Take a trip northwards along the coast out of Barcelona, and you’ll enter a different world. You’ll trade Tourist Central for pleasant, ordinary towns where people can just get on with life. You’ll only hear Catalan and Spanish in the streets, and souvenir shops or restaurants with tourist menus and helpful pictures and translations into several languages are unknown.
The town just before our daughter-and-family’s is El Masnou, and we recently enjoyed a stroll around after a long lazy lunch there. Old and new, high-rise and low rise all live together in a congenial hotch-potch. There’s a harbour, as shown in the feature photo, and pleasant squares with Modernista villas once built for sea-captains.
And of course there’s street art … such as a series of images of women, whom I ought to recognise, but don’t …
… and any number of images with an axe to grind …
Or not ..
And then just a couple of others, near a disused factory, with a building site beyond …
… before finishing up in a square outside the church shown above, looking out at the Mediterranean, with Barcelona on the skyline at the right. And with an image of the winter, summer, autumn and winter painted on one of the walls.
Actually, I’m cheating. The photo at the bottom was taken on a January day when the sun was absent.
For John’s Lens-Artists Challenge #249
and Natalie’s Photographing Public Art
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
Gorgeous.
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They’re good places, these towns beyond Tourist Central.
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How lovely to see real Spanish life.
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We like these towns a lot, and have found there’s plenty to explore and enjoy. We don’t go into Barcelona much any more.
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Well done, Spain for the locals
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And selected English visitors.
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But of course!
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Brilliant!
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Ah, thanks. A lazy afternoon, and why not?
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I quite like the murals of the woman riding a leopard and the owl. Thank you for your PPAC contribution.
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You’re welcome. It was fun, as ever, to put it together.
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Looks like a nice little town for a stroll. I’m surprised tourists haven’t discovered these towns given their proximity to Barcelona and the general enthusiasm for the Spanish coast.
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Happily, the beaches are adequate for locals, but there aren’t miles and miles of golden sand. Long may this state of affairs continue. I don’t think my daughter’s town has a hotel, even with a population of 28,000 and an excellent infrastructure.
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On our first visit to Spain via cruise ship, we chose an excursion to a winery out in the country west of the city. It’s always interesting to view the countryside away from the tourist spots. I will admit, though, the winery is also a popular stop for cruisers. >grin<
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I’m sure they appreciate the custom!
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Excellent.
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A good afternoon strolling.
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Great selections, Margret! Thank you for the lovely stroll of this lovely town.
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Thanks for coming along Amy.
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What does El Masnou translate as, Margaret?
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Well, I’m guessing The New House (as in country house with grounds).
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Thank you! 🤗🩵
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They have better quality graffiti there!
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Oh, I didn’t show you the actual graffiti – but you’re right.
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There’s even a haphazard pussy cat amongst the pictures of the ladies we don’t recognise!
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You’re a trusty cat-spotter!
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Fascinating series Margaret.
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It may be limping to an end, Cindy
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these are the travel pictures I really enjoy. truly knowing the local lay of the land beyond the tourist destinations are experiences that demand engagement of all emotional senses.
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Yes,m it’s fun having to explore properly without being told which the sights are, and where they are.
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It looks like a charming area! I don’t think, I’ve ever ventured outside the more touristy parts of Barcelona. My Spanish isn’t great ( non-existing), but of course you can get far with language apps these days…
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Wonderful series Margaret. You’re so right about going beyond the tourist areas to see the real people and their lives. Usually we too will try to do that but sadly our Barcelona visit was very short and hit only the hot spots. Looks like I need to go back some day 😊. Thanks for sharing the other side!
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Wonderful stroll and lovely street art. Loved the blue leopard.
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It was an appealing afternoon.
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