Tracing The Shadow of the Wind

These are old photos from Barcelona and someone of you may have seen these before. But I wanted to honor Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1964-2020) who died in June 2020 of cancer. I have read all four books of his series of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and in 2017 during my visit to Barcelona I participated to a guided walking tour which followed the routes of The Shadow of the Wind.

This city is enchanted, you know Daniel? 

It goes under the skin and robs the soul, and you don’t even notice.

Esta ciudad es bruja, sabe usted, Daniel? 

Se le mete a uno en la piel y le roba a uno el alma sin que uno se dé ni cuenta.

We were about twenty admirers of Zafón who were guided by our charming guide Cristina to the venues of the book. In addition to me, there was a Chilean lady, other participants came from different cities of Spain. Our guide Cristina took us into the moods of the book by reading excerpts from the book both in English and Spanish every time we stopped.  The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar is important in the book, so a few photos of it. 

I did not know then Nova and her T in die neue Woche challenge - so this is what I have got!

In Barrio Gótico there is a small bookstore, which has kindly kept the fountain pen 

coveted by the novel’s Daniel on display at the window for 12 years.

 

 

 

La ciudad de vapor was published in November 2020 posthumously.

It is a book of 11 short stories a la gothic mysticism of Zafón ❤︎

 

Kindness, kindness, kindness. I want to make a New year's prayer, not a resolution. 

I'm praying for courage. - Susan Sonntag

New Year's Greetings!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex 

#t in die neue woche #värikollaasit

Princess Towers

Not to talk about the 18 towers that Antonio Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia will have 

- if ever finished - the Catalan architects seem to have had a mania towards towers!

A few examples from my archive.

See how Sagrada Familia would look like when finished!

 ❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 
#image-in-ing #makrotex  #mosaic monday #my corner of the world #t in die neue woche 
#the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures #uudet värikollaasit #willy-nilly #watw

T in die neue Woche

Some decorative French balconies in Barcelona.

Today is Palm Sunday. We have a tradition that little Easter witches go from door to door 

with their decorated catkin twigs, tell a spell and get chocolate eggs in reward. 

Not going to happen today.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 
#image-in-ing #makrotex  #mosaic monday #my corner of the world #t in die neue woche 
#the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures #uudet värikollaasit #willy-nilly #watw

The Weekend Roundup N

As we can’t travel now, I take you to Barcelona, a wonderful city that I visited last time
in 2017 during La Mèrce week. My consolations to Spain in this tragic situation.

Starts with N:
Narrow & Neat alley in Barrio Gótico

Tom’s choice number:
Nobody can count the Number of the pigeons at Plaza de Cataluña!

Starts with N:
Some National heroe? / Plaza de Cataluña

EDIT: Found some information about this sculpture on Spanish Wikipedia.
Translation:

The work is an allegory of Wisdom, made up of a female figure representing the goddess Minerva, dressed in a robe and an aegis on her chest, and wearing a helmet in her right hand, 
while with her left she holds the bridles of a rearing horse, which lifts its legs to crush a snake,
 a symbol of ignorance. Sculptor Miquel Oslé.

Starts with N:
Plaza of Saint Felipe Neri

This is a peaceful square in the old town with tragic past. See the link for
a couple of photos. There are still signs of bombarding on the stone walls.
The text says:

"In memory of the victims of Saint Felipe Neri.

Here, 42 people - mostly children - died in the bombing of Franco January 30, 1938."

Starts with N & my favourite:
Numerous people on the streets used to be Normal

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 
#image-in-ing #makrotex  #mosaic monday #my corner of the world #t in die neue woche 
#the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures #uudet värikollaasit #willy-nilly #watw

Els Quatre Gats

I had an espresso in this historical café. Els Quatre Gats / The Four Cats is a café in Barcelona, that became a popular meeting place for famous artists throughout the modernist period in Catalonia, known as Modernisme. The café opened in 1897 and served as a hostel, bar and cabaret until it eventually became a central meeting point for Barcelona’s most prominent modernist figures, such as Pablo Picasso and Ramon Casas i Carbó. The bar closed due to financial difficulties in June 1903, but was reopened and eventually restored to its original condition in 1989.

In 1899, at 17 years old, Pablo Picasso began frequenting Els Quatre Gats and even held his first solo exhibition in the main room. The poster that now stands on the corner of the street outside the café was designed by Picasso. I do not have a better photo of Picasso's poster, but see this link. There you can see also the wonderful facade of this house.

Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem 

Cría cuervos de Carlos Saura from 1977

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #dimimi #fokus auf schwarz / weiss 

#foto-tunes #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex #mosaic monday #my corner of the world

#saturday’s critters # t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures

#uudet värikollaasit #wandering camera #willy-nilly #watw 

❤︎❤︎❤︎ 

FRIDAY BLISS invites you to join, too!

The Weekend Roundup D

Starts with D:
 Demonstrators having a break.
All today's photos are from my trip to Barcelona in September 2017.

Starts with D:
 Dreadful & Dramatic

 Starts with D:

Drummer

Starts with D:
Decorations / Palau De la Música Catalana

Tom’s choice Dark

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #fokus auf schwarz / weiss 

#foto-tunes #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex  #mosaic monday #my corner of the world
#saturday’s critters # t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures
#uudet värikollaasit #wandering camera #willy-nilly #watw

FRIDAY BLISS invites you to join, too!

It’s Time to Party!

La Pedrera is a magnificient house designed by Antonio Gaudí in Barcelona.

I attended there a fantastic light show on the roof in the middle of those imaginary chimneys.

The attic was stunning and there were a few pieces of furniture by Gaudí.

Für Juttas Digital Art Dienstag habe ich ein Geburtstagsparty
mit Miros lustige Characteren ins Leben gerufen!

For Jutta’s Digital Art Tuesday I created Miro’s Odd Creatures’ birthday party! 

HERE my post about Miro Museum from October 2017.

// MAKROTEX - Huonekalu, Furniture

// DIGITAL ART TUESDAY

Ovi - Door

The topic of the Makrotex Challenge this week is a DOOR.

In my archive I have mainly French balconies, but there are doors, though a bit hidden.

Some views from Barcelona.

// MAKROTEX CHALLENGE

// IMAGE-IN-ING