LAW: Barcelona to Ban Public Nudity!

If you've ever had the urge to wander the streets of Barcelona wearing nothing but a camera and a smile, you might want to do it soon. Surprisingly, public nudity is perfectly acceptable in the city at the moment—but later this month, the city council is expected to approve a measure that will slap those who won't cover up with a $700 fine, the New York Times reports. A few people, most notably one man who enjoys an annual naked bike ride, have taken advantage of the city's lax stance on public nudity since 2004.

That was the year the city council subsidized a brochure titled "Expressing Yourself in Nudity," which noted that the law "does not contain any article for sanctions against public nudity" and that the city respected "the right of the citizenry to nudism." But, apparently, not anymore. A deputy mayor, however, explains that the proposed law is not really aimed at nudists but at those who dress improperly: "people going from the beach to the city, to museums and churches, in beach attire."