l´eixemple

as i write in my blog, i am being serenaded by my neighbour in her vocal scale practice. so very urban barcelona!

strolled around without any specific agenda today. wound my way around the l´eixemple district that just has to be the world-wide crown jewel of modernism. look here! and there! oh, and there too! i found everything from street lamps by pere falques to domènech i montaner and puig i cadafalch´s benches, balconies, façades and chimneys. of course, as usual all roads lead to gaudi and this ´hood was no different.

at the time when plans were being drawn for many of its buildings, catalunya was enjoying an economic boom driven by the industrial revolution of the XIXth century. consequently, tradesmen were a busy bunch. together, scuptures, mosaics, wrought iron, plaster, wood, glass and paintings converged to turn l´eixemple into a fantasia brimming with art even as its residents and workers still go about their daily business. brilliant!

gave the barcie version of the arc de triomf a good once-over. it was built in 1888 using the red brickwork that was popular in the moorish revival style of that era. at the pinnacle of the archway is sculpted barcie´s coat of arms while funky gargoyles stand guard over elaborate colourful mosaics. lining the avenue leading up to the archway are columns of fantastically elaborate art nouveau street lamps. gorgeous.

to mix it up a little, i headed into barcie´s gothic area and ambled about. some of the roman artifacts date back to the 2nd century a.d. ! if only the walls and alleys could talk...the stories they would tell. you could almost imagine yourself in the same ´hood, the clock turned back several centuries with a voice reverberating through the streets ¨bring out your dead¨!!