Barcelona has some amazing beaches. In fact, the whole area by the
water is REALLY nice. On one side, you have the large boardwalks,
beach bars and white sand as far as you can see, and on the other side, yachts, swim clubs, and public art surround the harbor. There's even
a gondola that allows you to view it all from above.

This all seemed so natural so I was completely blown away to learn that until the 1992 Olympics,
the whole area didn't even exist, and was actually the "bad" part of
town. There were no beaches, no boardwalks - the entire area was
industrial, and full of drugs and crime.

When Barcelona won the bid for the Olympics, everything changed.
Beaches were made with sand brought in from Egypt, palm trees were
flown in from Hawaii, and the entire area was transformed.

Not surprisingly, with areas being developed as recently as the 90's,
Barcelona has a very modern feel. Like Berlin, but much flashier and
beachier. Some parts feel like Vegas, some parts like San Francisco,
and some parts like LA or Miami. It has been so much fun to visit, and
I like it even more knowing it's one of those cities whose history and
character are still being developed.