I did a Google image search for 'sprickets', apparently you're not the only one calling them that.

I hear you. I'm 6ft 1, a veritable giant around these parts, and I've tried making eye contact with tiny abuelitas whose heads barely reach my belt to come to some accord, all to no avail. My mom came to visit and we were crossing Passeo de Gracia, a major thoroughfare in the heart of the tourist district, when a…

Actually there's been a considerable drop in the last couple of years, at least in Barcelona. The police have been slowly introducing, barrio by barrio, small teams of police dedicated to hunting down thieves. I believe there was some fear Barcelona's reputation for crime might impact visitor numbers.

I live in Barcelona and trapping people in the train doors to rob them is pretty common. They also have one guy drop a pack of cigarettes at the top of the escalator and while he's blocking you to retrieve it his companion is lifting your wallet.

I lived in the city for fifteen years and didn't encounter the hostility paper ghost is talking about either. Strange.

*shrug* I don't let strangers touch me, or even attempt to touch me.

And Barcelona. For a while it was the pickpocket capital of Europe. When you move here, as I have, everyone gets robbed once or twice in the first year then never again. I've had almost all of these scams tried on me, but now I nod to the thieves on the metro to let them know not to bother.

I guarantee you any amount of money you care to name ellenjane has not read the Handmaid's tale.

Thanks for that. I just checked it out on YouTube, I'd never heard of it before.

God damned hipsters. Point taken.

Funny how these Australians look like normal guys who could exist today but most of the Germans in that bottom picture look like 'Historical Personages'. Could be the mustachio\pointed beard assemblages.

Reminds me of that film 'Spanking the Monkey'.

Please, lord, when the zombie apocalypse arrives, let them be dumb.

I'm black (well mixed but mostly black) but spent half my childhood in NYC and half in the Bahamas. My adult life has been pretty equally divided between NYC and Spain. This is what it spat out:

That bottom photo is giving me goosebumps.

That 'tail' it has makes it even more terrifying. It looks like it's spinning a katana.

They don't deny human caused climate change is happening. They used to argue that western economies grew unrestrained until they became the richest nations and that they should do the same until they achieved comparable levels of wealth. Even this is dated considering China has begun to implement policies to reduce…

I made my third trip to Valencia last fall and had a blast every time. I'm from NYC but currently live in Barcelona. I've traveled around the country pretty extensively, but Cadiz is high on the list of places I still have to go.

Five seconds with Google reveals photos of Presidents, Republican and Democrat, bowing to foreign leaders ever since the advent of photography.

Almost but not quite.