Soul

Call it soul, essence, identity – it’s the little details that make a city what it is. Here are a few random sights and experiences that to me represent Barcelona.

 

cafe con leche, barcelona, spain, coffee with milk, barcelona beso, food in barcelonaCafe con leche! This smooth, delicious blend of coffee and milk tastes like nothing else in the world. The ratio of coffee to milk is an indulgent 1:1. The milk is condensed, then scalded. I’ve asked to have it made in other countries and no one seems to be able to reproduce it. It’s a spanish specialty you’ll soon start to crave. Plan on getting addicted to this stuff.

 

 

sidewalk art, barcelona, gaudi sidewalk design, photos of barcelona, passeig de graciaEven underfoot, there is ornamentation and design. Barcelona is a city of art.


old couple barcelona, people in barcelona, dog

This dignified old Spanish couple walks one of Barcelona’s 4 million little dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 MAGIC FOUNTAIN OF MONTJUIC

English in business names is hip, and Happy is the thing to be.

 

 MAGIC FOUNTAIN OF MONTJUIC

Interior design in Barcelona is colorful, funky, upbeat and striking.

tibidabo, tibi dabo, theme park, tibidabo church, sagrat cor, barcelona

Barcelona is a mass of odd juxtapositions, contradictions and surprises. The confluence of church and fun park at Tibidabo is a great example.

 

 

 MAGIC FOUNTAIN OF MONTJUIC

Store hours reflect Barcelona’s wise priorities and lifestyle. A two and half hour break comes in the middle of the business day.

 

 

food in barcelona, tapas in barcelona, barcelona tapas, spanish tapas

“Una clara” and tapas, two of the official foods of Barcelona. Una clara is a blend of beer and Fanta Limon, a refreshingly light drink that’s great in hot weather. The tapas are pickled olives, pearl onions, carrots and mini cucumbers.

 

 

casa mila, la pedrera, gaudi casa mila, barcelona best, barcelona travel

Wrought iron gate at Casa Mila is unexpectedly beautiful – a great example of the strange power of Gaudi’s original, captivating designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

balconies, barcelona balconies, soul, wrought iron, pictures of barcelona

Unusual beauty in an ordinary balcony railing with potted plants.

 

flats in barcelona, flats, flat, balconies, barcelona housing

Most of the housing in the city is in flats, making balconies ubiquitous. They come in every shape and size, and decorated in every way. Some are especially eye-catching.

 

 

la boqueria, la boqueria barcelona, las ramblas, market, food in barcelona

Won’t find a more eye-popping assortment of fresh seafood than in La Boqueria.

 

 

trencadis, mosaic design, parc guell, barcelona, gaudi, park guell, barcelona beso

Trencadis is a Catalan word referring to mosaic created from shards of broken tile. Word-o-philes will recognize the word’s similarity to the English truncate. It’s a unique art form of which Parc Guell and the Palau de la Musica Catalana are foremost examples. Some have described it as “the effect of thousands of brightly-colored patterns dancing together under the Mediterranean sun.”

 

 

kissing sculpture, love sculpture, barcelona beso

Displays of affection are common, in real life as well as in art

 

 

Mcdonalds, american influences, barcelona, food in barcelona, images, photos, pictures

American influences

 

 

tourist in barcelona, attractions in barcelona, sightseeing, top 10, top ten, parc guell

Both tourists and stylish women are plentiful in Barcelona. Here is a two for one.

 

 

Menu board, food in barcelona, menu boards, catalan, spanish

Barcelona is a multi-lingual city. Note that Catalan is first on this menu board.

 

 

Torre agbar, barcelona, buildings barcelona, pictures of barcelona

Where else but Barcelona would a building like this get built?

 

 

Moto woman, woman on motorcycle barcelona, motos, scooter, pictures of barcelona

Motos are plentiful and noisy. They’re parked on every corner. As many women ride them as men, maybe even more.

 

 

Pinchos, barcelona food, tapas, barcelona tapas, tapas barcelona

Pinchos come on slices of bread and have a toothpick stuck through them. The variety, colors, flavors and artfulness of pinchos are hard to beat!