Gaudi

Anne approaches Sagrada Familia

Barcelona is a beautiful city that has inspired and been shaped by many artists.  Notably, both Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali spent time in Barcelona and both of their legacies are well represented there.  However, the 800 pound artistic gorilla in Mark's, Anne's and Bren's trip to Barcelona was Gaudi.

Antoni Gaudi was an architect and artist who had begun work on the Sagrada Familia, massive church, in the late nineteenth century.  He worked on it until his death in 1926.  Since then others have continued the work, although interruptions due to war, money and various other issues have slowed its progress.  It is still not completed (the cranes in the photo above are there doing original construction, not renovations) and in fact, the authorities do not anticipate a completion of the church until 2026, the centennial of the death of Gaudi.

But it is difficult to get too hung up on the fact that the work is still in progress.  There is more than enough there to look at now.

Both the inside and outside of the church (actually, as of 2010, the pope consecrated the Sagrada Familia and named it a 'basilica,' so calling it a "church" might be a bit too informal) are wildly impressive.  The exterior has four main spires and several shorter ones, each covered from base to tip with intricate carvings and artwork.  On the interior, the building is supported by a variety of different forms of columns, each decorated with a unique vision.  The stained glass is still a work in process being made by another artist, but under the instructions left by Gaudi.  Similarly, much of the intricate artwork is being completed by artists under the guidance of Gaudi's original plans.

But Gaudi was not limited in his creations to churches.  He actually made quite a name for himself designing other buildings.  There are a number of apartment buildings throughout Barcelona designed by him that tourists stop and gawk at every day (Anne, Mark and Bren were limited to gawking, as the idea of paying 9 Euro to enter the lobby of an apartment building - ANY apartment building - seemed a bit crazy).

If the Sagrada Familia ("Holy Family") Basilica is Gaudi's most famous work, a close second has to be the Park Guell.

The park, which was originally intended to be a housing development (it actually was a huge failure in that regard), sits on a hill overlooking the city and the sea.  The park itself was designed by Gaudi and contains a full sensory overload, which seems to be a Gaudi trademark in Barcelona.

View from the guard's house.

The sea serpent guards the main entrance to the park, and has become a bit of a mascot for the park and the city itself (well, at least for the souvenir shops).  The park is rather spacious and has areas where a visitor could fine quiet and solitude.  However, the main part of the park is lively and dynamic.  During their visit, Anne, Bren and Mark heard two different local bands and enjoyed the talents of multiple street park performers

On to Barcelona

After spending a few days in Madrid, Anne, Mark and Bren took an overnight train to Barcelona.  On paper, this looked like a great idea.  Spring for the first class tickets, get a little sleep on the train, wake up in Barcelona ready to see the sights.  Unfortunately, real life is not on paper.  In Madrid, "First Class" tickets mean that the seats will recline nearly 2 degrees and the florescent cabin lights will remain on for the duration of the trip.  Despite their rather extraordinary efforts to find sleep (efforts which may have included one member of the group reclining on or near the floor of the train car), the trio arrived in Barcelona more than a bit fatigued.  Luckily, Barcelona is in Spain (duh!), so a siesta is a perfectly acceptable cure for this problem.

Asleep at 12:30.  You got to love Europe.

After a brief siesta, Anne, Mark and Bren headed out to see what was going on in Barcelona.  One day that they were there a huge parade was taking place to honor the Barcelona football club, who had just clinched the La Liga Championship (at least that is what it said on the caption on the newspaper the next day - Anne, Mark and Bren do not really follow La Liga).  However, the parade was over by the time the siesta ended, so the trio attempted to find other cultural experiences in Barcelona, and they were not disappointed.

Anne is either looking up the address of an exciting place to visit or looking inside the briefcase from Pulp Fiction.

One thing that Spain is famous for is tapas.  "Tapas" is basically a way to serve a variety of cheeses, meats and breads in snack-size portions.  The customer generally gets an opportunity to try several different types of foods, rather than filling up on one entree.  Anne, Mark and Bren made it their mission to find a tapas restaurant.  Unfortunately, the trio was looking for one on Sunday, and did so as Americans (actually they do everything as Americans - by this comment I mean that they went looking for a lunch place at around noon).  Not so fast, my friends.  Not only are they not serving lunch at noon, most of the places are not even open.  Eventually, however, the three found a nice place to try this new style of dining.  They ordered what the waiter recommended and then waited for the delicious to begin.  The food served included a variety of cheeses (the stinky kind) and hams.

Mark inspects the cheese.

The big hit however, was the chorizo diablo.

 The waiter brought the chorizo diablo to the table and did most of the cooking right there.  Anne, Mark and Bren washed the meal down with some vino manzana and sangria.

In addition to sampling the tapas, the trio wandered around Barcelona and did a few other things that the locals do.  For example, they went down to the waterfront boardwalk and watched the ships.

Mysteriously, the boardwalk has no actual boards.

They also had the opportunity to watch the locals do what only the locals do.  For example, dancing in front of a church.

Barcelona is located in a region called Catalonia.  Catalonia is contained within the nation of Spain, but many of the people who live there consider themselves to be Catalonians first, Spaniards second (or not at all).  It is not its own nation, but sometimes acts like it wants to be (like Quebec or Texas).  As such, many of the signs in Barcelona are written in Spanish and Catalan.  The people pictured above are Catalonians who gather in front of their church each Sunday at noon to do some traditional Catalonian dancing and other Catalonian-only activities (secret handshakes, etc.).  You can see their belongings placed in the center of their dancing circle, which is either a way to symbolize that they are all part of a collective group and would provide for one another materially or a way to prevent their stuff from getting stolen while they danced (Barcelona is crawling with pickpockets - bring a money belt).

Las Meninas

The painting represented above is called "Las Meninas."  It was completed by Spanish painter Diego Velazquez in 1656 and currently hangs in the Prado Museum in Madrid.  Anne, Mark and Bren went to the Prado Museum and viewed this painting.  On more than one occasion they were informed that this is the best painting ever.  Sometimes this was stated in a more qualified way (as in "one of" the best paintings ever), but more than once it was stated that this the best.  The Rick Steves guidebook referenced it as the best painting ever.  A later visit to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona showed that Picasso himself may have also held this belief.  (The Picasso Museum displays a set of 58 paintings that Picasso made about this painting - although with Picasso you'll have to take his word for it on some of them as you cannot tell from looking what exactly is in the painting)

Anne, Bren and Mark are certainly no experts on art and culture (although if you have read this blog, you can be forgiven for thinking otherwise).  But it was still quite a shock to learn that there is a work of art, the most subjective of any discipline, that has been determined to be the absolute best work of art, at a fairly high level of general consensus among people who study and/or understand such things (at least enough of a consensus to be published in multiple places by different people).

This thought made Mark wonder about all of the other things upon which the world cannot reach consensus.  Like, which is the best Beatle?

With all due respect to George Harrison (the 'Scottie Pippen' of the Beatles) and Ringo Starr (all time world champion in category of "Right Place, Right Time"), it comes down to John ('Help!' and 'All You Need is Love') or Paul ('Hey, Jude' and 'Yesterday').  And reasonable people can disagree.

So, out of four Beatles, we cannot agree on who is the best - but of all of the millions of paintings in the world, we all go along with Las Meninas as the champ?  How does that happen?

Other than the painting at the heart of this cultural and philosophical conundrum, the Prado Museum contained hundreds of other masterpieces.  However, no photos were allowed.  The only proof that Bren was ever even there is this single photo of her having a cafe in the Prado cafe.

The remainder of the time this trio spent in Madrid was short and uneventful.  Anne, Mark and Bren took the public bus on a tour around the city to look at the architecture and what not.  Eventually, they came to the conclusion that Madrid is the Oakland, California of Europe.  As Gertrude Stein famously said about Oaktown, "there is no there there."  After visiting the Prado, Anne, Bren and Mark could not find any "there" in Madrid.  It is a beautiful city in and of itself, but you can ride the bus all day because there is no particular place you need to stop.  Are we there yet?  No, there is no "there."

One final note:  We are going to have to start naming these hairstyles.  Any ideas?  Please submit to the comments section (as always, creativity>accuracy).

When Mark first spotted this hairstyle some weeks ago, it was new, exciting and totally not going to be repeated.  Then, it was spotted again.  This time in Spain.  

There are a limited number of explanations for this phenomena.  1. The same guy is following Anne and Mark around.  (This explanation has been deemed to be "unlikely.")  2. This is an actual look that is catching on.  Management has decided that option #2 is probably the more likely scenario and must begin plans to deal with it.  The first step is acceptance.  Check.  Now the novelty has worn off and it has become something that we are going to have to deal with seriously.  The next step is naming the problem.  Let's get started on that muy pronto.

...And We're Back!

As avid readers of this blog may have noticed, there has not been a posting in quite some time.  The reason for this absence is that Anne and Mark left Blagoevgrad immediately after the end of the spring semester and did a 15 day trip through Spain and Italy.  For the majority of the journey, Anne and Mark were joined by their niece, who we will refer to as "Bren."  Bren has recently completed her first year of undergraduate studies and journeyed across the Atlantic in search of culture, adventure and comedy jokes.  Anne and Mark were called upon to provide all three.  Bren's trip was a mad dash across five cities, jammed-packed with enough culture to choke a horse.

But a trip to Europe with Anne and Mark is not just about museums and old churches.  Bren's first trip to the continent had it all: overnight train rides, seeing people with awesome hair in surprising places, increasingly ridiculous hats, surprisingly aggressive yelling directed at flower salesmen, Mark running into elderly men in tour groups and, yes, a big-time celebrity siting.  Who could ask for more?

Let's start with the hats.

Apparently, the requirement for military and/or security-related headgear in Europe is that it be either (a) pretty silly looking or (b) exist as a symbol of the uselessness of the person who is wearing said headgear or (c) both.  The "guards" above are wearing headgear that appears to have been made out of formed plastic.  The front, top and sides of it appear to be a black, plastic cereal bowl.  This is, of course, totally without any type of use, but essentially unremarkable.  The rubber really meets the road on these sombreros with that back piece.  A flat piece on the back of the hat.  What purpose could that possibly serve?  To protect the top of the skull from attack from the rear?  Possibly.  Some type of mechanism to allow these hats to be stacked more easily?  Possible, but unlikely.  According to legend, the actual purpose of the flat back of the hats on these jokers is to allow them to lean against the building and have a smoke without the tourists noticing that they are slacking off.  That's going through a lot of work to be a little bit lazy.

This plaza has had more than one name over the years.  It is currently called "El Plaza Mayor."  The English translation of this is "The Plaza Mayor."

Both the photo of the "guards" and the photo immediately above are from Madrid.  Madrid is the capital city of Spain and was the site of quite a lot of violence historically.  For example, the square pictured above, which currently hosts Anne and Bren (not facing the camera) and a fairly extensive variety of street performers (to be discussed in a future post), hosted executions during the height of the Spanish Inquisition.  Apparently, anyone who was not Christian, or more accurately stated, anyone who was not "Christian enough," was subject to a serious of punishments up to and including death.  If a poor soul was sentenced to death for a conversion to Christianity that was not convincing enough to the local authorities, such poor soul may have been put to death in this square.  The balconies in the photo above - visible over the street performer wearing the Mickey Mouse with the stars and stripes outfit - were rented out by the wealthy residents of Madrid who found this to be quality entertainment (the execution, not the stars and stripes Mickey).

In addition to this square, there are numerous other locations throughout Madrid which mark places where important killings took place.  From time to time Anne, Mark and Bren wondered what victims had done to incur the punishments they had received.

Flamenco dancers beheaded and left on the city street.

But even with this combination of memorials, guards and headless dancers, it was clear that not every rule imposed in this city was going to be followed.  Some brave men and women had brazenly broken rules and inspired future generations to do the same.  For example, the city had a clear rule against giving a "thumb's up."

Not right on.

Anne, Mark and Bren found this sign over and over again (mostly on the subway).  The city was clearly stating that they did not want the people to encourage one another, as this could lead to an uprising.  However, Anne, Mark and Bren found at least one brave woman who was willing to ignore this dictate and give the thumb's up for all to see:

Right on, sister!!!

Inspired by this rebellion, Anne, Mark and Bren marched over to the Royal Palace.  Ostensibly, they were there as tourists, but who would be surprised if they broke a few rules once they got there???

The Palacio Real de Madrid is the official home of the royal family of Spain (which is composed, most probably, of Rafael Nadal and Penelope Cruz, as they are the most famous Spanish people).  However, the royal family does not actually live in this palace, so you can go on tours of the palace grounds.  

No photos are allowed inside the palace.  This rule is put into place either to protect the sensitive works of art and other artifacts from the harsh and potentially harmful "click" sounds made by cameras or to maximize the sales of postcards at the palace gift shop.  Obviously, under either justification, it is an important rule.  The importance of the rule was made even more evident by the fact that it was enforced by a "guard" with a particularly foolish-looking hat - one that ensured that he could serve no purpose whatsoever other than being the guy whose job it was to wear that hat.  And, with such an important rule, the consequences of breaking it must be severe.  Arrest?  Deportation?  Inquisition?

However, inspired by the courage of the thumbs-up lady in the painting, Mark went against all the rules and snapped a photo (*editor's note: a cynic might point out that Mark was simply not paying attention to the 'no photos' signs when he took the photo).  Was it worth the risk?  You be the judge:

Total contraband

Potty Talk

For the most part, things in Europe are not all that different from things in the U.S.  There are some significant differences, of course, which are worth noting if you plan on visiting Europe.  First, it is important to note that Americans are basically giants, so everything here (which is an appropriate size for Europeans) is far too small for Americans.  For example:

Another example.  If you are in Europe for long enough, you are eventually going to want to use the bathroom (editor's note: did he really just write that?).  When doing so, it is important to know a few things.  Maybe most importantly, a "bathroom" is actually a room with a bath in it.  This is probably not what you were looking to find.  Instead, ask for a washroom, toilet or a "WC" (water closet).

If all of that fails, there are bathroom WC toilet other signs that help guide people to the appropriate place.  But even these require a bit of interpretation.  For example.....

Remnant of segragation

This sign is from London.  It is very helpful for what it does.  Ladies and Gentlemen go downstairs to find a washroom.  Clear and easy to understand.  But about the rest of us?  Where are our washrooms?

Most signs will adhere to a similar convention (male and female restrooms), but not all.  

This sign (found at Mosada in Israel) has two separate restrooms, but instead of male and female, it reserves one restroom for people with pear-shaped torsos and one leg.  Kind of a niche market, but I guess it works for them.  

But as mentioned, most facilities use the typical male/female WC split.  But some will require a certain amount of class of its patrons.  For example, this gas station in Bulgaria requires its male patrons to wear bowties.

Kind of snooty for a gas station with a Turkish toilet.

The signs, found in Macedonia seem to require nearly as much class from the users of these facilities (although it is possible a man would sneak in with just a collar, not necessarily a bowtie). 

 

These signs do raise some important questions about Macedonia, however.  First, why are the heads of the men so much larger and more round (kind of looks like Jack-in-the-Box with a bowler hat) than the heads of the women?  Second, why is the woman bringing a drink into the ladies room?

Regardless of the answers to these important inquiries (well, inquiries, anyway), this raises an important point: sometimes the signs can be used to communicate information beyond just the location of the WC.  For example, in Europe, is not uncommon to have to pay a fee to use the facilities in public.  

The reason matching "his and hers" haircuts never caught on.

This sign, found on the beach in Tel Aviv, communicates that it costs 1 Shkel to use the facilities (The bigger point to Anne and Mark is that the people have really, really oddly shaped heads, but that does not fit this narrative, so it will not be discussed).

Sometimes, the signs can communicate that the facilities are in use.

"Engaged" is the fancy British equivalent of the "occupied" part of the dial that shows up when a port-o-potty is in use.

The above is actually a photo of the facilities on a train in England in use.  Not for nothing, but using the facilities on a moving train is not as easy as it sounds.  Please plan accordingly.

And finally, some signs communicate the location of a restroom for someone who has got to go.  Others communicate the location of a restroom for someone who REALLY has got to go.

Congrats

K & J

Bulgarian Humane Society

Available for adoption

As previously discussed on this blog, there is no humane society in Blago.  As a result, there are a ton of stray animals running around.  Cats, dogs.... horses?  Most of them are friendly, at least if you are friendly to them.  Anne and Mark have noticed that some of the strays have a little animosity toward old men, probably because old men can get pretty crusty around here (editor's note: the previous statement does not apply to Mark, so any suggestions to the contrary posted in the comments section, or anywhere else, will be dealt with quite severely.  Also - you kids, get off of my lawn!!!)

Ok, so if there is no Humane Society in town what is this post about?  Anne P: one woman humane society.

Action shots of Prof. P taking care of the locals:

Dogs on the square

Black cats

Teeny, tiny horses

Bears....

But don't think that Anne discriminates.  She also gives love to the foreigners, as shown with these photos taken in Israel (you will notice the varying levels of appreciation shown by the Israeli animals - not everyone is as thankful as the Bulgarian strays....)

Very receptive cat.

Somewhat receptive.... dog?

Less receptive cat

Get your damn hands off me!

Cultural Differences #3

As we near the end of the semester, it occurs to Anne and Mark that there has not been a 'Cultural Differences' posting since November.  Today is May 4, making the temporal gap between these important public services far too long.  And although there is not a definite theme to tie together the differences pointed out in this posting, each difference is clearly of the utmost importance and worthy of note and a worldwide audience.  So, today, it's time to light up the potpourri of cultural differences (take 3).

First up, more parking issues.  Mark has been quiet about this for a few months, but don't take that to mean that the parking has gotten better.  Or more coherent.  Or that Mark has gotten over it.  Quite the contrary.  The parking is still crazy and mysterious.... as is Mark.

Decent ride, but that bad turning radius will lead you to crash this into a snowbank if you take that hairpin turn too fast.

The yellow car in the photo above (which cinephiles may recognize as the same model as the car used by the Soviet agents who were trying to tail/chasing Rocky during his training montage in Rocky IV) is parked on the sidewalk.  No big news there.  After getting out of the car, the driver noticed that the right, front tire was hanging over the edge of the sidewalk.  The intrepid driver must have realized that this could not possibly be good for the tire.  We assume that the driver first thought to move the car and park it straight.  But that must have seemed like a tremendous waste of time, resources and energy.  Plus, he realized, I can simply prop it up with some rocks.  Bulgarian ingenuity.

This one makes me wonder, though.

Is that a cat under there?

It looks like the guy ran off the road and crashed into a building, knocking part of a fence and debris onto the sidewalk.  Luckily, the driver found himself in Bulgaria, so he could just leave the car there for a couple of days - as if he were parking it there - and act like he meant to do that.  Cool.

So, if this blog has been nothing but a huge waste of time, at least it has accomplished one thing: describing the parking habits of Bulgarians.  It is something that is done differently here and this blog is happy to be the first to document the differences.

Other things that are different in Blagoevgrad and other parts of Europe:

Feminism

I do not remember an equivalent of this event at Grinnell College.  Mary B. James was probably the closest?

Bears in trees in Thessoloniki

Yeah, but why?

Covert operations in England

You can tell it's covert because the man is crouching.

And, of course, pledging fraternities in ancient Greece*

"Hey, just do it.  No one will ever find out.  What are you afraid of - that someone is watching us and that person will carve this scene onto some pottery and that pottery will somehow survive for centuries and then some smart a** Americans (whatever those are) will put it on the internet (whatever that is) and then the whole world will see it?  What are the odds of that happening?"

*Editor's note: the management of this blog is informed that this is actually exactly the same way that pledges are prepared for admission to fraternities in undergraduate facilities in the U.S.  Last entry to be re-filed under "Cultural Similarities."