As we have been reporting, one of the nicest cities in Europe is overcrowded. The is mostly due to the huge cruise ship traffic coming  in. When I say HUGE, I mean those that can dump 5,000+ onto the city streets.

Personally, I love the city;. The Gaudi Art Nuevo architecture dazzles the senses – eye candy.

La Sagrada Família is almost done – a few more years – but it is a sight everyone wants to see. In the last couple  of years, the inside was open to  the public and the Pope consecrated it.  It’s called a Basilica – not a Cathedral. That tern is for a Bishop’s church.

Ada Colau is the mayor of Barcelona.

In 2018, over 2 million passengers visited. Studies have shown that Barcelona suffers from all the ships polluting the waters.  But don’t merchants love all the buyers who come into  town? Well, the average spent is only about $30 per person.

A short read – learn more about the cruise ship crowd situation

People also arrive via planes. The airport had 50 million passengers land in 2018. There is a plan to expand via an €18 million expenditure.

It’s the politics, baby!  Remember that Barcelona is in Catalonia. The people there have a long history of NOT being part o f Spain, but were merged in decades ago. They had a referendum last year to break away – but Madrid said NO. In fact, 13 leaders of the rebellion are charged and may get 25 years if found guilty.

Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan president, left Spain ahead of the charges, but he was arrested in Germany. He’s been hiding about in other European Union cities.

Sand by – this could get interesting. Maybe even a movie!

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