Well, I'm back home now and it actually is good to be back. I had an amazing time in BCN, but ya know...you just can't live in paradise all the time. I will miss the days of exploring the old town where something is always to be discovered. I will miss strolling through exilampa, admiring the modernista apartment blocks and watching people at all the cafes. I will miss La Rambla where there is always something going on, no matter what time of day it is. I will miss looking down an avenue one way and seeing the mountains, then looking the other and seeing the sea. I will really miss skipping the bitter winters of DC and KC.
Europe has so much to offer: history, beauty, and skinny people!!! haha. But America is beautiful too. We have the desert, steep and rocky mountains, as well as softer mountains, plains, lakes and of course beaches. No country in Europe has such a diverse landscape or population. The entire idea of America is really beautiful too. A place where everyone can go to live and try to make a better life. A place where there is room to breath and if you want you can actually have your own house and yard. In Spain, that is really not much of an option. I love the way the Spanish live. Compact cities create a tighter community and a more lively street atmosphere. However, this is not for everyone. I know many people in Spain would kill for houses and yards like we have in America, especially in KC.
Mostly, Spain could never really feel like home. It felt that way for a while, but near the end I started to not feel like I belonged there. I am American, and well, that was not America. When I arrived in Chicago, I felt relieved to be back on American soil...as if I was afraid I would never make it back or something. I had an awesome, almost indescribable time in Spain, and I cannot wait to return!!!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
La Pedrera aka Casa Mila
La Pedrera, wow, what a building! Anything but normal...this is like a Frank Ghery building, but with class and solid building materials. The undulating facade and flowing woodwork throughout evoke images of the near by Mediterranean. The balconies that bump out of the facade and are decorated with cast iron 'sea weed' are shown below.
I didn't like this building when I first got to BCN. As time past, I started to like it. Touring it totally sold me! The entry leads to an outdoor atrium that is beautifully painted. It is strange to go 'inside' the building and still be outside.
The top of the entry with it's monumental, hand-beat wrought iron door is show below.
Even the railing takes on the likeness of a curving piece of seaweed.
I'm not sure exactly how the apartment works in terms of circulation, but this seems to be the main staircase leading to the second story flats. The hanging plants give it even more of a tropical feel.
Attic
The tour first takes you to the attic. It has a very interesting vaulted ceiling where no two brick arches are the same. Its like being in the belly of a whale or something. It is very similar to the attic and Batllo, but with no stucco![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsGFAkVQ_a3qgnv1JdyF57iC96oMGQR9ajjuiSJeSlNtrpsCtf2SQrFIGdRm2-qOKQpxgUhXNERruGtBMftYwlqXTnCZehNK08kUHBi_2UdaoPB6o7jG7IOT_EQd-WnEkAmheaJy0q4I/s400/IMG_4531.jpg)
The fire stairs are very trippy. Look like something out of an Esher drawing
The attic contained a museum that explained many of Gaudi's projects. They showed some things from nature that inspired Gaudi in the design of Mila...The animal's spine inspired the attic's shape.
The Roof Terrace
The roof terrace is the best part. It contains many interesting sculptures that double as functioning chimneys and stairwell entries, etc.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4J8W9wBRTgV8U4yQgXe6Jj40LZYX2gb1eBF1vE839JoSWvSSqRoVkamoD6tx53toaPtSKosPHererQ6gbXXsx7i50fKdDsu9FecTqUsQLoEazkUwKyXnN-xqoCOH-O-xmYfJ_tulIm4/s400/IMG_4519.jpg)
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The tour first takes you to the attic. It has a very interesting vaulted ceiling where no two brick arches are the same. Its like being in the belly of a whale or something. It is very similar to the attic and Batllo, but with no stucco
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsGFAkVQ_a3qgnv1JdyF57iC96oMGQR9ajjuiSJeSlNtrpsCtf2SQrFIGdRm2-qOKQpxgUhXNERruGtBMftYwlqXTnCZehNK08kUHBi_2UdaoPB6o7jG7IOT_EQd-WnEkAmheaJy0q4I/s400/IMG_4531.jpg)
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxLE8eC4D4pS6eRpBcn8qPFgxHX6-Kxb5tFC8azATCw_YVtq8-OIz5OJc_kmdVf-uIcZiLS4gTLCRiZCVrztJKZmCDDbVu8lnhV5X07R-lE2urCDiHt1OF0cVIYauZzSs4V8wG7NSCE4/s400/IMG_4544.jpg)
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Mont Serrat
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco8rPgKGgTsF3GqYyNW6Hsf6EwKNlt7CSZOt0GrjHf899oRWMzRK30Stse8ald_hS2OLgcZS9R1asdbk0g3UqNB6D0i2tGOn7Si6eYHcqHKTB5lI13bxMqwXRlMaI8Z3VWOE1qTDoZ_o/s400/IMG_4247.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxU81Kn1nxivncEkgqQwSOwWaxVQjyhJ1kg1SEeWLP4uZSD5yHfPCYaFm8j87GqB7N0IcLnkDfjBred9R5vdZBYrARRH9J1rfov6IwMJenOuEUfmuFfKEvmdBGYMJGwkJ1dS5AjO9ol0/s400/IMG_4176.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityTnX4Nj83KVSc4Hz1fZgeDnJfYHckBOznXzrXYkb6SLGug7cgVnhb5ezswZN2ycMzhzB61o3AwkCSi9bsdGGt_4DGhQ9saRSJ8mUXS4GOMFNCtafpH1cK39yPUuHqAQvePf-VGKEdao/s400/IMG_4179.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HVKfqNQBpQjl624S1X066jWWYAzr1Z0_TREHwHiJTWI6CXkbJucSy9Ms6Y-0ZJvbObRYPL2J_fEeHT5oj415w2TWjC3TfvY-IECjjoqZKWP8dT9pLHVRIVQNuGzB_7qTcYv-BybIKkE/s400/IMG_4186.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOVO6df66Ch4QWxCNzQCAE8ZRqgzD5RZ3aTXI1zPsL193pezr7zU3W64wkfacff8VU55vc25K-u-S7tlk7rqK3CxWbtCy9zmLtwRdAGPbJiVkOmHOpzw1SyuJQ3pu2Gi4d3gKJShUejI/s400/IMG_4189.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-fVmjexrPnATJOWc6Hxwxm3CsWPWzEMM-PtlfYFA7LeyPnOqQ-y_VkY-qkkKQ-pJiVsKhSS2MGA28nRiCzmAwbYcHwmFjoHbuZu63VokfHNCwtJZ-0HAoL97AhgbTzvVg9dpM0oAvIw/s400/IMG_4209.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN3CV9ljCldKiVBrpfQuOg53fIitKzq1KdhWj40OPmJ1NhFgVYGCW0k3Lm3npNlAcGjH5uo-jqdqIGVjvGs9G0cdVkEYCFQWnSpcRmPx9YR51hV-bZtSxYbVMmV-DMQFtsbx3FX_KKcc/s400/IMG_4214.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpmkC8fG5P-ak53s1_L1pnfE3yCT5PEJGN0oJvgeS7V_78F7x0irSDjteymTFqcP4KBHcutp7jIPWGPn6wNqvsX4B4CZq4KbABd-PwCyLQhj7aOc0nGBKq650MNT4zUkzqvlmH4h4gnw/s400/IMG_4215.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ew-Leahs9qccF90MeJZ1iJmbVVcoPg5COFp9X1c4tup6vYdUeMPBrun1N3H1UhCDkWUiIrft7uVq9OhZfRPUMAnZUQds4xsYy54YWNU8FnLENybZXAlqbLawHvlnr8i3kmVWQLAMsZ4/s400/IMG_4197.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAdWoNad2Mv_S-bs9VTC8Lgkb6-bdTL85O4c-HiTgYrOrqrbnBJYhxvA9J5o4wObXcC-DRr6H7RIqiUn057V1PcL4iHxBRTmcw12hSJzCttdELBZ2QDU2DVXqMCQqVT5806Kjdagjo-k/s400/IMG_4226.jpg)
The view...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSaMx21S7gupYZx7p9kVCN0zat-Y0JL13B_smkPO7z-HGnP5e4nucDEpSloXxLlYzpAWOpRqY2PaI6LeGh9uIhOfqrQSntF5lsn2Pp8WgT_nhivMlX8S_R_dUEX8fxIHf8pC-ctTIL6k/s400/IMG_4182.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_v9qbOUiJ9nKPe49rorwd5ie8xRp7ZqccPWqb3stph1ww7j4buuUuJ6VPpL3jlZjj1hBHTum3DSuHHIg44Ea2I4JsVh_ZD53FeCNEQeWKo1eRiGZROFkhHegtXz1CKfrBLlcG3qCGRs/s400/IMG_4236.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeLN2_grTICnIH6YBO23W8dHrsIefG3LGOnU7hemh9Mm9IQLeEbb43wL8U1zXO4l1X48UKer04F3tUxA1no4UtEyCItO7mWa3SUhI7gfOqwJiatzcH28tP6O8jHJIdZkjBQql0SEH5tA/s400/IMG_4231.jpg)
The iconic rock formation well know to M.S...I forgot the name of it now.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyXZVLMsfTBB0_8CxmbRz5XI7mcXuwyjOqIkyRG8sluLJ2yfVizE3EC-t0FbVbO-bCrw-b1Srl48zAjuycube3LuvXJpdko7Hse8NYXFGvKaY3pRWG92C0-zMJxXjUKFj85BcPgkvRDM/s400/IMG_4242.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TA3Xd9gvwtbmzdZfQ-oMrnqJcSb3tth2SjlzcQdGgP_JKE9fs45EEiLb3wbj7QNC0qemXU2DybdXHiqG3dSvWcdbqxemmhyphenhyphen1H02W1zTm8Ow0xDegRUK0_CMABeozwu9P_QywamwVqPg/s400/IMG_4251.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWKxjxahKxfRjDxEv4lZZhAw-0-XNQ56Rg097CU6JHmn59WHFcSDPy7lDz84f40AIyPQOhDADuP-70cowvWy-jZIiW4Jemrr99jfBMvKGEUOVrVfIFpP7vOO0E_2TjT3Tr5ecJeEj08E/s400/IMG_4219.jpg)
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