These boats are in Collioure in Southern France. It's a Catalonian village known for sardines, among other things. After I took the photo, I saw a couple of street artists selling paintings of these same boats. They seem almost picture-perfect, almost as though they were placed here for effect. But that could just be my jaded view of things, and it's not something the French are prone to do. One of the primary industries here is sardines. The last time we came through, I ordered a plate of them at a seaside cafe. For all I know, these may be sardine boats that returned in the morning. The rest of the day, they are click-bait for photographers like me. That was a lame joke.
When in Barcelona, the last thing on my mind is taking photos of the sunset. However, if one presents itself, I'm more than happy to oblige. This photo is another that I took from atop the Fira Renaissance. The hotel is outside the main tourist area, so most of the people here were attending conferences. They would come up to the rooftop pool to socialize during happy hour. It still amazes me how structurally sound these buildings must be to support a pool on the top floor - water is so heavy. There is also an indoor pool on the floor below. I guess there is no limit to what people can dream and build.
Here are some people in the gothic quarter of Barcelona sitting outside at a tapas bar, talking late into the night. Scenes like this occur over and over, and I think, are typical of Catalonian culture. Not that I'm an expert, but it seems quite friendly and puts a lot of value on spending time with family and friends. It's not difficult to see the appeal, especially in places like Barcelona. Sure, every area has its problems, but it's fun to see different lifestyles and wonder what it would be like to live there, if only for a spell.
