Tours of Barcelona: Park Guell, A Visionary's Whim

Like the water that flows through these small gargoyles or spouts connected to a gutter, visitors of all kinds come and go as part of the many Tours of Barcelona to enjoy the architectural design of a master applied to the natural environment of the mountain, in other less pompous words, Park Guell, the whim of a visionary architect, Antonio Gaudi, who was commissioned by Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, Count, textile industry businessman, art patron and friend.

Following the Count's idea he was supposed to build a luxury garden city made of private plots surrounded by common greens, based upon a British model by Ebenezer Howard thus the name Park and not Parc as in Catalan. The project was interrupted in 1914. Only three plots had been sold from a total amount of 60. The estate was sold in 1918 by Eusebi's heirs to the city council and became a public park.

Recommended: Some good tips for a Tour in Barcelona can be found in the travel section of The New York Times as Fodor's Choice

Park Güell: A Personal Approach

Here is a sort of mixture between reality and canvas. I exaggerated the frame around the main subject which is the entrance to Park Güell by Gaudi. 

 It looks better from the distance I guess. I have a long way to go till I learn photography. 

 Have a nice weekend everybody.

Sagrada Familia: Carrying the Cross

Once more I show you a scene from the Passion of Christ (not the film) at Sagrada Familia and one more time I am in a hurry. I am devoting more time to the pictures than to the post itself. As a matter of fact this is a photoblog not a journal or a diary. On the other hand, I know many of you are fed up with touristic pictures but some others can see beyond the obvious and admire the unrefutable beauty of Catalan patrimony. This picture is dedicated to architecture lovers. Are we daily bloggers carrying our own cross for the sake of others? That I leave up to you, but believe me sometimes it feels like redemption.

Domino Tiles: Double-6 or Double-9 Set

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Domino pieces, dominoes or tiles can be part of different sets being the most common the double-6, the double-9, the double-12 or even the double-15 sets. They are all named after the number of pips on the face of the highest tile. Hey, don't worry I am not into the games biz, maybe I should! My point is, now that I chose black and white detail, that in Barcelona as in many parts of the country is quite common to see people, mainly old people, playing dominoes in the bar (not downtown of course). It has been a traditional game here and they always use a double-6 set so I thought they would find this picture interesting and weird. In Latin America, especifically in the Caribbean. dominoes is considered the national game (I remember players shouting and sitting on the porch drinking beers or rum till late at night during a visit to Cuba where I bought this set) and they use double-9. Who would say that of a game invented in China as far back as the 12th century!.

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Rusty Propeller

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There is not much to say about this one, except that it is part of an old ship, a fragment laid on one side of a park along the beach walk. There was no shipwreck there as far as I know. I took a snapshot that was dark and green but with an interesting composition so I used Photomatix and its superb tone mapping function which gave me a much better image.

Pirena 2007: Dog Sleigh Show by the Beach

Last weekend we went to Nova Icaria Beach in Barcelona to witness one of the weirdest events you can think of: dog sleds racing on the sand!. It was the Pirena 2007 show. Skillful mushers, huskies, harnesses...but no snow, not even a flake!. In fact it was quite warm. We arrived late so we couldn't enjoy the whole thing. At the end there was a side contest where participants made their trained dogs run through a set up circuit of hurdles, tunnels and slides such as the one in the picture. Some of them went really fast so I had another chance to practice speed photography.

Urban Pirouette - Freestyle BMX in Barcelona

I recognize there is a whole world behind freestyle bmx, and I enjoy watching impossible pirouettes like these as I walk along the beach, but my hair is turning gray so I prefer to follow it from the distance and practice with my camera. Nevertheless, the fact that I am too old to practice doesn't mean my younger visitors have to sit and get bored looking at my architecture pictures. If you want to know more about bikes, and especially this style check this link: Freestyle BMX Tricks.

Remodeled Spires in Sagrada Familia

These are the spires of Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi showing off a brand new look after so many years of cranes and protective hoods. The cathedral was spectacular alright but those colorful tips are the cherry on top of the cake. Nice weekend everyone!

Recomended: I know many of you are after some good photography tips and links. This one is in my opinion one of the most attractive. I suggest you check the beginners guide for example: Photonhead

Romancing the Stone

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Also taken at La Barceloneta was this odd arrangement of rocks, some of them in stacks facing each other like some sort of primitive totem on a forgotten primitive island. It is not strange that I often stop and fall in love with a sunset at Mar Bella beach, it is not weird then that I sit there and start "romancing the stone" silently with my camera. Remember that old song by Eddie Grant?:

'I'm romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin' away
I'm romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin' away'

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Kaleidoscope

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"Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies; Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl with kaleidoscope eyes". She had strange eyes for sure, no wonder, if she was on LSD!. My mind is meandering while I wait for the weekend for more street shots.

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Lonely Bike at Barcelona Beach

Another one for the road. This time we've got a solitary bike chained to the railings overlooking Bogatell beach, one of the many small sandy inlets separated by piers along Barcelona coast. As you probably know, for many years our city ignored the sea as a leisure spot, and the many industries, warehouses or fishermen's barracks acted as a curtain that kept the shore away from citizens.

Opposites

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I don't have much time today cause I had a hard time cropping and postprocessing this image taken somewhere along Mar Bella beach. I hope you enjoy the site and remember there are old posts of mine with information about Barcelona beach.

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Pageants: The Letter Bearers

Letter Bearer in Three Wise Men Parade aka Cavalcada de Reis in Barcelona

While standing with my family in the middle of the crowd and watching the Three Wise Men parade (sp. Cabalgata de Reyes or cat. Cavalcada de Reis) last Friday, I caught this beautiful pageant and through the viewfinder I noticed that face and that magic feeling you get when your model's eyes pierce through your lens and get into your mind and soul, I can't tell what it is, maybe it is just beauty or spiritual harmony. 

After I shot and lowered my camera I was rewarded with the spontaneous smile of the letter bearer or was it an angel?.

Three Wise Men's Pageant in Barcelona

Pageant at Three Wise Men Parade or Cabalgata de Reyes in Barcelona

In terms of royalty this would be a simple pageant but with all due respect to your majesties, the Three Kings of East, I took the liberty of immortalizing his graceful gestures and theatrical appeal.

This pageant who had the privilege of riding on a float instead of going on foot acted as an announcer of the imminent arrival of the Three Wise Men of Orient coming right behind him.

Wise Men of the East Arrive in Barcelona

Biblical Magi or Wise Men arriving in Barcelona

The Three Wise Men of the East, or Magi, or Three Kings of the Orient arrived in Barcelona this afternoon at six o'clock by ship and landed in our city harbor.

Caspar of Tarsus, Melchior of Persia and Balthasar of Saba who originally followed a star to Israel in search of the newborn Christ Child to offer him gold, incense and myrrh, were seen escorted by an entourage of diligent pageants and elegant camels packed with thousands of presents for kids who had been waiting anxiously all day long.

Nevertheless, those presents cannot be seized immediately by children as they should appear by magic inside their houses once they are asleep. It is recommended that some sweets and water are set conveniently somewhere outdoors for the exhausted camels.

She Colors My World With Hope

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Remember the markers, now I am back with a similar array of boxes containing color pencils on the next table at my daughter's classroom. The picture was already colorful but I used Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 plugin in Photoshop to give it the sort of "life as I see it thru my rose colored glasses" mood. Just the way my daughter makes me see the world. Her classroom is lovely not only for the colorful decoration but for the fantastic view of Barcelona that I want to share with you today.

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The Friend of a Friend

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Africa is her name, and she is my friends' new best friend. We don't have pets ourselves except for a farm she-rabbit and a couple of parakeets (one of them born here at home). My daughter goes nuts about having a dog so they let us have it a whole day last Christmas. The use of the flash so close gave the little animal this sort of David Bowie eyes so I thought you would like it. Awaiting for my next photo excursion I am experimenting with the camera at home as you can see. Odd enough I haven't taken any pictures of Barcelona streets in two weeks in spite of the holidays. I hope this somehow "reloads my batteries" for another year but don't worry, that doesn't mean I dont' have any in stock. As to the doggie, you know the breed alright, the quiet and lazy kind!...

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Say Cheese Outloud

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I am in a hurry as usual and I have not enough pictures so I am using this narrow format images. I know some of you will have to scroll, I will try to avoid this enormous vertical pictures in the future which on the other hand look terrible when cropped. Said that, I suggest you say a big "cheese" and smile for the camera. This enormous Cantal cheese, made in France was being sold at Monistrol de Montserrat, a town near Barcelona, this past autumn.

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Gaudi Window Fantasy in Park Guell

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Some "insignificant" details in Gaudi's architecture are difficult to accomodate within the context of his time, take for example this whimsical window that looks torn out of its frame, right at the entrance of Park Güell.

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Gaudi Animals: Snakes in Park Guell

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This is my first 2007 post so who better than Gaudi to emphasize the whole idea of Barcelona Photoblog. A new year of daily pictures begins. In ten months I have known fantastic fellow bloggers all over the world, I have had moments of joy and sadness, days with lots of visitors and days with almost none, but above all I have enjoyed a new experience which is promoting Barcelona through my photographs, rediscovering my own city thanks to your interest, your time and your rewarding visits. Thank you very much, best wishes and Happy 2007!

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