From Pyrenees to Pennines

Reflections

This post is just an excuse to share a few photos from the outside of Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona and the modern buildings round and about. When I went, the music festival Primavera Sound was in full swing in the evenings – Emily and Miquel had been the night before – so whole swathes of the area were out of bounds. My plans to explore were curtailed.

So after I’d ‘done’ the museum (maybe worth a post later?) I caught a tram to the Port Olímpic.

Both areas are full of glass-clad buildings reflecting images of the space in which they stood. Connecting with them, just too late for me to pop them into Donna’s Lens-Artists Challenge: Connections. You can connect with me too – two and a half times – there I am in the last photo of all, snapping away.

For Ludwig’s Monday Window.

For Fake Flamenco

Here’s my offering this month for Rebecca of Fake Flamenco fame’s poetry challenge. If you look, you’ll see her visual prompt invites us to focus on swans, stained glass, flowers, or a family restaurant. I have chosen – er – not to focus on a swan and flowers.

Studley Royal, early one summer’s morning

In summer, the gardens here 
refrain from flowers.
Instead the trees, the hedges, lawns are
verdant, grassy, leafy, viridescent.

A swan glides silently along the Skell.
Birds carol, chirp & chatter.
Here is serenity and peace.

I have no idea why the swan’s head has been partly chopped off . It was there before …

Looking at Them Looking at Us

This week, for the Lens-Artists Challenge, Donna asks us to look for the connections we make in our lives. I’m going short and fairly light-hearted by looking at some of our connections with animal life. That feature photo, for instance, shows two children delighted by their squirrel companion in Málaga, while he is equally pleased about the free sunflower seeds.

Less pleased are these birds: an Arctic tern and a greylag goose. Both are warning me – or any other pesky human in the area – to leave well alone as far as their young chicks or goslings are concerned.

All my other images come from Down at the Farm.

Here are three curious creatures – two pigs and a cow – wanting to know if those human have anything to offer …

… while this small boy is pleased that the cow is willing to accept a mouthful of hay from him.

We have sheep living next door. Unusually, they’re rather fond of human company, and canter across to the fence hopefully whenever they see me pass. It’s all Cupboard Love of course, but I’m daft enough to fall for it and try to have a few cabbage stalks or something about my person to give to them.

And here’s a young girl desperately trying to make a friend of a hen. Who isn’t quite so sure.

For my last image, we’ll leave the farmyard in favour of the deer park at Studley Royal. The deer are as likely to be watching us as we are them. You can never quite trust humans, they think.

Just Looking …

There were times during my recent trip to Spain when I was part of a street-side audience. But there were those who had a prime viewing spot. They lived in an apartment immediately above the action. I have a few shots of them peering down at the events below.

On my first Saturday, we popped over to Barcelona, for a neighbourhood festival: La Festa Major de la Esquerra de l’Exeimple. Early in the morning (well, early for Spain) we happened upon a communal keep-fit session. So did this older inhabitant, who chose to maintain her distance.

This is what she was missing:

Then the next weekend, nearer home, was Rebombori, which I reported on here. As the gegants plodded through the streets, at least one chap had a ringside view.

And when they arrived in the town square, one set of young people had the best view of all:

My header photo is another from the Festa Major, when we were all ‘just looking’ at the Gegants de la Pedrera, the neighbourhood’s very own gegants, celebrating Antoni Gaudí, whose buildings are generously scattered throughout the area. And indeed at the locals who were adding a bit of colour (if not in this photo) by dressing up quite splendidly in Edwardian costume.

For Leanne’s Monochrome Madness, hosted this week by Sarah of Travel with Me.

Water, Water Everywhere … Perfect for a Dog Walk

An early morning walk on the beach in Premià guarantees you’ll see the dog-walkers out in force. Perfect for that all-important daily exercise, for catching up with your friends, and for getting in some scrolling-time.

If I keep digging, I’m bound to strike water …

For Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere.

A History of a Flight in Ten Photos

My flight home from Barcelona the other day was remarkable for two reasons. For one, I had a window seat; and for two, the earth below was visible almost every mile of the way. Here’s the story of a journey.

Oh, and here’s an eleventh photo, from terra firma: alongside the (static) travelator at Manchester Airport.

Sant Cristòfol de Premià

My last day in Premià for the time being, so of course I need a quick walk through my favourite square in town. The oldest church is here: though all is not as it seems. As you’ve probably guessed, it dates from the 18th century. As you probably haven’t guessed, this building is a copy of the original, which was completely destroyed by Franco’s forces during the Spanish Civil War. It’s been rebuilt: an exact copy. So here’s a single church with a double history.

For Leanne’s Monochrome Madness.

The Gegants are Coming!

Gegants – huge human-type figures propelled by actual humans hidden within them – have been a feature of Catalan festive life since the 15th century. Then, they were part of a religious tradition. From the 19th century, they became more and more a celebration of the lives of the community they sprang from. So here in Premià de Mar – Premià-on-Sea – they represent piratical derring-do.

And the Gegants came out to play today as part of a low-key local folk festival, Rebombori. They took over the streets of the town, as did cohorts of child drummers, child dancers, child comperes and slightly disconcerting child Gegants. And we the townsfolk followed wherever they led, coming across more and more friends as the morning turned into afternoon: an excellent time was had by all.

These were all taken on my phone, and better shots are – I hope – to be found on my camera. But phone-posting is my lot at the moment, so … make do with these please, for now.

Last on the Card…

… comes from the Museu Blau – the Museu de Ciènces Naturals de Barcelona. It’s not on the tourist trail, so it was blissfully empty. I took lots of photos with my camera, but I can’t download them till I get back to England, so here is the last from my phone: a selection of shells.

For Brian’s Last on the Card.

Restoration & Renewal

I have chosen to end this month’s Squares series with another visit to l’Albufera. It was there that I went on my last afternoon in Valencia some years ago. I’d gone to learn Spanish, for two weeks only, staying in the home of a Spanish woman who spoke no English – which was challenging, since I’d started my stay on Page One of the Spanish book provided by my language school. I’d had an exciting time exploring the city in my free time, but the experience was pretty full-on. A bus journey to nearby L’Albufera, a natural park set amongst lagoons seemed to offer a perfect last afternoon. And so it proved. I’ll never forget the sunset I enjoyed there, as one of a very few passengers on a lazily wandering boat, puttering gently through the reedbeds. It was renewing, transformative, and throughly reconstructed my somewhat battered mind.

Thank you Becky, thank you everyone who has contributed to this #SquaresRenewal. I’ve seen so many interesting, beautiful, thought-provoking posts: and all thanks to Becky, who after a long and understandable break has once more launched and managed this month of photos, fellowship and fun. Looking forward already to the next month of Squares