Barcelona Photoblog: landscape
Showing posts with label landscape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label landscape. Show all posts

October 22, 2008

Balloon By Montserrat

Balloon By Montserrat [enlarge]

There's nothing like a good landscape and a big balloon with shiny colors standing out against some mountain walls and a deep blue sky. Unfortunately some of them show off some publicity sometimes like this Caixa Manresa (a local bank) logo. Obviously banks tend to inflate big balloons every now and then, they rise and fall, and on many occasions they blow up or get drifted away. This one was firmly tied up to the ground just in case. Behind it the beautiful mountain of Montserrat.

August 05, 2008

Lake Reflections, Lleida, Barcelona

Lake reflections of birds in the trees at a lake in Lleida, Catalonia


The same place I showed you the other day in Lleida province near Barcelona: The Ivars' pond, late in the afternoon. I would like to thank you all for all the best wishes regarding my holidays. I am still having a great time in Miami, Florida. See you soon.

August 03, 2008

Landscape: Ivars Pond, Lleida, Catalonia

Ivars d'Urgell pond in Lleida, Catalonia


I will be abroad till August 20th for my holidays but I will keep posting more or less regularly, you know, my own strange way. To start this period of peace and relaxation I wanted you to share a little nature with me.

This is the pond of Ivars, a small town in Lleida which is also a province of Catalonia like Barcelona. I'll keep you all posted so come back often.

May 25, 2008

Small Lake in the Afternoon, Ivars, Lleida

 [enlarge]

This is the newly recovered lake or pond at Ivars, Lleida. It had been dried up during Franco's dictatorship and now it has been flooded again to bring back the original flora and fauna.

June 27, 2007

Fast Ferry Barcelona - Balearic Islands at Barcelona Port

Ramon Lull Fast Ferry from Balearia Company sailing from the Balearic Islands among other destinations to Barcelona, upon entering at Barcelona Port

This is fast ferry Ramon Llull belonging to Balearia company. Barcelona Photoblog took the picture from the deck of a sightseeing boat. I am not pretty sure where it came from this time as they cover Majorca, Minorca, Formentera and Ibiza plus Valencia, Denia, Ceuta and Algeciras. The vessel can carry 479 passengers and a 100 cars, a big monster compared to our small Las Golondrinas boat. Far away on the horizon you can see the Jaume I cable car tower and almost touching the prow the blurry silhouette of Hotel Arts.

May 31, 2007

Barcelona Port Mouth: A Quiet Place

Barcelona Port Mouth: A Quiet Place

If you entered Barcelona by sea, like say, on board of a Mediterranean Cruiser or your own boat (stop dreaming!), you would necessarily have to see this place as it is the mouth of Barcelona Port . A very quiet place, away from the noisy city which can hardly be seen from this point on the blurry horizon if you could look left of course. Those fishermen you see came walking along the long concrete wall looking for a deep place to throw the bait. I have left the harbor for the open seas twice, one going to Menorca on a big ferry at night and the other, this time, onboard of a sightseeing boat. On both occasions the experience has been very pleasing, I mean, there is so much silence out there when you are alone with your own thoughts watching the hypnotizing beauty of the sea, that you all of a sudden rediscover that you are alive, that you are not attached to the city, to that portion of land and bricks, that you are not a number in the stats but a human being only attached to nature, to Mother Earth.

May 26, 2007

Seaside View of the Solar Panel at Barcelona Forum

Seaside View of the Solar Panel at Barcelona Forum

This is a view of the huge solar panel overlooking the Forum esplanade, as seen from the sea while onboard one of Las Golondrinas, the sightseeing boats navigating both in the harbour and along the coast. Once you reach the Forum area it is time to turn around and navigate back. You never lose sight of this colossal piece of architecture. As the small boat is too far away to compare with the panel and get an idea of its true size I recommend you enlarge the picture and check those tiny people walking under the 10,500-m2 surface of the photovoltaic cell or solar panel. Check some old pictures of mine from other angles: Other side, underneath and the stairs.

April 09, 2007

Colorful Houses by the Onyer River in Girona

Colorful Houses by the Onyer River in Girona
© All Rights Reserved

This is a view from a bridge over River Onyer in Girona. The old part of town with colorful houses almost touching the water, the Cathedral and the former collegiate church of San Feliú being restored.
Recommended: Quick and helpful photography tips by Andrew Hudson adapted to different levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

March 27, 2007

Sunset in the Fields

Sunset in the Fields
© All Rights Reserved

This is a dark picture, in fact it is totally counterlight but that's the fun of it. It is meant to be watched from the distance as there is not much to distinguish in the dusky light of the foreground. These weeds were at least two times taller than me. I was walking along a path and the sun was all the time scintillating among the stems at sight level. Fortunately there was a plane leaving a white smoke trail too and in a way completed my ackward composition and daring shot. In the larger image you can get a little bit more detail perhaps. I wasn't pretty sure about this one but it helps diversifying the subject after recent animal and food issues.

March 20, 2007

Reflections on Golden Pond: L'Estany d'Ivars

Reflections on Golden Pond: L'Estany d'Ivars
© All Rights Reserved

This is L'Estany d'Ivars. Created about a hundred and fifty years ago it was dried in 1951 to cultivate the land. Now it is to become one of the largest lakes in Catalonia and a natural park specially rich in migrating species of birds that are returning to their natural habitat. As to this sunset picture, I just have to suggest you try to look it horizontally too. It resembles some kind of root or a gigantic caterpillar, with some imagination of course.

February 13, 2007

Barcelona Mountains: An Electrifying City Landscape

Barcelona Mountains: An Electrifying City Landscape
© All Rights Reserved

Three, a magical odd number. The three primary colors, The Holy Trinity, The Three Graces, Heaven, Hell and Limbo, The Three Stooges...can you think of any other?. Here is another rather ackward example, three power towers invading, polluting, contaminating the view over beautiful Barcelona. Why make it three and not two? Why not make it null, void, zero instead?.

December 19, 2006

Montserrat: The Jagged Magic Mountain

Montserrat: The Jagged Mountain

The mountain of Montserrat used to be part of a delta in the Terciary Period. Sediments came from a mountain range located on what today is the Mediterranean Sea and were deposited on a narrow shallow sea that reached the Atlantic Ocean. From those times are the conglomerate rocks present in the area which are very resistant and that form those familiar monoliths that Gaudi perhaps evoked in his famous knights of La Pedrera's chimney stacks. In between the monoliths there are fractures of clay continuously altered by erosion thus the isolation of the big solid structures and the numerous caves. I mention all this because I was always amazed when some geology teacher back in my childhood days said: "You see these layers here, well, this region was once under the sea" - and you wondered, "how come!, we are miles away!". So this post goes to all those would-be scientists who still feel nostalgic about long gone field excursions.

September 25, 2006

Romanic Hermitage at Sant Miquel del Fai, Barcelona

Sant Martí Hermitage at Sant Miquel del Fai_Barcelona


This is the Romanic hermitage of Sant Martí at Sant Miquel del Fai. It was not shown in my previous posts (Bell Detail, Priory House and Sant Miquel Del Fai Cliffs) about this fantastic natural park near Barcelona so I thought I might exhibit it in my photoblog along with this kid playing football. He got in the way and saved my boring picture about ancient religious buildings in Catalonia.

September 20, 2006

Monjuic Magic Fountains and Plaza España: Panoramic View of Barcelona

Plaza España as seen from MNAC in Montjuic Barcelona


This panoramic view of Monjuic Magic Fountains and Plaza España is the perfect match to what you can see from Sacré-Coeur basilica in Montmartre, Paris or at least I got that impression when I visited this country back in August. Remember yesterday's post? Well, this time you take the elevators or climb up the stairs all the way up and rest for a while at the entrance of National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC). You will enjoy the architecture of Fira de Barcelona from there, or maybe you just sit and relax thinking about going back to the hotel for lunch, but don't forget to pick up your camera and freeze some Barcelona images to show your friends. This place is a must see, and behind the museum you have a full range of important places to visit. Remember that every Sept. 24th we celebrate La Mercè (patroness of Barcelona) just in front of these stairs, and that Montjuic Magic Fountains are fully illuminated for the occasion, not just with spotlights but by the light of a huge fireworks exhibition.

Google Maps Image of Barcelona: Plaza España, Montjuic Magic Fountains, Fira de Barcelona, MNAC and Olympic Ring



September 18, 2006

Panoramic View of Barcelona: World Trade Center

Panoramic View of Barcelona: World Trade Center


Today, I present you with another shot taken from Montjuic of one of the wharfs at Barcelona port. Notice this enormous and luxurious hotel, with an exquisite design at the very end of the pier: it is the Barcelona World Trade Center, on the right side of the picture next to the cable car tower. I would recommend it if it weren't for the fact that it is not made for the pocket of common mortals like us, are you?
Cruisers sailing the Mediterranean sea depart from the same wharf, what a coincidence!.

September 17, 2006

Panoramic View of Barcelona from Montjuic

Panoramic view of Barcelona from Montjuic


When in Barcelona do as the Barcelonians do: go, climb Montjuic mountain and take a look at the city from El Mirador del Alcalde or the Castle of Montjuic. If you are lucky and you pick up a bright fine day like this you surely won't regret it. That's Columbus monument in the middle (right under the helicopter) and Hotel Arts to your right. To the left, in the background, the omnipresent Agbar tower.


September 12, 2006

Sant Miquel del Fai near Barcelona: Priory House

Sant Miquel del Fai near Barcelona: Priory House

Sant Miquel del Fai is a natural park situated in a valley basin about 35 kms away from Barcelona. You can go there by bus or by car, and you have to pay for the entrance (6€ more or less). Besides the incredible view of caves, small waterfalls falling at river Tenes and the imposing sedimentary rock cliffs, it features the Romanic hermitage of Sant Martí already important by the IVth Century, the Sant Miquel Church buried inside a grotto and a monastery known as the Priory House (closer look), built upon an enormous legde in the mountain walls at the beginnings of the XVth Century. Because of the geological nature of the park, this zone is rich in Neolithic archeological findings, mainly remnants of Iberian settlements.

Google Earth Satellite Picture of Sant Miquel del Fai near Barcelona.

September 04, 2006

Mirador at Pedraforca Massif

Mirador at Pedraforca Massif

Pedraforca as you know is not a new topic in my posts. This impressive massif was previously dealt with in Landscapes of Catalonia:The Pedraforca Massif, Landscapes of Catalonia: Pedraforca , Climbing the Pedraforca Massif: June Post and Climbing the Pedraforca Massif: July Post. Some landscapes will help calm down the stress these first days of September.

July 14, 2006

Climbing the Pedraforca Massiff in Catalonia, Spain

Pedraforca massif

This is Pedraforca massif and the winding road to the summit. If you want to know more find out in previous posts (I think this is the fourth post about the same topic).

Being serious now, I would like to express my most sincere and deep thoughts to the families of victims at train bombings in India. This world is going nuts and I can't help it, that generates nothing but frustration in me. I just hope our children are more clever than we are.

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