Plaza de España

The place is beautiful but really crowded it was a shame the fountain was closed for construction works.

BE AWARE THIS IS A TOURIST TRAP:

Where do I start…

First, I want to warn you about pickpockets. Being a tourist attraction, there are many people who WILL take advantage of you. They will try to distract you while their colleague steals from you.

Second, be aware of your surroundings. Keep your bags close and don’t let them go for a second, or they might disappear.

Lastly, do not interact with people you don’t know, especially those carrying rosemary branches. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS. They will lure you in by handing you one of their branches. Do not accept it; it is a trap. They will ask you for money, or their colleague will steal from you while they distract you.

I was there the other day, and a woman offered me a branch. I did not accept it and continued on my way. Then another woman appeared in front of me and handed me a rosemary branch. I had no time to react; she was too close. She then asked for some spare change. I told her I didn’t have change and tried to hand the branch back, but she wouldn’t take it. I showed her my wallet was empty of coins, but she saw a €20 bill sticking out. She then grabbed my right hand and told me she was going to “read it” and started saying something from memory. Then another woman approached us and yanked my partner's arm. I told her that he did not speak Spanish and asked her to leave him alone, while the first woman continued chanting in Spanish. Then she asked for my other hand and asked my partner to put his hand up for the second woman. Honestly, I just wanted to leave. They were really annoying, and I didn’t see the point of any of it. Finally, the woman finished her chanting and said that I owed her €5 per hand. She demanded €10 from me, not asked—DEMANDED. She had seen that I had money, and the other woman was big. I felt cornered, so I told her I needed change from my €20. The first woman asked the second woman to hand me a €10 bill, and I had to hand over my €20. Once I had paid the first woman, the other one started asking for money for “reading” my partner’s hand. I was not going to have it. I politely told her that I had asked her to leave my boyfriend alone because he did not understand Spanish. Nevertheless, she continued trying, but I was not going to give in. I already felt ripped off by the first woman who demanded my money. I am a native Spanish speaker, so there was no misunderstanding. She did not ask for permission; she started doing her thing and then demanded money.

I’m sharing my experience so others won’t go through the same thing I went through. AVOID THESE PEOPLE. Do not interact with them.

This experience ruined my week. I felt ripped off and scammed. I couldn’t stop thinking about the interaction and what I could have done differently. Don’t be nice to strangers in the street who give you something. If they put the branch in your hand, throw it on the floor or hand it back and carry on. Don’t worry about being rude to these people; they are scammers.

Do not check your wallet; they might use the opportunity to distract you and take it from your pocket.