Girona: a trip within a trip

And what could be considered as the quintessence of a trip? A (trip)^2 squared.

Primavera en Barcelona*

*Spring in Barcelona

{I have always been of the opinion that spring is the best season to travel}


A vibrant city with a Bohemian air,



something that you can feel at its squares






and its narrow streets… in Barri Gòtic. I could walk for hours through these lovely closes. It could be a reason -on its own- for me coming back to Barcelona.


Next to the terrace of La Pedrera,


there was one of those houses that make you think of your own everyday stories sitting there on that balcony – living the dream for a while.




Gaudi makes this city feel like fairytale...




When travelling,


there are always some signs that are there for you..


…“See the big picture” in whatever you do,


even if it's the details that count.




I saved this photo for last, as a wish for a joyful summertime!

BCN Primavera Sound '11: 'cause everybody hates a tourist

I can’t actually think of any better way to spend a warm weekend in May, than hopping on a plane and going to Barcelona to catch the Primavera Sound Festival (especially when the plane ticket is free!)


I’ve done the tourist stuff before but what the hell...after all, I can’t be sitting around all day long sipping claras. So a short visit at the Sagrada Família and Park Güell isn’t such a bad idea.

















But hey...! It’s time for some music! Let’s take the metro and drop by the festival!
Day 1




Grinderman










The Flaming Lips

Day 2




Belle & Sebastian








Pulp

Next stop: Lisbon
Stay tuned!

The making of an Accident

...or How to shoot a music video




You need costumes


and makeup


in order to create the characters.



But above all you need a talented director to create some beautiful shots


with a tireless production team to help him materialise his vision.


It also takes a lot of physical effort


and a great deal of patience for the long hours of waiting.

In case you got all of the above, this is the result you might get:




Ben & the Immigrants would like to thank director Carlos and his crew for their talent and personal time.

Photos by bavdel.

Barcelona urban architecture

I have just returned from an amazingly intense week in Barcelona, full of music rehearsals, long-distance-relationship (LDR) reunions and nostalgic emotions.

But I will not get into that yet. This post is about Barcelona's urban architecture.



Barcelona is a city that is marked by the creations of the famous architect Gaudi but I will not get into that either. This post will focus on the less touristic, urban side of Barcelona. It is, in my opinion, equally attractive.

My comments on the following photos will be minimal, just like my knowledge on architecture.


Blocks of flats. I love how the use of gray color is avoided.


Again, lovely choice of color and interesting texture effect with the use of these tiles.


Massive buildings for corporate use, under construction. 8 hours of our days, in a box. Why?


Back to urban, colorful beauty.


The use of the warm, earthly colors soothes my brain cells.


Interesting colors, shapes, angles.






Back to corporate buildings. I think these must be Gaudi-inspired.


And here is one more glass box, for your viewing pleasure.


Quick conclusion:
Barcelona looks like a very beautiful place to live, with high standards of quality in residence construction. The corporate buildings however, look as scary as in many other parts of the crazy corporate world.