Category Archives: Building and Construction

Stony & Textural Black & White in Barcelona, Spain

Even in sunny Spain, there are cold, wet, and gloomy days when the colour of the sky is flat and bright shades of clothing or advertising are muted and subdued. What better time to switch to black and white photography which actually enhances the image since you are looking at the bones, the structure, or the texture instead of being wowed by snappy-bright colour.

These are from Barcelona on a wet but wonderful Sunday. The building is the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, the city museum of Barcelona. This 15th Century palace was moved, stone by stone, from its original location in 1931 due to the upcoming construction of a roadway. When the new site on Placa del Rei was being excavated and prepared for the rebuilding of the palace, there was a stunning archaeological find — a large section of the old Roman city was still lying beneath the city streets of Barcelona!

I will have a slide show from the interior of this museum in the coming days.

Enjoy!

Upper exterior of the dramatically gloomy 15th Century building housing the Barcelona History Museum. This historic palace is built atop part of an excavated Roman city.

Gargoyles ring the upper part of the history museum in Barcelona

Entry to the imposing 15th Century stone palace housing the Barcelona History Museum. An excavated section of the former Roman city is on view in the lower levels.

One last picture — a glimpse through a narrow passageway which is down the street from the museum.

View down a narrow passage in Barcelona, Spain

Eggs, Anyone? Dali Can Help!

Walking up the streets of Figueres, Spain on a clear and sunny winter’s day, we came around a corner and were only half way down the block when I saw huge eggs atop a the upper edges of a pinkish-orange building. I laughed and said to Mark, “That has to be the Dali Museum!”

The photos below show the striking and crayon-strong colours of the building and sky on that day. This is the side of the museum where you enter the Dali Jewels Museum.

Huge decorative egg shapes alternate with golden statues on pedestals atop the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

Closer view of the huge decorative egg shapes & golden statues on pedestals atop the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

Huge decorative egg shapes atop the round tower of the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time I was taking these photos. The whole building just gives off an energy of amusement! And how wonderfully flamboyant are those Academy Award style statues which alternate with the eggs? Genius!

Eggs are a favourite repeating motif of Salvadore Dali. “The egg is another common Dalíesque image. He connects the egg to the prenatal and intrauterine, thus using it to symbolize hope and love.”

The courtyard side below is the main entry into the 6 level (yes, you read that correctly) Dali Theatre Museum. And isn’t the soft colour palette of this more classical facade an interesting contrast to the other side of the building.

Inside the museum there are stairs, some quite steep and circular, and no elevators. So this is definitely not a place for anyone with mobility issues. It was a fascinating place to visit, but after hours and hours of trekking up and down flights of stairs, I have to admit that I was quite exhausted.

Front entry of the Salvadore Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

This church tower is directly opposite the Dali Museum entry that you see above. It was the Dali family’s church, Salvadore Dali was baptised here, and it has been reconstructed following severe damage during the Spanish Civil War.

St. Pere Church (10th-14th Century) tower directly across from the Salvadore Dali Museum entrance in Figueres, Spain. This was Dali’s family church and he was baptised here.

My next post will show you some of the glorious things inside the museum — so come back soon.

Days Out In Barcelona: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera – Part 2

Constructed between 1905 to 1910, Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, is an interesting mix of almost futuristic exterior, as seen in yesterday’s rooftop sculptures post, and the very traditional interiors that certainly reflect the time in which the house was built.

Mark on the fascinating sculptural rooftop of Casa Mila — La Pedrera.

An example of the custom furniture Antoni Gaudi made is seen in this settee on display in the Casa Mila — La Pedrera.

The slide show below may be a surprise to some people who think of Gaudi as an architect of the fantastic and futuristic.

We need to remember that this was a commission for a family home and that the family surrounded themselves with the type of furniture, fabrics, and accessories that would have felt familiar and comfortable in the early years of the 1900s. You even get a tiny peek at the work spaces for the family’s housemaid.

One additional thing to note, this is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and should be high on the list of places to visit in Barcelona for anyone who is interested in the history of architecture.

The pictures begin in the amazing vaulted brick-tile attic space where there are displays of Gaudi’s building miniatures, discussions of his methodology in film segments, and exhibits of his unique furniture and hardware designs.

Enjoy!

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Barcelona Days Out: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera

You know you have arrived at one of the more popular tourism sites for art and architecture in Barcelona, Spain when the Barcelona Bus Turistic is parked outside.

The Barcelona Bus Turistic parked outside the very popular Casa Mila, better known as La Pedrera, in Barcelona, Spain.

Casa Mila — which is also known as La Pedrera — is one of Antoni Gaudi’s most beloved architectural creations. Built as a private residence for the Mila family, there was strong objection to Gaudi’s designs and overt religious symbolism at the time of construction and many of the details had to be scaled back to comply with what the governing board deemed acceptable.

We were lucky enough to tour the rooftop area during one of the two ‘golden light’ periods of the day, just before dusk. Although we were jostled constantly by other tourists, I did manage to get several good shots that weren’t cluttered with people.

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A visual link to Gaudi’s masterpiece church, the Sagrada Familia, is available from the rooftop view from Casa Mila – La Pedrera in Barcelona.

My next article will be on the interior of the building including the period furnishings that are in place and the architectural details that Gaudi designed. This building is still lived in on several floors, so although the museum floors of the Casa Mila are open to the paying public, many other places are private and only for the use of the residents.

Hope you are enjoying these glimpses of Barcelona!

Barcelona Days Out: Sagrada Familia

The day was gray and gloomy, but we eagerly took the two fast and efficient Metro trains to reach a site we had been longing to see, the uncompleted Antoni Gaudi masterpiece work, the massive Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

We emerged from the Metro onto the sidewalk and Mark laughed as I looked left and right and didn’t see the looming structure. “I did the same thing, Sweetie. Turn around!” I did, and here was what was immediately behind me.

Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

The visible difference between the old section and the new additions to Gaudi’s masterpiece Sagrada Famila in Barcelona, Spain

It was quite a shock since neither of us had the excited response to this massive landmark that we had expected to have and we had absolutely no desire to explore further than standing outside and taking exterior shots. The line to gain entry to the interior was wrapped around the entire right-hand block but when I asked Mark if he wanted to go in, he confirmed my ‘neutral’ sensation and said no, he didn’t want to investigate the interior either.

It was an interesting reaction since we had each been looking forward to seeing this place for several months! But my initial sensation as I turned around from the Metro exit was disappointment, not enchantment. There will be many people who read this entry and think that I am daft to say that, but it is a personal opinion. It looked like a vast, blobby mess adorned with cranes and I felt no thrill or curiosity whatsoever as I viewed it.

Sidewalk cafe on the Avinguda de Gaudi with Antoni Gaudi’s uncompleted masterpiece, the massive Sagrada Familia, looming in the near distance.

We ate lunch at a sidewalk cafe and began walking down the Avinguda de Gaudi. As we walked, I turned around and took the photo above which did please me since it clearly illustrates the size and scale of the Sagrada Famila as it sits in the neighbourhood landscape.

The ornate street lamps pictured below were also amongst the more pleasing photos that I took on that very mixed day.

Extremely ornate ironwork and glass street lamps on stone columns line the avenues near the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

Come back soon for more sights, suggestions, and truthful reactions from Barcelona!

Barcelona Days Out: Parc de la Ciutadella

Mild temperatures, stunning blue skies, and brilliant sunshine meant it would be a perfect day to visit the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain. Although it was a school holiday period, no place we visited was as congested with people as it would have been during the summer tourism season.

Entry to Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain

We laughed as we walked along Carrer de Wellington and spotted the very long line of parents and children queued up down the block to gain access to the Barcelona Zoo. Whew! None of that keeping-the-children-occupied for us!

Parents and children lined up to enter the Barcelona Zoo

We passed this stunning building as we walked the length of Carrer de Wellington and it was clear that it had been repurposed. We could see the racks of library books through the windows. But what had it been before that?

When I got home I researched the origins of this massive brick building and discover that what became the Biblioteca Nacional de Catalunya in 1939 was previously the Antic Hospital de la Santa Crue de Barcelona and the foundation stone was laid in 1401.

Biblioteca De Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain

The first thing we spotted as we entered the park was a group of men playing and watching ping pong at dedicated concrete tables that were installed in the park. Who knew that ping pong was that popular?

Ping pong players in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain

Glimpsing something shining through the trees, I walked briskly around the corner from the ping-pong players and found this lovely object lurking above the treeline.

Golden sculpture atop the Cascada Fountain

Then as we continued around to the front, we discovered this stunning fountain. This is the Cascada — the fountain constructed in the 1880s for the Universal Exhibition in Barcelona.

Cascada Fountain in the public park called Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain. Built for the 1888 Universal Exhibition, one of the contributing architects on the project was a young Antoni Gaudi.

Finally, we exited the park on our way to our next adventure — but not before passing by this interesting building, the Castell dels Tres Dragons sitting at the edge of the park.

Castel dels Tres Dragons in the public park called Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain houses a very popular zoology and geology museum.

Make sure to come back for more examples of things to do in the wonderful city of Barcelona!

Photo Of The Day: Cast Aside Without A Purpose

We’re in Australia for today’s photo of the day, at the gritty-beautiful Anderson’s Mill in Smeaton, Country Victoria, Australia. This huge 5 story bluestone building operated from 1861 until 1957.

It’s oddly empty, eerie, and fascinating to walk through such a vast building that would have been busy and purposeful until a few decades ago. But industrial objects are fascinating to photographers. And these are best left in black and white.

Vintage gear wheels at Anderson’s Mill (1861-1957) in Smeaton, Country Victoria, Australia.

A Wanderful Life

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