Let’s get lost…

… in the streets of the Barri Gotic…
August 13, 2015 | Categories: Barri Gotic, black and white, old town | 3 Comments
Early morning

I love going through town very early in the morning, the city is so peaceful, no tourist hordes. Here I am, at the famous Kabul backpacker, on Plaza Real, just off the Ramblas. The best time and place for a coffee!
June 29, 2015 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Plaza Real, ramblas | 2 Comments
Sant Jaume

Probably the very first church in BCN… Sant Jaume, well hidden in plain sight, on Carrer Ferran, just inside the gates of Barcino, the roman Barcelona, 1 mn from the Ramblas. It was renovated in 1388, but the earliest mention dates back to 985 AD, where it was called the old church…
May 28, 2015 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, church, churches, ramblas | 2 Comments
The tap

You all have taps in our house, I suppose… This one, in the cloister of the cathedral, is better!
April 26, 2015 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, cathedral | 1 Comment
Concentration
Watch out, here comes my bass solo!
More about the Sant Andreu Jazz Band here. They are very young and very good. You can find them on Youtube as well.
March 12, 2015 | Categories: Barri Gotic, music, Plaza Real | 2 Comments
The celebration
No idea what the event was, but wishing them all the best nevertheless!
February 23, 2015 | Categories: Barri Gotic, celebration | 3 Comments
El bar rojo
A 5 years old Jpeg photo, from a non-DSLR, 3 MP camera. The so-called red bar, just behind the city hall. Nothing that a few tweakings can’t save from Jpeg hell, with the help of Saint Lightroom and Saint Photoshop, alleluia!
January 5, 2015 | Categories: Barri Gotic, drink, lightroom, old town, photography, photoshop, restaurants | 3 Comments
Storm front
Rainy days in Barcelona, a storm front brought rain and much cooler temperatures. Makes for good photos.
July 8, 2014 | Categories: bad weather, Barri Gotic, Plaza Real, weather | 1 Comment
The passage of time
El passatge del temps, the passage of time, is a small… well, passage, just next to the wax museum, off the Rambla, in the Barri Gotic.
September 10, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, La Rambla | Comments Off on The passage of time
Uno, dos, tres…
…jump!
Swing classes on Plaza Real, yesterday morning, with the young members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band.
Excellent music, real good fun, fantastic weather!
And the press was here as well!
April 13, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, dancing, music, Plaza Real | 5 Comments
Portaferrissa
Portaferrissa, which means ‘iron gate’, was one of the main entrances to the fortified city of Barcelona in the 13th century. What remains is a 16th century fountain, with this fresco.
April 6, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, La Rambla, old town | 6 Comments
The life of Pi
The small art market on Pi Square, the small and lively place just behind Santa Maria del Pi church.
March 25, 2013 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, old town | 5 Comments
The Grill Room
One of the better looking restaurants in town.
March 17, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, food, old town, restaurants | 1 Comment
Black and white Skywatch Friday
The Plaza Real in Barcelona is an absolutely beautiful square, in any weather or time of day/night. Here it is in monochrome, for Skywatch Friday and Dragonstar’s Weekend in Black and White.
The street lamps on the side were designed by Antonio Gaudi himself.
March 14, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, black and white, monochrome, Plaza Real, sky, skywatch friday, weekend in black and white, weekly meme | 13 Comments
Theme day continued
Some more cafe tables, continuing this month’s theme day. Heavy rain yesterday, but we had some very nice days already, and summer will be here soon. In a few weeks, instead of looking for the sun, we will be avoiding it, and look for a cool place in the shade. Good times are coming!
March 13, 2013 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Plaza Real, theme days | 4 Comments
Salo de Cent
The historic main hall of the city hall, called the Salo de cent, the hall of the hundred (hundred councilors ruling the city in medieval times). 2 of my friends are getting married here this year, in May and November.Â
March 1, 2013 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, city hall, old town | 4 Comments
Free money
Not sure what that was about, but this is a very generous person indeed.
No, he didn’t give us any money.
December 19, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old port, plaza jaume 1, weird | 2 Comments
Street music
Street music in Barcelona, always and everywhere. And look at this guy’s smile!
November 14, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, music | 3 Comments
November
Just enjoying the sun and the newspaper.
November 13, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, shop, Shopping | 4 Comments
The lady from the Pi church
Quite a wonderful graffiti, found near Our Lady of Pi church
November 11, 2012 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, graffiti | 3 Comments
Another balcony…
I love balconies in Barcelona, so full of shapes, colors… Here is one I spotted in the old town.
November 5, 2012 | Categories: balconies, Barri Gotic, old town | 5 Comments
Having a ball!
October 14, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, sport | 2 Comments
Raindrops…
…in the fountain on San Filipo Neri square, 1/20 s, ISO 400, f/5.6, 450mm, aperture priority.
For Water World Wednesday, and Nature Footsteps.
October 2, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, filipo neri, fountains, water, water world wednesday, watery wednesday, weekly meme | 10 Comments
Big Brother…
…is right behind you! His name is Pablo P.
October 1, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old town | 7 Comments
The Queen Regent
And her hall in the Barcelona City Hall.
September 28, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, city hall, old town | 3 Comments
The city hall
Yet another view from the inside of the Barcelona city hall.
Having far too much to do, and days having only 24 hours, I see myself forced to slow down this blog’ s activities. I might still be able to publish a post a day, will probably prepare them in advance, but this will be it for a while. Please keep visiting, you’ll always be welcome! And I will try to browse your blogs on weekends.
September 17, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, city hall, old town | 9 Comments
Ratted out!
Yet another fun graffiti found in the old town!
July 24, 2012 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, graffiti, old town | 7 Comments
A window to…
The weather is so nice at the moment, that I would love spending my days just looking out of the window and watch the world go by… My employer says: no.
On a darker note… There are some huge forest fires in the north of Catalunya, right on the french border, thousands of hectares of woods and bushes burning. Our thoughts go to the 4 dead and the many injured and evacuated. We start actually smelling the smoke from here, 100 km away, brought by the very strong winds in the area.
Our world on Tuesday, the good and the bad.
July 23, 2012 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, graffiti, old town | 11 Comments
Barri Gotic
One of the narrow streets of the old town, the Barri Gotic. Oh do I love getting lost in there…
July 22, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, hdr, old town | 8 Comments
Plaza Real
Plaça Reial (In Spanish Plaza Real, meaning “Royal Plaza”) is a square in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona. It lies next to La Rambla and constitutes a well-known touristic attraction, especially at night. On the plaza are a large number of restaurants and some of the city’s most famous nightclubs including Sidecar, Jamboree or Karma. It is also known for its many outdoor venues and is a popular meeting place during the summer and the annual La Mercè festival in September, when open air concerts take place, and during other celebrations such as New Year’s Eve, often being very crowded.
The Plaça Reial was designed by Francesc Daniel Molina i Casamajó in the 19th century. The square is twinned with Plaza Garibaldi, in Mexico City. The lanterns there were designed by the Catalan architect Antoni GaudÃ, master of the Sagrada Familia.
July 2, 2012 | Categories: architecture, Barri Gotic, hdr | 10 Comments
Welcome to the…
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain,
“Please bring me my wine”
He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine”
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
And in the master’s chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax, ” said the night man,
“We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! ”
Well, this one is in Barcelona, and you can leave whenever you want. I suppose. Our World Tuesday!
June 25, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, hotel, music, old town | 8 Comments
Variety
Even after almost 4 years in Barcelona, I’m always amazed by the sheer variety of food on offer. And often amused: there is a restaurant in town with barbecued Korean on the menu…
May 14, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, food, restaurants | 7 Comments
Our irish pub
Having both lived in Ireland, now and then we feel the urge for a nice Sunday roast, complete with roast potatoes, carrots, beans, parsnip, mash, and a nice piece of beef. And some Yorkshire pudding filled with gravy, which is not that Irish. So, this is where we go, Paddy Flaherty’s, probably the best of the many many Irish pubs in town.
And here’s what you get:
And a Guinness to get it down, of course! Or some uisce beatha, whiskey.
April 18, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, food, Ireland, La Rambla, old town, ramblas, restaurants | 8 Comments
Saint Filipo Neri
Probably the nicest square in the Barri Gotic, the plaza San Filipo Neri.
March 27, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, hdr, history, old town | 4 Comments
Glockenspiel
March 24, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, music, old town, pink | 8 Comments
Santa Eulalia: gold
March 23, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, old town | 7 Comments
Santa Eulalia: the cloister and the powder room
A last look at the magnificent 13th century cloister in Barcelona’s Saint Eulalia cathedral, and the garden within…
…and the 13th century urinal (yes, you read it right), which has now a section for the lady in need as well.
March 21, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, old town | 9 Comments
Golden Fleece
Back to the cathedral. Some of the sumptuous stalls in the choir, with the emblems of the Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The order held it’s 19th chapter in the cathedral in 1519. More about this order here.
March 20, 2012 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, history, old town | 5 Comments
Santa Eulalia 2
The cathedral’s inside.
March 18, 2012 | Categories: architecture, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, history, old town | 3 Comments
13
It has been a while I hadn’t been back inside our cathedral, and I ad almost forgotten how beautiful she is. Above, some of the 13 geese living in the Gothic cloister. 13, because Santa Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred by the Romans under Emperor Diocletian, and they subjected her to 13 different tortures. That’s European history for you.
Why geese? She was a geese shepherdess.
 Many more interesting things in the cloister, even a 13th century urinal… Will show you much more during the coming week!
March 17, 2012 | Categories: architecture, Barri Gotic, cathedral, hdr, old town | 7 Comments
Candles
A very nice candle shop, just behind the cathedral shown yesterday. I will come back to the cathedral and it’s inside in a few days.
Our World Tuesday, right here.
March 12, 2012 | Categories: Barri Gotic, candles, cathedral, hdr, old town, shop, Shopping | 7 Comments
Santa Eulalia’s geese
Barcelona’s holy patron is Saint Eulalia, also called Laia. She was a geese shepherdess in the village of Sarria, now a part of Barcelona. She was a martyr, was killed for her faith by the Romans, says her hagiography.
Nowadays, the cathedral in the old town is named after her. And in the cloister are living 13 geese. Why 13? Eulalia was 13 when she became a martyr.
Our World Tuesday. Please click here.
Due to some spam comments lately, I had to change the settings a bit. No anonymous comments allowed for the time being, just as a protective measure. And because it’s really annoying.
January 16, 2012 | Categories: animals, Barri Gotic, black and white, cathedral, history, meme, monochrome, my world tuesday, old town, Our World Tuesday, weekly meme | 8 Comments
El Cafeto, aka post 951
One of our local cafes. This is our world on Tuesday.
December 19, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, drink, drinks, food, meme, my world tuesday, old town, Our World Tuesday, Raval, weekly meme | 5 Comments
Christmas lights
Many tourists (and photographers) in town, all of them admiring the Christmas decorations on Plaza Catalunya
December 3, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Christmas, decorations, holidays, light, night, old town, Plaza Catalunya | 7 Comments
Happy anniversary!
Our yearly Christmas market, the Fira de Santa Lucia, is 225 years old! Congratulations!
Our World Tuesday, right here.
November 28, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, Christmas, fira Santa Lucia, history, old town, santa lucia, shop, Shopping, tradition | 10 Comments
SOOC versus HDR
A few more trade secrets… Above, a photo processed with Artizen, a High Dynamic Range program.
In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight, and is often captured by way of a plurality of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter.
The two main sources of HDR imagery are computer renderings and merging of multiple low-dynamic-range (LDR) or standard-dynamic-range (SDR) photographs. Tone-mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect.
Sounds complicated, but it isn’t really. Basically, it allows you to recreate on your photos what you’ve really seen. Up to a certain point, of course.
There are many places where you can learn more about it, for example here. If you want to start doing it, I would suggest a little free program called EasyHDR. Or Photomatix.
And you can find many fantastic examples right here.
Below, the original SOOC, or Straight Out Of the Camera picture.
November 23, 2011 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, church, churches, hdr, old town, photography | 6 Comments
Icecream!
Icecream anyone?
November 16, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, food, old town, seasons, summer | 5 Comments
Looking up…
… you can see so many marvelous things.
Our world on tuesday, right here.
November 14, 2011 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, La Rambla, meme, my world tuesday, Our World Tuesday, ramblas, weekly meme | 8 Comments
Mister Blue Sky(watch Friday!)
None other than Mister Christopher Columbus himself, who graciously accepted to pose for Skywatch Friday. Very nice of him. Mille grazie, Signore Colombo! Did anybody tell you that you’re looking towards Italy? America is right behind you.
And happy 11.11.11 to everybody!!! Will think of you all at eleven minutes past eleven.
Other news. I have been struggling with my health lately, and my good doctor just gave me 3Â 1/2 weeks of forced holidays. Therefore I will finally browze your blogs again, whenever I’ll be feeling better.Â
(Video removed as it seemed to have a virus attached)
November 10, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Christopher Columbus, La Rambla, meme, ramblas, sky, skywatch friday, weekly meme | 9 Comments
A glimpse…
Wonders await you, if you keep looking…up
Our, and other people’s, world on Tuesday.
November 7, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, meme, my world tuesday, Our World Tuesday, weekly meme | 17 Comments
Theme of the month: fences
Fences. Here is a medieval one, complete with gargoyles. Happy belated Halloween, everybody!
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
October 31, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, old town, theme days | 9 Comments
Market scene, aka post 900
This is a mediterranean photo. Although the photo was taken in Barcelona, the food depicted can be found all around the Med, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Algeria, and further away. I read years ago in the National Geographic that people living on a mediterranean diet (they mentioned olive oil, lots of garlic and some red wine) live longer. It is probably true, and what is even better: the food is delicious!
900 posts! Who would have thought…
October 29, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, food, markets, old town | 8 Comments
Pintxu d’embotit catala
This weekend, we’re having here the mercat dels mercats, the market’s market, the best of all markets around. I love what they did to these sausages!
Private message to the All Blacks: very well done, mates!!!
October 23, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, food, markets, old town, seasons | 10 Comments
A really royal square
Every time I go to the Plaza Real in the old town, probably the most beautiful square in Barcelona, I try to take some satisfying photos. Never works. Until now!
Here is a 3D rendition of the same photo.
October 9, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old town, panorama photos, Plaza Real | 11 Comments
Merce 2011: the enchanted city hall
This year again, our city hall was transformed into a feast of light, colors and music. A very good computer operated animation on the whole facade of the building.
My apologies to all the people whose heads I cut of while cropping these photos. Hope it didn’t hurt too much.
More photos here.
September 28, 2011 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, city hall, fun, light, Merce, old town | 8 Comments
Our World Tuesday
Second post about the Museum of Ideas and Inventions. This is a dunk-mug. Fabulous!
The sun is moving, your plants don’t get enough light? This is the solution!

September 19, 2011 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, fun, funny, furniture, meme, museum, my world tuesday, old town, Our World Tuesday, weekly meme | 10 Comments
The Museum of Ideas and Inventions – MIBA
We spent a very entertaining hour at the tiny but great Museum of Ideas and Inventions…
Now, did you ever wonder how they do the weather report??? Here it is!
What would you call this? A mop-rophone?No, we didn’t buy one.
Take a boiled egg, put it in the egg cuber, push the thinggie on top…
Last (for today) but not least…. This is a seat you can use when you need a suppository. Just pull the lever.Â
September 18, 2011 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, fun, funny, MIBA, museum, old town | 7 Comments
Theme of the month: perspective
Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer’s here and the time is right for dancin’ in the street.
Dancin’ in Chicago (dancin’ in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancin’ in the street)
In New York City
All we need is music, sweet music,
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’ swayin’, and records playin,
Dancin’ in the street
Oh it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
So come on every guy, grab a girl,
Everywhere, around the world
There’ll be dancin’, they’re dancin’ in the street.
This is an invitation, across the nation,
A chance for folks to meet.
There’ll be laughin’ singin’, and music swingin’
Dancin’ in the street
Barcelona, Baltimore and D.C now,
Can’t forget the motor city,
All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’ swayin’, and records playin,
Dancin’ in the street
Oh it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
So come on every guy, grab a girl,
Everywhere, around the world
They’re dancin’, dancin’ in the street
Way down in L.A., every day they’re dancin’ in the street
Lets form a big strong line, and get in time,
We’re dancin’ in the street.
Across the ocean blue, me and you
We’re dancin n the street
Being young? Just a matter of perspective! Perspective: this month’s theme day!
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
August 31, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, corte ingles, dancing, old town, Plaza Catalunya | 8 Comments
… and now over to the weather report…
Facing the Corte Ingles, on the Portal del Angel, there is probably, according to several of our guidebooks, the tallest thermometer in Europe.
It comes complete with a small weather station underneath.
August 29, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, corte ingles, meme, old town, Plaza Catalunya, shop, Shopping, weekly meme | 8 Comments
Welcome, strangers!
Had some visitors yesterday, officials from the wax museum on planet Spielberg Beta 3 Omicron… Welcome, strangers, this is my world!
Photo courtesy of Mandy
August 15, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, fantasy, fun, funny, La Rambla, meme, museum, my world tuesday, old town, ramblas, scifi, weekly meme | 9 Comments
The clown
August 13, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, clothes, clowns, festa, festival, fun, old town, street entertainers | 3 Comments
Down Under
Now… Why is this guy upside down, you might ask… Well, several reasons. 1- he is an artist, an acrobat. 2 – he is Australian, he probably thinks we’re upside down, not him. Therefore the strange pose. 3- that’s the way he makes a living.
And a big HELLO!!!!! to all our friends, family, followers and supporters in Oz and NZ!
August 12, 2011 | Categories: acrobats, Australia, Barri Gotic, cathedral, Down Under, fun, NZ, old town, street entertainers | 11 Comments
It’s hot!
It’s very hot in Barcelona at the moment, so this might be a good idea: a striptease workshop. Just take your clothes off and get comfy.
Oh wait… Might be getting even hotter!
This is not related to the previous at all: happy Independence Day to all my friends in the US. Good thing it’s on a Monday, so you have a long weekend!
July 3, 2011 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, old town | 7 Comments
Theme of the month: the color green
Someone’s window to a secret garden in the old town.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
June 30, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, colors, old town, theme days | 15 Comments
Watery Wednesday
It is HOT!!! We’re having some hot air coming straight from the Sahara, and it’s been over 45 degrees in many parts of Spain. As we’re on the coast, we are getting a breeze from the sea. But still, yesterday Tuesday, we really got this feeling… You know, when you open the oven door, and the very hot air comes out. Basically, it is too hot to sweat.
So, the fountain on Plaza Catalunya nearby is extremely tempting!!!
Watery Wednesday! Check it out, and have a cool drink! We will!
June 28, 2011 | Categories: Barcelona, Barri Gotic, fountains, meme, old town, Plaza Catalunya, water, watery wednesday, weekly meme | 12 Comments
Post 750: the flower stalls on the Rambla
June 4, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, flower, flowers, La Rambla, old town, ramblas | 7 Comments
The lights on the Ramblas
These magnificent modernist lamps illuminate the Ramblas every night.
June 3, 2011 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, La Rambla, old town, ramblas, Raval | 12 Comments
My World Tuesday
Someone forgot his sandals? Shoe shop? A beach feature???
No! Just a decoration on the wall of a really nice Mexican restaurant in town! Why not.
This is for My World Tuesday.
May 30, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, food, meme, my world tuesday, old town, restaurants, weekly meme | 9 Comments
Acampada Barcelona: If they wont let us dream, we wont let them sleep
The revolution on Plaza Catalunya. A few photos from the village on the square. The same is happening in 56 more cities in Spain. For more background info, see Friday’s special post.
May 22, 2011 | Categories: animals, Barri Gotic, fun, hygiene, Plaza Catalunya, politics, Revolution | 10 Comments
Watery Wednesday
One of our favorite oasis in town is the inner courtyard of the municipal archive, facing the Cathedral. A quiet and peaceful place, shady, watery…
Watery Wednesday, definitely another favorite place! You can go as well, just click here!
April 27, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, old town, water, watery wednesday, weekly meme | 3 Comments
Man at work…
… and he’s good!
March 30, 2011 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, La Rambla, old town, ramblas, Raval | 7 Comments
Bun Bo
Slowly but steadily, we’re working our way through Barcelona’s Vietnamese restaurants. This one is called Bun Bo, situated 2 streets away from the cathedral. Nice place, good food, excellent decoration. Judge for yourselves…
A stone tree…
February 20, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, food, restaurants | 14 Comments
The umbrella shop
A detail of what was once an umbrella shop, on the Ramblas
February 19, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, La Rambla, old town, ramblas | 8 Comments
My balcony world tuesday!
If you are a regular follower of this blog, you might have noticed that I love balconies, with or without asses! Here is a nice one, spotted in the Born-part of the old town.
Balconies…Â My world…on Tuesday! Only one click (here) away! Sheer bliss awaits you!
February 15, 2011 | Categories: balconies, Barri Gotic, Born, old town | 8 Comments
Weekend reflection bubble
Came across these guys who are blowing giant soap bubbles, and I said to myself: what a wonderful thing! Let’s post it!
What is reflected in the bubbles themselves are the 19th- early 20th century buildings on Calle Laietana, one of the old town’s main thoroughfares. And what is behind the bubbles are what remains of the very old roman walls from the original Barcino. Almost 2000 years of architecture in the photos.
This, of course, is for James’s Weekend Reflections. Click here, and have fun!
February 13, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old town, street entertainers, weekend reflections, weekly meme | 20 Comments
Balconies
January 24, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Born, old town | 13 Comments
Do you need any…
 … scissors?
… bottle openers? This is the place to go, on Plaza del Pi!
This is My World, on Tuesday! Please click here to see more worlds from this world!
January 18, 2011 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old town, shop, Shopping, window shopping | 12 Comments
Classical
No, this isn’t ancient Rome, this a bit of a more classical Barcelona, seen in the Barri Gotic, the old town.
It is not too late, you can still add your photo to yesterday’s Food for Thoughts meme, as it remains open till Saturday night, Spanish time.
December 24, 2010 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, old town | 12 Comments
Street signs
You can find these signs in several streets in the Barri Gotic, the old town. What do they say? Well, my Catalan is far from good, but from what I can understand, they describe what is happening, or what happened in the streets. The first in the second row says that people are celebrating here, the one before that people are “promenading” here from dawn to dusk… You get the general idea.
Well, That’s my World! Click here to see more.

December 21, 2010 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, history, old town | 12 Comments
Me gusta…chaos
Came across this unusual graffiti on an old wooden door in the old town. Me gusta… chaos means: I love chaos. What a statement.
December 20, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, graffiti, old town | 8 Comments
Porta Ferrissa
On the Ramblas, you can still find traces of the Porta Ferrissa, or iron gate, one of the gates on Barcelona city’s second wall, once the population was too important to be kept inside the old roman walls. It was built during the 13th century, and was destroyed in 1774 to open some new streets and to build some palaces.
December 5, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, history, old town | 6 Comments
Oasis
An oasis in the big city… If you know how to find them, many places offer an escape from the crowds, the heat. This is my secret place, the city archive.
October 18, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, gardening, old town | 14 Comments
Y un cafe con leche, por favor!
Nice place discovered last week, just behind the ayuntamiento, the city hall.
October 9, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cafe, drink, drinks, food, old town | 12 Comments
Merce 2010: the enchanted city hall
During the Merce Festival, several times during the evening, the facade of the Barcelona City Hall changes quite drastically… Enjoy!
The guest city this year being Dakar, the capital of Senegal, some of the photos have a very african inspiration.
September 26, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, festa, festival, fiesta, light, Merce, old port | 14 Comments
Kahal, El Call, la Sinagoga Mayor
Friday morning. The weekend starts in a few hours, and we will be off to Lourdes. Sabbath also starts today by sundown for some. Which makes it a very good day to show you one of Barcelona’s finest gems, the Sinagoga Mayor, also called Shlomo Ben Adret synagogue. Just happens to be one of the oldest in the world, parts of it dating back to the 3rd century, roman times. It is situated in El Call, the old Jewish quarter. The word Call comes from the Hebrew Kahal, community.
According to historians, there have been Jews in Spain since before the Diaspora, AD 70. In his Letter to the Romans, dated A.D. 54, St. Paul reveals his interest in coming to the Iberian Peninsula to preach .
This below was the Kotel Mizrah, the eastern wall, facing Jerusalem.

On August 5th, 1391, after an uprising in the Old Town, the Sinagoga Mayor and other Jewish property were confiscated by the King of the time. The Synagogue ceased to be, and was forgotten. It was found again in 1996.
Nowadays, you can visit it (2euros donation for the upkeep), and it is like traveling back in time.
Strangely enough, in the same street, literally 10 meters away, there is this sign saying that Saint Domingo de Guzman opened the first Barcelona convent of his Dominican order in 1219, in the building next door.
And Santa Eulalia, Barcelona’s holy patron, was martyred 2 streets away.
More information on the synagogue here.
Well, everybody, have a wonderful weekend, and a good shabbes!
September 17, 2010 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, Call, church, history, judaism, old town, saints | 14 Comments
The 4 Cats
This is one of the better places to eat in Barcelona: els 4 Gats, the 4 cats. It is the place where Pablo Picasso had his first exhibition, as a 17 years old teenager. A restaurant, opened on june 12th 1897 by a former waiter of the famous “le chat noir”, the black cat restaurant in Paris. Other famous people used to hang around here as well, the ubiquitous Gaudi, Isaac Albeniz, and so many more.
It was too early, and therefore not open yet when I passed it, but I will most definitely go back and show you the fabulous interior. Meanwhile, have a virtual visit on their website, it is a WOW kind of place!
September 9, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, drink, drinks, food, restaurants | 13 Comments
Theme day: open air market
It is theme day again, the theme for this month of september is open air markets. Which was a problem for me, as most markets here are indoor. Until I remembered this small and open air handicraft market at the Angel’s Gateway, el Portal de l’Angel, near Plaza Catalunya. Here is the lamp shop, one evening.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
September 1, 2010 | Categories: art, Barri Gotic, Plaza Catalunya, theme days | 21 Comments
10 PM
10 PM, Cathedral Square, on a hot summer night…
We’re having officially the hottest days in over 30 years, so we envy all of you living in cold and rainy places… Just kidding! But we’d love a bit of rain, really!
August 26, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, old town | 12 Comments
Breaking news: alien attack on the Rambla!
Sigourney Weaver must be in town…
Sorry about the photo being slightly blured, I was busy running away.
August 24, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, La Rambla, ramblas, street entertainers | 7 Comments
Vietnam in Barcelona
Nice decoration in a small vietnamese restaurant near the Cathedral, in the Barri Gotic.
August 23, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, Design, food | 6 Comments
My world tuesday
…and there is also this slightly surreal shoe shop in the Barri Gotic. Selling shoes. Or should I say: selling one shoe, in many different colors and materials.
This is for My World Tuesday. Please click here to see other participant’s worlds in pictures.
June 15, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, my world tuesday, shop, Shopping, window shopping | 13 Comments
Casa dels Paraigues, the umbrella house
The Casa Bruno Quadras (or Cuadros) was built in 1883, a few years before the 1888 Universal Exhibition in Barcelona. The architect Josep Vilaseca combined the prior style of modernisme with all kinds of architectural elements inspired by other cultures in an eclectic building which amazes everyone who walks along La Rambla. The Casa Bruno Cuadros’s balconies and the top-floor gallery are replete with Egyptian imagery. The façade features elaborate sgraffito work and stained-glass windows as well as reliefs of umbrellas and fans made of cast-iron. Orientalist motifs impregnate the outer walls which features intricate carpentry, enamelled glass and paintings of people taken from Japanese prints. The Casa Bruno Cuadros’s most opulent decorative element is the ornate Chinese dragon on the corner of the façade. It was used to advertise the shop, together with the umbrella below it. The building was refurbished in 1980, and a bank now has its premises in the stunning umbrella shop of Barcelona.
June 7, 2010 | Categories: architecture, art, art nouveau, Barri Gotic, La Rambla, modernism, ramblas | 13 Comments
Different worlds?
Did a bit of window shopping lately, and I came across these 2 very different mannequins. The first one was in some trendy alternative shop in the popular part of the old town…
… and the second one is the latest trend from Chanel, on Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s Champs Elizees. Yep, topless.
Which one would you prefer?
June 6, 2010 | Categories: Barcelona, Barri Gotic, Chanel, Mannequin, shop, Shopping, window shopping | 10 Comments
Imitating?
One of the interesting lamps on Plaza Real, the most beautiful square in the old town (according to me, anyway).
Using the Tenin technique incidentally, merci Eric!
There are some new posts, on Rob’s other blog. Feel free to click here! More to come later.
April 12, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, old town, Plaza Real, Royal Barcelona | 18 Comments
Mannequins
Mannequins. Getting weirder and scarier everyday. Would you cook, dressed like this??? Would you wear your nicest lingerie and a … chef’s hat???
Click on the links to see similar posts in Olympia,  Ocala, and Tampa.
2.28PM, the latest weather update: sunshine, 19 degrees, 66F. We did it, we survived the winter!!! Yeah man!
February 23, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, shop, Shopping | 16 Comments
Window shopping
One of many religious shops in the old town
February 12, 2010 | Categories: Barri Gotic, church, old town, tradition | 13 Comments
Blue women carrying water
Found near Barcelona’s Cathedral, in the Barri Gotic.
Sorry, friends, don’t have much time to browse your blogs lately, as I am a bit under the weather at the moment. Will be back a bit more, as soon as I am better.
November 20, 2009 | Categories: architecture, art, Barri Gotic, old town | 11 Comments
City Archive
A nice place to sit down for a while, way from the crowd, but still right in the city center, in the inner courtyard of the City Archive, the Arxiu Municipal.
I don’t usually do this, but… A BBC reporter is starting a daily photo blog… here.
October 14, 2009 | Categories: architecture, Barri Gotic, old town | 7 Comments
Window shopping: THE POODLE!
You might remember this picture on the side, taken in what might well be my favorite shop in town.
Well, I went back. Same shop, same window.
Ladies and gentleman, I have the Honor and Pride of introducing: THE POODLE AND HIS COURT!
No much visiting your blogs lately, having a busy time, looking for a new flat, stuff like this. Sorry, will be back soon, hopefully!
October 2, 2009 | Categories: Barri Gotic, cathedral, old town, shop | 15 Comments
Castell
This is a castell, Catalan for castle. It is a typically Catalan tradition, dating back to the end of the 18th century. It is a very small castell, as they can have up to 10 levels, with up to 5 people per level.
The whole thing has even it’s own terminology. Here is what Wiki has to say about it.
The least one can say about it, is that the castellers need an uncommon strength and stamina to achieve such towers. Imagine the guys forming the base, with up to 50 people standing on their shoulders! Amazing! Amazing as well this little girl on the picture scrambling her way up by stepping on everybody else.
A last word about it for now: I read somewhere that they want that tradition to be recognized as a World Heritage. Good!
September 22, 2009 | Categories: Barri Gotic, castellers, old town, tradition | 10 Comments
Gaudi
Gaudi. A famous man, a famous name. I wonder if he ever imagined that so many things and places would be named after him… Gaudi Avenue, Gaudi this, Gaudi Hotel, Gaudi souvenir shop, Gaudi that. Hundreds, or maybe thousands of them.
Well, anyway, this, ladies and gentlemen, is the Gaudi tapas bar in the Barri Gotic. I love my bravas!
This is a bit of a test. I wonder if, by putting a famous name as blog title, it will get me many visitors from…outside. We’ll see.
I also added some music to this blog. Thank you for your feedback!!!!!
September 19, 2009 | Categories: Barri Gotic, Gaudi | 12 Comments
Horse with no name
It’s graffiti day, folks!
This is a nice one I found in the old town, a few streets away from the Cathedral and the sea. There was no other sign, no way to find out the why and the what. So, this is officially now the horse with no name.
If anyone knows any background info, please be so kind to let me know!
September 18, 2009 | Categories: Barri Gotic, graffiti, old town | 8 Comments
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