The Not So Lonely Planet: Surrealism in Barcelona

For those of you who know that I'm somewhat (a little?) obsessed with surrealiam and the likes of Rene Magrite and Salvador Dali; would it really be surprising that my favourite city so far is Barcelona....? Note: tapas, sunshine (yes, I've suddenly become a sunlover since living in London), Gaudi, & sangria that slides a little too easily down your throat.... What more could you ask for?

(Below: "OMG, it's 24C!!! Get out your Summer Clothes!!)

SURREAL FACTS ABOUT BARCELONA:

1) Almost everybody has a mullet - the working class, "trendy" middleclass, male, female.... (Don't ask why - they must have the same hairdresser... Probably Toni & Guy.)
2) The best tapas bars are tuck away in small little alleyways (my forte ever since dragging M. through dumpster alleyways in Melbourne,) - eg: Can Calleretes C/ Quintana - the hunt was worth while. The locals looked surprise when we walked in and we were served the best paella I've ever tasted in my life.... YUM!
3) If you search hard enough, you can dine where Picasso use to frequent.
4) The Rhetorical Question in Barcelona (after sighting kindergarten children a school trip outside the Picasso museum) is: How does a kindergarten teacher explain to little five year old Picasso's paintings involving prostitues?
5) Potata Bravas tastes different at every single tapas bar.

Gaudi the Genius
Antonio Gaudi was THE architect who made Barcelona. His buildings are just....inspirational. Many of his facades and interiors to his buildings appear to be purely for aesthetic purposes, but were actually designed for functionality, ergonomics, and to preserve and conserve energy, water and electricity. (Okay, I'll shut up now - the pictures paint a thousand words...)

Casa Batllo

(Thought the reflection of the sky added a nice surrealist touch.)

La Pedrera
Incidentally this block of apartments were my favourite. The curves of the statues on the top of the roof were made in such a way that they allowed rain water to collect into water tanks for human consumption, and also protected the building from the general weathering. The statues also served as chimneys, with the holes postioned and designed so that the smoke would blow away from city centre. Clever, huh?