Welcome to Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain and the largest city in Spain after Madrid. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besos, south of the Pyrenees mountain range, the border with France. Legend attributes the Carthaginian foundation of Barcino to Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal. About 15 BC, Romans redrew the town as a castrum (a Roman military camp) centered on the Mons Taber, a little hill nearby the contemporary city hall. The Roman Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino was outshone by the province's capital Tarragona but some important Roman remains are exposed under the Plasa del Rei, entrance by the city museum, Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat and the typically Roman grid-planning is still visible today on the map of the historical center, the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated in the cathedral butted up against them; the basilica La Seu is credited to have been founded in 343. The Visigoths conquered the city in the early 5th century, by the Moors in the early 8th century, reconquered from the Emir in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis who made Barcelona the seat of Carolingian Spanish Marches (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona. Barcelona was still a Christian frontier territory when Al-Mansur sacked it in 985. The counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia, later formed the Crown of Aragon who conquered many overseas possessions, ruling the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories as far as to Athens in the 13th century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crown of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. This legacy exists to this day as evidenced by the fact that the city (and Catalonia as a whole) still has a substantial proportion of people whose first language is Castilian. The city was devastated after the Catalonian Republic of 1640 - 1652, and again during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. King Philip V of Spain demolished half of the merchants' quarter to build a military citadel as a way of both punishing and controlling the rebel city. During the 19th century, Barcelona grew with the industrial revolution and the introduction of many new industries. During a period of weaker control by the Madrid authorities, the medieval walls were torn down and the citadel of La Ribera was converted into an urban park. The beginning of the 20th century marked Barcelona's resurgence as Catalans clamored for political autonomy and greater freedom of cultural expression. Barcelona was a stronghold for the anarchist cause, siding with the Republic's democratically elected government during the Spanish Civil War. Franco’s forces overran it in 1939, which ushered in a reign of cultural and political repression that lasted decades. The protest movement of the 1970s and the demise of the dictatorship turned Barcelona into a centre of cultural vitality, enabling it to become the thriving city it is today.
Say it in Spanish
Yes Si
No No
Hello Hola
How do you do? Qué tal?
Goodbye Adiós
How are you? Cómo estás?
Thank you Gracias
Please Por favor
Sorry Perdón
How much is it? Cuánto es?
I don’t understand No comprendo
Customs in Spain
• Be prepared to wait although punctuality is appreciated.
• Small talk and pleasantries will be exchanged before negotiations will begin.
• Be friendly and personal even if the other party is reserved (which is normal).
• Handshaking is the customary greeting.
• Making the gesture of OK (holding your index finger to your thumb in a circle) is considered rude.
• Shorts are not considered acceptable dress.
barcelona, spain continued
posted by Hills @ 2:29 PM
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