Further Information

Further Information

Below we provide information of a general nature that may be of interest or that may be useful for you to know during your stay in Catalonia.

Mealtimes
In Catalonia, as in the rest of Spain, mealtimes are later than is normal elsewhere. Breakfast is usually taken between 8.00 and 11.00 am. An aperitive (e.g. vermouth) is typical at the weekends between 12.00 and 2.00 pm. Lunch is taken between 1.00 and 3.00 pm, and some people have an afternoon snack between 5.00 and 6.30 pm. Finally, dinner is usually between 9.00 and 10.30 pm.

There is no shortage of places to eat at any time of the day or night, as restaurants are all open at least for the lunch and dinner periods, and many bars and cafeterias offer snacks outside of standard mealtimes.

 

Shop times
Shops are generally open Monday to Saturday mornings between 9.00/10.00 am and 1.30/2.00 pm, and in the evenings between 4.00/5.00 pm and 8.00/9.00 pm. The larger shops, shops in the city centre and shopping centres generally remain open the whole day through, from 10.00 am until 9.00 or 10.00 pm. Almost all shops (except, for example, cake shops and newsagents) are prohibited from opening on Sundays and holidays, except on certain specified days of the year.

 

Catalan cuisine
Catalan cuisine is typically Mediterranean, and is based largely on vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, olive oil and wine, although it has its own distinctive gastronomic traditions and has been enriched over time by eastern and new world cuisine. A highly varied landscape has resulted in a wide variety of natural ingredients and cooking styles, which can be classified in three main groups: mountain cuisine, in which meat, cheese, cold meats, and garden, forest and farm produce predominate; coastal cuisine, based on fish, seafood, rice and noodles; and finally, city cuisine, marked by reinventions of traditional Catalan dishes and international cooking.

Some of the more traditional Catalan dishes include: escalivada (grilled vegetables), pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato), botifarra amb mongetes (sausage and beans), escudella i carn d'olla (sausage, meat and vegetable stew), arròs a la cassola and arròs negre (rice dishes), coca de recapte (pastry- and olive oil-based pizza), faves a la catalana (Catalan-style broad beans), rovellons a la llauna (wild mushroom dish), trinxat amb rosta (potato and cabbage dish), pèsols ofegats (peas à l’étouffée), fricandó amb bolets (veal frincandeau with wild mushrooms), mandonguilles amb sèpia (meatballs and cuttlefish), cargols a la llauna (snails), peus de porc (pigs' trotters), bacallà amb samfaina (cod dish), calamars farcits (stuffed squid), graellada de peix i marisc (grilled fish and seafood), llagosta amb pollastre (lobster with chicken), popets amb ceba (octupus and onion), romesco (spicy sauce), sardines a la brasa (barbecued sardines), sarsuela and suquet de peix (fish casseroles), ànec amb peres (duck with pears), conill amb allioli (rabbit and garlic mayonnaise), costelles de xai (lamb cutlets), perdiu amb col (partridge and cabbage), etc.

As for desserts, of note is the excellent quality and variety of Catalan fruit (melon, apricots, figs, strawberries, cherries, etc) and pastries such as bunyols (fritters), coca de llardons (suet pastry), crema cremada (caramelized custard cream), massapà (marzipan), menjar blanc (blancmange), panellets (marzipan cakes), torrons (almond sweets), and tortells (pastry rings).

The indispensable accompaniment to Catalan gastronomy is a high-quality, local wine, whether red, white, rosé, etc. Catalonia has 11 denominations of origin, namely Penedès, Tarragona, Terra Alta, Conca de Barberà, Costers del Segre, Empordà-Costa Brava, Priorat, Alella, Pla de Bages, Montsant and Catalunya.

Catalonia has also acquired a solid reputation as a producer of sparkling wines, made according to the méthode champenoise. These wines have their own denomination of origin as cava, and the main producing region is the Penedès area (Sant Sadurní d'Anoia).

 

Safety on the streets
As in many large cities and particularly in tourist areas, you should watch out for thieves. Some words of advice:
- Keep an eye on your belongings, especially in crowded or tourist areas.
- Take only the absolutely minimum necessary with you when you go to the beach.
- Do not participate in games of chance on the street as the idea is to fool you into parting with your money.

 

Cost of living
The cost of living in Barcelona is similar to that for other large European cities, although it is probably lower than in cities like Paris, London, or other northern European cities. It is more expensive than Lisbon and Athens, for example, or about equivalent to Rome.

High-street banks and savings banks
Opening times are generally from 8.30 am to 2.00 pm, Mondays to Fridays. Banks also open Saturday mornings and savings banks generally open Thursday evenings (except in summer). In the centre of Barcelona and in tourist areas you will also find plenty of exchange bureaux.

Foreign students, researchers and instructors - whether from the EU or otherwise - are permitted to open non-resident bank accounts provided they can identify themselves properly. EU nationals may, if they prefer, open a resident's account, provided they can identify themselves by means of a passport or NIE. The main differences between the 2 kinds of accounts is that the commissions charged on resident accounts tend to be lower and transfers tend to be faster. That said, you should make enquiries as to the conditions for each kind of account, as different institutions apply different conditions.

If you open a current account, you will be able to obtain a debit card which you can use for payment instead of cash (in shops, for services, etc.). You need to be aware that if you use a credit card issued by a bank in your own country to withdraw money from a cash machine, you are likely to pay a high commssion. Finally, you should also note that the daily maximum limit on withdrawals from cash machines is €600.

 

Public telephones
You can make calls from public telephone booths using coins or telephone cards that can be purchased from tobacco shops. International call codes are listed in public phone booths and in local telephone directories. For general information, call 1003, and for international information, call 025.

 

Post
Both post offices and tobacco shops frank letters and sell stamps.
Postboxes are distinctively painted in yellow and in red.
Telegrams can be sent from any post office, or from hotels by calling 902 197 197 from any part of Catalonia.

 

Useful Telephone Numbers

Updated april 2007