Griffin Reflection - Cascade Fountain, Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

It is strange but before describing the stage which is the Cascade fountain at Parc de la Ciutadella and its history, I would like to show you one of the actors, a griffin (griffon or gryphon). Remember Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? That beast they are trying to feed? Well, that was a hippogriff, the mixture of a horse and a griffin. A griffin has the body of a lion instead plus the common eagle traits. In the Cascade, there are four of them. The combination of the mythological being and its reflection really captivated me. I hope Aurora on the chariot back there (you will see tomorrow) is not jealous. It is evident that she has the leading part in this elaborate fountain. By the way, the four water-sprouting griffins were sculpted by the same artist that created the famous 7.2 m high statue of Columbus at Las Ramblas, his name, Rafael Atché (1854 - 1923). Once said that, check next post for the whole story.

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Winged Fame Sculpture at Columbus Monument, Barcelona

One of the sculptures representing Pheme or Fame spreading her wings at the pedestal of the Columbus monument next to Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Conceived by Francesc Font and modeled by Rossend Nobas, the Fames surrounding the column create a wonderful silhouette against the sky.

    

Moon Lady, The Winged Goddess of Barri Gotic

There she was, sitting on a waning moon, the pale winged goddess, staring at me trapped behind the window of that Barri Gotic religious items store. For a moment her eyes seemed to glitter with life, begging me to please take her somewhere else. I don't know if she was the Greek, Selene or Chang'e, the mythical Chinese goddess. I don't know. She looked pretty real though, balancing in there, among a strange mixture of esoteric articles and images of saints. Should anyone see her again, do me a favor, set her free! Religious Items: Estampería San José - Carrer Boters, 7-9

Mermaid Human Statue in Las Ramblas, Barcelona

The Little Mermaid's Day Job

Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid. But this wasn't the Disney version singing happy songs; this was a sad and lonely little mermaid, working nine to five out of the water just to make ends meet in Las Ramblas, Barcelona.

You can see it in her posture. She is slumped over, clutching that little purse made of shells, looking completely lost. She probably only wanted to go swim with her father in the deep blue sea a few miles away from the Barcelona port, but let's face the facts: human money is much better than devaluated seashells in her underwater world right now.

A Fish Out of Water

It is a tough life indeed. Imagine wearing all that heavy silver makeup, your scales getting dry in the hot Spanish sun, and having to deal with thousands of stingy, strange creatures with no tails staring at you like you are the school of fish.

The detail on her costume is impressive—from the silver-braided "hair" to the shell bodice—but the real story is in the fatigue. Yeah, it sounds like a fairytale, but human statues in Las Ramblas are real people with real bills. They need the money, so let's give them some coins to take back home because they really deserve it.

Daily Photo Recommendation

On a side note, a picture I really liked today comes from the City Daily Photo group: Free Parking by Hyderabad Daily Photo, India. I really like the silhouette of the road against the sunset and the incredible amount of cars in that huge traffic jam. It makes our traffic here look like nothing!