Barcelona & The Tourist Trap

There is no shame in following the tourist trail.... sometimes...

_{Entrance to Sagrada De Familia, Barcelona}

It is a thing of beauty. Centuries in the making, iconic, and very expensive to visit! People tend to go on and on about 'tourists'. They say things like 'too touristy' or 'tourist trap', and to some extent I agree. But let's be honest... when we are abroad, we are ALL tourists in the eyes of the locals - and that is not a bad thing!

_{An anti-tourist protest taking place on the streets of Barcelona - photo taken from a open top tour bus!}

Tourists have a bad name for a number of reasons; loudness, rowdiness, overcrowding, unfair rent pricing, rudeness, and my pet peev - litter. Each one of us can take steps to avoid these things and work towards a better outlook. Granted, what is considered rude to one person may just be seen as being forward or open to another, but on the whole I believe people have sensibilities about what is and what is not right.

That being said - ethical tourism is a great way to stimulate local economies and spread cultural awareness when done correctly. It shouldn't be dissuaded. And yes - I am even talking about the cheesy open top tour buses that spoon feeds local history to lazy tourists.

_Dab.

Barcelona has plenty of opportunities for these types to queue up for tickets to follow a trail of other tourists around famous landmarks like some sort of pilgrimage. During this trip, we decided to be stereotypical tourists. To be lazy, and just hit all the 'Top 10 things to do in...' sites.

_{A selfie of a selfie taken at Camp Nou, nothing says cheesy tourist like the peace hands}

There is something comforting about doing some safe, along the beaten track tour, despite how cringey it can be. Although I would say that this sort of trip is a lot easier to undertake in Europe. Similar tour groups in Asia or Africa will likely involve 'Elephant Rides' or 'Market Tours' which translate into animal abuse, or forced hard sales respectively. In Europe, the worst you will likely get is a few sneers and possibly the odd protest!

_{Selfies make me sick}

All that being said, just because you hit all the typical spots doesn't mean those alternative options aren't still open to you...

_{Last one, I promise}

Barcelona has no shortage of cool bars and pubs including Wall Street themed shot bars where drink prices can plummet in a 'crash' and, my personal favourite, a skatepark within a bar which turns into a makeshift cinema by night.

_{The entrance to 'Nevermind' skatepark & bar}