If you have visited London, you will have seen that the weather is worse than Barcelona and the city is more chaotic but that it also has bigger monuments and better parks. There are a lot of cultural differences too. How different are our lives?
Meal times are a big contrast between the two cities. In London it is very common to have lunch at 12:00/13:00 and it is usually something simple such as a sandwich or a salad. Whereas in Barcelona, lunch is considered to be the most important meal of the day and is often eaten at 14:00/15:00. Due to the smaller meal at midday, the British often have a larger meal in the evening at around 18:00/19:00 which is considerably earlier than Catalans who will often wait until 21:00/22:00 to eat dinner.
Though less common than it used to be, siestas are still happen daily in many parts of Spain. With the extended lunch break, often 2 to 3 hours, and the large lunch, a siesta is a great way to recharge the batteries during the heat of the day. On the other hand, in the UK the lunch break is usually only 45 minutes so mid afternoon naps are impossible for most people.
It is said that Spanish and Catalan people are much closer to their family and will be in contact with them almost every day. However, in the UK, many people don't speak to their family members for much longer time periods and they very often live in different cities.
When meeting new people a polite handshake is the the most common greeting in London and with good friends maybe a hug. In Catalonia, 2 kisses on the cheek is the usual way to say hello and goodbye (except in business!).
We can be quite objective when we say the weather in London is worse but the parks are bigger than Barcelona, but when it comes to culture, the differences between places are interesting and should be celebrated.
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