Barcelona Beach Scene

For the cost of an over-priced Cafe Frappe, I had the luxury of relaxing on a nice recliner lounge chair on the sand at a Barcelona beach. The air was the perfect temperature with just a gentle breeze. The sunlight was filtering through the clouds so it wasn't too bright. The calm ocean water blended into the muted sky. I couldn't have asked for better conditions. It was so peaceful despite the Thai women coming by every now and then wanting me to hire them for a foot massage. 

I enjoyed watching the flocks of gulls, groups of open water swimmers, paddle boarders and beach goers go past. There was even the requisite guy with a metal detector combing the beach in hopes of hidden treasure. 

I'm in my happy place just sipping my frozen coffee drink and zoning out as the sailboats slip past. This is the quiet and relaxation that I needed after so many days of stimulation.

A little jazz combo just started playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" nearby. So now some music adds even more ambiance...

Apparently on the beach here you can also get a henna tattoo, buy fabric from Africa or get your hair braided with ribbons. Who knew ?  I've also been observing a new water sport which I've never seen before. It appears that a brave person is standing on some sort of pliable plastic ribbon about a foot wide that is connected to a jet ski from behind. The plastic ribbon ripples up into the air up to about 10feet above the water giving the person an arial surfing experience. Really cool! After walking down the beach, I was able to observe this more closely. The "surfer" is secured in at the feet to a skateboard sized board that is attached to a tube that shoots water through it to elevate the board. The person can dive into the water or stand up straight. All kinds of tricks! And if you have money to burn, you too can have the fun of Flyboarding or Hoverboarding for the bargain price of 300/325 euros an hour!

If that is a bit out of your league, there's always jogging, sailing, yoga, swimming, sun bathing or gymnastics and monkey bars. If you venture up to the boardwalk there's skate boarding, razor or electric scootering, dog walking,  Segways, bicycling and rollerblading. Barcelona seems to have it all!