A local news article that I found extremely interesting and relevant is one that described how the Barcelona Tourism Board wants to spread a message warning tourists not to wander around the streets of the city semi-nude. The article went on to say how Barcelona locals consider it common courtesy to walk around their historic city dressed conservatively, rather than in beach attire. The article stated that the reason for this is because there are so many historical places in the city that deserve respect, such as the Picasso museum and the Cathedral. The Tourism Board says they will not create sanctions forcing tourists to dress more conservatively in Plaza Catalunya or Parc Guell, but will do so for some of the more historical parts of the city center, saying that they do not want to prevent locals from attending tourist-infested areas for fear of being offended or bothered by the tourists' attire.
El Periodico has been covering this issue recently and has been biased on the side of the Catalan political party that is asking tourists to cover up outside of areas close to the beach.
I found this article interesting because just last week I saw a nude man riding a bicycle on Ramblas! I found this somewhat disturbing, but I am surprised by the idea that it is frowned upon to walk through the city in a bathing suit and shorts. Today, as I was walking to the beach with a friend, I commented that we were getting funny looks from many people. Our walk consisted of leaving our apartment and headed straight down Marina, past Sagrada Familia, and to the beach, with a quick stop for coffee. I even made a comment that I was surprised to notice that locals wear very conservative clothing to the beach, only taking it off when they arrive. If I had realized that it was offensive to locals, I would have thought twice about dressing this way when walking through the streets, especially near the historic Sagrada Familia. I never would have realized the issue, as in America it is quite common for people to walk to the beach wearing beach attire and sandals during the summer months. It is good that the tourism board plans to distribute brochures if they want to enforce this sanction, because most Americans would not realize the offense that they could cause.
El Periodico has been covering this issue recently and has been biased on the side of the Catalan political party that is asking tourists to cover up outside of areas close to the beach.
I found this article interesting because just last week I saw a nude man riding a bicycle on Ramblas! I found this somewhat disturbing, but I am surprised by the idea that it is frowned upon to walk through the city in a bathing suit and shorts. Today, as I was walking to the beach with a friend, I commented that we were getting funny looks from many people. Our walk consisted of leaving our apartment and headed straight down Marina, past Sagrada Familia, and to the beach, with a quick stop for coffee. I even made a comment that I was surprised to notice that locals wear very conservative clothing to the beach, only taking it off when they arrive. If I had realized that it was offensive to locals, I would have thought twice about dressing this way when walking through the streets, especially near the historic Sagrada Familia. I never would have realized the issue, as in America it is quite common for people to walk to the beach wearing beach attire and sandals during the summer months. It is good that the tourism board plans to distribute brochures if they want to enforce this sanction, because most Americans would not realize the offense that they could cause.
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