Detail of Faith Hallway or Entry in the Nativity Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

This is a detail of the Faith hallway or entry located to the right of the Nativity façade in Sagrada Familia. It is an image of Jesus in his carpenter work bench. To get a better idea examine other sculptures from this façade featured in Barcelona Photoblog in the past: Turtle Holding Pillar, Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Herod's soldiers Slaying Children and Adoration of the Magi

Homemade Cookies Shop in Carrer Princesa, Barcelona

At carrer Princesa there is this wonderful shop called Demasié with an extra motto written on the window - galetes exageradament bones (something like: "exaggeratedly delicious cookies"). Demasié was founded by the Escursell brothers, who also run a famous chain of chocolate shops known as the Xocoa group. Demasié specializes in cookies, and the idea is to make emphasis in homemade products. Due to the good quality and presentation of the cookies the price may be sometimes set accordingly.

Ferrets: Captive Animals in Las Ramblas, Barcelona

Among the many captive animals you can buy in Las Ramblas stalls there are these ferrets. Apparently they are cute and make good pets but keeping them in a cage is not what nature had in mind. The noise, the lack of freedom to move in such a small space, the great amount of people coming and going or stopping by to watch like this girl provoke stress in many of these creatures. If you enlarge the picture you will notice how the ferret on the right is stubbornly biting on the bars of the cage.

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Carnation Fresco, Flower Stall, Las Ramblas, Barcelona

Of course this is no fresco, these are real carnations, as shot in a flower stall at Las Ramblas, Barcelona. I added a very subtle pastel effect and it is meant to draw your attention from the distance. It is a very common image, so I took the liberty of playing with it. Although it is almost imperceptible. Here are three pictures that appeared in Barcelona Photoblog in the past, taken in the same place: Flower Bouquets, Flower Stock Photography (notice the same carnations below) and Flower Bouquet at La Rambla dels Flors

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Exotic Animals? - A Gecko's Life

Exotic animals in Barcelona like this gecko I photographed on a marble slab are part of a big market in the city although some species of Geckos are common in the Mediterranean. As I am no expert I am going to recommend a good link about the world of geckos: Geckos Unlimited. I prefer to see them in the wild though!

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Crested Gecko or Rhacodactylus Ciliatus: Exotic Animals in Barcelona

Crested Gecko or Rhacodactylus Ciliatus is one of the exotic animals you can find in Barcelona, well at least it is an exotic animal for us. This is not the first time exotic animals appear in Barcelona Photoblog: Exotic Animals in Barcelona - Marsupials and Exotic Animals at Las Ramblas

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Modernist Window, Fundació Dr. Robert, Sant Pau Hospital

Not so spectacular as the stained glass windows in previous posts but attractive to the eye as well, this modernist window is overlooking the staircase inside Casa de Convalescencia (Fundació Dr. Robert) in Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona.

Modernist Stained Glass Windows: Fundacio Dr. Robert, Barcelona

Inside Fundació Dr. Robert in Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona you can see these beautiful stained glass windows around the cupola of the aula magna building.

Sagrada Familia Stained Glass

There is little margin sometimes to capture stained glass windows in Sagrada Familia due to lack of space and scaffolds that are in your way. This is the result of a very close take.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral: Stained Glass Window

The following four posts in a row deal with stained glass. In this case we here a view of one the imponent windows inside Sagrada Familia cathedral. As I want to slowly catch up in my posting with today's correct date, I am going to be brief.

Taking Photographs at Port Vell, Barcelona: Romantic Couple

This is a picture of another picture. A young man taking some photos of his girlfriend. I wouldn't dare say they are Japanese tourists but you know the cliche about who is more fond of shooting at everything that moves. She looks like some model to me. The light was great right before the sun went down over Montjuic mountain. The Port Vell area was crowded and lots of tourists were waiting to pass to the other side of Maremagnum bridge towards Las Ramblas. Some others were trying to capture a good sunset shot, me too! But I couldn't resist sneaking into this couple's private world and snatching a moment of intimacy.

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Mermaid Human Statue in Las Ramblas, Barcelona

Once upon a time there was a little mermaid, a sad and lonely little mermaid, working nine to five out of the water to make ends meet in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. She only wanted to go with her father in the deep blue sea some miles away from Barcelona port but human money was better than devaluated seashells in her underwater world. Tough life indeed, so much makeup, scales getting dry in the sun and those stingy strange creatures with no tail staring at her like a school of fish. Yeah, it sounds like a tale but human statues in Las Ramblas are real people, they need the money so let's give them some coins to take back home cause they really deserve it.

Picture I liked today from the City Daily Photo group: Free Parking by Hyderabad Daily Photo, India. I like the silhouette of the road and the incredible amount of cars in the huge traffic jam.

Rafols Hardware Store: Ironwork in Barcelona

Ferreteria Rafols (hardware store) is located at Ronda de Sant Pere, 74. Its façade is catalogued as part of the urban and architectural elements in Barcelona, mainly due to the ironwork which dates back to 1919 and was made by Calixte Tresserras. Wrought iron was commonly used to adorn commercial buildings at the beginnings of last century. Maybe you would like to learn the words on the signs, left: Drugstore, Houseware and right: Nuts, Bolts and Screws; Tools, Lock Work.

Picture I liked today from the City Daily Photo group: Growing Back by Iblowfish from Cleveland Daily Photo, Ohio. I think it has good bw treatment, the title fits perfectly and the image is well composed and powerful.

Useful Link of the Day: The Blogger's Guide to Search Engine Optimization

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Holy Scene 2 at Pedralbes Monastery

This is my second holy scene taken inside the Pedralbes Monastery.

As you can see it is another miniature representation of a religious passage. The light was dim, but the set as I pointed out in the first holy scene, was spectacular.

I want to remind you and the bots that this blog is not about religion. I prefer to stick to photography which is much more fun as a hobby. Christmas is around the corner so I think this topic is more than suitable and besides, art manifests in many forms that enrich our knowledge in many ways.

Arc de Triomph Detail with Modernist Street Lamp

This a detail of our Arc de Triomf (L'arc de Triomphe - The Arch of Triumph) which I had ignored in my pictures so far, maybe because obvious things in the city sometimes are overlooked by its inhabitants. Next to the monument and all along Passeig de Lluis Companys you have these wonderful Catalan Art Nouveau street lamps. Built during the 1888 Universal Exhibition by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, the arch was the main entrance to the venues. As you can see it is made of bricks and is an important representative of the Moorish revival style. Check my google map below to find the exact place in Barcelona.

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.

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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.

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