Catalunya’s carre de Tordera, 2006

Placed 2nd in the Best Decorated Street entry category and 1st for Best Entrance at the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006.

As I traveled from one street to another and came to a corner, I saw these brilliant yellow displays greeting me.

carre de Tordera, Barcelona, 2006

I knew what these objects were, gears of some sort, but I couldn’t guess their theme. Can you? (Check your answer at the end of this post.)

The sun shone this day but but not here, for Tordera was a street protected by buildings “… and a majestical roof fretted with golden fire” (Hamlet).

carre de Tordera, Barcelona, 2006

I got to carrer Tordera early in the day and as yet there was no activity but for a wandering family possibly looking for the rainbow at the end of the goldenness.

carre de Tordera, Barcelona, 2006

At the opposite side of the street I found the lonely vendor and immediately I thought of Hopper’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I hope this conveys the same idea to you.

Anyway, the answer to carrer Tordera’s theme is: watch gears.

But, by this time you probably already had the answer. No?

Enjoy!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Catalunya’s carrer de Joan Blanques y Congost, 2006

Placed 3th in the Best Decorated Street category at the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006.

I Love what was done.

My Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 loves it also.

I find vivid colors and shadows irresistible and on carre Joan Blanques y Congost, colors and shadows were everywhere.

carre de Joan Blanques y Congost Barcelona, 2006

The vecinos (neighbors) took great care in decorating their street, and you can feel it.

Even I, a grown-up, enjoyed this wonderful display.

There are times when I’m at a loss for words, and this, being one of those times, is when I hope my photos will speak for me.

Click on the link below to view more photos.

View barcalunacy's Catalunya’s carre de Joan Blanques y Congost, 2006 FLICKR photoset.

Enjoy!

Catalunya’s carrer de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis, 2006

Placed 4th in the Best Decorated Street category at the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006.

If you like streamers, colors--and more streamers and colors and paper mashe, then Carre de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis is your kind of place!

carre de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis, Barcelona, 2006

The ceiling has so much sardined into it that not even the flood-rains from the night before toppled a bit of it.

carre de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis, Barcelona, 2006

And if you really, truly, beyond doubt are crazy of crowds, then this street is the place to be!

carrer de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis, Barcelona, 2006

And if you are looking for play-around stuff that will sooth, perk up and turn on your little ones, then this street is THE Street!

carrer de Joan Blanques y Sant Lluis, Barcelona, 2006

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Catalunya's Pl. de Rius y Talulet, 2006

Placed 9th in the Best Decorated Street category at the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006.

Plaça de Rius y Taulet, Barcelona, 2006

Plaça de Rius y Taulet – with its famous and towering clock tower -- is the kickoff spot for the infamous festa Major that I’ll write about another day.

Click HERE and take a glance at an embedded slideshow of the plaça before the festa opened.

This plaça is huge. You can sit and enjoy wonderful meals, coffee and pastries in one of about five café/restaurants.

For entertainment, there are street artists and the “regulars” who, between you and me aren’t regular. No: They’re SPECIAL.

For the little ones there’s enough space for them to ride their skateboards, play football and just plain run, ruin and rant.

This Plaça certainly has vervy colors, imagination by the ton, and makes-your-jaw-drop creativity.

Check out the photos and see for yourself.

View barcalunacy's Catalunya’s Plaça de Rius y Taulet, 2006 FLCKR photoset.

Enjoy!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Catalunya's Pl. de Sant Miquel, 2006

Participant at the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006

Pl. de Sant Miquel placed 5th in the Best Decorated Street category.

Plaça de Sant Miquel certainly outdid itself with rich, vibrant, pulsating colors in their displays.

You would never guess that it was an overcast, gloomy day when these photos were taken.

Pl. de Sant Miquel, Barcelona, 2006

Click HERE to resize.

Come on! Do you want to feel better and leave with a smile?

Then take a stroll with me and be embraced by a sea of brilliant yellow sunflowers.

View barcalunacy's Catalunya's Pl. De Sant Miquel, 2006 FLCKR photoset.

Enjoy!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Catalunya's carrer Berga, 2006

Participant of the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006

8th place winner of best-decorated street.

Well, the big day has come and the Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006, in the barrio of Gràcia, officially opened on 8/15/06.

It is by far the best Festa I have seen in the four years I have been in Barcelona.

Today, I share with you photos taken of Carrer Berga. In my post of August 14, 2006, (Click HERE for the post) you see the preparations before opening day.

Then, I wondered what the planner’s objectives were. But, they remained steadfast and refused to divulge this information, much like a politician.

carre Berga, Barcelona, 2006

Click HERE to size.

I shot these pictures after a night of torrential rain and Carrer Berga faired fairly fair.

But no matter, folks of all ages seemed to be having a good time.

Horray! Berga made 8th place of best decorated streets. They had fiercely strong competition.

You see their original creativity, hard work and feel their labor of love.

Anyway, I was impressed.

For FLCKR fans, click on the high-lighted link below.

View barcalunacy's Carrer Berga photoset.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006: Finally Here!!

Today I will show photos of carrers Bruniquer, Fraternitat, Tordera, Torres, Puigmarti, and Plaças de Joanic and Rovira.

These streets are quiet streets and not decorated elaborately as the other areas of Gràcia.

Plaça de Joanic, 2006
Click HERE to resize.

However, I feel their participation, their labor and the time they’ve spent on their displays merit mention of some kind.

Be sure to come back and see the rest of the series.

There will be photos and more photos and a special video of a special street that was awarded as the BEST-DECORATED Street.

I GURANTEE that you will enjoy every picture … especially that video!

So, come on, Click on the link below to view these photos on FLCKR.

View barcalunacy's Festa Major de Gràcia, 2006: Finally Here photoset.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Festa Major de Gràcia 2006

Preparations before the Big Event!

On August 15, 2006 the barrio Gràcia holds its traditional festivities and the neighborhood is jumping with fun.

About twenty-four streets and five plazas will be decorated in different themes competing for the best-decorated prize.

Some areas will have carnivals for the little ones.

For the big folks, there will be music and food and dancing and more food, and the famous Castellers will do what they do best … CLIMB!

Click HERE to see my previous post of the Castellers with video. I guarantee you will like it.

It’s Alice in Wonderland, and Halloween all rolled into one.

People of all ages and genders have been quietly making giant animals, underworld seas, extra-terrestial beings and whatever else you can think of.

Remember: I have no idea what the themes are in some of these videos and photos. My idea and intent is to show you the people, their creativity, the neighborhood and a chance to be, for a little while, with me in Catalunya.

So come and enjoy because as of August 15 to August 21, 2006 I will be posting (hopefully) as many events as possible.

Below is an embedded slideshow of some of the following participants.

• Plaça de Rius y Taulet
• Carrer Verdi/Marti
• Carrer Verdi/Robi
• Plaça de Sant Miquel
• Carrer Berga

For FLICKR slideshow, click on the link below.

View barcalunacy's Festa Major de Gracia:Preparation photoset.

Barcelona Streets Artists Playing the Dulcimer

Original Post: August 21, 2005

Okay, okay ... so I lied about taking a break. I just might do it anyway!

I decided to republish this post from about a year ago. It has been viewed over 200 times and I thought some people might enjoy viewing it again.

Since the original post, I have gotten to be sort of an "expert" on compression. Whew!

This video has been compressed again at a different rate and your viewing with Quicktime should take a lot less longer than the original video.

Enjoy!

Click HERE to watch the Quicktime Video.

The Barcelona street artists in this video are playing a wonderful song on the dulcimer. See if you recognize it!

The location of this particular duo is on carre de Santa Lucia in the Gothic Quarter.

Also, this is my first time videoblogging. I had a dickens of a time getting the hang of compressing a video.

Let me know how I did and if you enjoyed it.

Thanks

Here goes!!!!

View the dulcimer street artists in barcalunacy's Barcelona’s Street Artists FLCKR photoset.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Notice of a Rebirth

For the past two years, we were hearing that the Mercat de la Llibertat, in the neighborhood of GRÀCIA would be torn and rebuilt.

Since the Catalans are very laid back I sort of figured that a new market would never be built in my lifetime … that the stories we were hearing about were just rumors. How wrong I was!

Below is a photo of a notice posted in our entryway. It is written in Catalan, and translated by, who else,
ME!

(Email me if there are any mistakes.)



Dear Gentlemen and Ladies:

Notice is hereby given that because of the soon to be reconstructed Mercat de Llibertat and relocation of the market to la placa Gal-la Placidia the trees on Calle Besos will be removed.

These trees can not moved to another part of the park because presently there lies beneath the ground utilities that service the neighborhood, like water and electricity.

Also, emergency services of the city need the space to sufficiently assist in any crisis.

Excuse the bother. Thank you for your co-operation.

To accommodate the various merchants in the market place, a park called Gal.la Placidia, also in GRÀCIA, will house the transplanted businesses until the new market is finished.

How excited the people must have been in 1888 when the Mercat de la Llibertat More first opened. I figure I will have the same excited feeling for I will be a part of history.

Markets are vital to neighborhoods, from buying eggs, meat and fish to clothes and small appliances.

Many of the older folks I meet say they have never found it necessary to venture out of their neighborhoods, for these markets and the personality of their barrios provide for them what is necessary in their lives.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.