Somebody's boot imprint, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Somebody's boot imprint, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

I noticed these in the concrete, somewhere close to the gift shop at Sagrada Familia and they made me smile ... a small fossil for some archaeologist to find in a few hundred years maybe.

Sagrada Familia magic, Barcelona

Sagrada Familia magic, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

I think this is what most fascinated me ... walking around a curve or being in that place in that point in time so that the light did this.

I found it staggeringly beautiful and now here I am, like a child playing with pretty stones found on a beach, as I work through the photographs, feeling the magic again and again.

What did he see ...?

What did he see ...? Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

I couldn't resist this one ... I hope he doesn't mind.

The image of Jesus, Façade of the Passion, Salgrada Familia, Barcelona

The image of Jesus, Façade of the Passion, Salgrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

For some reason, I find sculpture almost as beautiful to photograph as people ... I have no idea why. I guess it is about light and transformations.

People are a little more self-conscious and I try to respect them in ways sculpture neither needs nor asks for ... so, I sat a while and studied this image of Jesus, examining the light some.

Later I read that this particular image sustains the optical illusion of always looking in the direction of those observing it.

I thought the work stunning.

From, The Guide to the Passion Facades, Salgrada Familia

The written word, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

I bought 2 books by artists involved in work on the Church of the Sagrada Familia. I loved this door with its words and went back to the books to see how the door had been written up.

Josep Maria Subirachs wrote of his work: I have always believed that the central double door should synthesize the entire work of the façade . I finally found the theme that I think is suitable: I reproduce the texts of the Gospel illustrated by the sculptural groups. The two massive doors separated by the mullion, will be like two immense open books; yet the background texture, with over 8,000 letters melted in bronze, will not distract attention from the figure of the flagellation, which is located in front.

Barcelona street scene

Barcelona street scene, originally uploaded by - di.

I couldn't resist.

I love these mirrors ...

Construction in Sagrada Familia

Construction in Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

If it wasn't 10euro to enter Sagrada Familia, I think I would like to visit each day to try and photograph what the light does with the material it is given to work with ...

Then again, I guess commuting from Belgium would be silly.

Robert Fisk and BCN Books, Barcelona

Actually, all this blogging is what happens when a woman who enjoys listening to, finding and telling stories, is left alone in a new city with no one to talk to but wifi and a laptop in her room ...

Well there is the waitress who lived in New Zealand but that tapas bar is a busy one so we just talk a little each time.

Today I set out with a guide for the city but foolishly wandered into a bookshop I happened upon by chance. Due to recent experiences, most particularly in France, I decided to immediately ask where the English books were ... hoping there were some.

The lovely man looked surprised and said, 'They're all English'.
I replied, I'm sorry, I'm a tourist.'

I just did the same downstairs before leaving for tapas, the I'm a tourist thing ... 2 women leaving the building at the same time thought I was trying to lock the door as I was leaving but somehow I managed to explain that no, I only wanted to be sure I knew how to get back in. They were kind, they took me through the procedure and voila, I'm back in after a dinner of tapas and with a little Mr Robert Fisk on the side.

BCN Books, Barcelona ... you must visit if you're a lover of English books because it sells itself as Your English Bookshop - something I'm wishing I had noted as I wandered in. You can find this store at Roger de Llúria, 118, 08037 Barcelona and if I have written that out incorrectly, then you can email them for directions at bcnbooks@bcnbooks.com or phone them on 934 577 692.

There is a website but I think he said it's not quite there but then again, it depends when you read this, doesn't it.

Really ... I looked over the shelves, pre-the almost-fainting-over-the-light at Salgrada Familia and almost fainted over the selection of books that BCN Books have on their shelves. And truly, I'm not a fainter.

They're so intelligent, tempting, diverse!
I have been trying to force myself to buy books that are about entertaining me and losing-myself-in-them simple because I would like some of that sometimes, but I just can't pay money for them however this bookshop satisfied all my other bookish desires.

I once heard Robert Fisk speak in Ghent university and I loved what he was saying and the passion and the other times, cold calm, with which he spoke. Some say he is too emotional, too personal but I'm not sure I agree that that is possible, especially when you've spent most of your journalistic life in the Middle East.

So I knew I had to buy his massive tome of a book - The Great War for Civilisation. The Conquest of the Middle East as soon as I saw it there.

1286 pages ...

And sometimes, in the church of the Sagrada Familia

The Church of Sagrada Familia, with smoke from the workmens fire, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

Sometimes you wander into the church just as the light is at a particular angle and slices up the smoke from the workmens fire.

It was heavenly in there today ...

Gaudi's Paint ...

Gaudi's Paint, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

I bought 2 small booklets today, both written by artists working on Sagrada Familia.

Josep Maria Subirachs Guide to the Passion Facade and Joan Vila-Grau on The Stained-Glass Windows.

It was in the book by Josep that I found this beautiful description of the light I found inside the Sagrada Familia this morning.

In a piece titled, The Sun, The Best Painter he wrote: Gaudi is a master of light who knows all the resources needed to create heart-captivating atmosphere, and knows how to cover the windows, if need be, with colour, or how to simply guide the light over pure architectural surfaces.

He ends with a quote from Ignasi Puig Boada: The elements of the windows transform the Church walls with a palpitating light, as if the light, working like water flowing over stone, had dug into the thickness of the walls in a process of slow and polyform erosion.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Detail, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, originally uploaded by - di.

And so it seems that I am one of the few people in the world who didn't know the genius of Antoni Gaudi, his ideas about Nature and how he incorporated them in the famous Temple Expiatori Sagrada Familia.

I wandered there this morning and stayed the entire morning, watching the light change ... watching it stream through the stain-glass windows by Joan Vila-Grau and play on Gaudi's tree-like pillars.

It was truly stunning but knowing I had to locate a supermarket - shampoo, conditioner and deoderant were left out of my hand luggage - I finally found the strength to walk away from the surreal and stunning landscape of Gaudi and re-entered the world.

A small taste for you ...