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Inside the mind of a genius

In the middle of one of the busiest cities in Europe stands a 130 year old building site..

The world's most beautiful building site

The world’s most beautiful building site

 

Towers within towers

Towers within towers

It doesn’t really fit in with any of the surrounding architecture;  it doesn’t really fit in with anything, but we love this place and the brain of the man who conceived it. Despite its age, the Sagrada Familia is not a relic from the past, but a thriving, functioning monument to greatness– that won’t be finished for another 20 years – a hundred years after its creator died.

Seemingly chaotic, but every detail accounted for

Seemingly chaotic, but every detail accounted for

Work began on the Sagrada Familia in 1882, but it was when Antoni Gaudi took over the following year and changed much of the original design, that this monument to nature, mathematics and sheer brilliance started to slowly take shape.

How did he even imagine it

How did he even imagine it

At first glance there is no logic to the angles and curves, no discipline to the design with lines, bends, circles, ellipses and every other shape imaginable. But once you have marvelled at how anyone could even begin to think of such a construct, go down into the museum and be blown away by the explanations of the genius of his thinking and methods; the pure logic of the mathematics; the lessons learned from nature and the unique creations of his own, and suddenly it makes sense and becomes even more beautiful than it was already.

Electic and functional design

Electic and functional design

Different colours for different functions - all stunning

Different colours for different functions – all stunning

A forest of columns holding up the sky

A forest of columns holding up the sky

Beauty and genius wherever you look

Beauty and genius wherever you look

Even though it is still only half complete, it is already a UNESCO World Heritage site – one of seven World Heritage sites created by Gaudi.

Park Guell - another of Gaudi's creations

Park Guell – another of Gaudi’s creations

The famous lizard of Park Guell

The famous lizard of Park Guell

Everyone's park

Everyone’s park

Gaudi gargoyles

Gaudi gargoyles

Tragically and perhaps ironically for the creator of this and other fantastic visual feasts, it was the shabby way Gaudi looked that meant he died alone and uncared for, with less than 20% of his masterpiece complete. In his later years Gaudi had started to dress like a poor workman most of the time and rarely carried money or ID. On his way to the church one morning in 1926 he was hit by a tram. Mistaken for a tramp, he was untended in hospital and died days later from injuries that might well have been treatable. Our photos do no justice to Gaudi and the builders and designers who came after him, but we are sharing them with you anyway.

Many thanks to Cindy Baxter for also drawing our attention to a fantastic sixty second video that shows how it will look when completed. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDmloG3tXU

If that whets your appetite some more, then you can also take a virtual tour here:  http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/vvirtual.php?vv=1

But nothing beats being there – if you get the chance then grab it!

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Adios Mallorca

We have spent nearly a month living in Mallorca. We didn’t intend to stay so long, but we were having fun, enjoying good company with our friends Richard and Sandra Pearson. We were also generously lent an apartment by fellow former Greenpeace sailor Shaun Naylor (thank you again Shaun!), so what the hell.

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain. It was first settled between 6,000 – 4,000 BC and almost ever since has been fought over, occupied, claimed and reclaimed by Romans, Turks, Moors, Christians, Catalans, Spainish nationalists, fascists and republicans.

But by far the biggest invasion was last year – 25 million tourists filled the island, swelling its 800,000 local population. Around 80% of employment on Mallorca is tourist related.

Our mini-incursion didn’t always follow the usual tourist trails. We did some sailing on Richard and Sandra’s boat Dragonfly – if you are ever in Mallorca then book a charter, it’s wonderful;  some extreme gardening; some touring and some lazing around. Geoff pulled down and dug up trees with his bare hands, we bought what must surely be the world’s biggest onion, saw glorious sunsets and great goats!  Here are some of our Mallorca memories..

 

 

 

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Dragons and the Underworld

It seems pure fantasy to say we crossed one of the world’s largest subterranean lakes in the Dragon’s Caves in an underground boat – but that’s exactly what we did.

The existence of the Cuevas Drach, or Dragon Caves, at Porto Cristo in Mallorca, has been known since the Middle Ages. It is thought they got their name from ancient folklore claiming a big beastie lived deep inside.

Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon

Real exploration came much later. In 1896 Lake Martel, which flows through the caves, was discovered by and named after Edouard Martel – the founding father of speleology, the study of caves. It is around 170 metres long and up to twelve metres deep. He also discovered two of the four caves that make up the mythical dragon’s lair deep in the belly of the island.

Lakeside in the caves

Lakeside in the caves

The deep blue lake

The deep blue lake

Where does the rock stop and the water begin

 

Archaeologists have found evidence of Bronze Age, Carthaginian, Roman and Moorish activity within the caves, proving they were occupied for more than 2,000 years. More recently they have rightly become the premier tourist attraction on Mallorca. But the lake is only half the story. Well before the dragon’s tales were told, silent, seeping water was making magic and has created the most fantastic stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Nature is a crazy thing

Nature is a crazy thing

Great natural sculptures

Great natural sculptures

Grand columns dripped over millenia

Grand columns dripped over millenia

The calcified creations come in all shapes and sizes. As we took a gentle stroll through evocatively lit walkways light and shadow was bouncing off massive structures in the 25 metre deep caves or illuminating the smallest nub as it worked towards maturity in a few millennia. All with a barely audible drip, drip, drip backdrop. The tour covers just over one kilometre in about an hour, the subjects of the tour manage one centimetre every 100 years.

New growth is a relative thing

New growth is a relative thing

 

Calcified curtains of salt rock

Calcified curtains of salt rock

Which are the people and which are the stalagmites

Which are the people and which are the stalagmites

At the end of the route the cavern opens up into a natural amphitheatre and we were treated to what must be one of the longest running live music concerts in the world. Lights were doused and through the dark, the glow of a single rowing boat strung with white lights appears on the lake and drifts through the cave, illuminating the still water. The lead boat, carrying a shadowy quartet deftly playing haunting melodies, was joined by two others and together they softly rowed and slowly pirouetted across the darkness with fine music echoing all around.

Light and shadow

Light and shadow

The water music has been a feature for visitors since 1935 – a quartet always playing the same excerpts from Caballero’s Alborada Gallega, Plaisir d”Amour by Martini, Chopin’s Tristesse, Studio 3 opus 10 and Barcolle from Ofeenbach’s Tales of Hoffman. After the last notes had drifted away, we had the chance to also be  rowed across the lake to the exit. It was all beautifully done and transformed the morning from a fascinating visit into a lovely event that will stay in our memories for a long time.

Underground boats in a Dragon's den

Underground boats in a Dragon’s den

Talking of memories, here’s how one of our less high-brow cavern discussions went: Geoff: “How do you remember which is which?” Sara: “Stalactites cling on tight and stalagmites try with all their might to reach them.” Short silence Sara: “Go on then, how do you remember it?” Geoff: “Tights come down” Admit it – you’re never going to forget that now!

Between reflection and reality

Between reflection and reality

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Birthday treats

After all my talk of having stars fall out of the sky for me on my birthday – we thought that we should prepare properly. So we packed beer, gin and a kettle!

Although we are camped in the mountains there is still a little ambient light coming from the nearby village, so Geoff and I went on a reccie the day before for the best viewing spot…..

Finding the right spot for viewing

Finding the right spot for viewing

What about the view from here?

What about the view from here?

Not much more than a cow track

Not much more than a cow track

 

helped by some locals who knew the hillside tracks better than us.

No, this way is better!

No, this way is better!

 

We camped out late into the night and although we didn’t see as many meteors as we had hoped, we still had fun. I managed to take my first (not very good) photo of star trails.

Star trails

Star trails

The remote didn’t work so I taped it open with a bolt and some gaffer tape and let it run for forty minutes. Any suggestions of how to do it more professionally are welcome!

During the day Geoff found a donkey farm for me to go and pet baby donkeys – too cute for words – and their troll-dog buddy who lived in a wall!

Cute birthday donkeys

Cute birthday donkeys

Why the long face?

Why the long face?

 

Donkey's noses are the best

Donkey’s noses are the best

Troll-dog

Troll-dog

 

Medieval troll-dog

Medieval troll-dog

 

Then in the wee small hours we got up again and watched some more meteors – what a great birthday in an extraordinary place!

Thanks for all my birthday wishes – today we are off to France… more coming soon!

Cute birthday donkeysWhy the long face?Donkey's noses are the bestTroll-dogMedieval troll-dogNo, this way is better!Looking out above OixFinding the right spot for viewingNot much more than a cow trackStar trails
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The donkey killers and the fire starters

“I don’t know why we do these things – there was probably a reason once, but no one remembers  anymore – it’s just how we do fiesta here in Catalonia.” …….

Our host at the campsite in Oix – a tiny village celebrating its annual fiesta this weekend – shrugged as I asked him to explain last night’s high jinx. It’s as hard to describe as it is seemingly to explain, but here goes: Imagine stepping onto the set of Mad Max – where grown men and women are dressed head to toe in dark maroon fire-retardant trench coats, sporting old-style motorbike goggles, one wearing a rams head masks, horns, most with their faces painted, wicked grins all round and wooden staffs spiked with fireworks.

Rams Headed Fire-Starter!

Rams Headed Fire-Starter!

At eleven at night the few village lights still glowing were doused, the purple pirate drummers struck up a hearty beat and then the rebels came alive. Each of them lit the Catherine wheel fireworks on their staffs and ran at the crowd herded into the narrow street leading down to the church. Yes – AT the crowd!

Drummers

Drummers

Purple haze

Purple haze

It quickly became apparent why so many men where wearing old straw hats, as the sparks flew and the locals dashed not away from the maniacs trying to scorch them, but straight into the centre of the spewing embers to dance in circles with the fire-starters.

Dancing with the fire-starters

Dancing with the fire-starters

More dancing with the fire-starters

More dancing with the fire-starters

Fireworks showered down on us from the balconies overlooking the square and the little road that circled the church; sparks shot up our trouser-legs as the pyromaniacs swept the road around our feet with more explosives. As one firework died down another was fished from a leather pouch slung over their shoulder, pegged onto the staff and quickly lit.

Fireworks from the balcony

Fireworks from the balcony

Showering down from all angles

Showering down from all angles

 

Herding into the narrow streets

Herding into the narrow streets

 

Too late to look for cover!

Too late to look for cover!

A full circuit of the church later, the drums thrashed a final charge, the dancing became more frenetic and then almost as soon as it started, it was over. What the hell was that all about, and what the hell is coming next, we wondered. The lights came on and then, somewhat incongruously, a local Catalan reggae band started up on the stage – playing to a diminishing crowd as the fire dancers melted away back home again. It was fabulously crazy and we still haven’t found out why they do it. For equal mystery we could have stayed in Solsona – the town we left to come here – for their festival. Hanging donkeys by the neck and hauling them up to the top of the church spire is not my idea of a party.. but apparently that’s what passes for a good fiesta in Solsona!

Donkey disaster

Donkey disaster

Even at the gift shop...

Even at the gift shop…

Don’t panic donkey-lovers… it’s only a story and that’s only a model.  Apparently the donkey killers of Solsona were some not-so-smart fellows who had heard there was grass growing on the roof of the church, so decided the pull their donkeys up there for a feed… by the neck. They also have dancing giants and a bunch of other stuff that seems a little crazy to outsiders like us, but makes perfect sense to the locals. Solsona and Oix are in the heart of Catalonia. An autonomous region, with its own government, flag and language; the people are fiercely proud to be Catalan first and Spanish second.  It seems a lot of things are different here and traditions abound. Given that we are also so close to France – about 20 kms as the crow flies high up into the Pyrenees – I can get away with saying “vive la difference” !  

Rams Headed Fire-Starter! Too late to look for cover!Showering down from all anglesDancing with the fire-startersDrummers Herding into the narrow streetsPurple hazeMore dancing with the fire-startersFireworks from the balconyDonkey disaster