Barcelona is one of my favorite cities for wandering around. It has wonderful museums, it has famous, stunning and beautiful buildings, it has beaches only steps from 'downtown' and imposing monuments.
Even the imposing monuments don't always get full respect; a huge Samsung ad covers scaffolding on the Cathedral
But none of those is what makes it special for the rambler in me. Instead, it's the odd bits of street life, the unexpected moments, the occasional dramatic structure, the comic sign, and yes, glimpses of the famous. I like to think I travel not only for the extraordinary, but for the ordinary.
Sometimes, we even make our own contributions to that. Waiting a bit too long in the sun created this piece; it could almost be a sculpture.
That's not to say that the famous sights don't catch the eye when I ramble; that's especially true for two of the most famoous, the Sagrada Familia basilica whose recent construction work on new towers has given it a new shape and whose facades can look different every time you turn your head.
Inside, a mirror placed on the floor gives visitors a chance to photograph the ceiling as well as some odd selfies.
But the surrounding area has its own delights, including a recent but Gaudi-inspired railing at a Metro entrance near the basilica and my favorite Barcelona fountain, where pigeons regularly flock to bathe in the flowing water.
They're not the only birds to draw my attention in my rambles
Old and new come together often in Barcelona. The picture below includes parts of Roman-built walls, medieval buildings and modern alterations, just around the corner from a contemporary sculpture by Catalan artist Jordi Diez Fernandez. At the cathedral gift shop, Moderniste gates mark the entrance to a 13th-century building.
Even some thoroughly modern buildings show the influence of the Moderniste movement of the late 19th century, Barcelona's contribution to the world's Art Nouveau era.
Not that there's any shortage of Moderniste buildings in Barcelona, and not just the famous ones
Some of the famous ones have had recent transformations, too, with the near-completion of turning the old Sant Pau hospital designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner into a Moderniste cultural center and home to NGOs. I've stayed in its neighborhood several times, and have watched its transformation over a dozen or so years.
Wandering around neighborhoods off the main squares and streets is always part of my wandering and image-grabbing. Sometimes you run into events, as well. The neighborhood parade below marked the end of Corpus Christi, which appears to be taken far less formally than I had seen in Seville the week before.
At Placa Catalunya, one of the main squares, a ragtime trio kept the pace moving and drew quite a crowd. Near by, the Santa Caterina Market's unusual modern canopy covers a 19th-century market building with an archaeological dig and display beneath it.
Some more monumental structures along the way... one of the two Venetian-style towers built near Placa Espanya as part of the 1929 world fair, and looking a bit out of place today, and a water tower (the same concept we see in towns across the U.S.) but done up in full Moderniste beauty.
The Columbus monument, on the waterfront and marking the end of Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famed mainly-pedestrian stem. Columbus never lived in or set sail from Barcelona; the statue is there because a local influential was a huge fan, and pointed out that on his return, Columbus visited Barcelona to report to Ferdinand and Isabella. The netting on figures at its base is intended to discourage pigeons. It doesn't.
Along the Ramblas, most of the shops and activity are directed toward tourism, although several important theatres are located there, too. A major plan for revival is in the works, but for now... it's a great place for fans of living statues.
Also along the Ramblas, this building which formerly housed a factory and retail outlet for parasols and umbrellas keeps its history on its walls.
Gaudi's Parc Guell, an area originally intended as a park-like housing area for the wealthy, is a great place to wander, with many interesting features and quiet trails. And it's an inspiration for Lego artists, who created the plastic-brick version below.
These are not Lego...and they are also not bananas, strawberries or fried eggs. One of the many colorful displays of candy, and real food, at the Boqueria Market, near the Ramblas.
Two views from above... The first looks down from the hills above the harbor and highlights the towers of the cable car that carries passengers up onto Montjuic above the city; the other is a view from the roof of the Cathedral.
Children at play...
And, a bit of an odd story. The picture below, which was our One-Clue Mystery this week, is not actually Barcelona, but Seville. I took the picture early in the morning on the day i returned to Barcelona, so it was dated with Barcelona images. Until George G correctly identified, i was unaware of the error!
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