Barcelona Photoblog

February 28, 2011

Ambient Essential Oil

Ambient Essence Oil

Ambient essential oils used in aromatherapy for uplifting the spirit and the mind vary in scents and colors, extracted as they are from different parts of a plant be it leaf, seed, wood, root, flower or resin among others. They have been part of alternative medicine and folk wisdom since time immemorial. That is why, it is not rare to find scented oil stands in medieval fairs around Catalonia, like this one in Vic, Osona (Barcelona Province).

February 24, 2011

Opposite Ways, Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona

Crosswalk at Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona [enlarge]

People come and go, establishing strange symmetries sometimes, like atoms in a formula, apparently chaotic and yet so harmonious and linked. People have lives of their own, walking in opposite ways, in opposite directions and yet they are part of the same project, human existence. Here is a good example at a pedestrian crossing in Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona.

February 21, 2011

Faculty of Medicine, Carrer Casanova, Barcelona, Spain

Faculty of Medicine, Carrer Casanova, Barcelona, Spain [enlarge]

Although the Faculty of Medicine is located at present in carrer Casanova and has been there since 1906, the original premises were originally (1843) at carrer Carmen where the Royal Academy of Medicine is now. The 1906 building by architect Josep Domenech i Estapa, is a good example of eclectic classicism. This is a detail of the frieze that gives the building this magnificent look from every possible angle along Casanova street. Worth mentioning is the beautiful cloister inside. Notice the rhomboid figure with a hand inside to the right on the frieze: these are masonic symbols. You can check other pictures of the faculty in this album at Universitat de Barcelona official site

February 19, 2011

Coats, Mother and Daughter, Mercat del Ninot, Barcelona

Coats, Mother and Daughter, Mercat del Ninot, Barcelona [enlarge]

Mother and daughter perhaps, wearing identical coats at one of the outside stands in Ninot market. This market is still in its temporary location at carrer Casanova while the old one is being restored one block away from there. A common Barcelona scene captured at random for you. I hope you like the coats.

February 18, 2011

Rabat Jewelry and Watch Shop, Passeig de Gracia 99, Barcelona

Rabat Jewelry and Watch Shop, Passeig de Gracia 99, Barcelona [enlarge]

Rabat is a jewelry and watch shop in Barcelona. In fact, they have several stores in the city and more in Valencia and Madrid. This one in particular is at Passeig de Gracia 99. But the purpose of this post is not to promote their company. I am more interested in the perspective of those giant garden jars, the colors of last Christmas adornments on them and the particular Barcelona street scene depicted in the picture. As with many street photographs you may interpret whatever you like here and imagine your own story. To me maybe it will make sense after some years. I enjoy watching old images cause I think that like wine they get better with time.

February 16, 2011

Medicinal Herbs and Other Alternative Remedies

Medicinal Herbs, Medieval Fair, Vic [enlarge]

The miracle cure, the panacea so much sought after in the history of mankind and yet so unattainable and utopic. I always wonder who was the first one to put a particular plant on a kettle to make an infusion or prepared a cataplasm to apply on wounds or simply decided to chew up some leaves after watching animals react (well, it happened with coffee berries anyway!) How many anonymous individuals probably dropped dead after doing that and exclaimed in the last moments of agony - wrong leaf, forget about this one! Here are some samples of medicinal herbs at a local medieval fair in Vic. I don't know the name but it is indicated in the treatment of a swollen liver or hepatitis (fetge means liver in Catalan). A good example of old remedies for liver illnesses would be Anemone hepatica or hepatica nobilis.

February 13, 2011

Cupcakes (Magdalenas) at Local Market Stall

Cupcakes (Magdalenas) at Local Market Stall [enlarge]

I am not fond of cupcakes (magdalenas in Spanish) because I find the dough too dry to swallow. But there is a huge difference between those industrial magdalenas packed in plastic at the supermarket and homemade Spanish cupcakes right out of the oven. In Catalan towns it is common to find these local fairs where you can buy all sort of homemade products so rare in big cities like Barcelona and cupcakes are one of them. Today's picture was taken in Vic. Here is an easy Spanish cupcake recipe

February 10, 2011

Italian Food in Barcelona: Calzone Pizza

Calzone Pizza at La Tagliatella, Barcelona, Spain [enlarge]

Nothing like well presented food to welcome guests into a restaurant. Besides growing your appetite, it creates a mood. Who is not thrilled by Italian food and the pleasures of Mediterranean recipes? The sight of this calzone pizza at the entrance of La Tagliatella (Mallorca, 266) couldn't be more appealing. The fact this is a franchise does not mean you can't have a good meal sometimes. I have used a strong vignette to give it a sort of old silent movie effect. Here is an interesting Calzone recipe: Meat Feast Calzone via BBC

February 07, 2011

Romantic Gardens: Horta Labyrinth Park in Barcelona

Horta Labyrinth Park in Barcelona or Parc del Laberint d'Horta [enlarge]

Horta Labyrinth Park in Barcelona or Parc del Laberint d'Horta as it is known in Catalan is one of those places you should not miss and yet generally overlooked due to its location in the upper limits of the city near Collserola mountains. This combination of neoclassical and romantic garden has been featured in Barcelona Photoblog before: Parc del Laberint, the Romantic Maze at Horta District so I am not going to talk about history. This time I want to remind you that Saint Valentine is just a week away and what better than a Romantic garden and the privacy of a young couple to welcome such beautiful celebration. Have you made up your mind on your St. Valentine gifts?

February 05, 2011

Barber Shop at Carrer Casanova 96, Barcelona



Don't ask me why but pictures of barber shops have a certain something. Maybe because both client and barber look so concentrated, the client telling him the story of his life in a sort of confessional with no curtains or lattice partition. The barber doing his job with an eye on the haircut and his mind on his client's speech or at least that's what it seems since they never lose track. Everybody knows that barbers are a blend of priest with psychologist. My God, the things you get to confess to your barber. This barbershop in particular you will find at carrer Casanova, 96 in Barcelona. 

Update 11/09/2021: I see the picture got to be popular at the owner's website snippet on Google. That's the best that can happen to a photograph, to be useful and provide a message. Now after some years I still love this one. Generally I hate most of my pictures after some time! Here's  Lucena's Barbers link in case you wanna know the place and confess a little!

February 02, 2011

Man Napping

Man Napping, Barcelona [enlarge]

Resuming my topic on not so touristic issues here is another shot showing people that in one way or the other are neglected by our society or live their particular personal drama which indirectly leads them into a similar status. I am not sure this is a homeless man, judging by the leather jacket, but obviously the nap is not that you have after a copious meal. Whatever the situation is, I thought the picture could help bringing up the idea of precariousness and other social hardships in Barcelona. The place, a park in carrer Aragó at the intersection with Enric Granados.

January 30, 2011

Modernist Building, Rambla Catalunya 61 next to Arago St.

Modernist Building, Rambla Catalunya 61 next to Arago St.

Newly restored modernist building on the corner of Rambla Catalunya and Carrer Arago.

Located exactly at Rambla Catalunya 61 this apartment building with offices to rent (I have seen one with 150 square meters advertised for 2500 EUR/month!) immediately grabs our attention for that interesting combination of undulated balconies, exuberant ironwork and glass covered galleries.

I think you should examine this Eixample quarter Art Nouveau gem closer in Google street view: Modernist House Rambla Catalunya 61.

January 25, 2011

Metal Adornment at Building Entrance in Eixample Quarter, Barcelona

Metal Adornment at Building Entrance in Eixample Quarter, Barcelona [enlarge]

Walking along Eixample streets it is not rare to find curious metal adornments like this, guarding the entrance of modernist houses. I am not sure about the real purpose of such figures but it is obvious it wasn't purely aesthetical. One of my theories is that between the door and this mythological creature, you could easily slide a wooden board to protect the house against flooding. This was usual practice in Barcelona not so long ago. Nevertheless I am not sure about this and maybe some of you may think of another use.

January 20, 2011

Casa Batlló: Masked Balconies

Mask Balconies at Casa Batllo by Gaudi, Barcelona

To stay in Barcelona without visiting Casa Batlló is like being in Paris and forgetting about the Eiffel tower, with all due respect to Sagrada Familia and Sacre Coeur respectively.

The famous house designed by Gaudi is so, let's say, 'different' that tiptoeing her is almost a sacrilege.

Besides the exquisite trencadis (shattered tiles) on the façade, the balconies are like carnival masks, concealed faces watching upon passersby.

The whole building has more to do with patterns we usually find in nature than with man's rationale, like the peculiar contours of the roof that simulate some sort of scaly skin as that of a lizard or a snake, or why not, a dragon, or the impossible arches and oval windows in the lower floors deprived of everything that recalls a straight line.

I tried to apply some symmetry at the moment of framing the picture but it was certainly pretty hard.

Here is a previous post about Casa Batllo.

January 17, 2011

Modernist Lamp, Casa Amatller, Barcelona

Modernist Lamp, Casa Amatller, Barcelona

This is a detail of one of the art nouveau style lamps at Casa Amatller on Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona. Of course the original is more beautiful but I hope this is enough teaser for you to visit the famous house and take a good look at it.

More about Casa Amatller in this previous post: Casa Amatller Modernist Stained Glass Ceiling

January 11, 2011

An Exclusive Bird's Eye View on Barcelona: Diagonal 00

Diagonal 00, Barcelona - Telefonica S.A Headquarters [enlarge]

As covered by Barcelona Photoblog in a previous post, the skyline of Barcelona is experiencing a drastic change and the waterfront is no longer spilled with industrial warehouses or fishermen shacks. The explosion of high rise buildings is evident and it is not strange to listen to testimonies of tourists that have enjoyed a wonderful view from one of those state-of-the-art hotels or employees that have the privilege of working in brand new company headquarters facing the sea and surrounded by an idyllic neighborhood. Such is the case of gravity defiant Diagonal 00, Telefonica's flagship head office, a sort of modern Flatiron building in Europe. I am sure that staff working on top floors must have an impressive panorama in front of them every morning, almost like a bird's eye view considering the rest of our urban perimeter is quite flat.

By the way, today I would like to recommend this fantastic video in 3D about Barcelona city in which you have the opportunity to virtually travel on bird's eye view mode over several Barcelona hallmarks. In fact, the video is the result of Oh-Barcelona staff efforts to introduce more advanced visual technologies like 3D in the world of city maps and travel guides. I hope you enjoy the trip!

January 09, 2011

Small Girl Playing at Restaurant

Small Girl Playing at Restaurant [enlarge]

Small girl hiding under restaurant menu. I hope you like another sample of pure innocence. Have a nice week everyone.

January 06, 2011

Wise Man Balthasar Brings Presents to Barcelona Kids

Wise Man Balthasar in Barcelona
Balthasar Magi during Barcelona Three Wise Men Parade

Wise man Balthasar, one of the Three Biblical Magi as seen yesterday on the streets of Barcelona before delivering all those gifts on our kids' wish lists.

As you know every year the Three Wise Men come from the East and late at night ride on their magic camels and sneak into our houses to drop presents. Before departing, they usually stop for a minute to try some of the provisions we previously had left somewhere visible near the door or outside.

The content may vary from home to home, some people offer them liquor generally anís (anise-flavored liqueur) some others just water, and that may be accompanied by cookies, crumbs of bread (for the camels), nougat or polvorones.

Check this previous image showing the Three Wise Men sculpture group on Sagrada Familia façade

January 04, 2011

Barcelona Shop Window: Mannequin

Barcelona Shop Window: Mannequin  [enlarge]

Rebajas (sp. for sales) are coming to Barcelona next January 7th and shops are getting ready for crisis-affected consumers looking for opportunities. With this flashy display enhancing the dress on this mannequin I welcome the first week of the year, the magical time when not only the three wise men carry toys for our kids but people go on a spending spree with the genuine intention of "saving".

January 02, 2011

Gaudi's Army of Chimneys on La Pedrera, Barcelona

Modernist Chimneys by Antoni Gaudi on La Pedrera or Casa Mila Roof [enlarge]

Hi everyone,

This is Barcelona Photoblog's first post in 2011. I hope this year brings the best for all of you. Without your presence here this blog would mean nothing and I really appreciate you take the time to read me. What is more representative of Barcelona than Gaudi's works? To say the truth, few things. That's why, I want to salute the second decade of this XXI century with more chimneys from La Pedrera aka Casa Mila.

All the best,

Carlos Lorenzo
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