Gargoyles

Gargoyle: a protruding spout. And here I thought they were merely ornamental. 

One of the favorite attractions for my husband when we travel in Europe is to check out the gargoyles. Funny, I don't often notice them at home, but when you look up in France, Italy and Spain especially, they seem to be everywhere. 

Gargoyles were used by architects to convey the water away from the building's masonry and mortar to prevent erosion. They are usually in the shape of grotesques- strange, ugly, fantastic animal forms often combined with human characteristics. They were also spread around the perimeter of the church to scare the demons away.

There is something fascinating yet slightly revolting about them.

The gargoyles from the Palais Des Papes in Avignon, France:

Avignon

French pigeons from Avignon

Oops- how did they sneak in here?

 From Barcelona's Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (the old cathedral):

Gargoyles around Sagrada Familia in Barcelona:

Lastly are the gargoyles of the Cathedral in Rouen, France:

What do you think?

A Moment's Glance

A few of my favorite moments during the past few weeks...

For sale in a gallery... and a bit more than we could handle

In front of Notre Dame in Paris

At the Louvre

Spanish attitude in Barcelona!

Life is good, eh?

One Beautiful Building

Strolling down La Rambla in Barcelona, you can't help but be captivated by this corner building's beauty.  Built in 1820 as a noodle and semolina factory for the Figueras family, it was later redone by the stage designer, Antoni Ros i Güell, in 1902. The building is an excellent example of Art Nouveau style. Mosaics, wrought iron, stained glass and stucco are all here.

In 1986, the building was purchased by Antonio Escriba Serra, the "Chocolate Magician" and his son Christian. Christian and his wife, Patricia Schmidt, a pastry chef from Brazil run the pastry shop, called Pastisseria Escribà.  Christian Escriba is a renowned artist who blends pastries that are carried in the most famous shops in Europe. 

Wow is all I can say!

Please visit Pastisseria Escribà here.

Metal in Barcelona

If you are a lover of wrought iron or Art Nouveau, 
then Barcelona is the city that you need to visit. 

It is visually stunning. 

Around each corner and down most alleys, you can catch glimpses of the beautiful work that the metalsmiths produced, mainly around the late 1800's.

The Gothic Barcelona Cathedral

Beautiful street light with its charming shape

Perfection!

Gaudi collaborated on this entrance to Ciudadela Park 

Balcony closeup of Gaudi's Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera

Teatre del Liceu/Opera House

I wish I had taken better notes so I could tell you about every photo but, alas, we were too busy enjoying the sights!

Harvest Play Time

Time to go outside!

The cleaning will wait. The laundry will wait. The seasons will not.

Enjoy the fall weather while you can (at least in the northern hemisphere). For those of you experiencing spring, can you smell the hyacinths yet? We're smelling the scent of crushed leaves under our feet and the first wood fires in our fireplaces.

This lovely stone relief harvest girl is part of a building front in Barcelona. 

I'll be taking you there next week- care to join me?

Detailed Approach: Ceilings

With their detailed restoration of period ceilings, doors and stained glass windows, El Palauet Living Barcelona would certainly be high on my list of beautiful hotels to stay at! The building on Passeig de Gràcia was built in 1906 . The restoration resulted in six Modernista, fully equipped suites.

Personally, I would be staying there just to admire the ceilings! I also like the combination of the contemporary furniture with the classic architecture; they play against one another.

 

Your thoughts?

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