I know what you mean about changes in both Barcelona and Porto. Porto is the nearest non-Galician city to us so we visit once or twice a year. But I first went in 1986 and hated it. It wasn't just dirty and rundown but also had huge income disparity the made the poverty even worse. Today it's hard to believe it's the same city.
We lived near Montpellier 1994 to 2016 and visited Barcelona several times a year. In the early days you could park on the street outside your 5000 peseta (about €20) hotel in the Eixample. The Born had a serious lack of street lights which gave it an extraordinarily gothic look at night-time.
From about 2000 Barna was already beginning to change and we started alternating our visits with Girona or the Costa Brava which was suddenly much nicer (BTW, have you ever been to Villa Mas in St Feliu de Guixols ?) Now I only go back to Barcelona for business and don't linger. I'm glad I got to have experienced it while it still had rough edges but it no longer represents a pleasure to me. Porto is better but for how long?
Correct, 2007 was Barcelona's zenith and I'm totally not just saying that as it was my first time in the city, with the Born as my first night out. All purely anecdotal.
Henry—Your wickedly astute comparison of The White Lotus to Herne Bay’s seaside absurdity is social satire at its finest. You’ve nailed the universal truth beneath both: that leisure (whether Sicilian villas or Kentish B&Bs) inevitably exposes the same delicious human follies. A masterclass in finding the epic in the everyday.
I know what you mean about changes in both Barcelona and Porto. Porto is the nearest non-Galician city to us so we visit once or twice a year. But I first went in 1986 and hated it. It wasn't just dirty and rundown but also had huge income disparity the made the poverty even worse. Today it's hard to believe it's the same city.
We lived near Montpellier 1994 to 2016 and visited Barcelona several times a year. In the early days you could park on the street outside your 5000 peseta (about €20) hotel in the Eixample. The Born had a serious lack of street lights which gave it an extraordinarily gothic look at night-time.
From about 2000 Barna was already beginning to change and we started alternating our visits with Girona or the Costa Brava which was suddenly much nicer (BTW, have you ever been to Villa Mas in St Feliu de Guixols ?) Now I only go back to Barcelona for business and don't linger. I'm glad I got to have experienced it while it still had rough edges but it no longer represents a pleasure to me. Porto is better but for how long?
I've explored the Costa Brava a little. Cadaques was lovely in the 00s, great seafood and cheap too.
Correct, 2007 was Barcelona's zenith and I'm totally not just saying that as it was my first time in the city, with the Born as my first night out. All purely anecdotal.
It was a glorious time.
Henry—Your wickedly astute comparison of The White Lotus to Herne Bay’s seaside absurdity is social satire at its finest. You’ve nailed the universal truth beneath both: that leisure (whether Sicilian villas or Kentish B&Bs) inevitably exposes the same delicious human follies. A masterclass in finding the epic in the everyday.
White Lotus S4 Ep3 - Tempers boil over after a day trip to Whitstable.
Ha ha!
We stayed at the Yeatman a few years ago and absolutely loved it, it’s oddly detached from the main city, like looking across a chasm.
Yes and it's incredibly quiet at night. Don't think I've ever slept so well.