153/365 – Late Afternoon on the Beach
1
Tag Archives: travel
133/365 – Back Home
Share Your World – May 02, 2017
Would you rather live where it is always hot or always cold? If I had to choose between extremes, I’d rather live where it’s always hot. But we live in Los Angeles, where we have a desert climate, which means it’s mostly hot/warm all year long, but nights are usually cool and humidity is low. To me, that’s perfect. No snow to worry about, no shoveling, no frigid weather to deal with. Here we just worry about wildfires and earthquakes. By the way we just had a shallow 3.0 magnitude earthquake here in Santa Monica about 2 hours ago. Just a big jolt and a bang. So far, no aftershocks…
Do you prefer long hair or short hair for yourself? Definitely not short. Have had it and wasn’t happy. These days I like a longish but not too long hair, in a modern bob.
What is your favorite month of the year? When I lived in Washington, D.C., October was my favorite month. That’s when autumn hits the region, the trees start changing colors, the air is cool and delightful. Here in L.A. months are very similar but autumn months are also nicer. So, I guess I’ll stick with October, which is also my birth month. 🙂
What is the easiest way for you to learn something new? By reading, by seeing and doing, in a classroom? I am definitely a visual learner. I also learn from listening to interesting lectures and conversations. I have no patience for reading instructions, for example, which gets me in trouble sometimes. So I guess I can say I learn better by seeing and doing.
Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? I’m grateful that last week, Kaya, our family dog (she is really our daughter’s but we think she is ours), recovered quickly from an injury she suffered (we don’t know how it happened) that left her unable to climb stairs and with difficulty running. She was very depressed… Some acupuncture and muscle relaxants helped her recover quickly. And for next week, I’m looking forward to visiting beautiful San Francisco! We’ll spend the whole week there, starting this coming Sunday and returning the following Saturday. I’m very excited about that!
Doggie acupuncture…
In response to Cee’s Share Your World
La Sagrada Familia
We were in Barcelona on late March and, as most people who visit that city, we went to Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Going to Barcelona and not seeing La Sagrada Familia is like going to Paris and not seeing the Notre Dame or to Cordoba and skipping the Great Mosque. Whether you are religious or not, Gaudí’s basilica, his magnum opus, is an absolute must see. It’s an architectural wonder, a feast to the eyes and the senses. After finishing the Parc Guell in 1911, Gaudí decided to abandon secular art and devote himself entirely to the Sagrada Familia. He worked on it for over 40 years, living as a virtual hermit in a workshop on the site. When questioned about the slow pace, he is said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” Gaudí’s work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the basilica, although still work in progress, is the most visited site in Barcelona (some 3 million people a year). But Sagrada Familia doesn’t appeal to everybody and it’s possibly the most controversial place of worship ever built on such an epic scale. George Orwell said it was “one of the most hideous buildings in the world” and rather hoped it would be destroyed during the Spanish Civil War (fortunately, it wasn’t). Salvador Dalí spoke of its “terrifying and edible beauty.” Well, I’ve visited Sagrada Familia twice, and both times I thought it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. The first time, in 2012, I didn’t quite know what to expect and had only seen a few pictures of in travel guides. As I walked in, I gasped, and was immediately overtaken with emotion, tears running down my face. Very unusual for a non-religious person like me… I was moved by the monumental organic beauty of the magnificent structure. This time, I knew what to expect but still got quite emotional and teary-eyed. I hope to go back in 2026, when it’s supposed to be finished, to see it in all its intended splendor. I’ll probably cry again. By the way, 2026 also marks the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.
Current exterior of Sagrada Familia. When finished, in 2026, it will have 18 towers, each representing a person: 12 will represent the apostles, 4 will represent the evangelists, 1 will represent the Virgin Mary, and the tallest tower, at almost 600 feet, will represent Christ.
West side of the basilica. The pinnacles of the towers are decorated with colorful mosaics.
The Passion Facade, on the west side, is dedicated to the suffering and death of Christ, and is nearly complete. It is decorated with sculptures by Josep Maria Subirach.
View of the East side of the basilica, with the Nativity Façade.
The Nativity Façade, dedicated to the birth of Christ, was completed before work was interrupted in 1935 and bears the most direct Gaudi influence.
Nativity entrance to the basilica.
View from the center of the basilica.
Gaudí based his designs on the complex forms we know today as helicoids, hyperboloids and hyperbolic paraboloids.
He borrowed these forms from nature and translated into the design of the columns, vaults and intersecting geometric elements of the structure of the Sagrada Família.
Looking up at the vault crowning the interior of the basilica’s nave, one can see the resemblance of a dense forest of trees with sunlight shining through it
The raised altar is crowned by the Latin cross with a canopy, decorated with vines and grapes.
Tiled vault.
Look at all the details and intricate work in this area of the basilica.
The Virgin Mary.
St. George overlooks the portal of the unfinished Glory Façade.
Stained-glass windows.
A mesmerizing show of colors from the beautiful stained-glass windows.
94/365 – La Côte D’Azur
93/365 – More Scenes from Nice
92/365 – A Rainy Day in Nice
Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match
I tried very hard to come up with a Good Match that didn’t involve food, but I failed miserably…
Wine and all sorts of cheeses at home on New Year’s Eve.
Cappuccino and Sacher Torte in Vienna, Austria.
A great breakfast and a room with a view in Salzburg, Austria.
Special mini burger and beer in Munich, Germany.
Coconut water and an empty beach in Brazil.
365 -1 ~~ First Sunset
One of my new Year’s resolutions was to have a go at a 365 project again. It was a hard but successful endeavor for me in 2015, and I felt I’d gain a lot from doing it again. So, here is the first of 365 posts. It’s a shot of the first sunset of the year, taken in Santa Monica, California.
WPC: Resilient
When I hear the word resilient I often think about great architecture, structures that have endured centuries of natural and human destruction. The Colosseum, in Rome, is one of these fabulous structures. It was built between 71-72 and 80 AD as a gift to the Roman citizens. Over the centuries it suffered great damages due to natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes. By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. And yet, following restoration efforts, it still stands majestic and continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world. I call it resilience!
Shoot 'N Go 