For fun, I packed a portable camera and set it to black and white. This turned out to be a perfect way to see Polandātimeless streets, heavy history, and everyday life all seemed to belong together.
Tag Archive for: photography
As I was enjoying oysters, a glass of wine, and a good book, my mind began to wander. āI feel like Iāve been here before.ā I set down my book and pulled out my phone to look at our family āBeen There Done Thatā Google Maps list. And I had been there. Not in that restaurant, but in that location. I knew it! That caused me to start browsing ā finding other places that have changed in the time weāve been here. There were some places I had been to as three different restaurants.
The city is organic and always changing. You might walk by a closed door a dozen times without giving it any thought, only to walk by and see a brilliant new restaurant or shop reaching far back into the space behind each building as if it has always been there. Or a favorite place that closes, only to be replaced by another favorite just a few weeks later. Or sometimes you donāt even notice an absence until something new pops up.
Memorializing our block
As I try to remember, āWhat was here before?ā I realize I have an opportunity to memorialize the places on our new block from the start of our time here. So thatās what I am setting out to do. I grabbed our low-res Leica and began to photograph the places, walking around only our block. Since shops and restaurants have a ā letās call it a loosey-goosey schedule, I have grabbed some missing spots with my phone and clumsily tried to degrade them to match. But I plan to replace those with the same camera when I am able.
The four sidesāSea, Right, Mountain, and Leftāeach have their own personality. As they change, I plan to take new photos and follow the progression of each, seeing how our block changes over the months and years. This post, much like our block, will evolve as places change. Some already have.
The sea side
The right side
The mountain side
The left side
When you’re walking around Barcelona, first, make sure to look up. The architecture is amazing and it is easy to miss a beautiful building or view. But don’t forget to look down too. Barcelona sidewalks are created with different tiles in different neighborhoods. We haven’t discovered all of them, but we have found quite a few!
The most common is the Flor de Barcelona (Barcelona Flower). This tile features a flower with four petals, a design symbolizing Barcelona, and is even a part of one of my tattoos. Itās one of the most iconic and widely recognized tiles in the city and is becoming a favorite for art and souvenirs.
When work needs to be done on pipes or wires, they usually just jackhammer up the tiles, make repairs, and lay new ones down. We have had more than a couple friends dumpster-dive to find good tiles to bring home.
Side Story
On Saint Jordi, we found this little decorated tile, which fit the occasion perfectly. If you’re not familiar with Saint Jordi (and we weren’t until we moved here), it is a celebration of Sant Jordi (Saint George), the patron saint of Catalonia. The celebration commemorates the legend of Saint George slaying a dragon to save a princess. Now, it is a celebration of Books & Roses. Men traditionally give roses to women, and women give books to men, although nowadays, itās common for both genders to exchange both roses and books. This custom combines the celebration of love with a celebration of literature.
Back to the tiles
Here are some of the other cool tiles we have found around town.
And every once in a while, we will find a tile laid upside down, showing the designer’s initials.
GaudĆ
Beyond the Flor de Barcelona, the other most famous tile is the Panot GaudĆ. Designed by Antoni GaudĆ, this tile is decorated with motifs of marine life, such as starfish, algae, and ammonites. If you have been to La Sagrada Familia, you know how everything he did was very organic and incorporated nature.
These are harder to come by, but we did find an abandoned one once when work was being done on a pedestrian street. It is proudly displayed on our patio.
Now look back up
If you see a tile with this red circle, it signifies a building of historical significance, so it is a good time to look back up and check out the architecture again!
Not just Barcelona. Not just walls. This is a grab bag of finely-tuned spray paint, clever stickers, cryptic stencils, and the occasional pure graffiti with something urgent to say. I take pictures of street art that catches my eyeāusually wandering down some narrow street to see what there is to offer, occasionally while lost.
