Photo dump

Last weekend Barcelona celebrated St. Eulalia day. I looked her up on wikipedia but wikipedia failed me ... I still only have a vague idea of what the giants, the eagles, and the free museums have to do with her. But I liked all of it, here are some pictures.

The street parade I saw finished in this church ... I have no words. I think what makes is so breathtaking is that the aesthetic is unified. Most gothic churches and cathedrals were not constructed in one fell swoop, but Sta. Maria at least looks that way. The pillars are unusually slim and light looking.

The Drasannes (shipyard) opened again this weekend after remodeling. I ended up getting a tour from their paper conservator. I learned that maritime museums are also like printing museums in that they have a variety of paper and 3D objects in wood and metal to conserve. The old Drasannes, which had been remodeled throughout the middle ages and renaissance, hadn't been remodeled since the 18th century, had a leaky roof and keeping the paper in good shape was impossible. Now they have a climate controlled storage room. Plus, they discovered that underneath the museum there is a roman cemetery. No biggie. 

I also went to the Pueblo Español over the weekend where I met Maria from Manera Negra. Do I find the print shops or do they find me?

One of Maria's artist books. Photo from her website. 

Open air architecture museum!

This is Montjuic ... the stone is a warm color, and especially near sunset it sort of glows. Hopefully this picture says it better:

And I don't think I've written about what a verdant paradise Barcelona is on this blog yet. EVERYTHING GROWS HERE. Even in February. It makes me want a garden and a whole bunch of houseplants. This is the greenhouse at the UB. And some more photos of the gardens inside the university courtyards.

I discovered the CaixaForum this weekend, too. It is in a factory built in the Catalan Modernist style, and part of it is full of cuneiform tablets right now. Which are really beautiful and (of course) old. I spent about two hours looking at the Sumerian stuff and about two minutes looking at the contemporary art show downstairs.

The colón at night. I've heard rumors that there's an elevator in there ...

And one time last week I went to Tarragona. With my church I helped with a project to repaint a home for people with mental disabilities. I don't have any photos of that part. But THIS IS WHAT THE MEDITERRANEAN LOOKS LIKE.

And what a Roman amphitheater looks like:

And this is what really happy India by the sea looks like: