in the shadows of tall buildings

el barrio gotico

natalia and carolina in la plaza reial

on wednesday morning i caught the metro into barcelona to meet some friends at 9:30 in la plaza cataluña. natalia is the daughter of one of the pastors here, and carolina is her cousin and lives in canada. first we walked down las ramblas (one of the main streets), then turned off into el barrio gotico. there we just walked, took pictures, and went inside several gorgeous cathedrals. after a hour or so we stopped at a starbucks to get some refreshments. it was so hot out, and i was so in need of caffeine that i got myself a nice mocha frappuchino. i've had barely any caffeine here, so that frappe tasted delicious. after that, we went back to the walking. we went to the cathedral of barcelona, the cities most famous cathedral. unfortunately, the sun was sort of behind it, so it was difficult to get a picture. the inside was really pretty...it was like any other of the cathedrals we had seen that morning, only more so. 

cathedral of barcelona

i love the amount of awe and humility the vaulted arches and ceilings instill in me. this was cultivated in england last year, and has grown over the winter and spring. now when i leave a cathedral i feel something intangible tugging me, trying to keep me inside. with the peace of the silent stones and stained glass.

cathedral of barcelona 

here are some random cathedral pictures...either i don't remember or i didn't hear the names of these cathedrals. the names aren't too important though. they are all gothic period, in el barrio gotico, and gorgeous.

after finishing up with the cathedrals, we made our way through some more streets. we went to a few more plazas. we stepped inside a few more stores. actually, we spent quite a bit of time trying to find a barcelona soccer shirt/jersey for my nephew. the men in the stores would, of course, name ridiculous amounts for little imitation shirts. i finally got one though....it may be official, it may not be. but i have it and it's worth the peace. i hope.

one of the plazas we went, la plaça de sant jaume, was where the government buildings are. on one side is someone's house and offices, and on the other side is the other persons. i don't remember who they are though! maybe the city and province "mayor" type people? something like that. in that plaza, as in many around spain, there were protestors.

after that, woo-hoo, we walked some more! we went towards the mediterranean sea, away from the mediterranean sea. we walked into gardens and out of gardens, past colleges, and finally arrived at the arc of triumf. the arc (below) is a copy of the arc de triomphe, in paris. and no, it's not quite a copy...the one in paris is white. it's bigger. it's different. the same thing happens all the time with other buildings. there's the original bridge of sighs in venice, italy, and then there's the one in oxford. there the real parthenon in greece, and there's the copy in nashville.

anyway. so after we took pictures--oh, by the by. since about noon that day my camera's almost dead battery light had been coming on and off. once it even turned off after 2 seconds and said "replace batteries". that camera lasted me through parks, through the arc, and through the rest of the day. 8 more hours of taking pictures with it, as it continually threatened to die on me. i don't really know why that happened, but it was amazing!

arc of triumf

after the arc of triumph, we went to natalia's house for lunch, because it was just a few blocks away. they live in about a 100 year old apartment building. it's pretty cute, and i think rather spacious considering the location. walking up all the flights of stairs reminded me of living in the apartment in israel when i was 5. i'll never, ever forget those stairs. they. never. ended. and if you were carrying something, maybe a stuffed animal (a lamb for example), it was worse. 

so, we arrived at the house, washed up a little, and ate a nice lunch. the family is...surprise surprise, colombian, so it was colombian food. i seem to be a colombian magnet. the food was yummy and for postres (dessert) we had fruit. the dad comes home for lunch, so after we'd eaten he went to have his siesta. the wife soon joined him and we set out again. this time, we took the metro up to la plaza españa, and i'll leave you there now, contemplating...oh i don't know, contemplate something. i'll post some lyrics, that may help. hmm....ok, "cathedrals", by jump little children. here's a video too, if you want to hear it. thanks, cheers, bye. 

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In the shadows of tall buildings

Of fallen angels on the ceilings

Oily feathers in bronze and concrete

Faded colors, pieces left incomplete

The line moves slowly past the electric fence

Across the borders between continents

In the cathedrals of New York and Rome

There is a feeling that you should just go home

And spend a lifetime finding out just where that is

In the shadows of tall buildings

The architecture is slowly peeling

Marble statues and glass dividers

Someone is watching all of the outsiders

The line moves slowly through the numbered gate

Past the mosaic of the head of state

In the shadows of tall buildings

Of open arches endlessly kneeling

Sonic landscapes echoing vistas

Someone is listening from a safe distance

The line moves slowly into a fading light

A final moment in the dead of night