The magic of a setting sun

It's 17:56:44 on a weekday (thank goodness for EXIF data) and I am at plaça Sant Miquel for one thing and one thing only ... the SUN!

The plaça is tucked in the middle of a barrio with trees surrounding its perimeter.

The tree's branches have separated allowing the sun to filter through in that romantic way ... like a man first experiencing the separation of his hair fleeting through his fingers.

The ambiance of the plaça and its light tricks you. For a brief while, you are a professional photographer. Every shot you take is magic.

Not a selfie!

Parts of me wishes this photo had ME in it ... but my time has come and gone.

So many things I would have done in my youth and probably dressing like them would not have been on my top ten list ... I was and still am (in my advanced years) having fun without the fuss.

Actually, I am rarely a window dresser photographer ... but the mannequins, the way they were dressed and posed reminded me of my one of my top ten photographers .... Joan Colom and the subjects he photographed.

Google Joan Colom and see if you agree with me ... one of the best "shoot from the hip photographers" there ever was ... in my opinion.

Still, as I sit here and write, I wouldn't have minded then and briefly, for a very short moment, to be one of them.

Oh my, do I dare ... but if Joan Colom ever reads this post, I would be honored to meet you!

Adeli de Gràcia

Every once in awhile there appears a person who has a unique and distinctive look, in that good way.

Usually, as a street photographer, I look for that person. Someone who might look different from the norm, dress different, act different, and in today's world it seems like the norm might be the new different.

Sitting at McDonald's and to my right is a young man with hair piled so high ... higher than I've ever seen or ever noticed. Rather than take a candid photo, I approached him and while he didn't understand why I would want to take his picture, he agreed.

His name is Adeli of the barrio of  Gràcia. He had a smile that lit up the room, eyes that twinkled and a warm demeanor that made me feel good.

Do you see what I see?

La yaya!!

A great model!

She sits in the window, practically everyday. She appears shy and needless to say, she hasn't spoken a word to me in many years and probably never will.

For holidays, she gussies up, like she did here for Christmas.

She's Grandma ... (la yaya),  a seamstress and she mends clothing. That's what it says on the pink handkerchief.  I love the sound of the words "la yaya".

No!! I've not gone looney although some might suspect I am already bonkers.

I've used Arreglo for my sewing needs as mending is not a specialty of mine. A little expensive for me but in a pinch they do a real good job.

If you know anyone who is good at mending, alterations and resides in the barrio of Gràcia, and reasonably priced, please let me know.

Beware of street photography!!

Years of taking photos has obviously taken a toll on this man.

Or, is what he viewing a painful sight?

P.S. I used an old 35-105mm AF zoom nikkor lens and I couldn't be more pleased. The shot was not posed and this was the only photo I was able to take.

Ambiguous Punctuation

Does she say to him or does he write to say to her:

"I think we're just gonna have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that, Ritchie."

A shy comma makes all the difference.

The fruit of my labors and the fruit of theirs

I went searching for images and entered the cavern of Puig Marti market, with its high ceiling reminiscent of an immense cave or echoey cathedral huge marker.

I discovered Macu, the blonde, who smiles the prettiest. Salva, is the one who peels back his natural charm as he works on the humble garlic and other wondrously redolent stuff they had at their stand.

Who are they?  The friendliest, finest, and most generous fruit sellers I’ve ever known -- and, before you say that I’ve probably only known 3 in my whole life, let me tell you that, although my favorite fruits are chocolate and spaghetti, I do love the more traditional ones such as apples, lemons, pears, pineapples -- and the rest.

OK, so they are two very attractive personalities, and I liked them a lot and also what they were selling.

But: could such fine people inspire me to renounce my total favorite fruits I mentioned above?  Not too likely:  once you’re hooked on spaghetti and chocolate, the urge for them never disappears!

Bones Festes

Happy Holidays or Bones Festes in Catalan.

There are so many streets dressed with lights that it was very difficult for me to select what to upload.

I chose for today a street in the barrio (neighborhood) de Gràcia called the travessera de Gràcia. The street (travessera) is the main drag to get to the barrio.

The street and the side walks are not wide. You take your life into your hands when walking especially around 5:00 pm.

Sometimes, I picture the area teeming with burrows, carts, people and domesticated animals. Life was probably tough then but maybe less complicated. I'm a dreamer.

This night -- it's peaceful.

Even the homeless have soles

 

For lots of us, weekends are a delight; it's a time to be with family and  friends, to  do chores or simply enjoy ourselves.

For me, you and the person in the photo, it's a time to catch up on much-needed sleep from the week's stress. For the girl in the photo, her bed is a stone step, her apartment is the box.

She's boxed in a corner, trying to get warm after roaming the streets the full day doing whatever she needs to do to be OK with life and welcome the next day.

I can't imagine being her. She has to wake up and leave her space before most businesses open up. She folds her box into the corner of a wall. She's bedded in this space for 2 years,  and for 10 years before that, on  a park bench that's hard as her life.

She's young. I saw her when she seemed/looked much younger, 12 years ago. At that time,  I considered her pretty, with a face as smooth as a child's.

But now, her teeth are worn, cracked and stained. The lines around her mouth are deep and the wrinkles circling her eyes do not dance to a sad song we cannot actually hear.

I'm happy that the office building lets her sleep partly sheltered by its wall. I'm pleased to see that  people give  her handouts of food from time to time. I'm pleased that now, after these years, she smiles and nods as we pass each other.

She's not yours to see. I have her face tucked away in my head and in photos I've stored on external drives.

For you, her left foot must tell the story.

Ellusive Garbo in Barcelona

She caught my eye and I caught my breath; was it SHE? Was I really in Central Park, New York and not Barcelona, Spain?  Was I dreaming?

The woman who was maybe SHE had the captivating swagger of assurance, positiveness and -- hauntingly -- the loneliness of THE LOOK.

But SHE was and is Garbo, long dead now, swagger, assurance and loneliness long gone.  Maybe, after all, I wasn't dreaming, but was, nevertheless in a dream -- hers.

Three Folks and a Fountain

For those who want to live in the shadows, LCD lighting should be reconsidered.

Charlie

Charlie is a kiosk owner, blessed with great teeth, an infectious smile, and the body of a running back.

And, of course, I'm to high minded to notice.

She pleases me

It's been a long time since I heard this style of jazz in Barcelona and in particular a distinct musical voice.

I scurried quickly for I had to see if it was THEM ... the New Orleans Ragamuffins.



I wrote a post about the group in 2006. Here's the link:

barcalunacy.blogspot.com/2006/10/barcelonas-own-ragtime-b...

But, alas, they were not THEM.

The fella on the right facing you is or was a member of that band and it's his unusual voice with a distinct megaphone nasality that I remember.

I don't know anything of this group other than they played well.

So well, in fact,

As I was taking a photo a girl passed smiling, dancing, swaying and walking all the while on a mobile phone.

She pleased me.

His Helping Hand

No trust problems on her part!

Will she still find his hand in that affectionate way 40 years from now?

What say you?

el mercado de Puigmartí

El mercado de Puigmartí is a wonderful market, great vendors, marvelous food and a touch of the past.







Puigmartí is located in el Barrio de Gràcia here in Barcelona.

I suggest you get there as soon as possible, before, if ever, this market is modernized.

He gave me A finger!

 A friendly gesture that says, Hi! How you doin'?

I love workers such as those in the photo. 

More often than not, I get a smile, a pose and a wave.

How to tell if he's just that into you

When I was 19, a fella named Joe took me to dinner on our first date and like all young girls, I was a nervous wreck.

I dreamed of numerous forks and spoons set on the table and would I know which one to use.

I dreamed of over eating, ordering the most expensive meal, and missing the food in my mouth.

How I wished I could be calm and serene like this couple.

They were soooo into one another.

They were at Plaça Gal-la Placidia, a cute park in the barrio de Gràcia.

They sat there for a long moment quietly talking and seriously looking into each others arm pits and their own., completely oblivious of me or anyone else at the park.

I don't know what kind of relationship they had but to me the moment was beautiful.

Caring, sharing and communicating is how I defined the picture.

We should all be so lucky!

View barcalunacy's A Candid View of Everyday People FLCKR photoset.

The Camera Never Lies

Slips in photos like typos in writing are springboards to magical impressions.

So it was with this photo.

Before my very eyes, the human seemed to slowly emerge out of the wall, unto the sidewalk, as if in a dream ...

Was it?

The camera never lies!

View barcalunacy's A Candid View of Everyday People FLCKR photoset.

Golden Point

How does one siesta in Barcelona?

Well, you bring your lawn chair, your pooch, relax

And , oh yes!

Be sure to wear a suit and tie.

Like my mom always said: "You never know who will be watching"!

FYI: How could I not resist taking his picture. Could you?

I wondered if I would ever see him again.

A few years passed by and we were bumping into each other here and there and everywhere.

He was ever so gracious to let me click away each time we met.

He was indeed as nice as he looked sleeping.

View barcalunacy's A Candid View of Everyday People FLCKR photoset.

Tapa i àpat

Folks! If you're looking for tapa meals and you happen to be in the barrio of gràcia walking on carrer Gran de Gràcia passing building #44 then YOU have to stop at the Tapa i àpat restaurant.

Let me tell you why!

Locals frequently dine there.

They know how to fry foods which can be a bit tricky.

The service is above par.

Menus are in different languages for the Catalan challenged.

You are special, even if you are a pesky tourist.

So ... all you have to do is order, smell the delicious aromas, eat and pay for the food.

I remember this cafe fondly.

But I warn you. I haven't been there in over a year and this is what I knew, for we were frequent customers. After all, I did shoot this photo to remember the place.

Give them a try and let me know what you think!