bCN

11 May 2013 - 16 May 2013

A grand, old City by the sea - Barcelona is the only European city to where I have returned.  I LOVE this place.  What, exactly, it is... I can't rightly say.  But for some reason (though maybe not for only a single one!) I am completely captivated by the City.  Not only was that sentiment reaffirmed this time, but whilst here during the opposite end of the calendar it was reinforced.  

Barcelona cityscape and the Mediterranean in the background, from atop Park Guell -
quite literally one of my favorite parks in the world. 

Mostly underground and particularly old (even for this part of the city), La Oveja Negra is a super fun and lively hangout, despite its location in a back-alley spot of an already antiquated district.  This place boasts at least two amazing drink specials: a mighty house drink called 'Panthers Milk', and 5-gal fountains of wine for your party.  Barrio Gotic, Barcelona, Spain. 

No joke - the resident kitty at the hostel tucks herself in with the curtain, and naps all day here by the window and wood-burning stove (winter only).  I don't usually plug specific businesss, but I'll shout out here to one of my fave spots to stay at in this grand old city, and, frankly, in the whole world: Hostal Malda, Barrio Gotic, Barcelona. 

I had to throw this one in here...and then only after some research.   To us bilingual latinos, this seemed at first like some pretty overtly racist signage for "barber shop" (though possibly it could have been a play on words by a savvy Asian business owner, here), since we spell it "peluqueria".  But apparently, this is just how they spell and say it in Catalan! 

Placa d'Espana with the Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya on the hilltop behind.  Barcelona, Spain.

A very awesome home-cooked meal, a la Hermano y Amigos.  So grateful for the very amazing friends & family I get to be around and spend time with at home and abroad! Chez Barbara, Barcelona, Spain. 

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia - 

Yes, you'll read and see everywhere: it's a marvel of design, engineering, and craftsmanship, etc.  Readers of this blog would know that I particularly appreciate sacred spaces and places of worship and reverence.  While I was once in Barcelona before, this trip was the first time I finally went inside the Basilica.  

Now I can confirm - it is hands-down one of the coolest structures I've ever been inside of!  

Gaudi's structural design - images and elements of which I tried to capture - evokes an open, airy outdoor grove of enormous stolid trees and concentric, radial forms throughout.  At the same time, two other artists across the decades have been charged with the details housed without, upon, and within the superstructure; I tried to capture some of that, too.  Remember, also, that this Cathedral's construction has survived two world wars, fascist dictator, and a turbulent series of economic fluctuations across its nearly 130 years of development.

Overall, I snapped lots and lots of photos of the Basilica, and selected just a few (proportionally) to share here, as well as some info I picked up.  

Cousins posing in front of the towering Torre de Naixement of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, and already we were about 9 stories up...

...while here I was at the bottom of the same tower, and looking up.  

Stained glass windows on the left, with colors like a rising sun.  Interior central entrance of the Basilica on the right, looking like an old-growth forest with sunlight streaming through the trunks.

 

Another view through the 'forest' - from the Oceania Pillars (see below) - and down the main aisle towards the central altar of the Holy Trinity.  Taken with flash!  Basilica de la Familia Sagrada.

Green filtered light streaming through the glass into the interior.  It's not typical I use a filter... but the new camera has a whole set of features that was especially fun to experiment with here.  Inside Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. 

This one was pretty cool - detail of an alcove and statue of St. Joseph above the North entrance to the Basilica - and if I recall,  taken with #nofilter!  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. 

Shot of an interior rear gallery of the Basilica.  The colors from the sunlight through glass, and the lines of the cieling and mosaic throughout were magnificent.  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. 

Through the 'trees' and up towards the 'canopy', the entire structure is an incredible achievement of ingenuity and technical skill, begun in an age before the Titanic sailed - and whose construction still continues today!  It was a time when building any structure over a dozen stories tall was a nigh impossible task.  At the point of design and early construction King Alfonso XII ruled in Spain, Grover Cleveland was President of the United States., Queen Victoria was monarch of the United Kingdom, and Pope Blessed Pius IX held the Papcy in Rome.  The computer was nowhere on anyone's radar when construction began - and the only thought of reaching the heavens came from communion with God... 

.. and when hand-calculated plans and scale physical models were the primary engineering tools for this mind-boggling structure.  This,  an inverted rope-and-sandbag model of the interior spires, was used to  evaluate the integrity of the design for the Basilica's roof.  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain.  

Here, some drawings of the Basilica from design documents throughout it's construction. On the left, a hand-drawing of the intentional symbolism of the main columns and spaces in and around the Basilica; frankly, a rather intricate characterization of the mythology of Church and much of the related politics endemic to Spain. On the right, an early computer model of the past and predictive progress of Basilica across its over 120 years of constriction.  

Less grand, but no less important to the overall majesty of the Basilica, here are is an example of the care applied to the details.  A a statue drawing (left) and the same artists' style applied to the actual statues themselves (right).  

More example of exterior statuary in that cold, angular, greco-esque style of the sculptor.  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. 

In the midst of a barrage of (presumably) lines of scripture, the artist here decided to highlight some key questions, including: What is the Truth?  Door to the main South entrance, Basilica de la Familia Sagrada, Barcelona, Spain.

Very early side-view drawing of the Basilica by Gaudi once he had taken over the project in the role of primary Cathedral designer.  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain.   

More Gaudi - and an iconic Barcelona image - in series of mosaic-encrusted benches along the outer edge of an elevated square inside his custom-designed Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain.

Off of Gaudi now, and to an older part of Barcelona - here the Port building in Port Veill.   Last time i was here I snapped a shot of some of the detailing of a portion of the building, and that at night; so here it is in it's full splendor, as Colombus may have seen it whilst sailing away towards the Americas, from slightly afar.  Port Building, Barcelona, Spain. 

Finally, an even older spot - Barcelona Cathedral.  Here - in a very fun night shot to capture with the new camera - stands my patient cousin, with the haunting front entrance looming over her shoulder.  Barcelona Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain. 

Up next - the ride to Florence and on into Italy!! 

The photos laid out heretofore are taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX30V 

 
These works by Tim Paez are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Belgium

8 - 11 May 2013 - Belgium

My visit here was too short and too quick for my liking.  However, I came to Belgium - and only too briefly to Brussels and the Flanders region - on an invitation from a good friend and travel companion with whom I shared many wild adventures in Southeast Asia (Saigon, 2011).  Not only was I in the great company of a fellow trekker - but this time I was in her home turf!

However, I slowed down enough to snap a few shots along the way.  This post is derived from that approach to being in Belgium - but after such a short visit maybe the only two substantial things I can say about Belgium are: the beer is phenomenal, and the people are incredibly welcoming and fun-loving. (The third thing: Belgians are gorgeous, too!).  I can say that, but also that this beautiful and richly historical nation demands more than just 3 days to explore!

In addition to the great company of a friend, I had even brought some of my family along!!! My fearless cousin from New Jersey had met up with my brother and I in Dublin for the short hop across the English Channel. We landed in Brussels and hit the ground running.  Then, we didn't stop to make the most of it.


On our first pass of Belgium, we took Brussels by storm.  The next day we descended on some of the older Flemish cities as we ventured across West Flanders.  Finally we dipped down into the local scene to be carried away by almost-too-much fun...  and then all too soon we had to depart.

View down Elisabethpark towards (but not of) the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Great walk and very cool neighborhood - and a remarkable hostel and a short hop into the central district.  Elisabethpark, Brussels, Belgium.

The strong, prosperous working person - suckling from the teat of the mother state.  Or some such imagery here.  A cool building in an old part of the older city of Ghent, Belgium. 

A nice curbside treat in Ghent - for only 2 Euro's! It's a delicious snack, and the owner/chef/server is an ebulliently pleasant guy who enticed us not only with his wit and candor... 

...but also with his wares: Gestreken Mastellen!!  A unique local bread, some sugar, a few pats of butter, and some time in a flat iron - perfection.  Ghent, Belgium. 

Flemish castle of Gravensteen, in medieval style inspired by the castles of the Crusades, it was originally built in 1180 AD and later renovated in the 1800's.  It is quite legitimately a castle!  Gravensteen, Ghent, Belgium.

In an almost fantastical way, Brussels exhibits a very practical but quaint approach to retaining the beautiful traditional architectural styles of the country, while reconciling and accommodating the need for growth and expansion.  It's not only very cool-looking and functional, but it reflects (perhaps...?) an undertone of the reconciliatory ethic of a nation that is home to the seat of the EU.  Brussels, Belgium. 

The parking lot along the side of this single commuter train station was completely packed with BIKES, despite the clouds!  Likely thousands of bikes parked here and it was just a normal Friday.  It was a very nice sign, seeing so much 'green' and healthy modes of transit - out in the suburbs.  Train to Bruges, Belgium.  

One of my favorite things ever - street art - here in the making.  Live and in real-time, nothing virtual or digital or cloud-based about this set up; just motor bikes, spray paint, hoodies, and an alley wall. Ghent, West Flanders, Belgium.  

Shot from the inside of Staminee de Garre, in Bruges.  This place ROCKED - the beer was out of this world (a must-try: the house trippel!), the crowd seemed like a balanced mix of local and visitor, and the place looked like it came out of the 15th century.  I will most definitely return for both the beer and the vibe.  Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium.

The Provincial Court, here in the central market square, the Grote Markt of Bruges.  The square is ringed by an old group of buildings (some circa 12th Century), though with many renovations and re-facements over the centuries. Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. 

At the end of the second full day we found ourselves in rural West Flanders.  Here, we slowed down for only a brief time to recharge and regroup before heading out, locals style.

Remote and non-descript, not the place one would expect to host a birthday/going-away/welcome-home Friday night fete in rural Flanders.  Cafe de Smoutpot, West Flanders, Belgium.

And here, unobtrusively tucked away behind the cafe, off a side street on the borderlands between a rural community and suburban outskirts is the (sizeable) barn which played home to the aforementioned party.  Somewhere in West Flanders, Belgium.

Ahhh... but here, in this legit country barn party the DJ had his space on one end... 

...and the bar commands the other.  I was mighty impressed with the seriousness folks here have for  having a great time and not being serious....

...and for graciously sharing that wisdom.  Here, the three musketeers - en route across the old continent to meet up with the 4th!  Waylaid by, and slowed down to enjoy, a Barn party -  West Flanders, Belgium. 

This is just awesome - in Brussels International are placed these DIY-esque mobile device charging stations, where you Do the generating yourself!  Not  fancy shot or a particularly great one for aught else but the subject.  Belgium, I'll return to see you again! 

The photos laid out heretofore are taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX30V 

 
These works by Tim Paez are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Eire, uimhir a trí - No Strength Without Unity

I've got no cause to boast claims as to what makes or doesn't a place.  My own notions of where I go and who I meet, preconceived or otherwise, are put to the challenge always and in all ways by those who share similar experiences.  All I can do is interpret and process (or not, sometimes) and then share my side of things; to add to the collective pool of our shared notions of the experience of things.  

This next rash of that 'processing' (more from Ireland) if it can be called such, is going to take a broad-spectrum snapshot of many elements of what culture I saw around me.  One major disclaimer - I spent most of my time in the North, with only a brief (but admittedly typically touristy) dip into the Republic.  I think in general, I still felt a distinctly and unabashedly Irish vibe everywhere I went.  In this approach, I guess I'm generally employing a pattern when it comes to this craft of photography - to the things which trigger me to snap the shutter - and a distillation of my understanding of how I see the world.  

Thanks for reading hitherto!!  Now read on hencheforth..

Local architecture and institutions:

Front gate of the secular Queens University, the gorgeous campus where my brother studied, and to where I was invited to visit. Also the local center of life for the neighborhood and an assured boon to the entire fabric of this very awesome City. Belfast, N. Ireland

A fun shot - one of my favorites from the trip. Commissioned circa 1870's, the Daniel Joseph Jaffe Fountain commemorates a prominent Jewish benefactor to the City. Victoria Square, Belfast, N. Ireland.

A gift of solidarity to this politically aware City from a fixture of the independence struggle in Plaestine.  A clear example of the seemingly widespread embrasure of diversity and class-conscious struggle, this plate from the besieged haram, the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the Gaza Strip of Palestine sits prominently in Belfast City Hall.

I like this one too: blue sky with Church facade and gate, captured all in one and its all relatively clear. I must admit - saving up for months to replace my lost camera in time for this trip feels like a smart move. St. Malachy's Catholic Church, Belfast, N. Ireland.

Northern coastline:

Small, but well-protected fishing boat harbor on the north eastern coast of Ireland. Quaint and a rather idyllic town layout for this region, as evident during a brief pit stop on the road toward Giants Causeway - and all that on my first real foray into the Irish countryside.  Carnlough, Co. Larne, N. Ireland.

The awe-inspriring view from the far side of the bridge is of the coast along the northern coast and of Scotland, when the weather is clear.  It was well worth the drive and the harrowing crossing! This 66-foot span suspension bridge connects the mainland to one of the many "casting" islands found in the region.  The semi-protected sites (harbor would be too ostentaious a description) in the veritable canyons created in between, were where the fishermen of yore would cast their boats out to sea from.... 

...after at a gut-twisting and wind-swept shaky crossing at 96 feet above the sea.  Without having to spend an exhausting day of fishing the perennially white-capped Irish Sea, our crossing to the island offered us, in part, this view of the rugged Irish coastline and the rope-bridge strung where those same fisherman had ever used when lucky enough to return home. Any picture of this gorgeous landscape does the full experiential beauty of this place little justice. 

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Ballintoy, Co. Antrim,  N. Ireland.

Irish pastimes:

Talk about a national sport - Rugby, the short-shorted rabble rousing past-time of a nation of heavy drinkers.  Or.. so it would seem, from the stands.  The crowd here was AWESOME - a boisterous and jovial bunch of true fans.  Even better - Ulster (home team) kicked ass!  Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast, N. Ireland. 

This guy was adorable.  Not a ferocious or antagonizing mascot, they, in any case, his antics kept the crowd going - through a bout of rain and some wind -  and helped energize the crowd that lea the home team to victory! I was likely one of only a few spectators cracking up watching the bear nearly as often as watching the game. Plus, I may be imagining it, but I think he's trying to give me a thumbs up...  Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast, N. Ireland. 

The glare of the lights - post-game shot as we crossed the end of the field to the exits.  Its a bit fuzzy, I know; but I liked the framing and I think if I'd have taken more time I could have worked with the light. Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast, N. Ireland.     

  

This, my fair reader & viewer, is a fraction of a fraction of the famous - rural Irish tractor pull!  County Omagh, N. Ireland.

That tractor pull was just a start to my countryside explorations into the interior of N. Ireland.   The stated goal: Egg Cup and Whiskey Festival.  Many thanks to Declan, Andy, and their sublime jams. 

Too many egg cups of whiskey! Likley, too, that it was all Bushmills - a typically local favorite.  And it was only 630pm here. County Omagh, N. Ireland.

Very, very old school fire place - but unbelievably toasty and warm.  It heated up the whole bar!  County Omagh, N. Ireland.

Art and resistance:

Saintly touched shepherd maiden, tending her flock. Painting depicting an archetypal Irish landscape, exuding country-side charm & purity - and of course, pointing to the the 'proper', Christian path to follow.  Painting inside history exhibit of the Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin, Ireland.

Stunning intricacy in designs and vividness of color - dance skirts of traditional Irish dancing on display at the Dublin Museum of Irish Dance.  With a long, awesome history of cultural struggle for identity, and repeated resistance against various forms of external aggression and oppression - by first the Vikings, then the Gauls, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and the Crown, and alternately, too, by internecine battles between tribes all throughout their seemingly eternal history - dance and music, as a means of identity and expression by the Celtic peoples of Ireland and thereby also an avenue passing on pride and culture, has proven to be valued as a traditional art across Ireland and its acoutrements have found a revered place in the social fabric of all things Irish.  Dublin, Ireland.

Street corner art.  Benign and almost innocent - but poignant - in this image I saw a familiar theme that I've found in every growing city: the face of property in transition.  But a fun pic.  Dublin, Ireland.

More street art - this is a tribute to a hollywood-/art deco-esque vision of a dystopian totalitarian future.    Somewhere on the streets of Belfast (near the Duke of York bar), N. Ireland. 

A clear example of a distinctly Irish aesthetic - function melded with form.  Even here, in the heart of Kilmainham, there is something of an austere grandness in the construction of this fortress-like prison. 

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland. 

And deep within that same Kilmainham, another kind of beautiful expression - this one by inmate and political prisoner during the Civil War, Grace Gifford (Plunkett).  Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland.

Relic from the Civil War - a soldier's cross pendant, crafted out of bullets and shells.  Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland.

"Rebel" country. Ostracized in their own nation (at least in the North), the Irish Catholic Republicans are relegated to ghetto's, like this one.  When compared to America's urban and rural ghetto's the material conditions here are significantly better - but the disenfranchisement and prejudice brought to bear on Catholics in the mostly Protestant North of Ireland is very much the same as that wrought upon those groups in the U.S.  Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. 

Green and open spaces:

Side path in the Botanic Gardens of Belfast, and a wonderful open space.  Enjoyable and vast, this super popular park sprawls 28 acres right behind Queen's University.  Belfast Botanic Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

A little grainy and funny-colored, this is one of the first shots I took using a longer exposure (adjustable, on my camera!!!)

Fun and pretty expansive, St. Stephen's Green in Dublin is an oasis within an already laid-back kind of city.  My super accommodating hosts lived nearby, and while my time in Dublin was way too short,  I spent a bit of time in this park meandering - and experimenting with my camera.  St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland.

Some of the results from the Park.  St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland. 

Lord Ardilaun House, wonderfully landscaped and just kind of cool and rural - here in the middle of Dublin. St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland. 

In keeping with this brief natural, 'green' theme - a side by side shot of Newgrange and the surrounding landscaping.  County Meath, Ireland. 

More green - and with blue!  Quayside steps into the river, near the Titanic Quarter.  River Lagan, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Cityscapes and landmarks:

Spire-side of St. Anne's Cathedral.  A common theme in the two biggest cities in Ireland - the spire.  Here, the one in Belfast, N. Ireland. 

The other - the Spire of Dublin - also known, apparently, as the Monument of Light! It wasn't easy to get, but after several attempts I think I nailed the colors in this shot.  Dublin, Ireland.     

And another view of the Monument of Light, for size context.  Spire of Dublin, Ireland.

A favorite of mine - of Belfast riverfront skyline - where the sun is just beyond the clouds.  The clarity and colors are most certainly due to an upgrade in camera, as my previous one could not have taken a shot like this so well.  Not for nothing, but a great camera at a much-discounted price can be found with some research & time.  Belfast, N. Ireland.

Lurgan Castle - or the Brownlow House - at night, taken with a longer exposure setting.  Awesome Victorian manor, and set along the lakeshore and green expanse of Lurgan Park.  Lurgan, County Armagh, N. Ireland.   

Southern facade of the Custom House at dusk, from across the River Liffey.  Moments after my arrival in Dublin this view greeted me as I made my way towards my hosts' pad.  Custom House Quay, Dublin, Ireland. 

Albert Memorial Clock shown here with a bit of  lean - and also called the Leaning Tower of Belfast.  Belfast, N. Ireland. 

Adorning the halls of City Hall in Belfast is this symbol, the traditional irish harp, in enormous stained glass mosaic.  Fitting, to say the least, that its in the North, the belly of the beast in the Irish Republican struggle.  

The photos laid out heretofore are taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX30V 

 
These works by Tim Paez are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License