#siete

today we went to the beach to people-watch and wander. there were many a character to be seen - people in brightly coloured bathing suits, crazy little kids, leather-skinned suntanners, you name it. i creeped on a game of beach soccer being played by a group of preteen boys. after we'd had roughly an hour to take pictures, we went for dinner at a beachside restaurant. i had the saltiest fish-and-chips of life, but they were satisfyingly so after a hot, humid day. we spent the next while taking pictures of the beach as it grew dark. the light changes dramatically before dusk - an interesting photographic experiment.

everyone goes in to try and make the glorious head-butt.

a grandfather and grandson have a race down the boardwalk.

two birds find their perch on the corner of some crazy architecture.

fellow nat-geo photographers!

palm trees at night.

#seis

today took us on a little road trip to some small towns about an hour out of barcelona. the first stop was a medieval village called girona. there, we broke into our smaller on assignment groups and went on photo excursions. high points included the cobblestone streets and the gorgeous river that ran alongside the town. next up was besalu. we had an amazing lunch there and had lots of time to wander around and take pictures of the town and spectacular stone bridge that framed the river and the lush landscape of hilltop houses. on the way to the bus we all got distracted by a field of sunflowers and stopped for a while longer to gush photographically over them. we finished with a swim in the lake near a town called banyoles, where there were plenty of reeds and ducks near the shore but the water further out was calm and gorgeous (if not a little seaweed-y). we finished with a delicious dinner there and piled back onto the bus to the residencia.

the bridge in girona reflected geometrically on the water.

while taking pictures of the cathedral in besalu, these sparrows flew by at the perfect time.

did i mention i'm in love with geometrical bridges?

sunflowers contrasted against the blue-green spanish hills.

a tiny perfect lakehouse nestled on the shore.

#cinco

today we did a TON of walking. in the morning we traipsed around to get a feel for the city, and since i'd already been here a while i opted for my usual habit of taking reflection shots. on the way back we stopped at the arc de triomf (yes, it is spelled like that in spanish). later on in the afternoon, we took the metro to park güell, which is gaudi-designed and brilliant. from there we could see the whole city - spectacular. i'm so in love with mosaics and gorgeous views: put the two of them together and it's pretty much guaranteed to make me do a happy dance.

a cool van parked across the street served as my crazy, swirly backdrop.

arc de triomf, as viewed from directly underneath, on one side.

lady at the metro casually reads as she waits.

gaudi was a genius.

some sort of plant at park guell making silhouettes across the sky.

#cuatro

this morning we went to the market for breakfast - delicious crepes and strong, cheap coffee ensued. markets are probably one of my favourite destinations, both locally and abroad. it's always interesting to see what kind of things people grocery shop for. favourite market scenes included a dog with a baseball cap and a charismatic crepe guy. after that i met up with the national geographic group! meeting new people so far has been fun and exciting. we went to the beach and were, unfortunately, rained upon, so no pictures of that thusfar. therefore today's theme is market vignettes!

piles of assorted mushrooms.

giant grapes and peas.

crepe guy! he was definitely a character.

that's right. that IS a dog with a baseball cap.

walking back from the market, we passed through a giant square full of pigeons. i'm pretty sure i was as enthralled as the little boy in the picture.

#tres

today was museum day! this morning we went to see a salvador dali exhibit at a tiny museum, which was quite excellent. i took tons of pictures of all my favourite pieces, but unfortunately there are too many to post. dali is my new favourite, though. we also stopped by a tacky flea market and saw many an interesting item. i bought a couple rusted keys that will be excellent picture fodder (expect those later on). on the way we saw some more crazy things... pictures ensued.

tacky flea market assortment.

an idea of how many dali paintings there were squished into the museum. it was beautifully overwhelming.

walked by a syrian freedom protest.

blasé hipster dog does not care about your art.

this may or may not be the best graffiti i've ever seen.

#dos

today saw a visit to two gaudi buildings and more delicious (albeit poorly described) food. i also checked off a bucket list item and got to go to the lomography store! best ever. needless to say i went a little crazy buying lomo swag. i also got a picture in front of the lomowall. without further ado:

gaudi building during the day...

...and at night.

another gaudi building at night!

me (life = made) at the lomo store.

my personal favourite interpretation: "tootpick potators".

#uno

hey team! i'm currently in spain, with the sole purpose of taking pictures. so how better to document it than by posting them to my photography blog? here are some pictures from my first day in barcelona.



walking towards customs at the airport. i appreciate spanish architecture already.



i kind of really like airports. especially if they're shiny.

my photo project for barcelona? weird menu translations.

tapas for lunch! hippie vegetarian photographer elysse appreciated the plating but was somewhat unappetized. 

tapas for dinner! hippie vegetarian photographer elysse was satisfied.