Barcelona Pics Part 1

There was snow in London today! Yes, I know what you're saying; it was only a mere flurry, interspersed with a hell of a lot of rain (I had no umbrella on the way to work). But for someone who never saw snow fall until she was a week shy of 21 (an even briefer series of flurries during my second trip to London in the Christmas of 1997), this is good.

Ah, the photo. Excuse me while I get off the topic of London for a bit; because we've just been away from here on a brief holiday to Barcelona. Although it only takes about 2 hours by plane (including time spent on the ground) it can take about seven hours "door to door" if you include transport to and from the airports, check in times, baggage collection and inevitable delays. We weren't even flying EasyJet! Anyway, this photo is from La Pedrera (Casa Mila), which was one of the several houses we toured while there last week.

It's also known as the stone quarry because of its rock-like exterior and wrought iron balconies. Designed by Gaudi (of course), the tour of the building includes a great trapise through the odd chimneys, air vents and sculptures on the roof - so choose a day when it's nice and cloudless! This is one photo I took while there which I quite like... mainly cos of the striking colours.

The whole roof is quite organic and marine in its feel, and has an elliptical doughnut shape to it. Rhomboid stairs ripple up and down erratically, encouraging everyone to clamber around. The only ugly thing about it was the need for a wire fence around the interior ring of the roof. You gaze past this to see an inner circle of its other levels, one of which includes a museum of Gaudi's work and another that demonstrates what a bourgeois family living in the apartment block would live like.