Barcelona Council Hands Out "Civil" Cartoons - Here are mine

With the hot weather arriving, so the droves of tourists head to the beaches for a cheap beer (or not) and soak up some of the Mediterranean sunshine. It's usually after this, wandering back home to their hotel or apartment that the locals start to become annoyed. It's a real pet hate in Barcelona to see scantily clad tourists parading through las ramblas and the surrounding parts wearing only what they had on in the sea.



So, in an attempt to bring a little more civil behaviour to the streets, the council have this week released a funny little cartoon for any restaurant, bar, cafe, etc. etc. owner to print off and presumably clart all over their windows in an attempt to clean up the image. Whether or not this will work is yet to be seen. Given the fact that Spain is still well and truly in an economic downturn, coupled with the recent Volcanic Ash cloud madness, I think many owners of bars and terraces around the town won't care two hoots as long as there are bums on seats. I may be wrong, but I have a hunch.

So, while they're at it, why not address some of the other terrible problems around Las Ramblas and the surrounding areas with these fantastically innocent cartoons? How about those silly Mexican hats that everyone buys? Sombreros are not Spanish, no-one wears them, but they're often seen.



Or how about another go at the terrible trileros?



Is it me, or are there a few more important things to be worried about as the summer approaches? Last Summer was more than just a bad day at the office for the mayor, and whilst that particular problem seems to have been taken care of, there are many just as serious that need tackling. What do you reckon? Any ideas for new cartoons that we could add? Leave a comment!

Fancy the Barcelona sunshine this year? Check out BCN Rentals tourist apartments for rent. And for a quick look at the top sights in the city, see this Barcelona city Guide.

New Facebook Page - A Better Barcelona?

Social media is becoming more and more a platform for people to vent their anger and protest for some very good causes. Like the story in La Vanguardia last week which highlighted the Facebook group "I was robbed in Barcelona", it appears that there might be more than just one group of annoyed locals using the site to gain momentum.



A better Barcelona is possible is another Facebook page with over 500 fans which aspires for...well, a better Barcelona! The site touches some wide topics regaring the city, from the shambles that was the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures to the new traffic lights and shiny bins that the city has installed throughout the city - pointing out that the citizens of Barcelona will be paying a cool 285 million Euros each year until 2017.

It asserts to be a platform or forum of discussion and debate about how to find a better Barcelona. Some of the messages left of the wall are great, and others seem rants, but I think it's great for people to embrace this kind of momentum and see what can be done.

So is it any good, making these platforms and groups? Well, it appears it is. Last Friday, the local council reluctantly accepted the resignation of the councillor in charge of the whole of Cuitat Vella, Itziar González. And this week there was a change in the penal law code regarding persistant pickpockets and the silly rule that less than 400 Euros is not considered a crime. Now, persistant offenders can and will be brought to trial and can be forced to go to jail (but only on weekends or public holidays, and at the centre closest to where they live - no really!). Why not send them a taxi while you're at it? They have all week to pickpocket (surely tourists are out and about mid-week, right?!). Good intentions, I suppose, but there's a long way to go if Barcelona wants to shake off that image of being the worst place for pickpocketers.

Floor Plaques in Barcelona

One thing I've noticed walking around the city over the years is that Barcelona council awards certain places with a commemorative plaque (which looks like a drain top) which is placed on the floor on the path outiside the establishmet.

The kind of places tend to be well established stores, bars or even eateries. A few that I know are London Bar on Nou de La Rambla, "El Indio" textile shop on Calle Carmen, and Escriba cake shop on las Ramblas - you can see some photos here. Obviosuly the Escriba one on Las Ramblas gets walked over a lot more, so it's easy to see why it's more worn.

The text is in Catalan and is translated to "In recognition to your years of service to the city" and as you can see there are 2 dates - the early date must be when the establishment begun trading, and the later date, when the plaque was given. I have no idea how many of these are given or the frequency, but it's perhaps a little known fact about the city, and I think it's a nice touch.


For other information about the city and its neighbourhoods, try this Barcelona Guide


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