Barcelona Coastline

Not the first time I show the view from Montjuic but I hope in the larger image, which you can see upon clicking on this smaller version, the result pleases you. I still haven't found the right time of the day nor the proper lens to make it look sharper and attractive. I tried to keep the right colors and contrast. Maybe not too realistic a result, but the skies and clouds have this sort of Japanese cartoon happy mood that finally made me repeat this post.

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Captive Vulture

Vultures, feed on corpses or carrion. Scavengers as they are they do the dirty job for us like many creatures in this world who are there for something. They keep the delicate balance, the ecological equilibrium. Take a look at that bill used to tear dead meat apart, the perfect tool for a nauseating task. Imagine this vulture gliding above the Iberian peninsula spotting putrid preys. What a wonderful invention of nature, a spontaneous garbage man that only works for the food. Isn't that great? This guy was captive though and doesn't have the chance to go on a cleaning spree often. The picture I took in Cim d'Aligues mentioned in: Golden Eagle and Girl Holding Eagle.

Barcelana Handbags On Top Manta

No, this is not a typo. It clearly says Barcelana. A play on words with Barcelona and Lana which means wool. Although the brand is known and its products are sold in local stores, this handbag you see in the image, was being offered on the black market or what is known as top manta somewhere near Mirador del Alcalde in Montjuic, Barcelona. The place which is full of tourists, has lots of possible exits to escape from the scene in case the police is spotted in the vicinity by strategically distributed watchmen. In this case there was an interesting cooperation among countries: most of the street vendors looked like Pakistanis or Indians but a small minority was Chinese. They carried their own watchman. After a while a warning came from one of the sentries indicating the police was near. Everything got smoothly and swiftly packed up in bundles with some kind of contrivance that folds in the whole blanket in seconds. False alarm. It had been just some guard patrolling on his motorcycle. All the illegal traders came back and little by little the fuss disappeared. Top manta is not new in Barcelona and although there are sporadic police raids to stop such activities everything spontaneously regenerates like a lizard's tail.

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Stamens: Nature's Perfection

This is part of a flower's reproductive system. A detail of several stamens, each of them made up of a filament (the stalks), anthers and pollen sacs. But as I've said many times I am no specialist. I just want you to appreciate the beauty of it all and wish you all a nice week.

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Strawberries On Display in La Boqueria Market

Nothing like the color of the succulent strawberries on display at La Boqueria market in Barcelona. All the packs piled up in impossible pyramids produce such beautiful result that no mortal can resist the temptation to buy some.

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Cogwheels and Pebbles Abstraction, Mirador del Alcalde, Barcelona

Before you ask yourself what on earth this is, let's place the image in some context. It is a detail of the walk along Mirador del Alcalde (The Mayor's lookout) which was restored last January. The adornments were there already so that's why you may notice some erosion which in turn makes the picture look a bit dull. Anyway, the combination of cogwheels and pebbles seems interesting enough to show here. Please check this old post to enjoy the view from this mirador, one of the most privileged places in the area to enjoy Barcelona from above: Panoramic view of Barcelona. Maybe this one is better: View from Mirador del Alcalde

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Costa Serena Cruiser and Golondrina Boat in Barcelona Port

This a partial view of the entrance to Barcelona harbor where the Mediterranean cruiser terminals are located. The big vessel in the image is Costa Serena that belongs to one of the main operating companies, Costa Cruceros which generates about 126 visits to our port, according to 2007 figures. Costa Cruceros, brings about 330.000 visitors a year who spend around 50 euros per person in the city. This represents a total amount of around 15 million euros to Barcelona. All cruiser traffic in the port is managed by Creuers del Port de Barcelona, S.A. and the top responsible of all operations is the Port Authority of Barcelona (APB). If the previous figures look good you should know that the port expects to repeat the two million cruise passengers in 2009 and that last year Barcelona was the fifth port in the cruise world, behind the four major touristic ports in the Caribbean - Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and the Mexican port of Cozumel. The city expects to receive a total of 880 cruise ship visits in 2009. APB calculates that cruise ships left 200 million euros in 2008! By the way, the small boat in the foreground is one of the Golondrinas sightseeing boats featured here in the past. These are the specs of Costa Serena cruiser:

Built in 2007
Passenger Capacity 2.930 (Double Occupancy)
Number of Crew 1.100
Total Cabins 1.500 (28 for Handicapped Guests)
Tonnage 114.500 t
Length 950 feet
Beam 118 feet
Decks 17 (14 for Guests Use)
Max Speed 23 Knots
Cruising Speed 21.5 Knots

Tired Dog

On the entrance to Eagles' Peak or Cim D'Aligues I found this dog that was so glued to the ground that seemed to be some kind of doormat. Obviously the animal was tired and probably suffocated by hot temperatures. I liked the way it managed to keep an eye on my camera while taking a good nap with the other eye and the rest of the body.

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Sundial: Make the Most Out of My Light

One of the most efficient ways to tell time, a simple mechanism that needs no cogwheels, no pendulum, no springs and no winding: to follow the shadow of the sun cast upon a numbered scale in what is known as a sundial or a sun clock. This one I found in a town nearby called Castellterçol. There are some in Barcelona too but they tend to disappear. 

Nerves

A detail of the nerves on some leaf. The original plant I found in a greenhouse. The light coming through the glass on the roof. I am afraid I can't say much about it except I like the texture and shape of it.

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Eastern Imperial Eagle at Cim D'Aligues, Barcelona

This is a young Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). The purpose of my blog is not to offer accurate taxonomy or deepen into the biology of any given animal I happen to photograph, although being concise does not mean saying: "this a bird!". The eagle is one of the many species of birds of prey that can be admired at Cim d'Aligues, a special center on the hills of Sant Feliu de Codines near Barcelona.

There is an old post with a link and some further explanation about Cim d'Aligues (Eagles' Peak). If you have time try to reach this town. There is a magnificent view of the valley once you are inside the aviary. During the day there is a show where trained vultures, owls, hawks or eagles are released and claimed with bait using falconry techniques. You can admire them gliding over your head and exploring the neighboring lower areas. They take some time to return but eventually they are all back.

Lichen Detail

A detail of some lichen on a tree and a little playing with macro option on my 70 - 300 mm and dof. I stood under the tree and pointed upwards along the bark. Here is an old post showing more lichen: Lichen on Ancient Rock

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Gummy Candy

The dream of every child, mountains of gummy candy triggering the wildest fantasies in the back of their minds, with funny shapes and delicious flavors. I thought this was going to be an easy picture but to my surprise I had a lot of problem with predominant yellow from the incandescent light and white balance. I am not completely satisfied but the large version came out somewhat acceptable in the end. I hope you like it.

Dragon and Umbrella at La Rambla, Barcelona

I brought you today a new picture I took of a subject included here in a previous post: the Dragon and Umbrella figures presiding over Las Ramblas at the top floor of an old umbrella store. Details can be read there so I just want to support that with an improved image. Please check: Casa Bruno Quadros: Modernisme or Eclectic Whim and Las Ramblas: Dragon and Umbrella Photo.

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Fish Eyes

Sorry if you came looking for the lenses. This is only a very quiet scene with some dead actors staring at the audience with very fishy looking eyes. Stop staring at me! Well, you can try moving from left to right and viceversa. See how they follow? Should anyone know the name of the species please help me on this. For the moment they are just some red fish at La Boqueria market, those small ones we normally use to make paella known here as peix de roca (fish living in the bottom rocks), in other words, with benthonic habits. They look like some sort of squirrelfish or Candil to me although those are tropical. Hmm, maybe.

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Sant Jordi, A Book, A Rose and Lot of People

First of all allow me to congratulate the publishing houses, the book sellers, the florists, the illegal flower mongers for the success. Today I decided to visit the book stands scattered along La Rambla de Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia. It was hot in Barcelona. A beach day. The first very hot day of the year. Fortunately I took my Coolpix instead of the big one. My back was sweating under the backpack. People shoving me all the time. When Sant Jordi comes, you are supposed to buy a book and give away flowers. I couldn't concentrate on the books. I finally bought a small one on digital photography but once I got home, in the nearest bookshop. I did the same with the flowers. It is a real nuisance for me to buy the flowers early in the morning and carrying them around all day till I get home and handle them to my wife and daughter. Why would I do that if I have a florist a block away from home! Oh, no, tradition is tradition and people enjoy some sacrifice. There were authors dedicating books and long lines of people waiting. This year I noticed different flowers. Many red roses were painted or tinted with some blue imitating FC Barcelona colors. Others were strange like these wire flowers.

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Angel or Devil, A Popular Living Statue in Las Ramblas

A very popular living statue in Las Ramblas. An angel, a golden angel showing off impressive wings that can be seen from the distance. This one is by far one of the most attractive human statues in this famous street of Barcelona. All in all the angel is sweet and gentle but if you take a close look you won't be so sure about which master this angel works for: God or the Devil. Click on the image for the big format and let me know what you see, good or evil? Maybe it represents some mythological being I am not aware of.

Bead Necklace On Wood

This is a bead necklace my wife bought while we were visiting Mirador del Alcalde today, that beautiful place from where you can enjoy a wonderful sight of Barcelona. I took some pictures that I will post later this week. It is funny but from all the snaps I prefer the macro instead of the landscapes. It was sunny and we laid the necklace on the upper part of a bench. I used a 70-300 mm lens.

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Al Detall - Retail Commerce - 3rd Collective Exhibition by Barcelona Photobloggers in Maremagnum Center, Barcelona

Last night I had the pleasure to attend the inauguration of an exhibition organized by our group of Barcelona Photobloggers in the main hall of Maremagnum Shopping Center in Barcelona. This is our third group exhibition and it is called Al Detall (Retail). I translate part of the post at our group's site: "Commerce is part of our daily existence. The exchange of goods has adopted many forms since the beginnings of time. For long, two models of retail commerce coexist in our lives: the local neighborhood shop and the shopping center. The relationship between them both is the theme of this exhibition". I took this picture so you could take a glimpse but it is better to visit Maremagnum, have some coffee and take some time to enjoy the exhibition in detail. 

Human Statues: Make-Up Time

When you are trapped in the living stream of Las Ramblas and you are shoved along the way from one end to another you probably don't have time to reason out the evidence that human statues are not part of the urban furniture. They are not part of a permanent exhibition either. No one comes and unloads the statues from a truck to gently place them on their improvised pedestals early in the morning. They are anonymous Barcelona citizens, made of flesh and bones, permanent residents or temporary visitors who rely on such unstable and tedious activity to make a living. They have their assigned areas, their timetable, their official permit. To attain that wonderful final look we are all familiar with they sometimes need more than an hour to be ready. It is not strange to see them arrive partly dressed to save time. After all the preparation which may include wearing tons of make-up and fitting into impossible costumes it may happen that the weather suddenly plays tricks on them and spoils the performance. Of course no insurance company will compensate for the cancellation of the show nor will the city hall sympathy with their cause. Las Ramblas certainly wouldn't be that great without the living statues so any help to pay for such painful and respectable effort is always more than welcome. Of course I don't tip them if I capture them before the acting begins as in this image but when they are on "stage" I try not to sneak between tourists to steal a picture from them. A good smiling face, nicely caught in connivance with the camera after you have expressed your gratitude can really make the difference.

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