Bridge Over Barcelona Port as Seen From Sightseeing Boat

La Porta de Europa Bridge in Barcelona Harbor - from sightseeing boat

This is the bridge over Barcelona Port as seen from a sightseeing boat of Las Golondrinas company, I already published a post with all the details about this magnificent bridge which I recommend you: La Porta de Europa

Remember this bridge is a project from Arenas y Asociados, built by FCC and considered according to the source, the largest bascule bridge in the world.

Reading on the Maremagnum Wooden Platform at Barcelona Harbor

The wooden platform along Maremagnum center is made in such a way that it is everything but a wharf. You can see people jogging, kissing, feeding the pigeons, taking pictures and many of them like this person, reading.

Gosh, I wish I had the patience to do that. Why is it that some of us find time and have the will to go to places and some others don't, I mean, the place is not exactly near any building, so you need to plan it, "today I am going to the port and read a book, no matter how cold it is, I will do it".

By the way, notice the buoy, pretending to look the other way not to disturb the reader or perhaps watching the seagulls fly!

Here are some other pictures of Maremagnum area I found interesting via Barcelona Yellow

Cocoa Butter Bath Soap: Are You a Hedonist or What?

Pink Cloud Cocoa Butter Soap

If you are a real Hedonist (hey man, don't start calling me names) then you should try taking a bath with one of these cocoa butter soap cakes. Hmm, I imagine the scent of chocolate and the sudden urge to swallow the water or sip it with a straw pretending the foam was some kind of whip cream on top of a chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate Trade Show, Barcelona: Kid Drinks From Ice Sculpture

Chocolate Trade Show, Barcelona: Kid Drinks From Ice Sculpture. Not that it has to do much with chocolate or a trade show, the subject here is the kid and perhaps the ice sculpture. Well, in fact the left side of the sculpture was stuffed with small chocolate treats but the presence of people nearby made me disregard that part. It was some kind of game. Kids could drink from the ice in the hope that it tasted like chocolate but obviously he chose the most insipid portion.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Chocolate Trade Show in Barcelona: A Fruit Treat

A fruit treat like this, with a chocolate touch was the bait some stalls used to trap innocent victims on an empty stomach in the Chocolate Trade Show held in Barcelona some days ago. You can't say they aren't attractive and surely they are perfect to undermine your will. I remember I didn't touch them, stubborn as I am with my diet and my gym mentality, you know, when you tell people "no, I can't have chocolate, it has too much calories" as if the doctor had prescribed it or your own religion forbade it. "No, this is a sin" you think, "get away from me, shoo!, shoo!". I remember that now, watching those strawberries and pineapple chunks, and I realize how stupid I was. Sniff.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Liqueurs by Faraco and Feixas at Chocolate Trade Show, Barcelona

This is a picture of a small sample of liqueurs by Faraco and Feixas that drew my attention while visiting the Chocolate Trade Show next to the Arc de Triomf monument some days ago. Faraco Feixas, S.L. is a company that elaborates and sells liquors, wine, and oil. I was really impressed by the design of the labels that imitate the Scrabble game in a way, the bottles and the variety of attractive products so I decided to feature them in my blog for free. Hey, if you ever read this send me one of those! See a previous post about drinks: absinthe

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Creepy Two Headed Dolls For The New Kids

Times are achanging and new generations need different toys, like these two headed dolls, a sort of monster that takes from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Betty Boop, Manga Films and Japanese terror movies like the Ring. The shop, a wonderful place to buy curious modern stuff like this is on Ali Bei street near Passeig de Sant Joan, if I am not in a mistake. It was closed at the moment I took the picture so I had to stick my lens through the bars of the rolling metallic doors. Carrer Ali Bei is becoming a zone of comic and freak stores. In fact I believe there is a shop called Freaks at Ali Bei 10 that may be the place to find the dolls. Please any fan or freak correct me if I am wrong.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Thanksgiving Dessert: Chocolate Covered Fruit

Chocolate covered fruit is my proposal for Thanksgiving dessert. I wouldn't like to interrupt your turkey time but this is a simple dessert, a low calorie one if you don't exceed too much with the chocolate or go directly for the upper pastries. This picture was captured in a recent chocolate trade show celebrated in Barcelona which I plan to show you soon in detail. Happy Thanksgiving! I know this post appears some days in advance, don't worry about that. I will update my posting asap.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Thanksgiving Musings From Barcelona, Spain

"The Thanksgiving holiday was established as a national day of giving thanks and praise to God". I am going to take profit of the religious mood created with my two previous posts about Pedralbes Monastery, to show you this holy scene which was part of a small exhibition located in the cellars of the building.

The light was dim but the small scale figures, the magnificent set and the illumination were worthy enough to photograph from a very close distance that excluded the framing and created the atmosphere to make it look almost real. Happy Thanksgiving my friends! 

Stained Glass Window. Pedralbes Monastery. Barcelona, Spain

While in Pedralbes Monastery I noticed this beautiful stained glass window. Everytime I see these religious figures pierced by the incoming light I wonder what effect would the colors and scenes have upon the extremely faithful and fearful medieval souls. Then I can't help thinking on how many people have prayed gazing towards the infinite nothingness asking for divine favors through these stained glass panes. All those years of solitude and whispering slowly come and soothe my soul like a monotonous litany. I am not a religious man and I can't really explain what it is. Maybe is just because my father took me to churches just for the sake of art, literally, or so he said. This art with a purpose, the Gothic purpose of impressing parishioners always works, even for me.

Pedralbes Gothic Monastery in Barcelona, Spain

Built in the fourteenth century, the Pedralbes single-nave gothic monastery is located right under the mountains that mark the upper limits of Barcelona city. The impressive religious building was founded in 1326 by Queen Elisenda de Montcada the third wife of James II. In the image above you see the cloister garden under the morning sun full of medicinal plants. A must see besides the Pedralbes Monastery Museum (Bajada del Monasterio, 9, Tel.: 93 203 92 82) is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Collection that includes a valuable religious art exhibition from XV and XVII. You can get to Pedralbes Monastery on the sightseeing buses as this is part of the Romanesque and Gothic Route. Check this one in particular: Bus Turistic The Northern Route

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Yellow Flowers Fantasy

This yellow flowers fantasy could be easily called Psychedelic Garden II since it is very similar to a previous post of mine. I took this picture in the cloister garden of Pedralbes Monastery which I will show you tomorrow and of course the original background was green.

Sant Pol de Mar, Maresme Coast, Catalonia, Spain

Sant Pol de Mar beach on Maresme Coast near Barcelona last October 28th. As you see we had a very fine weather this fall. I say we had, cause we are freezing these days. I like to post fine weather pictures that give me strength to stand the winter. See more details about Sant Pol

Eggplants and Potatoes

What in the world? Yes, these are baby eggplants I patiently piled up on top of a box of potatoes. In fact I just liked the brilliant color of the aubergines but I thought potatoes would help highlight the purple reddish plant. From the food point of view, now that I introduce these vegetables, let's say that there are recipes that include both ingredients. With this link to Indian Vegetarian Recipes and especially the Eggplant and Potato Curry (Vagan Bateta nu Shak) I am sure the post really acquires a real meaning no matter how surrealistic I may sound. I'm in the middle of a mystic trance lately, it must be the winter!
Note: More Eggplant and Potato Recipes

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Maremagnum Wooden Bridge: Rush Hours

The wooden bridge at Maremagnum was featured in this photo blog a long time ago (see Waiting for the Bridge at Rambla de Mar for all details about the bridge and the architects Albert Viaplana and Helio Piñon). As you can guess, the place being a neuralgic spot in the city is crammed with people during rush hours, which are basically all day long in the Port Vell area. The Maremagnum wooden decked or moveable bridge is a remarkable testament to the collaborative efforts of its architects and construction team. It seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings, harmoniously blending human ingenuity with the beauty of the environment it spans.

The Clock Tower at Port Vell, Barcelona, Spain.

My second post about the clock tower (torre del rellotge or far del port) at the Moll dels Pescadors (Fishermen Pier), Barcelona (see Tower of the Clock) is somehow a new different approach since I preferred color and a different pespective this time. I offered a map to locate it then but I will mark the place on my new Google map with the picture so you play with the zoom in the surroundings too.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Green Pomegranates

Three pomegranates, green pomegranates. I thought those who enjoyed the previous post and said it was hard to see exotic fruit and plants in the USA deserved a second image. If you missed the ripe pomegranate shot follow the link.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

She Giant Queen

Absurd title I know. I can't believe I had yet another giant to show. This queen with bags under her eyes is the last one I promise.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

Curious Hen

And now for what was happening at the bottom of the cage. Another hen, trying to find out what my flash was and all the fuzz. Maybe checking if all the eggs were safe.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s

A Hen's Life. Laying Eggs On the Double

A hen's life can be very boring laying eggs by the dozen and on the double but this one had a minute for me and accepted to pose for the camera. Check next post to see what was happening right at the bottom of the cage.

barcelona barcelona+photoblog barcelona+photos barcelona+pictures barcelona+photography barcelona+images nikon+d70s