Smell something there mate?

When you visit Barcelona, you will notice it is a very clean city, especially if you compare it to other cities I have travelled to. Just in my area the rubbish men pass by around 3 or 4 times an evening.
You hardly find rubbish on the floors and people are very conscious on recycling. So why on earth does this city stink??
Ever since I was very young I could tell I was entering the city in the taxi by the profound sewage stench that still hits my nose to this day. I have been travelling to and from Barcelona for years and the smell has never improved nor disappeard. The sewage system must be too old to change and this is the reason why it still smells. After living here you do end up getting used to that sewage smells, if you go away to the country for a couple of weeks and then drive back you will realise how much our noses get used to that horrid smell.

Sewage smell is one thing but what I really can’t understand is the smells in the “barrios” (areas). People throw their rubbish daily, I always see the street cleaners with their super powerful hoses but yet it still stinks of Cat’s wee. What on earth are they putting on the streets?
I live in an urban part of Barcelona and there are not many stray cats yet it stinks of them, (dirty ones). I really feel that the government needs to care more for the areas as it really horrible how every time I walk down certain roads I have to yet again hold my nostrils. Why not put plants and trees and then oxidize the areas?
As I am on this subject there is one more issue I need to bring up. Ever since I have quit smoking my senses have increased immensely just like a super hero. And at first I was so grateful to be able to taste and smell things intensely, but what kills me is the smell of people.
I don’t know if it is a Mediterranean thing but people really have a BO problem here. Not everyone but whenever I travel on the bus I always end up next to at least one smelly person. I find it so hard to hide my disgust too because I have turned into a person that can’t stomach anything and I get a sick feeling every time I get lobbed next to an old gentleman that only washes once a week when the nurse comes.
This is a clean country and the people shower but do they know what deodorant is?? I can understand when people have been working all day in the summer months and end up smelling. It is sometimes inevitable. But we are in November, its winter and it is not hot. And people still smell at 8.45 am while on their way to work. Does that make sense??? Seriously though, whenever I am sweaty I know I need to shower or put more deodorant on, and if it was only one person that smells I would understand but this is a daily thing. I get public transport twice to four times a day. I catch a bus and metro and whenever I am guaranteed to sit or stand next to at least one smelly person.
The other day I jumped on the bus and sat next to a young girl. Then all of a sudden a man stood right next to me and he stank! The girl looked at me in disgust and held her nose. I felt so embarrassed and held my nose to; I wanted to make sure she knew it wasn’t me.
The thing is if your homeless I understand you cant clean up but people who share public transport with others need to understand that it is unfair for us people to have to put up with you smelling the whole dam train up!
One thing is the smell of tobacco, I now dislike the smell but put up with it, but another one is the smell of body odour or of people who haven’t showered in days.
You do also get people who shower in their colognes! Seriously my nose is weak and leaves me unable to breathe, how do they survive it?
There are people that are very eco friendly and are completely against deodorant, (yes, these people exist and I know of them). How do you make these people understand that although they are against this product it is necessary because they reek?
I know this country has been doing a lot of marketing and publicity on saving water but that didn’t mean: DO NOT WASH!!!! On the contrary guys!! Saving water means don’t leave taps on while you are scrubbing the dirty dishes. Or don’t flush the toilet too many times. That is what they meant.
The problem with smelly people is that is an issue that people don’t address to others as it is a sensitive subject. But I thought maybe the deodorant companies should do a new marketing campaign and provide mini bottles for free on the metro! Maybe people will get the hint.
In the mean time I’ll stick to holding my nose while looking at the people in pure disgust. Sorry to the people that fall under this category but really no one wants to smell your armpits or last night’s booze and fag smell.
Lets all go with deodorant in our hand bags or man bags and spray these people like annoying flies!! Maybe that way they will get the hint.