26 October, Monday.

Yes, I fail at life. So, it’s only just over a month since I’ve written. Last I left you we were still in Spain, and now three more countries and a few more cities separate us. No big deal. Eep. Well, with all my lonely hours in the apartment until my roommates return, I have plenty of time to update you all on a month of craziness. Bear with me. It’s going to be a whirlwind.

So, with our last day in Barcelona ahead of us, we had a full schedule. We woke up a little late and hit the Sagrada Familia, this time from the inside. Most of it is still under construction, but walking through the marked paths, you can see the huge columns, half-finished stained glass windows, and the beginnings of a gorgeous altar piece. The natural world overtakes the whole space, with tree-trunk columns, lizard motifs, leaf-like moldings, and honeycomb windows. The tour leads you to the outside for a close-up view of the convoluted, exquisitely detailed Nativity façade, and then down to the museum for a historical overview of the cathedral and its construction and design. After the cathedral, we procured a few last souvenirs and then hit the Mercado for lunch. I had a bocatta (sandwich) with delicious crispy bread and sliced meat, and a chocolate croissant, plus the best Kiwi/Mango and Kiwi/Mango/Coconut juice I’ve ever tasted. Then, more souvenirs and a trip to the Picasso museum, which was sadly halted by its being closed.

However, our sadness was softened by a trip to Guell park. It was a long hike on the metro and up an ungodly amount of stairs, but the view from the cliff of a misty Barcelona was beautiful and the forested paths lead down to a mosaic-tiled pavilion that overlooked some of Gaudi’s most famous structures. The mosaics, all colors from bright blues and greens to pearlescent white and pink, cover the whole pavilion and its rounded benches in undulating spirals that twirl down the columns into the colonnade below. We visited his well-known mosaic lizard, took a spin through the simple and bizarre rooms of his house, and listened to the street performers playing under the forest-like colonnade. Back in the city center, we took a stroll past two final Gaudi houses, plus another view of the bizarre blue Battlo, and then stopped for a strange dinner next to our hotel, greasy croquettes and empanadinas and Spanish beer. Then it was an early night before heading on the road again.

“Gaudi was Here”

A few of my favorite concrete creations  from my favorite architect of all time:

I’m a huge postcard collector. Hey, they’re cheaper than magnets and easy to transport and above all they make for one-of-a-kind wall decor (I accessorized my delicate plaster walls in my flat in Prague with post cards and coasters (more on that obsession later!) and it completely transformed the bland room into one of endless memories).

My favorite postcard is one I purchased from the Sagrada Familia’s gift shop (top two photos for those of you not in the know!) in Barcelona. I bought it with intentions of taping it to my studio desk as a justification for the crazy creations I thought up. Why do I make neon pink organic forms? Why didn’t you know?! Gaudi was here!

ps. Barcelona is endlessly tearing up their sidewalks to make way for new and improved metro and trans-country lines so last summer my travel buddy and I saw our opportunity to grab a bit of history as we lounged at a coffee house in front of Casa Mila. The shops in the area charge outrageous prices for replicas of the famed Gaudi pavement tiles but if you are resourceful (fyi: EasyJet has a 15kg limit and these babies are HEAVY) and sly enough you can have the real thing! And so the infamous tune: ”I’ve got a piece of Barcelona! I’ve got a piece of the Louvre! I’ve got a piece of Nice… and Mies too! If I’m coming ’round to your city or town… You better keep all your concrete on lock down!” So true. So true.

I fell in love with Barcelona during a school trip in 1999. Since then I’ve visited three more times and always keep finding fascinating new things to see and do.  The first visit was a good grounding because I was shepherded around by teachers, along with thirty or forty other pupils from my college. We saw all the biggest, most familiar sights like the Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia/Parc Guell/Palau Guell, and the Museo Picasso but it took future trips to uncover some of  the other gems that really make the city a part of my heart.

Santa Maria Del Mar - The Old Cathedral

There is something about the atmosphere of this city that enthralls me. It’s definitely somewhere I could live because there’s so much to see and do, culture pouring from every alley and infused in every grubby brick. It’s the character of the different districts that combine to create the intoxicating whole. I’ve mentioned the umami concept in another post, this is certainly a case of a city flavoured by complementary parts.

A 2002 solo visit led to many hours of endless and aimless wandering through the alleys, across the squares, and around the marina. This time opened up Barcelona’s character for me as a fun-loving, artistic and vibrant centre. It has everything that other regions of Spain have only in parts. Because I was travelling alone, and only 19, I spent my time nervously shuffling between benches and supermercados. Too poor to afford hot food or much beer and too shy to strike up conversation with other travellers. I used this awkward time to discover more about what made the city tick. I think it’s the people that make the place. They straddle the line between rude and obnoxious or warm and proud. They lend an edge to the city as a melting pot of various Spanish ethnicities and numerous North Africans collide and whirl. Catalan and Castillian are heard everywhere so that sometimes you’re not quite sure whether to say ’si us plau’ or ‘por favor’ to the shop patron. I always settle for the former and switch if I get a bemused look.

Sagrada Familia at night

I returned in 2003, this time with friends to try and share how I felt about this magical city. I don’t think they quite got it. The vibe is not always the same if you’re trying to show that elusive feeling that swept over you in a particular place. We did mix with other travellers this time and visited all the major sights in the city again. They were I think under-awed.

The last time I visited Barcelona was in the summer of 2006 and this was perhaps my favourite one. I travelled there with my girlfriend and threw myself into showing her all the places I loved most, this time with rather more money in my pocket. It made an awesome difference. Highlights of this trip included climbing the stairs of the Sagrada Familia to the dizzying top, a sweaty and dusty climb up Tibidabo to get an incredible view of the city, a visit to the monastery of Montserrat outside the city, and various lovely restaurants. The food aspect sealed the deal for both of us. Despite our hostel having an amazing guy who puked on himself and rolled around in it all night, the trip was a great success.

We ate and drank well, nowhere better than the tiny bar called El Xampanyet near the Museo Picasso. This place sells their own cava and serves tapas endlessly. It’s rammed by early evening so you have to get there early. The reward for that is a hot (as in in-demand) table in one of Barcelona’s busiest spots from which to observe the citizens going about their nightly routines. The cava is like the nectar of the gods themselves, I am not wrong – go there! A favourable mention must go to the Cafe Delfino near the old cathedral as it provided a tense food-ordering moment. We sat down and ordered what I hoped was the set menu with white wine (about 10 Euros if I remember correctly). The place was rammed with locals and their chatter was pure Catalan. The waiters looked like they’d had few foreigners in there but they were very welcoming nontheless. The tension revolved around whether I’d managed to order two fish dishes, which my girlfriend hates, and which would ruin her lunch. The menu didn’t seem to ally itself to any of the few Catalan or Spanish words I knew so I watched the serving hatch in anticipation. No need though, when our meal arrived I breathed easy – veal.

Parc Guell

Because of little places like El Xampanyet and Delfino Barcelona cemented its place in my mind as well as my heart. It’s a gem of a city in almost every way. Once you forgive the summer stench of the underground rivers (La Rambla is built over one such putrid stream) you can get to grips with the place and explore somewhere heaving with art and culture, though only booming for the past seventeen years. It’s a place that reinvigorates me and sparks my artistic side to life – something I woefully and sadly neglect these days.

Tibidabo

]]> http://desigbcn.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/radiografia-turistica-de-barcelona/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:02 +0000 desigbcn http://desigbcn.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/radiografia-turistica-de-barcelona/

Hola!!

Hoy os Desigbarcelona os trae datos turísticos sobre la ciudad de Barcelona. Barcelona se posiciona como la quinta mejor ciudad par visitar por detrás de Londres, Nueva York, Sydney y Paris.

La imagen de Barcelona en la mente de las personas en el extranjero es muy buena, según un estudio a 3.000 participantes Barcelona despunta en cuanto a alojamiento turístico, comercio, cultura, gastronomía, medio ambiente y ocio. Para la mayoría de los participantes, lo mejor de Barcelona es el clima y la playa, y el efecto Gaudi que hace traer a muchos de los visitantes. Otros estudios reportan que lo mejor de la ciudad es la “arquitectura” en su conjunto.

En cambio lo peor de Barcelona para los visitantes es la inseguridad percebida, la suciedad y la gran masificación que existe en varias zonas.

La ciudad de Barcelona, a parte de tener el atractivo turístico más visitado de toda España, la Sagrada Familia, en 2008 recibió 18,4 millones de turistas de los cuales 7,5 millones no llegaron a pernoctar con un impacto económico de unos 20 millones de Euros de ingresos al día. Sin duda alguna, los visitantes que llegan a Barcelona se van con las expectativas superadas.

Magic square in the Sacred Family Temple in Barcelona (Spain). The sum of a magic square numbers by rows, columns or diagonals is always the same. In this case, they sum 33, the age of Christ when he died. Next to the square we can see Judas kiss.

Canon EOS 450D + 18-55 IS

Flickr | Panoramio | Photoblogs | Cool Photoblogs

I’ve been so many places

I’ve seen so many faces

PARIS. BCN. LONDON.

Family. Friends. Lovers.

The Adventures of Skip & Scout.

Episode 1 + 2

]]> http://boomblauwoogje.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/barcelona/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:23:13 +0000 Evita http://boomblauwoogje.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/barcelona/

Ik ben nog nooit in Spanje geweest… maar daar komt verandering in over exact 15 dagen!  Ik ga namelijk naar Barcelona Vier dagen in Gaudi-town… Ik ben benieuwd.

Om eerlijk te zijn weet ik bitter weinig over de stad. Ik weet natuurlijk wel dat de Sagrada Familia of Park Güell er te vinden zijn, en de fanshop van FC Barcelona staat ook alvast op het menu. Maar voor de rest zal het nog wat aftasten worden.
Het is best spannend. In Milaan of Parijs praat ik de taal en kan ik me dus wel behelpen. Maar Spaans ligt me iets moeilijker… Hoor mij bezig! Net of ik op survival ga in één of ander gebied waar geen verbinding is met de buitenwereld. Nu ja, ik ben ervan overtuigd dat het sowieso wel weer een avontuurtje zal worden

Ik heb me al laten vertellen dat vier dagen eigenlijk te weinig is om een stad als Barcelona te bezoeken. Dat wordt dus “time-manageën” en plannen op voorhand. Bij deze: alle tips zijn welkom.

Trouwens… Normaal gingen we naar Parijs maar euhm…een heenrit met de Thalys blijkt bijna evenveel te kosten als een Ryanair-retourtje Barcelona + 3 nachten hostel. M.a.w. die van de Thalys zijn afzetters, just so you know

Hola,

Haven’t written on this thing in a while, felt like it might be good for my brain. Tonight I played soccer for the first time since I’ve been here officially, just 5 on 5 with one of my roommates on a concrete basketball-type court. It was fun for a while, I was slipping up a lot, except the roommate I went with fell right on his chin and went to the hospital. I was bummed out because I haven’t been working out a lot, I’ve run a little bit, but I didn’t fulfill my athletic needs. Good thing it happened when it did though…

I ended up walking around Maria Christina, pretty far away from everything except Nou Camp where Barcelona plays, with a Mexican hombre I played soccer with and he got directions to the nearest metro. I made small talk with him, asking him, “Juegas cada dia?” and then “Eso es todos su equipo?”. I’m more confident in my Spanish now, only with small talk though. Cool people will usually stoop down to your level, but it was good to ride in a car with only Spanish speakers and have them ask me questions. Usually they reduce everything to one or two words like, “Donde vives,” and if that doesn’t work they’ll say, “Where you live?”

Soccer was fun, all the people are really small and fast. I played my typical try-to-throw-a-shoulder-at-anyone-I-can game, which actually worked well. I was slipping up a lot playing in my Reeboks though, they all had indoor boots. My English friend Ashley showed up, and not long after Roberto fell down on his face. Tough cookies, Roberto.

So we rode in the car towards the hospital and the driver, let’s call him Manuelo, let us out in the middle of nowhere. I got on the blue line, sat down and waited for the Sagrada Familia stop. This Spanish looking chica was sitting across from me, and everyone on the metro was looking at these groceries that were clearly left on accident, and there was a bottle of vodka as well as some other soft drinks. No one wanted to be that guy and people just left it. This girl, however, took the initiative and put it in her purse. She beat me to it.

I got off at Sagrada, and so did she. It’s a big stop, maybe the biggest beside Catalunya. I took one stop over, stood up to get off at Monumental and so did she. I ended up talking to her, apparently she’s from the Dominican Republic, had a pretty good English accent, and just enough of a mustache to let you know that she’s a real Latina. Very friendly, got her number, blamo. ‘Til next time.

Una delle vetrate inferiori della Sagrada Familia di Gaudì.

25 October, Sunday.

We woke up in the furnace, had a quick and nearly tasteless hostel breakfast (the cereal was cardboard and the coffee was like wormwood, but the bread and nutella saved it), and took a quick turn past the huge crystal Agbar Tower on our way to the Sagrada Familia, a church designed by Gaudi, the famous Barcelona architect, which has been in the works since the very late 1800s. Though unfinished, its beauty and innovation are still clear. The towers are high and honeycombed, and the lower ones are crowned with painted cups of fruit. The two facades show the Nativity and Passion of Christ. The Nativity side is frothy with stone like peaked whipped cream, covered over with a chaos of angels, shepherds, flowers, and animals, all centered around the Holy Family perched in the center, with the Magi and Shepherds on the two ledges to either side and the Angels in glory above. The Passion side is simpler, with blocky, abstract figures that contrast with the detailed statues on the other face, who show the Stations of the Cross little islands around the front, surrounded by craggy geometric designs and a cryptogram. The columns here, as inside, are wide and fluted and designed to look like abstract trees. On the other faces, around the tops of the columns, are lizards, snakes, snails, and other sorts of animals, none of which one would expect on a church. We sat inside the little chapel, since most of the inside is still being constructed, and heard the rest of Mass so we could look around at the gorgeous stained glass windows, filled with chips of rainbow color, and the high vaulted ceiling supported by more tree-columns. The whole edifice has a neo-Gothic feel, if one were to mix it with a rainforest. Gorgeous, bizarre, and difficult to explain.

We made our way to the Battlo’ house, a beautiful and bizarre blue thing with pastel bubbles and a shimmery pearlescent roof, designed by Gaudi, and the house next to its with its flowery façade. After, we stopped at various souvenir shops, where you absolutely can’t look at anything too long or God forbid touch it without a shopkeeper descending on you. We also realized that they speak Catalan in Barcelona, a mixture of Spanish and French that is not quite the same as either, and which made communication even more interesting. We had amazing good and ridiculously expensive paella for lunch, then stopped at a cool Navajo shop and headed into the Gothic quarter, where the buildings are small and designed straight out of a medieval village. The highlight of this is the Cathedral, Gaudi’s first and more conservative design, which has the perfect form of a Gothic church with a few flowery Gaudi touches. Inside, the pretty gilded alcoves and simple central altar lead out into a gorgeous courtyard, with a central pond and a ring of chapels to Saints around it. In the evening, we had food and drinks at the Dow Jones bar, a stock market themed establishment where the drink prices change based on who’s buying what. Every half an hour or so, the market crashes and all the drinks are dirt cheap for a minute or two, then go back to minimum price until people start buying and they start fluctuating again. We enjoyed the Barcelona game on the televisions (they won, brilliantly) and then called it a night.

Zdjęcia te w jakiś sposób się łączą. Można nazwać je portretami z ulicy. Pierwsze z nich wykonałem w Barcelonie. Chciałem sfotografować bazylikę Gaudiego – Sagrada Familia. Wszelkiego typu zdjęcia pocztówkowe nie wchodziły w grę. Postanowiłem wkomponować przechodniów. Udało się wychwycić ciekawą postać a może bardziej ciekawy wyraz twarzy jednego z nich. Kolejne zrobione w Wilnie. W miejscach jak najbardziej turystycznych. Na tle kościoła św. Piotra i Pawła oraz w muzeum Mickiewicza.

la omnipresencia de la sagrada familia en su barrio - impresionante

]]> http://altescape.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/der-gelbe-tastenklimperer/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:32:14 +0000 jorge melancore http://altescape.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/der-gelbe-tastenklimperer/

Die Finger klimpern auf den Tasten
und grätschen zwischen tab und del,
apfel und ctrl, alt und escape.
Sie kritzeln lange Fäden wie endlose Lakritze,
so dünn und fein wie Tangafäden in Arschritzen.
Diese werden hier in BCN anscheinend gerne in
Toiletten von Bars und Clubs geteilt. Apropos,
wenn Xavi, mein Mitbewohner und Experte
in Sachen Clubtoiletten, nicht auf seinem Saxo-
phon rumtrötet, hört er seit ein paar Tagen die ge-
samte Diskographie Max Herres und bestätigt wie-
der, dass Qualität keine Schranken kennt. Doch
spitze Ich hier nicht nur meine Ohren, sondern
auch Bleistifte.
Für Animationsschraffuren.
Illustrationsendlosketten.
Logostempeln.
Storyboards und Moodvideos.
Gehirntomographiepläne.
Landschaftsskizzen.
Die besten Pizzen gibts hier an der Rambla del Raval,
mit überschaubaren Preisen und Qualitätsbestätigungen
spanischer, norwegischer und italienischer Pseudoex-
perten. Als traditionstreuer, deutscher Bürger habe Ich mir
auch schon eine nette, kleine Taekwondoschule rausge-
sucht; der seit dreißig Jahren in Barcelona lebende Meister
bringt mir die Kunst des Holzbretterzerschlagens und Äpfel-
vom Kopfwegtretens so engagiert bei, dass er sich Letztens
bei einem Duichagi eine Bänderdehnung zugezogen hat.
perdon, maestro!
Letztes Wochenende fand in unserer WG ne Party mit inter-
nationalen Tapas und Studenten statt; Deutschland war mit
Würstchen und Modeselektor vertreten. Die Party wurde
dann um 3 in die Innenstadt verlegt, als ein Nachbar Wasser
durchs Fenster warf; wahrscheinlich ein Atlantiker, der die
Menschensprache nicht beherrscht. Allgemein können die
Katalanen anscheinend nicht so gut mit Wasser umgehen.
Als es letzte Woche in Strömen regnete, waren viele Metro-
stationen wegen Überschwemmungen gesperrt.
Es war ein goldener Tag für Regenschirmverkäufer
und ein Nasser für chinesische Tastenklimperer.

_

Сегодня задумался о самых сильных впечатлениях моего отпуска.
Как оказалось,по ощущениям альтернативы нету посещению в Барселоне Собора Святого Семейства (Sagrada Familia)-детище гения Антонио Гауди.
Что самое интересное,за мои многочисленные посещения Барселоны,до такой степени,что этот город можно назвать почти родным,я так и не удосужился до этого приезда посетить сий монумент и подняться на лифте на верх.Конечно,я многократно был у собора,обходил его со всех сторон,фоткался,проезжал мимо,но по причине того,что на вход внутрь здания все время большая очередь,а по словам друзей на подъем на лифте она может быть многочасовой,посещение все время откладывалось на потом,да так и не состоялось.
Но в этот раз,спасибо жене,которая настояла на этом,эта экскурсия состоялась.

Мы пошли туда с  раннего утра,где-то в 9 часов,когда еще не подъехали многочисленные экскурсионные группы и очередь была совсем да ничего.Входной билет стоит 11 евро,плюс отдельно билет на лифт 2.5 евро на человека.После того,как мы попали внутрь здания,то сразу,естественно,обошли весь зал,где идет самая настоящая стройка.К слову,в 2010 году обещают запустить религиозные службы в Sagrada Familia,что привлечет,естественно еще больше туристов и денег,поэтому ясна спешка со внутренними строительными работами.
Затем посетили музей Собора и музей Природы,где показано,как Гауди заимствовал у природы идеи для своих архитектурных находок,в частности,много перенял у обычных деревьев-разветвления,стволы и ветки таким образом,что вся конструкция храма подпирается этими “деревьями”.
Очередь на лифт оказалась на 45 минут.Подъем осуществляется  (см.фото) по синей стрелке до отметки,приблизительно отмеченной красной стрелкой.Точную высоту я не знаю,но,учитывая,что не построенный еще центральный шпиль будет высотой 174 метра,а все остальные ниже,то я думаю около 100 метров.Но не в высоте дело.Когда выходишь на смотровой балкончик на этой вершине (а он без ограждения и выступает наружу) и вспоминаешь всю хрупкость конструкции,увиденную в музее и все эти ветки-стволы-подпорки,и ,учитывая тесноту,где двум человекам и не разминуться,то становится совсем не по себе ,реально страшно,и думы о том,что ты всего лишь маленькая песчинка в этом мире.
Затем,по узенькой лестнице медленно спускаешься до перехода (на фото стрелка зеленого цвета) и попадаешь в соседнюю башню,по которой и спускаешься до самого низа,посредством лестницы,которая уже немного шире((синяя стрелка)

Это я на верхотуре (кликабельно).Вид,нужно сказать ,у меня не очень.:).А после спуска коленки еще долго дрожали.
Но все эти страхи того стоят.Это самые лучшие и острые впечатления о Барсе!Попробуйте сами!
Кстати,сам Собор планируется полностью построить по одним данным в 2025г,по другим-в 2030г.Но это уже как у них карта ляжет.
Все деньги,вырученные с продажи входных билетов,идут на строительство Храма.Так что,я уже принял посильное участие в его строительстве,которое не затихает ни на минуту и даже можно посмотреть,как в мастерских внутри Собора архитекторы,а их,говорят,300 человек,изготавливают детали конструкций Sagrada Familia.
Под катом даю немного своих фото,сделанных внутри Собора.

Now playing: The Rocky Athas Group – Slow Driver

Barcelona – 11^th July 2009.

Arrogant dick gets his come uppance. Three times. First by my alarm waking everyone up. Secondly by myself turning on the light so that I can get my things for a shower. Thirdly, when I come back from a shower and turn the light on to get changed. Karma is a bitch fucker.

I chill out and catch up with others around the hostel. Everyone has the same motive for staying here. It was the only place they could get as everywhere was booked. I laze about and don’t do a great deal til about lunch time, mainly cause I still feel absolutely dead.

Today, I am going to explore some of Antoni Gaudi’s most famous works. And if you haven’t heard of Gaudi then you need to wake up! He is one of the reasons why Barcelona is famous for its architecture. He has definitely made his mark on this city.

First stop, is the one and only La Sagrada Familia. Which is the most visited construction site in the world. Yep, still being built, and won’t be finished for another 50 years. As I walk out of the metro, I notice two willowly looking spires just staring at myself. Before I go and explore some of the church I go and grab some lunch by the park across the road.

La Sagrada Familia. Back of the Church.

Whilst having some lunch, I get accosted by a few kids who are trying to get money for an
“International blind and deaf” facility in Spain. I find that a bit weird, not only that but I saw the same dead beat form in Madrid. Its not long til I see them get taken away by 2 undercover cops.

Now onto gazing at the magnificence that is the Sagrada Familia. It really is an amazing bit of architecture. From my vantage point, we are looking at the rear of the church. It looks like a kid has gone completely bonkers on a huge sandcastle. But despite that, I cannot stop staring and admiring it. Walking to the front I am equally impressed, and am desperate to have a look inside – though the 2 hour long line and 11 euros for an unfinished church put a stop to that.

The front of La Sagrada Familia.

I walk down a street, and keep walking. Its about 11 blocks til I get to the next important bit of architecture. It is one of his more famous buildings La Pedrera. Which is absolutely absurd. It is an astonishing building. But like all of Gaudi’s buildings, you seem to need to pay a ridiculous amount to get in.

La Pedrera. One of Gaudis works.

A few blocks down the main street and I run into the House of Discords. But half of the House of Discords is behind a green curtain – getting touched up for summer no doubt. But at least Gaudi’s Casa Batllo is visilbe.

Casa Batllo.

I make my way back to the Aussie pub to get some more cricket action, but then I go to do some more before realising how dead I actually am.

At the hostel I am just bumming out on the patio when I talk to 2 girls who, as you do, ask ‘where are you from?’ and because I get weird looks when I say the Central Coast. I just go ‘Have you guys heard of the central coast?’. Turns out they’re from the same area. Sweet. Weirder thing is we actually know some people. Weird. Its a bit of a quiet night but the fridge doesn’t seem to like the girls, I do feel sorry for Lucy though as she is having a very rough time in Barcelona after having her passport and credit cards stolen. Tough tough times. We both crash fairly early, mainly cause I am still suffering a post pamplona hangover.

Man taking a crap.

This is Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece which presides in the streets of Eixample. Despite being hidden by scaffolding in some parts, the cathedral has a certain beauty that transcends all these inconveniences. However, discussions about who is responsible for payment of works is still debated. The structure has caused extraordinary admiration, awe, reverence and even anger among its visitors. Today, it remains one of the most visited attractions in the city. A real must also during a city break in Barcelona.

Een korte vakantie naar Barcelona met twee vrienden (en mijn vrouw) leverde weer boeiende discussies op over protestants versus katholiek. Mijn vriendenkring is vrijwel exclusief protestants. Barcelona is, in ieder geval qua verleden, nogal katholiek. Ik vind het altijd apart om te constateren dat er onder protestanten grote verdeeldheid heerst over de vraag of je God wel of niet mag prijzen middels geweldig mooie, patserig versierde kerkgebouwen.

Een paar jaar geleden leidde ik een groep kinderen uit de Groninger Tehuisgemeente rond in de Sint Jozefkathedraal. Voor zover deze kinderen geïnteresseerd waren in het geloof (en dat filter dunde de groep al aardig uit), vond ongeveer de helft de katholieke Heilige Mis een positieve ervaring. Er zaten zowaar een paar commentaren bij die meer diepgang hadden dan ‘wierook ruikt lekker’, met sommigen van hen had deze belevenis echt iets gedaan. De andere helft kwam met de bekende protestantse bezwaren: ze begrepen er niets van, ze keurden de beelden in de kerk af, etc.

De Santa Maria del Mar van binnen

De Sagrada Família in Barcelona zorgde afgelopen dinsdag voor een soortgelijke discussie. Ik was vrij slecht voorbereid de vakantie ingegaan en kon dus niet als gids of katholiek apologeet fungeren – niet méér dan ik normaal al doe. Ik kon me niet voorstellen dat iemand aan een zo gigantisch project begint zonder daarvoor gedreven te zijn door een intens verlangen om God te aanbidden. Antoni Gaudí begon in de jaren 1880 met dit project en is er tot zijn dood in 1926 mee bezig geweest. De kerk moet de grootste kerk ter wereld worden, waardoor men zowat vanaf Mallorca het kruis van Christus boven Barcelona moet kunnen zien uitsteken. Pessimisten vermoeden dat de Sagrada Família nooit voltooid zal worden.

Het bezwaar dat de mannelijke helft van het echtpaar waarmee we op stap waren had, betrof de patserigheid. Kan het niet allemaal wat simpeler? Wordt deze kerk niet vooral gebouwd ter meerdere eer en glorie van meneer Gaudí? Als protestant in hart en nieren voelde hij zich ook ongemakkelijk in een andere kerk die we bezochten (en die ik nooit meer heb kunnen terugvinden om zijn verhaal te verifiëren): je moest daar Christus tussen de heiligenbeelden zoeken, volgens hem. Gaat dat niet te ver? Bij binnenkomst meende hij centraal in die kerk niet Christus, maar Maria te zien. Sterker nog, volgens hem was er helemaal geen beeld van Jezus in de buurt van het altaar te bekennen. Hoewel ik zijn afkeer van beelden niet deel, was ik het met hem eens dat als dat zo was, dat te ver ging.

Zijn vrouw had een heel ander gevoel toen ze de Sagrada Família binnenliep. De grootsheid, de zuilen die zich vertakken als waren het bomen, de stijl waarin Gaudí de kerk had ontworpen, ze vond het prachtig. Ik legde haar man uit dat het bouwen van mooie kerken met veel ‘poespas’ en ‘het kan niet groot genoeg zijn’ een manier is om als gelovigen God te eren. Het is een menselijke uitdrukking van het besef van de grootheid van God. Terwijl ik het uitlegde onderbrak zijn vrouw me enkele malen met een ‘precies!’, maar toch… toch zag je aan hem dat hij het nog steeds driemaal niks vond.

Ik denk dat er genoeg katholieken zijn die dit met hem eens zijn. Ik zelf geef ook de voorkeur aan de meer sobere kerken, die je de kans geven je hoofd leeg te maken. Ik kan overprikkeld raken in een kerk met veel goud, veel beelden, veel prachtige ramen. De simpelheid van een kerk zoals je die vindt in Abdij Sion, heel recht toe recht aan, maakt op mij meer indruk. Kritiek dat kunst in kerken vooral ter meerdere eer en glorie is van de maker of financier, zal in sommige gevallen terecht zijn. Aan die indruk kan ik mij in ieder geval niet onttrekken als ik rondloop in de Barcelonese kathedraal – die wij alle vier, eensgezind niet bijster mooi vonden. Nog iets waarover we het eens waren was de schoonheid van de Santa Maria del Mar, een kerk die rust uitstraalt.

Nu ik weer thuis ben weet ik dankzij Wikipedia dat Gaudí inderdaad door een diep katholiek geloof werd gedreven. Dit wordt zelfs de basis onder al zijn artistieke uitingen genoemd en de niet altijd even betrouwbare internetencyclopedie meldt verder nog dat het Opus Dei zich heeft ingezet voor zijn zaligverklaring. Het zou goed zijn als zijn ‘tempel’ ooit af komt, ook al vond ik ‘m zelf niet fantastisch mooi.

6 december 2008 vorig jaar schreef de Morgen Magazine:

Superwijnen van de supermarkt: Gran Descabezado Carmenère van Oxfam Fairtrade

De wijn stond toen op nummer 1 van de top 5 van superwijnen onder de 15 euro, volgens De Morgen. lees hier de bespreking.

De nieuwste wijngids van Test Aankoop deelt deze Gran Descabezado Carmenère (2008) opnieuw zeer hoge punten toe.

De wijn haalt maar liefst 86 punten. En dat voor 6,99 euro.
Hiermee is deze wijn zelfs 36 cent goedkoper geworden tegen vorig jaar.

(klik op de prent voor leesbare versie)

Gran Descabezado

 

	Rode kwaliteitswijn op eikenhout gerijpt. Een heerlijke wijn, ideaal om kruidige gerechten te vergezellen. In Chili gebotteld. Druivenras: Carmenère Wijnmaker: Consorcio Herkomst: Chili Besteleenheid: 6 Productnummer besteleenheid: 20023
75 cl – €  6,99 Aanbevolen consumentenprijs.

Producent(en):
> Consorcio Vinicola de Chile (Chili)

De Cabernet Sauvignon (Chili-2008) blijkt binnen haar prijsklasse zelfs even outstanding als Usain Bolt op de 100 meter sprint.

(klik op de prent voor leesbare versie)

Cabernet Sauvignon 75cl

 

	Een speelse, fruitige Cabernet met aangename tannines en een zachte kruidigheid. Ideaal bij rood vlees en grillades. Jong te drinken. Botteling in hergebruikfles. Druivenras: Cabernet Sauvignon Wijnmaker: Sagrada Familia (Valle de Lontué) Herkomst: Chili Besteleenheid: 12 Productnummer besteleenheid: 20005
75 cl – €  3,85 + LG Aanbevolen consumentenprijs.

Producent(en):
> Sagrada Familia (Chili)