Tagged With "Guell"

I love Barcelona. It is one of the few cities that I feel I could live in, if I were to leave NYC. Large enough to have an active cultural and social life that is not dependent on tourists, small enough to be able to get around and do things without a car. Lovely things to look at. Great food.

I'll second Jonathan L on that...one of the two or three cities I'd be willing to live in, besides Brooklyn...and you found my favorite tapas place, too!

Great post! Have yet to visit Barcellona, but will soon. An unrelated question. Is that Madonna as in the entertainer, or Madonna as in the mother of Jesus?

My friend jokes that I am the Queen of reinvention - much like Madonna (the musician type). Forever having a complete change of heart about my life's direction. But I've decided to embrace that now change is good! Keeps things interesting. Wholeheartedly agree Jonathan and Paul. In fact I applied for a few jobs there in the summer! I'm still considering it... Oh, and that tapas place! Just brilliant. Was completely worth the 40 minutes we had to wait for a table!

Thanks for the great post and I'll have to try the Tapas Place next time! I got the same impression in my visits as you - that the locals seem very happy and proud of their city , as they should be.

It was a pleasure to write. Glad you enjoyed it! Yes you simply must check out Taller De Tapas - the atmosphere is amazing and the food is to die for!

excellent article and pictures.... I can relate with many of the personal comments you make; decisions you make in life should be for yourself first. I too made a decision to leave home, family and friends and see the world. It was tough at first, but, once you explore and experience, you don't look back. Congratulations!

Thank you Islandman! And congrats to you too! Here's to a life of incredible experiences.

It is good that a people face up to and learn from the past. We must learn from the lessons of history, but I do hope this will not become a "self-flagellation" exercise. At the end of the 18th century, everyone had slaves. Every people, every race, every culture, every country participated in the buying, selling and owning of other people. It was the norm. Fortunately, with a few rare exceptions, modern society has become enlightened and the rights of individuals is now a central focus of...

'Presentism' is always a danger for historians, but in this case, there's a real issue of interest based on the late-in-the-day entry into slave-owning by the later Catalan grandees; they went into it when all European countries had already abolished it, and when it had been abolished in many colonial areas. Sadly, not Cuba, Brazil, or, at the beginning of that period, the United States. One of the reasons it's important to consider these past things is because they do enter into the...

Slavery is just part of a long cruel history. Wherever there is chance to make money, people of any race or creed will gladly join in. Even the African warlords who sold the "prisoners" to the slave ships played their parts in this piece of history. Even today fortunes are made by sending young men to die in the name of "Defence". Money has no morals.

Can you recall a moment from your travels that has really shaken your soul? A moment that has changed you forever?   Well, here's mine.   As I sat watching that sun set over Barcelona from the incredibly beautiful Parc Güell earlier...

Barcelona, and its new mayor, have recently expressed worries about too many tourists, and about their behavior (see yesterday's NewsLink below), but the crowd is not likely to stop anytime soon.   And if all the famous sights were not enough, a...

Congratulations to PortMoresby for recognizing that this market place is in Park Guell in Barcelona. The park was designed by the famous Catalan architect   Antoni Gaudi. He is best known for designing in the Modernisme style. One identifying...

Barcelona, and other cities, confront the 'uncomfortable memory' of slave-built fortunes that paid for many of their famous sights.