Love is in the Air

Last month an online newspaper reported a story about a very uninhibited couple on a subway platform in Barcelona, complete with video. Spanish nightly news picked up on it and showed the most suitable extract. It seemed the couple just couldn't wait to get to wherever they were going and decided to start things on a bench in the subway station. It didn't matter that there were other passengers walking by. In fact, when people realized what was happening they snickered and then laughed as they made comments about the couple's actions. The video itself was taken by one of the women waiting for the train. 

Nobody was angry or puritanically shocked. Just flabbergasted that the couple seemed to have no modesty whatsoever. I can't imagine that scene playing out on a subway platform in the United States. There is such a constrained view of sex in that country that I don't know how some television sit-coms were ever allowed. I remember watching Three's Company a long time ago. At first I was too young to understand, then I gradually understood all the innuendos. I doubt a show like that would be allowed on national television now. Spaniards are much more laid back. They always were, even though publicly the Church and Franco's regime tried to cover us all as much as possible.

There was a time when sweethearts couldn't even hold hands in public, let alone kiss. While foreigners were allowed to wear bikinis once tourism became the national industry in the 1960's, local girls were still mostly buying bathing suits. Barcelona, the most liberal city in Spain, had swingers' clubs since the last years of the Franco regime, but they were very private, members-only affairs. Once the Transition began, they opened up, though they remain discrete establishments. Nudist beaches began right after Franco died, though the locals weren't very happy about that. I remember reading a long time ago about how a group of matrons from the local villages once routed a small group of nudist bathers. With the parish priest at the head, carrying a club and his full black sotana billowing out behind him, they all chased the sun worshippers from the beach. Nowadays nudist beaches are common, and women go topless at any beach without censoring eyes looking their way. 

Sex is accepted as a part of life, however. Even at the height of Church control, single girls got pregnant. Men who worked abroad would bring girly magazines and boxes of condoms. People have always followed their instincts. It's never been something to be censored nor encouraged. It just is. The philosophy tends to be, "if you like it, do it; if you don't like it, don't do it; it's your business." But what is not normal is being as public as the couple in Barcelona. And, however liberal society is, sex in public is still against the law. So, if that couple is ever identified and found, they will have to pay a nice fine for "antisocial behavior." Though I doubt the local police will search very hard for them.

Here's a link to the article with the video. Watch the video at your own risk of being offended. 

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