Spain, a Strange Mix of Stimuli

APRIL 23, 2026 BLOG POST

Spain has a strange mix of odors and sights. From stunning World Heritage sites like the Sagrada Familia, to sewer odors that will make you puff your breath back out.
We just returned home last night from 12 days in Spain! We're utterly exhausted, more so than any other trip we've taken, still trying to wrap our heads around the strange mix of stimuli we encountered in Spain. On one hand, we experienced the most incredible architecture, like the cathedral created by Gaudi, Sagrada Familia, or the stunning Palau Musica Catalan, by another Catalan Modernist architect, Domènech i Montaner. When we walked into Sagrada Familia, we felt this intense sacred feeling, like love all around us. We went into the little chapel on the side and prayed. But right outside, there were pickpockets that don't get arrested for theft- some kind of spidey sense tells you when someone is 1cm behind you and then you can watch them as they move from person to person. And just down the road, there is that sewer smell that just knocks you over. You are happily walking along and take a deep breath, and you've never smelled anything like it! Intense sewer gas, like a giant lake of poop in an old dank cavern is in front of you, mixed with sulfur. You have to immediately shoot the breath back out, and then step forward somewhere else to take a tentative breath. Each breath you must react to whether it has a sewer smell or not, and decide if you will take it in! 
The worst area of sewer smells by far is El Poblenou. This is a shame because there are many other lovely sensory inputs there too. The food, in this revitalized area, can be delicious! We ate three times at two Argentinian restaurants with the same owners, Alma Loca and La Tavernicola. Their sweet potato fries with lime and parmesan were amazing! Some of the cafes have elegant decor that is a delight to take in. We ate almost every morning at El Fornet Bakery, looking out their big windows and admiring their shiny gold decor. But you wonder how anyone can sit outside and eat, receiving sensory input from both the food and the sewer at the same time. How is this possible? And there are parents at the little children's playgrounds that are in the middle of roundabouts, breathing the sewer smells and car fumes, not seeming phased at all. Also, how do the hundreds of joggers who take Rambla del Poblenou down to Bogatell Beach stand breathing such putrid gases? And this sewer gas problem was not just in Barcelona- it seemed to be a problem throughout Spain. The second worst spot was Seville. Sewer gas also came out of your hotel sink in bountiful measure. 
Then there are the parks. To me, parks are a place to unwind, relax, forget about your cares. A place where you'll see little kids running around, see green above and below you, smell flowers, and hear birds singing. But many of the parks in Barcelona are just concrete with hardly any green at all. And the "garden" at Recinte Modernista, another Catalan Modernist architectural wonder, is just concrete, a huge expanse of it. There are orange trees emiting a delicious scent, but below them concrete, not grass. The gorgeous architecture would be accentuated by greenery, but instead the whole scene looks washed out by the concrete.
The parks are also a place of crime. When I visited Plaza de Espana in Park Maria Luisa in Seville, I was expecting so much beauty. And there is the most amazing Neo-Moorish architecture with blue balastrades, and blue and yellow lampposts and bridges. But I looked behind me, and there were two guys clearly working together to pickpocket. I moved to the other end of the plaza, and after a few minutes, they were behind me again! They were making rounds, walking behind people sussing out their opportunities. So I went to the wooded part of the park, away from the touristy chaos, to be safe. I was taking photos of a whimsical frog fountain. A mom and toddler were standing there, and I took another photo. Then when I looked up, they were gone, and instead I saw a horrible sight in the bushes. This shook me up, and I realized that parks are kind of an underworld in Spain. Jardin Botanic Historic in the Montjuic area also had a shadowy, sinister feel, and we had to rush past a strange sight there as well. My friend saw an awful thing in Mallorca too, by a coastal wooded walking path. We didn't even get to visit Park Ciutadella in Barcelona, despite its beauty, because we were warned of crime- a friend had BBQ sauce sprayed on her to distract her while she was stolen from.
Park Maria Luisa was also rundown, with trash strewn about, while at the same time Plaza de Espana in this same park, was being scrubbed by cleaning staff. And that sums up Spain. While some areas are attended to with great care, and shine with the brightest sheen, such as the Alcazar in Seville, clean, cared-for, and with security checking all visitors, other spots have no police presence, or none that actually enforces crime like lewd conduct. And while some spots have delicious food by entrepreneurial people trying to make something enjoyable in the world, the aging wastewater infrastructure is undermining their enterprise. 
On a side note, two other things that are found throughout Europe make visiting a struggle, cigarette smoke everywhere, and cars or motorcycles almost running you over while walking. In Seville, there are tiny narrow streets with 1 foot wide sidewalks that aren't raised up. I was walking when suddenly a taxi headed straight for me. There was nowhere to go because of the wall beside me. He was looking to the right of him at a horse and carriage down an alley. Luckily he turned his head forward just in time. A near miss. You never really feel safe walking in Europe, the kind of safety where you can stroll along and let your mind wander. Little lanes that look pedestrian-only because there is no sidewalk can have a motorcycle, or even a small car, wizz wildly by at any moment, so close you feel the air brush your shoulder. In Holland it is the bikes that terrorize you- this was not a problem in Spain, nor were ebikes.
And the cigarette smoke. This was the worst in Lloret de Mar, on the Costa Brava, when Polish people arrived for a warm spring weekend. Cigarette smoke came in the vent of our hotel room, so thick and potent that it was unbearable, but the front desk acted like it was nothing. It was a non-smoking hotel, but they said smoking on the balconies is allowed by law. Until 1am I breathed this potent blend of chemicals, and then at 7am, the smokers started up again. It made me realize that laws that smoking is not allowed in all public areas (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara) or within 20 feet of buildings protect everyone from toxins and discomfort. These laws make places so livable! And visitable!
The pollen, too, is insane! To line the streets, the same male Plane trees are been planted, in Barcelona and Seville. These trees create copious amounts of pollen, which you see in the air and on the ground, rolling down the road in huge cottonballs like tumbleweed. Everyone passes by, sneezing, snotting, squinting, and coughing. Do not visit in April!
Lastly, people in Spain are so surly. We had a few sweet and fun interactions with kind people who took an interest in someone who invested a lot of money and effort into seeing their country. But mostly, we had the feeling that we were somehow doing something wrong, that we were primary school children about to be reprimanded. So many stern, unpleasant interactions. At the high speed train ticket office, the employees rolled their eyes at each other and spoke in harsh tones throughout the entire process of my buying a ticket, and never warned me to go through security before standing at the gate. It was discouraging to be treated so poorly at each interaction, especially during the days when I was traveling alone and had no one to laugh with about the ridiculous nature of the previous interaction. France can be like this too, though the contempt directed at you in Spain is another level. I think speaking the language, not just a little, but to a high degree of proficiency, is the only way around this. You will still be treated to the automatic meanness at the beginning, but once you speak, eyes start to twinkle with appreciation. The concept of customer service, of a friendly light-hearted interaction between customer and employee, is not something valued. When we returned to the US and an employee at the airport gift shop said "Have good travels!" we felt relieved. We were home, and safe.
I never understood why someone would want to take an air-conditioned bus tour company trip around Europe, stopping at each site like a checklist- "Ok we saw the eiffel tower!"- and not interacting with any of the locals or wandering down unknown alleys to see what's on the other side. But after this trip, I could see the appeal. The checklist of world-class sites really were the enjoyable parts of this trip. Nice interactions with locals, or safe spots to wander, were really the exception not the rule. I felt so much happiness when strolling peacefully around the gardens in the Alcazar of Seville, but so many moments of utter unhappiness and even abuse, in the other areas of Seville. I think if I were to travel to Spain again, I'd be tempted to take a tour company.