Our plan on city breaks is to wander about - nothing too organised just trying to get a sense of place. Although it is not high powered walking (there are plenty of café stops and enjoying food is always a priority) it is surprising how the miles add up.
Today we walked longer than a half marathon, including a climb to Montjuic. This is a prime recreational area with a castle, parks, and the Olympic stadium. We could have taken a cable car to the top but no! - we thought we had to earn the view.
At the top, beside the walls of the castle, was a seat overlooking the sea with a book left behind for someone else to read.
I first heard of the idea of leaving books for others a few years ago and thought of it as a pleasant, whimsical, activity. But as I have not seen a book left for a couple of years I thought it was an idea whose time had come and gone. Obviously I was wrong - I just don't visit the right kind of place
This informal sharing contrasts with the increasing tendency for more control and the privatisation of everything. The day had a small counterpoint which showed this . Walking along the beach we saw a small crowd milling around a screen. There was a drum kit, a cameraman, and lights. Something was obviously being set up for a video but was in the standing around, setting-up phase. I took a photo, more as part of the record of the day (it was quite uninteresting as a stand alone picture) but when I was going to take another someone dressed in black, with walky talky in a hip holster, came up and said photography was forbidden.
This was a public place. I have no idea what right they have to prevent a photo being taken of an anonymous group of people standing around, waiting for something to happen. It doesn't matter - the important thing is they thought they had the right. It is a small example of how everything is now seen property whose access can be controlled.
