Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Any Seating Including Tables and Chairs

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Any Seating including Tables and Chairs

This is Any seating…

from the Car Graveyard in Ryd, Småland, Sweden.

Thursday Thoughts – El Capricho

Why do I love Antonio Gaudí? Maybe because of his love for nature’s wonders – starting when he was only a small child. His way of using nature’s forms and designs in everything he created. Making the pillars in Sagráda Família with scars like the tree trunks get when they have lost a branch, making lamps look like flowers and light spill out like waves in the sea…

In every detail he was …mirroring nature.

In Comillas, on the north coast of Spain, you will find this ”folly” – El Capricho – by Gaudí, built for Máximo Díaz de Quijano (a relative of the marquis of Comillas) in the 1880´s. You immediately recognize his style using iron structures, glazed pottery and stained glass.

Come, let’s take a ”folly” walk …

In my dreams, a dinner with Antonio Gaudí would be optional… to get the opportunity to listen to his ideas and maybe discuss nature’s impact on humans – body and soul. I would have had many, many questions…

I was lucky enough to meet him in his garden, sitting there admiring his work. I tried to get some answers, but mostly we sat quietly contemplating…me admiringly of course. But, I am so thankful for having finally met him – my favourite architect.

Cee’s Black&WhitePhoto Challenge: Things With Engines or Motors

Well…I’m not sure it had any engine or motor – but I liked it!

Cee is asking for engines and motors…here is a car I fancied – and so did the man in it!

For more engines, click here.

 

A Place Where Nobody Wanted to Live…

The controversial modernist architect Antoni Gaudí is one of my own favourites…but in his own time – he was not always popular. In Barcelona, you might have visited  his fabulous Sagrada Família, Casa Battló or La Pedrera and Parc Güell. And Marvelled.

Palacio Episcopal (end of the 19th century) in Astorga was seen as rather abominable in appearance and the cost for building it was just too much for the congregation. No bishop has ever lived there since…

Inside, you recognize Gaudí’s style with beautiful ceramics and stained glass.

The palace is now being restored, and I guess its future visitors will continue to admire his outstanding art.

The magnificent cross bows and his colour combinations are simply divine.

So, be sure to visit when your road leads you here…you cannot get too much of Gaudí!

As usual, click to get a larger view – sometimes you have to click twice…and click the links for my previous posts on his art in Barcelona!

 

Travel theme: Pastel

In northern Spain, we feasted on bay windows (I have always wanted one…). Mostly white and covering the whole front of the houses, but I also found some in colour. For Ailsa, pastel is the choice.

 

Spanien 3 381_copy

 

 

CFFC: Smiles

 

Some of all the lovely people I have met on my travels. In the header two sweet girls at a Scottish country boule club, and below, the most wonderful ladies celebrating Saint Carmen in hotel Amadora on the north coast of Spain. Two of the three ladies were called Carmen, the mother and her daughter standing on her right side (left for you). Their friend was called Ana. My compliments on the eldest lady who was 86, and still a beauty.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Smiles

Amadora

WPC: Narrow

As much as I like the open landscape, I also like things narrow – unless it turns up in nightmares where I am stuck in a narrow tunnel, unable to go either forwards or backwards…

For more things narrow, click here.

 

The tunnel leading to  Cuevas de Valporquero, Spain. In reality – not a nightmare!

Thursday Thoughts – Slowly

Back from Spain, but only slowly returning to blogging. Thank you for all your lovely wishes for a good rest and reload!

I have just started reading, and somewhere next week I hope to read more and to post something more substantial…Thought I would send you this memory – a most significant sight along the Spanish summer roads.