Balthazar, The Black Wise Man

The Three Wise Men come from the East every January 5th not to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus but to perform another sacred task, deliver illusions in the form of toys and candies to the children. In return, they only ask for a letter with requests, some water and perhaps pastries and bread crumbs at will for their exhausted camels. Pageants also do their anonymous chores thus alleviating their masters' titanic duties. In the picture, the most solicited, King Balthazar, the Black Magician and Wise Man, poking inside the sack looking for candy to throw to the anxious and happy crowd along Barcelona streets.

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Las Ramblas Devil? Please, Dial 666

Las Ramblas Devil? Please, Dial 666

Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, the Prince of Darkness... or simply the Devil. There are a thousand names for the eternal antagonist, the "slanderer" (if you want to get technical with the Greek diabolos), or as we call him here, El Diablo.

Most religions have their own definition of this malevolent entity, but one thing is true: there seems to be a general acceptance that evil exists. Some place it in hell, others in a parallel dimension, or maybe inside a black cat. If we want to get materialistic about it, maybe it is just a glitch in our neural connections—a result of a lousy childhood or the fact that we chewed on too many plastic toys when we were toddlers.

The Root of All Evil?

Of course, on a bad day, we might just think the devil is our boss, our mother-in-law, our bank creditor, or maybe even Marilyn Manson. But walking down Las Ramblas, the manifestation is a little more literal.

Judging by the massive, textured horns on this creature and that heavy shoulder armor that looks like it was stolen from an Orc in The Lord of the Rings, I’d say this is a pretty practical example of a downtown demon manifestation. I went with a gritty black and white edit for this shot because I think it brings out the textures of the mask and makes him look even more like an ancient gargoyle.

Careful Who You Call

If you look closely at the background, you can spot the logo of a public telephone booth right behind him. It makes for a perfect, slightly ominous coincidence. So, beware of who is next in line when you use a public phone in Barcelona! You never know if you might accidentally dial 666.

Seasonal Lighting on El Corte Ingles

A new year has come, we ate, laughed and cried. It is time for other goals and also for the gym and an extreme diet. In coming days the Three Wise Men will return once again to bring toys for kids. El Corte Ingles is one of those traditional department stores with a seasonal lighting: this was the way it looked some days ago for Christmas and I suppose they will set a different decoration for Los Tres Reyes Magos celebrations if they haven't already. I seldom visit this shopping center but you have to admit that their lights are a sort of traditional symbol in Barcelona and celebrations wouldn't be the same without the famous chain store. They spend a fortune I suppose but the full moon is free of charge.

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