Home Sweet Home
So the Genuine Catalan Popstar came and went in a disappointingly ordinary fashion. There were no diva-like demands. Instead of groupies, he brought a girlfriend, and although he mentioned going on tour, there was no boasting about his fame. The mushroom soup was a resounding success. The refined dinner party was not the uncontrolled hedonism one might expect when entertaining a local celebrity. Perhaps next time.
Instead of bringing you tales of bacchanalian excess, I’m going to talk about one of the things I love most about Barcelona; the architecture. It seems that every other building has a beautiful facade, an ornate entrance or a nod to modernism. The attention to detail is one of my favourite things. Even living in Eixample, the part of Barcelona designed in blocks to accommodate the growing city population over a hundred years ago, has a touch of beauty to it if you know where to look.
My flat, for example.
The initial stress of finding somewhere to live meant that I accepted an offer through a friend of a friend without much thought. The price was right, it was in the centre. I didn’t know quite how lucky I was, and living here is one of my favourite things about being in Barcelona. As you know, my relationship with the flat hasn’t always gone smoothly. I’ve complained about the noises from above, below and outside. Perhaps it’s the sunshine outside, or my particularly good mood this morning, but today I can’t imagine a nicer place to be. Take a look at the floor:
Then there’s the ceiling, the ornate windows, and the amazing engraved coffee table. They really knew how to build houses at the turn of the 20th century. Not to mention the outside of the house itself:
Beautiful!
If only it were a few degrees warmer on the inside…
Related articles
- The Astounding Design Of Eixample, Barcelona (presurfer.blogspot.com)
Barcelona Ramblings 