Spain is not a country for foreigners— or at the very least, not one where foreigners can feel right at home. Hotels, restaurant menus, street signs, information pamphlets… are all full of funny and confusing phrases. Seville ceased to be a wonder when some serious mistakes in the tourism translations of its signs were discovered, and surely, more than a few bars and restaurants have given diners indigestion with these culinary translations that leave a bad taste in the mouth. Have you seen some funny and confusing tourism translations? We certainly have!
If the Walls of Seville could talk…
We’re not sure if a German tourist who’s visiting Seville for the very first time will manage to find the famous Walls of Seville, but it will surely give him pause to learn that he will be visiting the “Macarena Walls”. And if he were wanting to find out what the translation for Torre de los Perdigones is, he’ll just have to learn to do without, because apparently, things got so complicated that the City Council decided to dispense with the services of a professional translator and left the signs as they were in Spanish.
Wine with a twist
But that’s not all. The misnomer “typical Spanish” has also invaded Spanish bars and restaurants, which are putting in great effort to make things easier to understand for foreigners, but without engaging the services of professional translators. And naturally, as can be expected, the results are not exactly what they hoped for. So, did you feel like having some wine? Be careful! You never know who might be inside the bottle. The infamous “he/she come in bottle” has already become a classic among the funniest and most confusing tourism translations there are. Weren’t you expecting some surprises on your trip? This one will certainly not disappoint!
The Pilates empire
And if you’re also looking for Casa de Pilatos in Andalusia, don’t forget to bring your exercise mat and some workout clothes—you’re going to need them. Mistakes in tourism translations definitely leave their mark. Casa de Pilatos was turned into a veritable Pilates empire with its translation as “Pilate’s House”. Well, what can you expect?
