One of my favorite vacation pastimes is to sit in an open café or bar, armed with a coffee or perhaps a beer, and simply watch the world go by. It's like people-watching, but with a side of caffeine or hops. In the digital age, I can indulge in this pastime virtually by popping into my favorite bar via one of the hundreds of open video cameras dotted around the globe. These cameras provide live coverage 24/7 of many iconic locations worldwide.
For example, there is camera located next to a riverside café overlooking The Rialto Bridge in Venice, I’m a regular. You can kick back and watch gondolas, along with just about every other kind of small boat, drifting up and down The Grand Canal, conducting the day-to-day business of this unique city. The Rialto is always buzzing with activity, rain or shine, even in the wee hours of the morning.
A complete contrast is the pueblo of El Gastor in Andalucía, which boasts a population of just about 2,000. My local café straddles both sides of the street, with cars passing by so close you can almost taste the exhaust fumes. Here, you can feel the heartbeat of a small Spanish village. Show up a little before 9:00 AM local time, and you’ll see mums and dads herding their kids to school. A couple of hours later, the café starts to fill up as locals and a few tourists arrive for lunch. Occasionally, there’s a fiesta or even a footrace happening. Serendipity often provides the best entertainment.
For a completely different vibe, I often visit the Plaza de San Francisco in Seville. The camera is perched high above the plaza, offering a great view. During the recent Feria de Abril, Sevillanos in traditional flamenco dresses and hombres in snazzy suits with short jackets and round hats walked through the plaza or rode past in horse drawn carraiges. A few weeks ago, I noticed something new in the Plaza: parts of it were fenced off, and then building crews arrived to erect three large scaffolding structures. Over the next couple of weeks, these structures were covered, painted, and transformed into something resembling the façade of a building.
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. These structures were too flimsy for permanent buildings, too elaborate for a fiesta, and too intricate for a concert venue. Google was no help—when I asked what was happening in Seville, it basically shrugged and said, "Nada." So, what could these mysterious structures be for? A movie, perhaps? I Googled movies being shot in Seville, and bingo! Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are set to film in Spain later this year.
I can’t say for sure if these structures are for their movie, but just in case, I’ll be making regular bookings at my Seville café. Who knows? Maybe TC and CD will drop by for breakfast one day. If you know what’s happening in the Plaza de San Francisco, let me know in the comments. I’ll buy you a coffee if I see you there!
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