Monday, 13 June 2011
"I will give it to you" (BCN, 11th June 2011)
The clue of this post is in the title: "I will give it to you". In Latin this is "tibi dabo"; join the two words together and you get one of Barcelona's most amazing sights: Mount Tibidabo.
Barcelona is surrounded by the Mediterranean to one side, and Mount Tibidabo from land. Tibidabo is a long mountain delineating the edge of Barcelona. It boasts some of Barcelona's most incredible sights, with views of the whole city, outlying villages, the huge Tibidabo park, as well as, on a clear day, a very clear view of the mountain of Montserrat, from where its name can be appreciated very clearly due to its spiky contour.
This should be on any one's must-see list when visiting Barcelona. Two of Barcelona's best viewpoints, Tibidabo and Montjuic Castle, give sweeping views over the whole urban area, punctured here and there by a small hill, such as the one on which the famous Parc Guell lies.
Barcelona's streets are clearly visible from up here, and you can see the urban layout which is mainly formed by large streets criss-crossed in a grid pattern. On the photo above you can see some of the main avenues: Passeig de Gracia, Blanes...
The name of Tibidabo apparently comes from a legend where God gave this land for a church to be built upon... Exactly what the origins of the myth or any more specific details I don't know though. However, the church itself sits at the highest point of the mountain. Architecturally there is not much to see. It is clearly inspired by Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, especially when you look carefully at the crypt archway (but there is no photo of this), and I wasn't really missing out on much after going inside. The best thing about Tibidabo are definitely the views.
Yes, I used to think when seeing this image that this was a rocket station, but in reality this is the torre Corserolla, a huge antenna standing a few hundred feet tall above the mountain and held up by huge cables almost definitely column-like in width. The huge size of this structure suggests that it must have quite an important job, and sure enough, this is the main TV antenna in BCN. You might be able to make out the many round disks all around the central section of the tower.
The tower was constructed for the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992, which changed the whole city forever. It brought bucket-loads of money in, with which they were able to commence many new projects. I remember reading a few years ago that house prices in Barcelona went up by over 210% in the years leading up to the Olympics, and finance and commercial activity started pouring into the city, which has made it change from another Spanish city to the second, if not the first, commercial centre of Spain (it is probably ahead of Madrid, due to the enormous port and airport, which have broadened trade massively for the city)
So if you ever happen to go to Barcelona (which by the way you should definitely go), don't miss Mount Tibidabo! You can go up by a funicular train or by road, and although the car trip will be longer you will be able to see the whole mountain. You can also go up the Corserolla tower, which would definitely be an experience to tell. Apparently the park itself should only be visited by day, as there are stray dogs which wander around at night time. But sensible people should know anyway!
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| View of BCN Forum from top of Tibidabo |
This should be on any one's must-see list when visiting Barcelona. Two of Barcelona's best viewpoints, Tibidabo and Montjuic Castle, give sweeping views over the whole urban area, punctured here and there by a small hill, such as the one on which the famous Parc Guell lies.
Barcelona's streets are clearly visible from up here, and you can see the urban layout which is mainly formed by large streets criss-crossed in a grid pattern. On the photo above you can see some of the main avenues: Passeig de Gracia, Blanes...
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| Church on top of Tibidabo |
The name of Tibidabo apparently comes from a legend where God gave this land for a church to be built upon... Exactly what the origins of the myth or any more specific details I don't know though. However, the church itself sits at the highest point of the mountain. Architecturally there is not much to see. It is clearly inspired by Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, especially when you look carefully at the crypt archway (but there is no photo of this), and I wasn't really missing out on much after going inside. The best thing about Tibidabo are definitely the views.
Yes, I used to think when seeing this image that this was a rocket station, but in reality this is the torre Corserolla, a huge antenna standing a few hundred feet tall above the mountain and held up by huge cables almost definitely column-like in width. The huge size of this structure suggests that it must have quite an important job, and sure enough, this is the main TV antenna in BCN. You might be able to make out the many round disks all around the central section of the tower.
 |
| Another Olympic legacy |
The tower was constructed for the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992, which changed the whole city forever. It brought bucket-loads of money in, with which they were able to commence many new projects. I remember reading a few years ago that house prices in Barcelona went up by over 210% in the years leading up to the Olympics, and finance and commercial activity started pouring into the city, which has made it change from another Spanish city to the second, if not the first, commercial centre of Spain (it is probably ahead of Madrid, due to the enormous port and airport, which have broadened trade massively for the city)
"La Piazza e Mia!" (11th June 2011) Acampada BCN
"La piazza e mia!" If you don't know what this statement means, or where it comes from, I strongly recommend that you watch Cinema Paradiso, one of the film industry's eternal classics.
For those who have seen the film, you will remember the beggar who claims the central square in the film as his own. And something very similar has been going on in Spain since 15th May, when peaceful protesters against the government and their mishandling of the economy and the market started a protest in Madrid which within a week had spread over the whole of Spain and even as far as Tokyo and New York. Thousands of young Spaniards gathered outside town hall buildings demanding a complete renewal of the political system (I'm saying this very generally). The result was peaceful protesters clashing with armed police forces. Even two days ago In Madrid such clashes were still happening, more than 20 days since the movement was created.
Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona has seen one of the largest concentrations of protesters in Spain, closely following Madrid's Puerta del Sol: people are still camping here right now. The picture below shows the fountains' shrubbery turned into plots of land for cultivation, and people are camping on the grass around the square. During the day assemblies take place, along with occasional musical events. In the evening, the protesters organise the so called "cacerolada", which I commented about on the previous post, Acampada 15-M BCN.
There is even an Internet point! Something which is incredibly surprising about these protests is the efficiency of those taking part. The square has been clearly divided into certaiun zones: area with portable loos, and area with a few stoves, information points, assembly zones and various camping areas dotted around the square underneath the trees. But what strikes me most is the willingness of the people to bring such valuables from their own houses for the sake of the continuation of this movement into the future. Aren't they afraid that these might all be taken away for a second time by the police and cleaners? It looks like these people are very serious about their actions, and will do anything to keep the 15-M Movement under full swing.
Top piece of paper:
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| "Today the square, Tomorrow the streets, The next day...the world" |
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| Van painted with the motto of the protests: Acampada BCN (Barcelona Camping) |
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| Fountain with sleeping tents in the foreground |
"Politicians, resign! We can no longer pay for your lies. They are very expensive!"
Bottom piece of paper:
"This is not a dangerous object, it is a wheel chair. Peaceful protest"
The Wonders of Girona (April 2011)
How on earth could I forget to write about this jewel hidden away in the middle of Catalonia? Admittedly you might only know it from the fact that Ryanair is Girona airport's largest airline, and that flying straight to Barcelona is about ten times more expensive than flying here.... But anyway, I was not there to visit the airport (although I did have to sleep there various times when flying around). I had gone for the Black Music Festival.
The city itself appears at a first glance to be a normal jumble of modern office blocks mixed in with some rundown sites. But the real Girona is hidden behind a mask straight from the construction boom in Spain. A river crosses the city, and along or near the river are some of Girona's most well known landmarks: the Cathedral.
Like any Spanish town or city, the historic centre has now given way to streets full of outdoors cafes and restaurants, one of Spain's most famous characteristics. I think in Madrid capital alone the number of cafes and restaurants must be over 250,000! Well, Girona would not disappoint any tourist in search for outdoor cafes.
The city's riversides look almost Italian: the buildings go from light green, to yellow, to dark red, to orange... Think of a decent house colour and Girona will probably have it. It is not like many of the nearby coast villages, like the famous Cadaques, which are mostly full of low rise white houses with terraces. Girona has many colours. And this is what the riverside of famous for:
I took quite a few pictures when visiting this place. The river banks almost looked medieval, with wooden beams supporting the buildings right on the water's edge, and small bridges crossing from side to side every hundred metres or so. The tightness of the buildings and their height, in comparison to the river's width, gave this area of the old town a sense of being crammed and jumbled. The houses seemed to pile on top of one another up the hill, pierced here and there by a tower of spire, which made this area seem even more traditional and unexploited by merciless modern architects.
Unfortunately, like most of the rest of Spain, the city has suffered heavy losses due to Spain's other less well-known side: the evil residential construction boom (or abyss at the moment):
So Girona is a city with hidden jewels, a great atmosphere and huge amounts of architectural heritage. Like most people in Spain, its inhabitants are very open and polite, and will find any excuse to simply walk around and clog the streets when least needed by hurrying passers by. But maybe people should just not hurry, and take life that little bit more relaxed!
The next post I will be speaking about a famous quote, from a famous film, but more importantly about how it relates to events going on all across Spain. For a summary of these, look up my post on the 15-M Movements further down.
The city itself appears at a first glance to be a normal jumble of modern office blocks mixed in with some rundown sites. But the real Girona is hidden behind a mask straight from the construction boom in Spain. A river crosses the city, and along or near the river are some of Girona's most well known landmarks: the Cathedral.
The city's riversides look almost Italian: the buildings go from light green, to yellow, to dark red, to orange... Think of a decent house colour and Girona will probably have it. It is not like many of the nearby coast villages, like the famous Cadaques, which are mostly full of low rise white houses with terraces. Girona has many colours. And this is what the riverside of famous for:
I took quite a few pictures when visiting this place. The river banks almost looked medieval, with wooden beams supporting the buildings right on the water's edge, and small bridges crossing from side to side every hundred metres or so. The tightness of the buildings and their height, in comparison to the river's width, gave this area of the old town a sense of being crammed and jumbled. The houses seemed to pile on top of one another up the hill, pierced here and there by a tower of spire, which made this area seem even more traditional and unexploited by merciless modern architects.
This was one of the first buildings I bumped into after leaving the train station. I'm not exactly sure what style of architecture it is, but its a very peculiar one! It seemed to be a museum of some kind... I had seen pictures of this building in a newspaper a few weeks before travelling there. I only wish I had read the whole article instead of just looking at the picture!
It turns out that this building used to be a flour factory. At the time it wasn't in Girona itself, but in an outlying small village which has now been engulfed by the growing city. It was built by Rafael Maso i Valenti and stands as one of Girona's most important Modernist buildings. It's a peculiar construction, but very eye-catching and certainly makes you wonder how the architect came up with it! You can see by the steep roof that Gaudi was probably one of the architect's strongest influences. And it really is a mouthful to look at!
The following pictures are all along the main river of Girona. The effects that a windless, sunny day can do to buildings along a river, creating almost exact reflections of the buildings!
The historic centre of the town was buzzing with people, as happens in most Mediterranean cities. It was actually hard to walk down various streets, as people stop and speak to neighbours, see old friends, or simply start start discussing things with other people who are talking loudly nearby. And, of course, this was a Saturday evening, so what could be better than to have a wander around the river or sit at one of the many cafes splashed across the centre?
So Girona is a city with hidden jewels, a great atmosphere and huge amounts of architectural heritage. Like most people in Spain, its inhabitants are very open and polite, and will find any excuse to simply walk around and clog the streets when least needed by hurrying passers by. But maybe people should just not hurry, and take life that little bit more relaxed!
The next post I will be speaking about a famous quote, from a famous film, but more importantly about how it relates to events going on all across Spain. For a summary of these, look up my post on the 15-M Movements further down.
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