Theme day: bicycle
Sexy beaches of Barcelona… How could I not take this photo… Click on the photo to see her…tattoo.
More bikes here!
CDP theme day: upside down
Upside down… When I read about this coming theme, a few weeks ago, I drew a blank. But fortunately, we had in BCN the festa al cel, the festival in the sky.
Click here to see what other participants did.
A weekend reflection
Wish I was on the beach right now! Where are your favorites beaches?
To see more weekend reflections, click right here!
Keep on runnin’
No, it isn’t the Spencer Davis Group, lol! Just some guys running in their hotpants on the seafront.
Playing with light
Now and then, I like playing around with old photos, mainly with Adobe Lightroom (not a Photoshop fan, me) and with NIK filters. What do you think? Are you rather a SOOC -Straight Out Of the Camera- fan?
The Sagrada Familia church seems so close to the beach… Well it isn’t, it is well inland.
Taxi!
Taxis, waiting for clients, near the casino. More specifically: waiting for clients with enough money left to pay for the fare. No dinero? Take the metro!
Rhapsody…
…on a theme of Paganini. This is what he was playing, on a blue violon. By Rachmaninoff, originally for piano and orchestra. He gave it his own twist, a difficult task, more Jean Luc Ponty than music school style. It was cool, he was cool. The beach-addicts in Sitges just threw him a passing glance.
The World Trade Center and Barceloneta
… and in the back, one of the many reasons to come to Barcelona: playas!
Soon…
…it will be xiringuito season, aka the best time of the year: SUMMERTIME, YEAH!!!
A xiringuito, or guingueta, spanish chiringuito, is a beach bar, serving mostly drinks and snacks. Usually, some of them are fully-fledged restaurant. The bars tend to be really crowded after 2 PM, or in the evening, when the beach parties start. Excellent places to meet people…
Planet Poblenou
You too can create your own planet! This is la planeta del Poblenou, complete with Hilton hotel and a beach!
I know what you did last summer!
Well, maybe I don’t. But I truly wish you were fortunate enough to find yourself a nice place to spend the summer, be it sea or mountain. And for me, AND I REALLY NEED SUMMER RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE!
Special message to some good friends of mine in the scorching heat of Western Australia (the hottest day in ages there): winter will be back. In a few months, wont be long now. Lol.
Barcelona blues
Blues, and other colors, of course. The Westin hotel, as seen from Barceloneta beach.
Rush hour in Barcelona
This is the ransom of success and popularity… Oh man, give me an empty beach any day!
Let the sunshine in
Very early summer morning on the beach, as I saw it. Not necessarily with my eyes.
Summer
And summer is going on and on. Good news for beachgoers! No changes in the weather in the close future. Here is yesterday’s weather report. Not today’s, but we only need one, don’t we.
The beach
No, nothing to do with a rather average movie a few years back! This is better, this is Paris plage, Paris beach! Here is what it says on the municipal website:
A Seine-side holiday. That, in a nutshell, is what Paris Plages is all about – complete with sandy beaches, deckchairs, ubiquitous ice cream sellers, and concerts for French and foreign guests. Holidaymakers at the Bassin de la Villette (Paris 19) can also borrow books free of charge, play beach volley, take an aqua-gym class in a mini pool, or kayak around the lake – or, of course just chill and enjoy. The Seine’s banks become pedestrian and the beaches are spread across three spots (Louvre/Pont de Sully, Port de la Gare and Bassin de la Villette).
This was the first beach that opened in 2002. It spans three kilometres through historical Paris, and features open-air attractions (rollerblading, tai-chi, wall climbing, boules etc.). Refreshment areas, play areas and deckchairs are available for your time out unwinding by the river.
This is the latest addition to Paris Plages, and opened in 2007 round Bassin de la Villette (Paris 19). It stretches from Rotonde de Ledoux (nearest Jaurès Metro station) to the former Magasins Généraux (in Rue de Crimée) and features a proper water-sports complex (with rowing boats, kayaks, pedal boats and dinghies) alongside quaint quay-side restaurants and boules courts.
It all finishes next Sunday, so hurry up and go to Paris!!!
A chiringuito evening
I spent an evening on the beach recently, at a chiringuito, or beach cafe, with some colleagues. One of the rare times when I’m on the beach at sundown. So, plenty photos!
Streetwear…
… for the modern girl about town.
This said, didn’t Golda Meir, the former Israeli Prime Minister, formerly known as Goldie Mabovetz, have a very similar handbag???
Yes, she did!
How nice can the beach be…
…once the hordes have gone, after 9 PM. It is a great thing to have beaches, but there is also a big drawback about living in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Tourists my friends, you are welcome! But sometimes I wish I had a bit more space for my towel… A beach should not feel like the London Tube at rush hour, don’t you think?
Well, we have a conundrum.
Hot!
Summer is coming, and the beaches are getting crowded, nudist beach included. We used to have 2, but one was close to the W hotel, and apparently, some of the high and mighties staying in this luxury hotel complained about it. So, only one left, Mar Bella Playa.
Photo taken this weekend!!!
Beach season…
The beach season opens officially this coming weekend. This means that the following facilities will be available: toilets, lifeguards, police patrols, Wifi, a public library, bars, parties, and so on. Just add sun. Well, the weather is ok right now, 19 degrees today.
Theme day, continued…
Some more cafe chairs… No, wait: chiringuito chairs! A chiringuito is a beach cafe.
The brave
Well, it isn’t cold here, but I would definitely not go for a swim or even a dip. Some do… Photo taken yesterday.
On Christmas day, like every year, 400 of those courageous people went for a swim across the port. Well done, guys and girls!
Winter in Barcelona
Happy winter, everybody. Here, we still have 18 degrees C, and it’s nice. The only white we’ll have for Christmas is the foam from the waves.
Barcelona, 8 PM
… and now over to the weather report. It has been a hot day, 35 degrees C. No change for the next few days. It’s summer, folks!
Not a nude beach 2
I was in Sitges, 35 km/20 miles south of Barcelona, last Sunday. It was very hot, with a strange mixture of blue sky and very dark clouds. Therefore, this is for Skywatch Friday.
About the title… I posted this other picture with a similar title a few days ago…. and had a (not so) surprisingly high number of visitors. I am not into SEO, search engine optimization, but this is just… fun. We’ll see-)
A nude beach
Yes, public nudity is legal in Spain. No, you can’t walk naked through Barcelona anymore. Or cycle.
In Barcelona public nudity used to be regarded as a recognized right, although there have been successful prosecutions for public nudity even there and a local ordinance by the local council in May 2011 empowers the authorities to impose a fine for nudity and even being bare chested.
Basically, you want to be naked, stay on the nude beaches. No worries, there are plenty around!
Our world Tuesday, right here.
Not a nude beach 1
The green lady was the only one in the buff yesterday in Sitges. On this beach anyway.
Keeping fit, aka post 999
Well, ok, this photo was taken 2 weeks ago, during a normal winter day. Now, we’re having a cold spell all over Europe, you might have heard of it. The coldest winter in Catalunya in over 25 years, nothing less! Temperatures have gone down and down and down… Minus 23 in the mountains, minus 1 here. Which makes it even more important to keep FIT!
No cheating!
What could be better than spending your Sunday afternoon on the beach playing dominoes? Or so these gentlemen think. Saw them before,last summer, and they’re still here. We really had a wonderful Sunday afternoon, sun, 18 degrees C (mid-sixties, Fahrenheit). Spring!
Our World on Tuesday indeed.
Watery Wednesday
Close to freezing temperatures in the morning… So here’s a bit of summer!
Watery Wednesday as usual, right here.
Getting cold…
The beach chairs have been put away. The winter clothes came out of the wardrobes. Christmas lights are on in the streets and square. The city looks festive. It is the end of yet another year.
A lady
She came prepared. Slippers, gloves, jacket, folding chair. And of course the umbrella to ward of the very hot sun.
She came to see the airplanes, the airshow.
And to be really sure to stay fresh on this very hot day, she sat next to the… shower.
Action!
Just before arriving at my favorite beach, there is this skating ground/place. As I was a bit early for the airshow on sunday, I decided to risk my life, and got a bit closer to the action. This is what came out, some guy almost landing in the bold spot on top of my head! Was close!
This for Our World Tuesday. Have a look!
3 flags…
…the Spanish…
 
Watery Wednesday: looking at the Big Blue
Watery Wednesday… Looking at the Big Blue Med from the Forum area, with a few lamps in the foreground for the happy yachtsmen and women.
Watery Wednesday
The lifeguard, keeping the Sitges coast line safe, in his red pants.
Please check out what other participants posted for this week’s Watery Wednesday meme!
Watery Wednesday
Had a nice afternoon at the beach. It was extremely windy! Perfect for sailing, surfing, windsurfing and fishes. Not so for swimming, as the yellow flag was raised first, then the red one.
Anyway, Watery Wednesday again. Lots of water on this photo!
My World on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday…….
 Skywatch Friday
Yes, it’s Friday! And I’m off to France till Monday, without computer, so it’s gonna be automated posting this weekend.
Should you want to see more photos from this wonderful Skywatch Friday meme, just click here!
Skywatch Friday
I posted this photo on another blog a few days ago, but I love it so much that I just have to show it here!
The shoreline, almost all of it. This photo works best if seen as big as possible. Enjoy all the other photos on Skywatch Friday as well!
PS… I think this is the second ever B&W photo on this blog, as we usually go for something rather more colorful (see the last 730 or so posts). I am learning the art of B&W (and I love it!), so tell me what you think of it.
Levitating…
Next photo on my little (cable-car induced) levitation, the swimming pool. It is quite popular for a very simple reason: beaches here are man made. There might be some nice sand on the beach, but underwater, it’s gravel. And as the ground drops immediately, you’re in the depths in 2 steps, the water is cold, very cold. So, a swimming-pool can be quite nice!
Watery Wednesday
W…ell, another Wednesday, a Watery one as usual. Still ‘levitating’, I came towards the high rise Westin hotel. Quite a new place, it opened a year ago, or so. Last time I was there, Shakira was filming one of her clips there, you might have seen it (forgot the title, not being a fan of the lady’s music). Right there, on this very beach.
I posted another picture of the Barcelona seafront, all of it, here, if you are curious (and it’s healthy, being curious!).
Watery Wednesday of course!!!
The beach house
Whatever you need for the beach, you’ll find it at the beach house! Bring climbing gear.
Hope you like the new header photo!
Skywatch Friday
Had some fun reworking this originally pale and grey photo of Sitges for Skywatch Friday!!!
Skywatch Friday
A nice evening on the beach, very recently.
Skywatch Friday, right here.
Ops, I just realized that yesterday was Thursday, one day late for Watery Wednesday. Oh well, must have been Wednesday somewhere!
And also, my apologies for not spending more time browsing your blogs, not much energy at the moment.
Surf’s up!
We’re having a bit of wind lately, and the surf was magnificent on Saturday evening! Nobody in the water though
Lazy sunday afternoon…
These guys were very busy playing dice yesterday afternoon. We’re having a heatwave, Saturday was the hottest April day in over 60 years, far over 30 degrees.
And these fellas are having a game of dominoes. All very serious business! The missus is obviously at home, cooking I suppose…
Training
During spring and summer, there are countless marathons, semi-marathons and shorter races in town. There is one this Sunday, a 11km race organized by the Corte Ingles superstore, with 60.000 registered runners, so far. This guy might be training for it, or just running for fun.
And yes, the weather is fantastic! Beach weather, my friends!!!
Watery Wednesday
An afternoon at the beach, 2 days ago.
This is for Watery Wednesday, the ultimate weekly meme you just have to check out, right here!
Beach weather?
Hard to believe, but the weather forecast for today and tomorrow is 20 degrees, with sunshine, while most of Europe is still freezing under a thick layer of snow. Beach weather? Not quite. This is from last summer. And anyway, gotta work.
As you can see in the sidebar, we will start a new meme this Thursday. You know memes: Skywatch Friday, Watery Wednesday, etc. Well, this one is called Thursday’s Food for Thoughts. Anything about food, any type of food, real food, food for thoughts… You are all very welcome to it!
Sant Adria
Where does the mountain end, where does the sky start… This are the 3 chimneys, symbol of Sant Adria de Besos, small town just north of Barcelona. Water, sky, clouds… Everything seems watery.
And yes, the thinggie on the right is a giant solar panel.
You probably guessed it if you follow this blog, this is, as pretty much every Wednesday, for Watery Wednesday. Please click right here, right now to visit the many other blogs doing the same thing today, posting a watery photo.
Skywatch Friday
Barcelona under attack! Japanese fighter ‘zero-ing’ on innocent bystanders!
This is for Skywatch Friday, please, please (!!!!!!!!!) click HERE to see and to know more!
The original picture.
Watery Wednesday
Barcelona seafront on a warm summer evening. Must be 8.30 PM, probably the best moment of the day for a swim. Going there tonight.
As every wednesday, this is for Watery Wednesday, episode 102. Please click right here to see more participating pictures.
Skywatch Friday
8 PM on the beach…
Skywatch Friday, season 4, episode 6. Please click here to see many more sky photos.
Chiringuito time!
We’re having a cloudy day, 28 degrees, no sun. Perfect day for the beach, as I’ve been told to avoid the sun for a year or so. So, to the beach I went this morning, a book, a dip, and a chiringuito!
A chiringuito is basically a beach bar. They all look the same, apart of some decoration. A good place for a drink in the shade!
The violinist
Sitges, last sunday, on the seafront. We spotted this excellent violinist playing to 2-3 people, on his fancy electric violin. Hope he got some rewards for his music!
And don’t forget: The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils.
William Shakespeare
Summer in Sitges
Summer, you say? It really looks like it today! A balmy 25 degrees (high 70es in the US), the suncream days a back!
Not wanting to waste such a nice day, we went to Sitges, one of our favorite places in Catalunya, 30 minutes from central Barcelona. It was hot, it was nice, the water was cold enough to turn you blue in 30 seconds.
This photo was taken less than 2 hours ago!!!
And should you be in Sitges tonight, not knowing what to do, here is a suggestion:
The band ‘ The Damp Knickers’, live at Paddy’s Bar, tonight a 20.30! Not the very best taste in band’s names, but the music might be good, you never know
Los vigilantes de la playa
The first gouvernor of California, Don Gaspar de Portola, was from Catalunya.
Like in California, we do have our own kind of Baywatch here, and they are dressed in red as well. During the hot season, their red swimsuits are as skimpy as in the TV series.
They must have been very bored, as absolutely nobody was brave enough to dip more than a toe or two in the water.
Ladies and gents: El Salvador!
El salvador de la platja, the saviour of the beach! He will get us smoke free beaches.
During the warm season you can see people from the municipality giving out free ashtrays on the beaches, in the shape of an icecream cone, green plastic thingies with a lid. Quite convenient, as nobody really likes cigarette ends in the sand.
And the posters for this campaign are really well done! The guy on the picture says, in Catalan something like: they are a plague, but I will eliminate them! More ore less, as my catalan is not very good.
Beach
Very nice day yesterday, 16 degrees, so we went to the beach, for a stroll.We didn’t see anyone in the water, not even the little dog. But, next to some elderly people in heavy winter coats, some people were wearing bath suits, and these guys were walking topless. Spring is about, and it’s nice!Zona de varada
Seen on a beach nearby. A zona de varada is a place where to put fishing boats aground.
Yearly beach chairs report, brought to you by Daily Photo Barcelona!
This is the very first yearly beach chairs report, brought to you by Daily Photo Barcelona! Welcome, have some cake, free drinks in the back.
Not much to say today… The summer is over, here anyway, beach chairs are being stacked, cleaned and put away. Small boys walking away. Please don’t cry: summer will be back again next year!
Some hardened weather beaten people left on the beaches, wearing sweaters and jackets. Or diving suits. Being a northerner myself, north east of France that is, it is still very nice for me, no sweaters for me yet. Weather beaten, me? Not likely! I’m a big softie (as confirmed by my wife).
Well, this is it: end of the first yearly beach chairs report! Stay tuned folks! Coming soon on this very channel: the first yearly sweater report!
White
Hi Mister! I don’t know you. You were sitting on that bench, enjoying the sun.
But whoever you are, I love your beard, and your smile!
Dog days
We’re having some strange weather lately. Rain and wind today, but mostly just wind. Perfect weather to go walkie on the beach!
The black things in the water are surfers, but I didn’t see a single one actually standing on a board. Probably too rough.
BLUE
A new highlight in the Barcelona skyline is the W Hotel, nicknamed la vela, the sail. Built by the renowned architect Ricardo Bofil, a local, and entirely made of glass, directly on the seafront, with some spectacular views over the sea and the mountains. Some of the names of the rooms and suites: wonderful room, fabulous room, fantastic suite, wow suite and, of course the Extreme Wow Suite, probably on top of the building.
Their prices… Well, it’s a 5 stars hotel, so just let your imagination go wild.
As the outside is made of glass, it reflects the ambient light. I will go back one day when the sky isn’t as blue as today, to see the different reflections. Might be interesting.
Veranillo de San Miguel…
… which means Saint Michael’s little summer. This is what we have now, a few hot days in October. The temperature is still around 27 to 29 degrees (mid to high 80es), and I would enjoy it even more if I didn’t have to be at my office the whole day. Never mind, I’ll catch up on Saturday
Saint Michael’s day was on September 29th.
Theme day: contrast
!st day of the month, theme day. Today’s theme is contrast.
Contrast of colors, shapes… And also, after the huge crowds of the last weeks, it is very nice to be able to have a quiet stroll in the evening. What you see here is a bit of Gehry’s Fish, the Mapfre Tower, the Barcelona Casino, all on the beach promenade near the Port Olimpic.
Life
Back to Barcelona. This horseshoe shaped building on the beach, just next to the Casino, the Hospidal de Mar and Gehry’s Fish, is the Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, the towns very own biomedical research center. Don’t know much more about it, those interested can always have a look at their website.
Nice view of Tibidabo in the back, which seems much closer as it actually is.
Sunrise
An older picture from my archives. A very beautiful and very early morning on the beach…
Summer
The last day of summer. It is actually a good 15 degrees colder than it was 3 weeks ago. I hope to be able to go to the beach a couple more times before it’s too cold to swim. I might just walk on the beach when it’s cold.
People from the southern hemisphere, have a nice and happy spring!
The automatic music thinggie was getting quite annoying, so I put it away again, until I figure something out.
Photo taken with my phone.
Vamos a la playa!
Well, another day with sweltering heat. What can you do? Too hot to move around a lot, too nice a day for a museum or an exhibition. Nothing really nice in the cinemas… What to do???
Oh yes, I got it: vamos a la playa!
Picture taken about an hour ago, in Sitges. The water, my friends, was pure bliss.
Frank Gehry’s Fish
Another very hot summer day in Spain. Well, this photo was taken on a wet, cool and windy day in April. The longer I stay in Spain, the more I love rain! They promised us some for today, but nothing yet but heat, sun and more heat.
This is Frank Gehry’s Fish in the Port Olimpic. 35 x 54 meters of steel lattice and copper. It is situated in a zone full of restaurants, night clubs, Irish pubs, right on the beach. Just underneath is the Barcelona Casino.
More about Gehry here.
MY BLOGS OF NOTE
Oh yeah, I’d like to start something new (to me anyway) today. I’d like to invite you to have a look at blogs I like, now and then. Not necessarily CDP blogs, just… nice blogs.
Entirely up to you all, of course.
Here is my first… coup de coeur. Toronto, city dear to my heart, has it’s very own Daily Toronto Photo now. Check it out!
Barceloneta by the sea
Lat Sunday, I took a swallow. Yes. Spanish: una golondrina, which is one of those little boats you can take along the coast. Barcelona, seen from the sea.
This is Barceloneta beach, one of the most popular ones. We have here a long string of beaches, 7 or 8 of them, all along the town. You can’t really be far away from the next beach, which is very enjoyable! The beach was obviously very crowded, although the sky was kind of greyish-white, and the sea pretty choppy. I’ll show you a bit more in the next few days.
What you see in the back is the church in Tibidado. Will come back to this as well, some time soon. Stay tuned!
Cable car to the beach!
Following yesterday’s posting, I had a question about the tower you can see on the photo. This is actually, and litterally, the cable car to the beach. It goes from/to Montjuic |Castle to/from the port and the Barceloneta beach. Much faster than taking several buses and metros. Convenient, but not cheap.
On the right hand side of today’s photo, you can see a small part of a second tower, just above the World Trade Center, the round building. And just underneath the biggest cable car, the Maremagnum shopping center, complete with restaurants, one of the biggest aquariums in Europe, 2 cinemas, one of them an IMAX cinema.
Collioure, Catalunya, France
Well, this is Collioure, one of the prettiest towns in France. The village (2750 inhabitants) had quite a strong impact on 20th century European paintings. People like Derain, Braque, Matisse, Picasso, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to quote only the most famous, lived and painted here. Just google around, you’ll find their Collioure paintings quite easily.
The church in the foreground is called Sainte Marie des Anges, Saint Mary of the Angels, and the square building just behind is the Royal Castle, with quite a long story. More about the castle here.
Collioure is basically an extremely pretty holiday spot, laid back, with many many restaurants, bars, 1 disco at least, many hotels, several beaches (gravel, no sand), a short distance from Spain and from Perpignan (Perpinya, the other capital of Catalunya). I didn’t know the place, and I loved it!
Amis d’outre-Pyrenées, une fois de plus, toutes mes excuses pour avoir empieté sur votre territoire!
Big green shoe
To stay on the color green a little longer…
You’ve probably all heard that our bloggermate Amir is safe and well.
Anyway, this is a big green shoe on a beach. I could not find out anything about it. So, I suggest the following: just let your imagination go wild. What could it be?
Barcelona Daily Photo 
You must be logged in to post a comment.