If you really wish to enjoy Barcelona and experience both “love in the air” and spring atmosphere, come during La Diada de Sant Jordi. It is a Catalan holiday held on 23 April and is known also as El dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book). The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and colleagues. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion “a rose for love and a book forever.”
Bar Marsella
Located in the heart of Raval, the multi-ethnic and colorful district of Barcelona, Bar Marsella is one of the city’s oldest bars and gets its ambience from its house drink: absinthe. Derived from wormwood and herbs, absinthe is powerful stuff, though the hallucinatory properties that gave it the nickname the Green Fairy, and the reputation for undoing legions of fin-de-siècle bohemians, have never been proven. Continue reading
Spring has arrived in Barcelona
Spring has arrived in Barcelona at the end with blue skies and slightly warmer temperature. As days are getting more and more longer, we are going soon to introduce afternoon photographic tours to let you explore and take pictures of one of the most beautiful European cities right before tasting tapas in one of many bars of the old city centre!
We are waiting for you!
Snow in Barcelona
Just add some snow in Barcelona and the city becomes even more magic! It started last night with rain and high northerly winds while temperature was dropping considerably and then, suddenly, rain turned into snow flakes quickly. This morning, the higher districts of Barcelona were covered by a soft blanket of snow and so were the hills behind the city. Around midday, as sun came out in a deep blue mediterranean sky, snow started to melt gradually but not before I made it to Montjuïc to shoot photos of the unusual white skyline and spot, later, a lonely snowman on a sidewalk that, I am sure, won’t last until tomorrow.
Taking photos in the market
Whether you are visiting a vibrant European city or exploring an exotic Asian village, markets must be definitively on your travel shot list. In the same place, you can find a wide variety of colorful goods, animated stallholders, interesting people and an exciting environment to discover and enjoy with your camera. Continue reading
Christmas lights at Torre Agbar
Throughout December to celebrate Christmas holidays, Torre Agbar (Agbar Tower), a 38-story skyscraper designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and also a Barcelona’s iconic symbol, is illuminated at night by about 4,500 spectacular LED colored lights. The show takes place on the building’s glassy structure every day, from 6 p.m. to midnight, and, definitively, it adds further color to the Christmas’ spirit in town.
Urban sunset
Autumn is here at the end. It has been raining since the previous night as towering thunder clouds rolled down to the mediterranean coast and soaked Barcelona in heavy downpour. Then, as day was going to die, sky cleared up suddenly just in time to give a beautiful sunset over the city. I was walking through Port Vell Marina at the end of the day and my brand new Nikon D800 caught a scenic view of a such amazing urban sunset. Enjoy!
Terminal 1
Passengers disembarking in Barcelona El Prat international airport are welcomed by one among the most beautiful and efficient existing terminal buildings in the world. Modern, bright inside and simply huge, Terminal 1 is among my favorite airports along with those of Singapore, Munich and Amsterdam.
Using diagonals in urban photography
Composition is an essential topic of urban photography. Beside the rule of thirds, there are more visual conventions that make cityscape pictures more pleasing and interesting to look at. For example, diagonals can add some dynamism to the image by leading the viewer’s eye into the picture itself. They create points of interest by adding action to the photography and lead the eye to the photograph’s main subject or point of interest. Diagonals can give depth to the single image by suggesting perspective. Just think about a S-shape road, a sweep of buildings or arches or a people’s procession.
Dusk in Barri Gotic
Light at dusk is simply faboulous. It is a mere compromise between the day not over yet and the city lights blooming slowly. Barcelona is not an exception at all at this rule. The old city becomes even more picturesque and the illuminated small squares of Barri Gotic fully reveal a magic atmosphere to catch with your camera like the tiny and unknown for most Plaça de Sant Just.