An artist
6th post in a row about painting, this one being about one of the painters on the Ramblas. You like painting? Check out some of my own works here, where I merge photography and painting. Painting with my camera.
Decisions, decisions…
I’m always having a hard time at the mercat de Sant Josep… Balancing the urge of buying a lot of this gorgeous high quality food… with my economic reality. I never managed, always spending too much.
Oh, you might know this market as Boqueria. For us locals, it is St Joseph’s market. And to photographers, it is known as ‘paradise’. There has been a market here since 1217, 797 years ago.
And, no, this is not HDR, just Lightroom and Nik filters.
Unbearably slow
Can I touch the horsey? Yet another festivity on the Rambla. The Rambla (which has several names, depending on which section of it you are) is one of the 3 main thoroughfares through the old town, together with Paralel and Laietana. It is actually a dried riverbed, recovered along the centuries with dirt and other stuff. Now, it is the promenade, always full of tourist and photographers watching people go by. A narrow passage through the old town, it is as best a very slow going, driving down the mile or so of its length. And well, whenever there is a festivity, the city closes it. But when it’s open, almost every taxi driver in town chooses to pass this way, doesn’t matter where you are going. The perfect tourist trap: it’s nice, it’s slow, and the meter is turning and turning… Even at 4 in the morning, when you have an early plane to catch, just on time for the slow moving street cleaning machines…
But hey, it’s a photographer’s paradise!
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.
Theme day: street lamps
August. New month, new theme day. Guess you need a good light to do this job
Click here to see what other participants to the theme day did.
Getting ready for work…
… on Monday morning on the Rambla. One of the courageous people with this hardest of jobs: living statue.
Gran Teatre del Liceu
 The Liceu, as we call it, the Barcelona opera house. We went there on Sunday, as it was the European Opera Day. Grandiose would an understatement. They liked to build big, in the 1840es. With it’s 2292 seats, it is one of the biggest and oldest opera houses in Europe.
 The ceiling above the main hall…
… and the one in the next room.
Drawers…
Every lady needs to wear drawers, at least sometimes…
A new era for BDP has started. I will, for the foreseeable future, post a photo whenever possible, without feeling pressed to do so every day. So, Barcelona, a photo now and then, let’s be flexible. See you soon!
Shalom!
A very welcome newcomer on the Rambla, the Shalom kosher grill. And oh look, it’s close to Egypt!
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.
Up there…
Click on Skywatch Friday to see more sky photos, and on Weekend in black and white to see more… well, black and white photos.
The waiter is waiting…
…for his last customers to finish their drinks. And so is the lady behind the bar. It’s a hard life.
Noies de calendari
Calendar girls… Did you ever see this delightful british movie, with Helen Mirren and others, based on a true story? Do you self a favor, and watch it (again).
And if your Catalan is up to date, you can see the theatrical version at the Poliorama theater on the Rambla..
The girl on the photo is trying to sell tickets for the other show, a mixture of opera and flamenco. Nice, but not very typical of Barcelona.
Angel
I sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate
And do they know
The places where we go
When we’re grey and old
‘cos I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I’m lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel that love is dead
I’m loving angels instead
[Chorus]
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I’m right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
When I come to call she won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead
When I’m feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know I’ll always be blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I’m loving angels instead
[Chorus]
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I’m right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
When I come to call she won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead
[Repeat Chorus]
Robbie Williams
Cool!
A very cool international hotel on the Ramblas, I suppose… Enjoy your breakfast!
Happy 4th of July, American friends, and I know you’re many!
Sucs naturals
Heat wave. It is very hot, despite of a small breeze coming from the sea. So, let’s have a drink on the Rambla.
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.
Ice cream times
Yes, ice cream times are back, although we have a few rainy days coming up. But it’s finally nice and warm!!!
Walking down the Ramblas…
… is always a great pleasure, watching people, street entertainers, animals, flowers… Haven’t done it much lately, too cold, too tired, too busy… Any reason. Got a foot problem right now, quite painful, so I’m not going out much lately, just to work. Anyway, now that the nice spring days are coming back, will try doing it a bit more.
Oh yeah: got a thing for cacti!
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)
Playing around
Been playing around lately with a panorama maker program. Here is something I did yesterday afternoon on the Rambla, 5 photos put together, 18.5 MB… Click on the picture to see it bigger, it is really worth it!
Just another museum.
Fed up walking around in the sun, too hot for the beach? Here is an idea: the Museum of Erotica, in front of the Boqueria market. You get a free drink,and Wifi, how’s that?
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
Some colors for a rainy day. AKA post 665.
Sunday evening. The weekend is almost over (…). We had a relatively sunny day, after the wettest Saturday in ages. The forecast for the coming week is very bleak. So, what will I post for tomorrow??? Something colorful, something nice to brighten up the coming week. Here it is, spotted on the Ramblas, with the help of a bit of LDR.
Oh yes, we had a little sunshine… Welcome to Lori from District Daily Photo, our 405th follower!
Shouting at oranges
El Señor Iniesta, famous football player from the Barça, seen shouting at oranges on the Ramblas. Why would you shout at oranges?
Any idea?
Most of you bloggers have probably been through this… What to post today? Well, here I am, tired from the weekend, tired from this Monday, coming home, feeding the cat, cleaning his litter, checking my mail, posting on my blog. But what???
One cup of tea later, here is the result: some flowers from one of the florists on the Ramblas. La solution de facilite, as we say in french. Hope you’ll enjoy them. I couldn’t think of anything better.
And oh yeah, as we live nearby, this is for My World Tuesday.
Levitating
One of the mysteries on the Rambla, the levitating guy. Seen him a few times, always surrounded by huge crowds, but I still have to discover how he is doing it…
 Lady in blue
I posted a lady in red, a while ago. Here is the lady in blue, one of the celebrities on the Rambla. One of a kind.
Breaking news!
Mr Santa, aka Pere Noel, Nick Cringle, Weihnachtsmann, etc. Big guy, elderly, big belly, white beard.
We think we know all about him. And that’s a fact. Some of you don’t believe in him.
Well, I’ve got some news for you! He’s real! Want some proof?
None other than Mrs Santa told me! She was in town the other day, Christmas Eve, in order to finish her (much older) hubby’s shopping. Well, someone has to do it, he is quite busy, you know!
Anyway, I met her coming out of some trendy fashion shop on the Ramblas (whose present did she buy there???). Nice girl.
One thing though… Can’t stand that partner look thing!
This is for My World Tuesday. Click here to see more.
Please check also out the BIGGEST CAGANER IN THE WORLD EVER on my other photo blog, right here! Front and back!
It’s Christmas!
So, well: merry Christmas to all of you celebrating it, happy holidays to others, and, finally, have a good day at work to some others! You know who you are.
Incidentally, it’s my sister’s birthday today as well. Bon anniversaire, vieille branche!
Tomorrow, we’ll start talking about some very serious, very extreme sailing…
Thursday’s Food for Thoughts, episode 3
Try this one!
This is for THE food meme, Thursday’s Food for Thoughts. Please feel free to add your link to any photo with a food theme. You’re next!
St Piggy?
Our Lady of Bethlehem parish church… Sounds serious, catholic, etc. But… What is this strange window on the church??? OK, I can imagine who’s the guy with the beard on top, and who’s the one with the halo, underneath. But what of the thing in blue on the photo, wearing trendy shades? Can someone explain??? Don’t want to shock anyone with christian sensibilities, but any way I look at it, any way I turn or twist it, I only see a piglet! This is bizarre!
Light
Went to the Opera last night, and here are the first Christmas lights on and around the Ramblas.
That’s entertainment!
Some more Rambla workers. It’s getting really cold here, they must be freezing!
Sweets for my sweet…
Where once there had been many florist stalls, newsagents, pet shops, souvenir stalls, the Ramblas are now filling up with sweet shops. Dangerous!
And as we’re having elections in Catalunya this weekend, many parties put up stalls as well. More about this soon. Meanwhile, have a sweet or 2!
Let’s tidy up the mess!
…or so the city fathers must be thinking.
The Ramblas is the most touristic place in Barcelona. It is a long promenade, around a mile long, crowded with tourist, flower shops, caricaturists, pet shops, cafes, restaurants and street entertainers.
I walked down the Ramblas a few weeks ago, and counted almost 40 living statues, living deads, guys with no head, fake Marilyns, panda bears and other strange creatures. Now, the city has decided it would be nice to include the Ramblas in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. So, how can we do that? Easy: let’s tidy up the mess! Therefore, 10 flower stalls will become one. And the street entertainers, the living statues? Well, they will have to pass a test proving their skills (the first one moving is out???), and their numbers will be reduced. There will be 15 designated spots. 15 entertainers will be allowed to perform from 10 AM till 4 PM, and 15 more from 4PM till 10 PM. Problem: what will happen to the other ones, the less skilled, the ones that moved during selection? They will join the 20.5 percent unemployed in Spain. Easy.
As for the touareg on the photo: buena suerte, amigo, best of luck to you, my friend.
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.
Easter?
This is the eggman at the Boqueria market. And yes, you can buy the ostrich eggs as well. Nice big omelette!
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.
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