Bits of green

Unripe oranges – Jardins Rubió i Lluch

Brrrrr! It’s cold in Barcelona all of a sudden (colder than I remember having experienced at this time in other years) so there is no doubt Autumn is here to stay! Nevertheless, there are still bits of green to be found around Barcelona, as you’ll see in these images…

Unnatural green – Carrer Ripoll

I was delighted to spot the oranges last week, when I passed through the courtyard at Jardins de Rubió i Lluch on my way to the library, and I love the fake nature on the utility cabinet on Carrer Ripoll. All touches of green in a city are welcome, don’t you think?

These swirly elements of the sgraffito decoration on a building in Grácia, remind me of fresh salad leaves…

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Heavenly hinges

Swirly – Ronda Universitat

Among the many embellishments on buildings in Barcelona in the time of the Modernisme movement, even doors received their generous dose, and heavenly hinges can be found on various beautiful doors around town.

Expansive – Carrer Princesa

Swirly :: 2 – Carrer Minerva

Ornate, swirly, dotted with studs and often depicting flowers or even dragons, these hinges were handmade by the smiths of the era.

Autumn colours

Natural Autumn colours – Carrer Doctor Dou

It’s official, Autumn has made its appearance in Barcelona, and not just because it’s mid-October, but because temperatures have dropped and showers abound. With cooler weather and blustery showers come Autumn colours, but these are not so obvious in a city setting. Or are they? See for yourself…

Man-made Autumn colours – Palau Güell

When nature is not to be found on your doorstep, or only in small doses, you may have to look to the man-made to discover shades of Autumn colours. And if you seek,  you shall find. As I did. I’ll let the images do the talking…

Gimme ventilation!

Casting ventilation – Passatge de la Pau

Gimme ventilation! It has been very hot in Barcelona these past few days, and even in my home, where it’s usually cool, temperatures have risen considerably. It’s a time of the year when being able to ventilate one’s home is a blessing, and luckily for those of us in Ciutat Vella, most buildings were constructed to enable this. Even lobbies and stair wells have specific ventilation windows. I have gathered a selection for you, so you can see what I am referring to…

Twins – Passatge de la Pau

Ventilation windows are mostly found above the entrance of any given building. Often they are part of the arch that is the doorway, and protected from unwanted entry by often beautiful cast or wrought iron grilles.

Knock knock!

Hand knocking – Carrer del Carme

Knock knock! The weekend is here, so let’s ring it in with some door knockers from around Barcelona…

Earring? – Carrer Parlament

Entrance barred

Minty – Carrer Diputació

Finding your entranced barred is often a very unpleasant thing, but not in Barcelona, where more often than not it is a thing of beauty, especially in the Eixample, with its profusion of Modernista buildings. If you don’t believe me, check out this small selection from the Eixample, el Raval and also the Barri Gòtic…

Modernista – Carrer Diputació

Handles and holds

The copycat – Carrer Ciutat

The end of the week has arrived, and we’re getting ready to handle a heatwave in Barcelona this weekend, so I thought it appropriate to share with you some images of handles and holds today – enjoy!

The twins – Carrer Ciutat

Carvings

Intricate – Carrer Balmes

Happy Monday! Did you have a nice weekend? I’ve been out shooting lots of photos to share with you, and today I’d like to start with some carvings – details of carved doors from around Barcelona – enjoy!

Leafy – Carrer Sant Pere Mes Alt

Bits and pieces

Ballsy

Hello! As we are entering this new year step by step, I thought it appropriate to share with you some bits and pieces of a beautiful set of doors on Carrer Balmes, as if they were the pieces of a puzzle.

Under lock and key

Passatge Hospital

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had lots of rain (again) but I had a good one – hope you did too! To kick off this week (leading up to Thanksgiving if you are from the US) I have some images of locks for you. As a child I was always curious about keyholes and wanted to know what’s behind locked doors, and I realise that even nowadays I continue to cast my eye on locks, and try to open doors (in museums, for example) to find out what’s behind them…