One Handed Handstand, Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

Gymnastics is that stuff that always made you feel envious back at school when you saw the guy next to you showing off in front of that girl you had a crush on, easily making a handstand and walking on both hands, doing pull ups with just one arm, the flag, the L-sit, you name it. Still after so many years, this perfect one handed handstand captured today at Parc de la Ciutadella gets on my nerves and reminds me of that insane anxiety for successful mating. Now I know that there are people for everything, some for the muscle and some for the mind. And here I was lost in my thoughts, reminiscing, indulging in my past, bringing back memories...trying to stabilize the camera on my belly, watching the girls across the park drooling and sighing for the wonderful gymnast. By the way, happy Spring for those on the northern hemisphere!

Passeig de Lluís Companys and Barcelona's Arch of Triumph

Here is yet another angle to better appreciate Barcelona's Arch of Triumph (Arc de Triomf). This time as seen from Passeig de Lluis Companys, a great site to bask in the sun, reading under a wonderful modernista lamp, ride a bike, jog or just walk. The place has been described here in Barcelona Photoblog many times so I recommend you check these popular posts. By the way, we are having a wonderful pre-spring weekend over here, fair skies, 18º C, what else could you ask for!

Shoe Shopping in Barcelona

Barcelona shops have been evolving from a small commerce model with scarce impact in the international arena into a more powerful network of famous brands both foreign and local which have chosen the downtown area to promote and sell their products. Passeig de Gracia for example has become the most expensive street in Barcelona and Spain partly because of the stores established along this main artery  and the success of the real state business before the crisis. I never quite understood how this process goes but money calls more money. The square meter price has skyrocketed in this part of town so only the richest can resist, the shops exhibit almost unaffordable merchandise but still somebody comes and buys it, mainly tourists with higher purchasing power and the crème de la crème of our society. Of course, you can make an exception one day and not all of them are jewelries. I guess this was not the topic that best fitted the shoe shop in the image. In fact there are many trendy and chic Barcelona shops offering attractive stuff for a reasonable price where poor mortals like us can find relief and satisfy our buying anxiety.