The Art Nouveau Lamp in Barcelona, Europe

Decorative arts, architecture and other forms of artistic expression lived an authentic ecclosion by the end of XIX and the first years of XX c. in Catalonia as part of a cultural and political movement known as Renaixença which was spurred by the new spirit of the wealthy local bourgeoisie and their quest for industrial expansion, the influence of Paris and other industrialized European countries as the new model to follow in opposition to the retrograde, stale Castilian yoke. The cultural side of this renaissance, this art nouveau and the way it manifested in Catalonia is called Modernisme. A lamp was just a lamp but all of sudden there was an urge for innovation and new trends, an outburst of creativity that said hey this is our art, it is Catalan, we borrowed some elements from the most modern and fashion countries in Europe and Asia, we improved it and lifted it to the category of divine, we are educated, passionate for art, powerful and basically we don't need your Royal Majesties anymore, in fact we never did. Of course this is history in a very personal and simplified way. Here is another modernist lamp.

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Opera Singer in Barri Gotic, Barcelona

On the quiet streets of Barri Gotic there was this opera singer delighting passerbyes with passionate gesture and a powerful voice.

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The Best Churros in Barcelona - A Short List

A close look at some good Barcelona churros

A now for something completely different: Churros!!!

I have been browsing in search for good recipes or the history of churros. According to Wikipedia: 'A churro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtʃuro]) is a fried-dough pastry—predominantly choux—based snack' and there are many recipes out there for some exotic and appealing churros.

No, I just wanted to show you this picture to evoke those good memories every citizen in Spain has involving churros or porras which is a bigger, thicker variety made in Madrid.

The experience of waking up early to go and buy churros for a good weekend breakfast is unforgettable. There are street stalls or caravans in Barcelona neighborhoods where they cook homemade churros which you can smell from some blocks away but they are fewer than in the good old times.

And what about those who on their way to bed after a long crazy night grab a bag full of churros to soak them in hot chocolate. That is one of the best remedies in the world for a bad hangover.

Needless to say that there are small traditional places called granjas selling good churros in Barcelona. The best according to many is on carrer Petritxol, near Plaza del Pi in Barri Gotic and is called La Pallaresa.

Here is the short list of best places to have churros in Barcelona recommended by Barcelona Photoblog

1. La Pallaresa
2. La Nena
3. Dulcinea 
4. Viader 
5. Xurreria Laietana 
6. Xurreria Trebol 

Learn more about historic carrer Petritxol or watch for churros at La Pallaresa in the next post.