In a combination of quirky architecture juxtaposed with religious consecration and symbolism,La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, the basilica combines Gothic and Art Nouveau elements to create a project that defies explanation. La Sagrada Familia is not a cathedral, that’s a specific designation given to the …
Photo Friday: La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain Read More »
It may still look like the bullring that it was in a previous life, but the Arenas de Barcelona is now a shopping and business complex near the Placa d’Espanya. Bull fighting was never popular in Barcelona, and it was banned completely in 2012, so for much of its life, this bull ring sat empty …
Barcelona’s El Prat Airport (BCN) is located about seven and half miles from the city center, and is the second largest airport in Spain (behind Madrid). It is the primary airport in Catalonia and primarily serves domestic Spain routes along with European and North African destinations, with more limited service to North America. It the 9th …
Haec omnia tibi dabo si cadens adoraveris me. Latin scholars know that the words “tibi dabo” mean “I’ll give you,” and that the sentence means “All of this I will give to you if you fall down and worship me.” Biblical historians tells us that Satan stood on top of a mountain and said these …
When I think of Barcelona, Spain, the thought of Antoni Gaudi, the Catalonian architect born in 1852, always comes to mind. After all, the city is covered in the man’s work. In fact, Gaudi’s work over the years has irrevocably influenced the face of Barcelona architecture like none other before or after. Influenced primarily by nature, …
Crumbling Colonial architecture. Endless vistas of Caribbean blue seas. Music that still stirs the soul. An artist whose work marks him as the love child of Barcelona’s Antonio Gaudi and Simon Rodia of Watts Towers fame. That’s what I remember most about a recent visit to Havana. The artist – José Rodríguez Fuster – is …
Israel has rugged adventures for the serious outdoor lover? Oh yes. While most visitors journey to Israel for religious reasons – it is a spiritual destination for not one but three major religions – yet on my trip, I experienced an equally, but altogether different, sacred Israel. Between Israel’s diverse terrain and spiritual significance, it …
Paella and sangria may be the quintessential Spanish meal, but in one area of Spain, you’re more likely to be tucking into bean casserole and drinking cider. Asturias, a principality on Spain’s northern coast, is not somewhere widely known to tourists outside of Spain. While it has long been a summer retreat for Spanish monarchs, …
I owe a big apology to all my loyal readers for keeping you in the dark over the last 3 months. Since my last post I travelled to Mexico twice, shared the stage in San Francisco with some of the authorities on the “geoweb”, travelled to Corsica, the French Riviera, Lake Como, St. Moritz; and …
Hyper-connected to the rest of the world through an ample offering of long-haul flights, low crime rates, great education and health system, fair balance of sunny and warm days, plenty of ways to stay informed, availability of drinks after hours, good public transit, lots of green areas and a will to keep them green. This …