Barcelona by Foot
When you arrive in Barcelona, Spain, the first thing you will notice is the plentitude of cobblestone streeets, narrow alleyways lined with shops that simply won’t accomodate cars of any kind, and the scores of people walking about on foot. Barcelona is truly a city for walking. It is made for getting from place to place on foot, but in order to do this, you simply must (and I mean MUST) have a couple of pairs of truly comfortable shoes, along with thick and absorbent socks. The cobbled streets in this city are very ancient, and very rough. If you think you will prance along wearing high heels or thin soled sandals or flats, think again.
Walking on cobbled streets can actually be fun instead of agonizing when you have the right foot gear. For men, one shoe that is highly recommended by European and American travelers alike is the Keen Finlay, that can purchased in the US at mall stores like The Walking Company, or from an online retailer like Zappos, or here at REI. Never scrimp on comfortable shoes if you are going to be touring a city with cobbled streets. If you don’t feel like going through the process of breaking in a new pair of shoes before your trip, it would be better to wear some athletic shoes that already fit you well, maybe New Balance or Nike walking shoes, so that you don’t end up with a foot injury derived from poorly fitted shoes when its too late to do much about it. Also, don’t worry about looking like an old fuddy duddy: wear orthotic support inserts in your shoes if you can find them. You’ll thank me later!
There is no experience to quite match that of being in Barcelona and taking the day slowly, drifting in an out of shops or stopping for Tapas toward evening time. There is a lot of freedom for those who decide to truly get off the automobile crowded paths and go it on foot. It may be that you will walk in excess of five hours per day, all told, but you will get the reward of a view unlike that of the passing car passenger. You will be able to take some of the most glorious photographs, and enjoy a side of life in Barcelona that you might never have known existed, otherwise.
