos amigos de lisboa. Eu so passei 4 dias em lisboa. Era uma conferencia e ja estou de novo nos estados unidos. a proxima vez diz ola e podemos tomar uma cervezinha juntos! abracos!
I just went to Barcelona ....maybe it was because I went during the off season (October) but pickpockets were nothing to worry about even as a female solo-traveller. Just as safe as NYC, London, or Paris, don't be a moron and pay attention to your surroundings. In fact, I had an amazing time. Don't be intimated by all the pickpocket hype!
Also dont miss the beautiul Parc de la Ciutadella, it's close to the beach and theres also a Zoo :-)
they mostly stay in the major tourist areas of big cities. otherwise no real problems
To sum this video up: Barcelona is fantastic, there is a lot of 'things' and 'stuff', okay? I wish you had written some names on the screen to understand the places better (like Park Güell, Museu nacional d'art de Catalunya ...) and explained what cava is. To me it sounded like 'coffee'. I researched it and found out that it is sparkling wine.
take him around the gothic district, you could go see the sagrada familia but the line there is insane long. he would like the beaches maybe (cute girls there for him to look at).
The traffic info is a lie. I lived in BCN and go there at least once a year and have never seen this phenomenon you talk about.
Video was shooted 6 years ago, so maybe it was not a lie by the time it was recorded, it could be the things simply changed.
go out in general mitre at 6:50 a.m
What Hotel should a couple stay in that's somewhat central? Much appreciated.
Hello there! You are the BEST tourist info person on the web! Briliant !! I Could even PAY for your ratings and info...That how good you are !! Take care/Sweden
Roland Jönsson thank you Roland. We are heading to Sweden this summer for a bit. Any love and hates you have for tourists? or about tourists :)
Make one mistake and several people will tell you Catalan is not a mix and how they would describe it to people who didn't know the language etc. I just think it's funny and nice how so many people want to help :)
The sewage stench was a notable annoyance in almost every 30 metre sections of Barcelona.
Wolter! Good day. Barcelona or Madrid? if you have a choice?.. pls hope you can answer thanks
Question: I want to study abroad in Spain next semester and I have four cities to choose from: Sevilla, Toledo, Barcelona, and Alicante. I am mainly going to improve my Spanish language speaking skills, since my minor is spanish studies. Barcelona is the city I want to visit most, but I worry that I will not be exposed to enough spanish since catalan is the main language there. What are your thoughts on this? Which city of the ones listed would you recommend studying abroad in for a semester?
9 years too late, but everyone in Barcelona speaks Spanish and you will have no problems!
I've visited Barcelona and they speak perfect Spanish and broken to perfect English. So, yes, you can exist in Barcelona with speaking Spanish, English, and of course, Catalan. You do not have to know any Spanish or Catalan to have a great time here.
"Catalan is kind of a mix between French, Spanish, and What-the-Hell." Quote of the day.
Great video as always you should a top ten cities to visit video, is the pickpockets worst then paris we found them awful in the train station and metro
Paris the pickpockets are horrible on metro and at stations, but at least the cops try to help in paris. In Barcelona the cops just laugh at you.
Dear Wolter
I am taking my son for three nights in the start of August. He has never been to Europe and its part of his visiting me in Switzerland. He will be almost 18. Any particular tips on where to take him and things to do? He is sporty. Also, given we only have 2 full days in the city, I do not want to bring stress to the visit trying to see everything, so maybe a few must sees?
I love your videos btw and try not to ever miss any! - Thanks!!!
For summergreen500,
It is true thet Catalan is the own language in Barcelona, but it is also in Alicante. But can hardly say you will be not exposed to Spanish there. Maybe you may have a false impression just because most of the signs are in catalan, but most of the people in the city have Spanish as their main language. We have to strugle to protect our language, so it has a propminent position at institutional level, but at popular level the situation is a dominance of Spanish.
I would like to know if any American bank have in Barcelona? witch bank what's the name? If anybody can help me to find out thank you so much Aloha from Hawaii..
That was a terrific, fun and thoroughly informative review. But can Barca possibly beat Nice as the "best beach City" ?? Their beach & City is awesome. I can't be sure as I've never been to Barcelona; but we are going to visit later this year, fortunately.
Asphalt Ricky you will have fun. but seriously watch the wallet on La Rambla, they are really good at pickpocketing there and the cops don't seem to care
Thank you for that buddy. Having been brought up in London I am sort of streetwise; and hopefully more careful and aware of people in certain situations/settings. But I understand, too, that no-one, really, is safe from the serious criminal
I was in Barcelona in 2011. I spent 5 hours there and I didn't see much else than the Rambla and cars on the avenues. It is difficult to get an overview of the city. As you said you need the subway to get around because the sights are spread out. I walked from the Sants station to the Rambla and that was a waste of precious time, you have to use public transport if you have limited time.
Does the metro there have day passes?
Las Ramblas smells like a mixture of sewage, mold and charcoal cooked food. Its is a very iconic smell (not as horrible as it sounds)
Thanks for this video! So helpful. Do you recommend Barcelona for a solo female traveler? I plan on visiting this summer :)
Elizabeth Reyes yeah, you will be fine. watch out for late nights and pickpockets but during the day you will be ok.
You rock! Muchas gracias :)
Congratulations for your videos ....I´m from Madrid, I love Barcelona but the best nightlife in Europe, seriously???? this is very important, it just happens in summer, in summer probably is the best nightlife, not the rest of the year. :-)
Pickpockets also near to beach nightclubs
One warning about the beach though. All the sand is imported and an extremely rough and course. It will exfoliate your feet to the point of hurting after a 5 minute walk. Also there's a lot of trash build up in the sand. They really need to clean it. However, it's still very beautiful.
hey guys. just wanted to say that if you go to a catalan person and talk him in spanish is totally OK. We, the catalan people, speak 2 languages: catalan and spanish so it's no problem if you come to us and talk in spanish, of course
Mark. If you had a choice to live in either Barcelona or Vienna, where would you live? Have seen almost all of your videos. Thank you
if I was single Barcelona. if I was married with kids Vienna
Barcelona is a great city. Don't mind on talking spanish or catalan, people will apreciate it. Take a look because there are hidden places that are wonderfull and lonely. In the middle and near the city without "tourist hordes" xD, And free.
Can you tell which places? I soon going there.
I don't see any problem on your point #hate 4. What a problem you have with a city with more then one language? this means that every city in the world with more than one language you will hate it? :/
I can tell you a problem with the Spanish provincial languages. These languages like Catalan, Valenciano, Euskera etc are a part of your culture and must be preserved.BUT how about your school system? You are so militant that Catalan fro example is more important than English and that is simply wrong. Tosay we have a Global Market and many people work outside of their own countries. You are limiting the possibilities for your own kids because they don´t speak English at all. If Pablo, a Computer expert wants to work in the United States, Germany or wherever they will ask - Pablo, hablas Ingles? And then Pablo has to answer - Ingles? Que va. Pero hablo Catalan de puta madre. :-) I think you get the point.
Another problem is the obligation to learn Catalan, Valenciano for the kids of foreign residents or workers in schools while English is a disaster. Imagine a worker will be sent to Madrid. His kids are in school and they are doing great in Castellano. Then he has to transfer to a outpost of his company in Barcelona and suddenly the kids have to understand Catalan because at least half of the courses they have to learn are given in the Provincial language. The teacher will not do it in 2 languages just because of a few foreigner kids or even Spanish kids from Provinces without a Provincial language. I know that from own experience. Kids from Latin America who speak fluent Castellano as their Mother language sit in the classes like idiots and have to know that HERE Azul is BLAU and Salida is SORTIDA etc. When I came to Valencia, I needed a copy of a key and I went to a Ferreteria with my Dictionary in my hand because I don´t ecpect that someone has to understand my language. So I asked for a "Copia de Llave" and his answer was "Klau" I asked 3 times and every time he said "Klau" Then I gave up and left. Today I know that Klau, Llave and key is the same thing. Just that Klau is Valenciano Then you go to the Ayuntamiento and apply for a NIE. Now how absurd is that to hand out a Form that you must fill out in Catalan, knowing that you are a foreigner? You have to ASK for the Form in Castellano. All these experiences made me hate that Provincial language Bullshit. Especially in Schools. You will surely tell me that each Catalan also speaks Castellano. But then please explain to me why Road Signs have to be in Catalan and the same goes for traffic information in the Radio. Let the stupid foreigners study Castellano and then let all the people, except the Catalanes hit the traffic jam because the info is only for Catalanes.Ever thought about how stupid that is?
Don´t get me wrong, I love Spain and I adore the people. I used to live 15 years in Valencia but Provincial languages have nothing to do in Schools, traffic information or road signs.. And IF, then let´s say 2 hours a week in school is enough and not 4 hours a day while English is given only 2 hours a week. That was the ONLY point that I really hate in Spain. I´m from Bavaria and Munich in German is München. But in Bavaria München is MINGA but you will never find that on any Map or road sign. We also have different languages in Germany like Plattdeutsch in the North and Bavarian in the South. And even the City of Cologne has a own language. But in Schools and Government Institutions the only language is German. In City Halls, Police Stations etc also English. But that wouldn´t help you because Catalan is way more important ;)
Kaus M sorry i dont know what do you mean by "provincial" languages, is a new concept for me...basque is not "provincial" at all is just a language and we basque speakers happen to be bilingual if you want to live among us is time for you to begin to make the effort of learning another language...and is precisely in government and institutions where our language stops to be "provincial" and becomes just a language in which millions (catalan) or hundreds of thousands (basqe) communicate among us and yes as well with the government the police and our doctor. AGUR!!!
Kaus M in any case you seem to be very slow learning languages don't expect others to be as close minded and fanatic as you..immigrants are learning basque and catalan without any problems and with proud and fluency, so don't make your silly provincial attitude a general rule, is just a problem of yours you are born to monolingual countries not for complex bilingual societies...
and the Camp Nou?!
Lol loving all the comments, you guys are funny! So.... I see a lot of you picking on Catalans... well let me tell you, I was in Barcelona, sitting in a terrace near Barceloneta and this two American chicks started talking about us in English, oh man it felt great to reply in perfect American accent and confront them in their childish ways. I am from Barcelona but currently live in The States, it's been 12 years since I step foot in my city and I can't wait to show my husband and kids my amazing city. Dumb people...you find them everywhere, I rather enjoy my self than focus on the minority of ignorant people. Visca Catalunya petons a la meva preciosa ciutat!!!
lol catalan is not a mix of spanish and french.. its a language on its own...
+onereux actually it is, just like gallego is a mix of spanish and portuguese
+Abandoviewer its not a mix of any languages! Its a language.. It is obviously close to french and to spanish and italian.. Its a romance languages, all romance languages are similar to each other... But no, its not a mix of any languages
+onereux Italian and spanish are similar, french and spanish are similar too, but catalan, or gallego are dialects not langauages on its own, for example euskera it's a true language, but catalan and gallego shares a lot of words and phonemas with spanish and french or portuguese. For example, in catalan thanks is "merci", pretty similar as french does but they also say gracies" wich is similar to spanish's "gracias" Since Cataluña is very near the border between spain and france is pretty obvious that a mixture of languages has created what they call "catalan" just a dialect like for example "andaluz" in Andalucia or "castúo" in Extremadura The same can apply to gallego too. In Spain there are just 2 languages Castellano and Euskera, the rest are just dialects. :)
+Abandoviewer , I think you must take a look in wikipedia and get more information about catalan language,and you must go to school again and work very hard, try it!! and don't say stupid things tipical of the spanish intoxicators that appear here.(like you) however people is more inteligent and can use wikipedia for see the truth, ahh Im sorry for you but catalan is a little older than spanish, we can say that spanish is a dialect of the catalan!!! one text in catalan from the IX century say "ells ja usen els nostres vocables" (they (the spaniards) are using our words already).
In catalan thanks is mercés,(i know many of us we say merci but the correct word in catalan is mercés)
+mickbcn ,mercès sorry.
thanks for ur work, but if u let me do a correction and take u my opinion:
1- 100% pple in barcelona talk spanish (all catalano speakers talk spanish too)
2- pickpockers are in 100% from magreb-east europe.
3- traffic is a shit yes jajaj (actually i life in france, and in little citys it is too Nimes-Montpellier-Marseille)
4- hordes of turist are cool!, when pple is polite is not drunky.. like normaly turists do in night jajja
Thanks for ur work and for share our city and pretty country
Lucas Simmons hello lucas, thanks for u answer.
but if u really want to know the reality, u only have to go to comissary, police departament and look who is there, u only have to go to prison, and look % of nacionalitys. u only have adquire a bit of knowledge about it, before to speak about.
greetings from Barcelona
Lucas Simmons no se que xerras nen, greetings from Barcelona, also nice place to live. aurfidersen! mein freund!
it's called catalan not catalano you dumb fuck.
Toda la razón
wolter what in good name do you for work to get to travel so much????????
I don't quite agree on many points.
1. People speak Spanish more than Catalan actually in Barcelona and English is well spoken
2. Traffic ? Most Catalans drive peacefully, if you want people driving wild go to Italy (Rome for example)
3. The city is not big ... You can walk everywhere actually ... and most of the city is uninteresting, most of the nice areas to see are in the Gothic quarter and its adjacent neighborhoods ... Touristic spots are much more spread out in Paris than in Barcelona, and the two cities have similar land areas ... but yeah you still need to take the metro from time to time (if you want to go to the Sagrada Familia for example)
I'm from Spain and I never have problems with any pickpocket, maybe they are always in touristic areas. I dont know.
I know, I have to improve my english. Grettings.
Прекрасный танец
This video needs an update
yea, my girl friend is in the same boat...we want to go to barcelona but we don't want to learn catalan..
Visça Barça 🔵🔴😍😍😍😍