Sun, Sand, and Cinematography

Saturday Madison and I spent the day juggling a bike and a camera, and let me tell you it was quite the juggling act. Our tour of the coastline of Barcelona however was enjoyable and informative. The notion of an "urban beach" is very interesting to me as well as the way in which Barcelona so aggressively tackled the coastline in hopes of a successful renewal by hauling in tons of sand, sculpting swimming and leisure areas, and carving out a marina. The beach is very different from the ones I know back in the Southeastern US. It is just as I would imagine an "urban beach" to be - loud, vibrant, and full of life. There are so many activities going on at once. The beaches are packed and full of people laying out, swimming, selling beer or massages. The boardwalks are packed, full of people eating, biking, blading, or strolling. The sidewalks beyond the boardwalks are packed and beyond that the streets are busy, and even further beyond that buildings are bursting with activity from the older architecture of Barceloneta to the high rises that mark the Olympic Port and Forum area. The beaches of Barcelona are very fast paced there is movement everywhere. A different, but new and exciting scene from the leisurely beaches back home.