I saw that sign outside a shop today. It's rough translation is "Here, there are no such things as strangers, only friends you have not yet met."
So far, I'm finding this to be true. The move to my flat went fairly well considering all of the luggage I was travelling with. For the next two weeks, I'm staying in the heart of the tourist district, about 2 blocks from Las Ramblas. A block the other way will lead you to la Universitat de Barcelone with plenty of young hipsters eager to start up a conversation once they hear your American accent. My other flatmates are also very interesting...Paula is a 30 year old expat from Portugal. She's lived in 4 other countries and finally "settled" here. She speaks about 6 languages and works 2 jobs and is trying to start her own business. Amar is a 27 year old German who works as a buyer for Puma. He comes home at ridiculous hours so we haven't chatted too much, but he is an interesting guy with a connection to Raleigh (he was dating a girl who got a job there and just moved) So far it's been easy to find honest, hard-working people (yet none of them are natives...i'm just saying).
So, about the flat. It's small. I've seen walk-in closets bigger than my room. While the location is highly sought, there are plenty of negatives. Barcelona tops the list in Europe for the prevalence of petty crimes/theft. Las Ramblas is the center of the tourism district. Last year while travelling in Barcelona, my friend Matt was pickpocketed on a sidestreet off Las Ramblas. You see where I'm going?? I read an article before I left which said everyone in Barcelona will be robbed eventually, tourists and natives alike. Great.
Today, after trying for 5 hours, I was finally able to open up a bank account here. While that sounds simple, don't underestimate the inefficiency of Spain. There are essentially 3 things I must do here: open a bank account (check), obtain my NIE Residency card, and get cell phone service. Most banks won't open accounts to foreigners without their NIE card; you can't get an NIE card without a bank account; you can't get a cell phone contract without both an NIE card and a bank account. Yikes..After I return from Madrid next week, I'll have to find permanent housing and get started on the NIE piece.
The first day I moved in, I rummaged through my luggage, found my running shoes and took off towards the beach. The Mediterranean is absolutely beautiful. It was just before sunset and there were plenty of people scattered about. Although Barcelona is a city on the waterfront, it is also one of the busiest ports in Europe. Besides that, there are throusands of yachts lined up in the bay. I've heard it's pretty difficult to find a quiet spot to lay, but that's what the coastline south of Barcelona is famous for. I'll add it to my list of travels and report back..
Grocery shopping here is painless. Every street has local markets with fresh produce, butchers, and bakeries. Supermercados (Supermarkets) are becoming more popular one-stop shops. It is surprisingly cheap as well. Not something I was expecting when moving to a city which spends the most money in Europe on food.
Headed to Madrid tomorrow where I'll have my first true hostal experience. I owe you guys some pictures
Talk soon
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