THE LABYRINTH PARK IN BARCELONA

There is a Labyrinth garden in Barcelona which is one of my favourite places. I love to show it.

This historical garden, the oldest in the city, was comissioned by the marquis Joan Antoni Desvalls i D'Ardena in 1791. 

The main house is part of a complex built around a medieval tower with neoarabic and neogothic elements, is not open to visitors.

Once you come into the park is 9,1 hectares divided in two areas: the neoclassical garden and the romantic garden. 

All around the neoclassical garden you see reliefs telling some Greek myths such as the rape of Proserpine, the rape of Europe, Echo and Narcissus, Ariadna and Theseus, etc.

Probably the most popular part is the labyrinth itself, which names the park, made up of 750 metres of trimmed cypress trees.

There are eight paths and only one to lead you to the exit. Good luck! It seems easier that it is.

In the upper area there is a neoclassical palace, quiet and serene, where, at the top, you can read in Latin: Artis Naturaque Parit Concordia Pulchrum (The Harmony of Art and Nature generates Beauty).  

Through here you go to the Romantic garden which is darker and more chaotic than the Neoclassic part. Although it is not so well preserved, still you can see a false graveyard and small waterfall. 

Hot and Cold

When it's really too hot (about 30 ºC and high humidity), I remain still, looking around and I have the feeling that everything is moving: houses, trees, benches... they move slowly. Boundaries are not fixed, but hazy. 

I wonder if everything is moving, although I'm still, may I also slowly going somewhere?

In Barcelona is summer now and I dream and read  northern stories. Stories from the Greenland Eskimo. They live in a hard and cold land most of the time. How are their stories? 

I read this: 

What is the Earth? 

Three friends were curious about the size and shape of the earth. They were so curious that they decided to go exploring. They had travelled for three days and two nights when they came to an enormous ice-house. "Let's go in", one of the friends said. And so they went into the house, which seemed to be without end. They followed the walls in order not to get lost. Where was the passage through which they'd entered? They walked for days, for months, for years. At last they grew very weary. It was all they could do to crawl now. Then two of the friends managed to find the exit-passage. His kayak was exactly where he'd left it. He came back to his people as a very old man. And he told them, "The earth is simply a very big ice-house". Then he died too.

Northern Tales. Tradicional Stories of Eskimo and Indian Peoples.

Selected and Edited by Howard Norman

No matter  whether you are still sweating with heat or crawling through the ice in the center of the Earth, you are always wondering, questioning things, forgetting that your time is limited. Life is short. Enjoy! I must go out to drink a nice horchata (Do you know what's that? Click here)

Storytelling in Guadalajara

Working as storyteller is more than a job: it's a passion. Storytelling has given to me: love, travel, emotions, friendship... even a way to be in the world.

In the same way I need to tell stories, I need to listen to stories and other storytellers.

Recently I was in Guadalajara, Spain, for the big Storytelling Festival, in which, for more than 45 hours, people tell stories on a main stage; one after another, without interruption; isn't it beautiful?

In the picture you can see the opening of the Festival in the amazing patio of the Palacio del Infantado.

This last Storytelling Festival was even more special than others for Jose and I, because this time we are involved in an international project called "Stories from Cave to Cave", funded by the European Union. It means that during 2013-2014 a series of storytelling events will take place in the countries working in the project: Cologno Monzese (Italy), Grenoble (France), Guadalajara (Spain) and Cape Town (South Africa).

Some of our South Africans friends were here to share their stories and to tell stories in Atapuerca (Burgos) and Casares Cave (Guadalajara). Pedro Espí "the music man", Madosini, Marlene Winberg and Kapilolo Mario Mahongo were among us telling their stories:

Madosini. Photo Juan Carlos Aragonés, El Pais

Kapilolo, Marlene and Jose

Marlene and myself before my performance

Being part of this project it makes me feel that the world is big and small at the same time. It makes me understand that UBUNTU is essential there in Africa and here in Europe: "I am what I am because who all are". A person is a person through other people.

We cannot be alone: like the stories that, in  order to live, need to be shared.

CHEMA MADOZ

I am surrounded by words (telling stories first in Seville, last week in Zamora and next in Guadalajara). Yes! I have many stories to tell you. I will do it, when I am surrounded by more silence. In the meantime I want to share some pictures of the last exhibition I have seen: Arts combinatoria by Chema Madoz.

Chema Madoz is an Spanish artist. He likes to describe himself as an sculptur of objects. He is also a photographer and a visual poet.

How many things you can say without saying a single word.

Some of my favourites...

Seville

These days I am traveling a lot to tell stories. What a fantastic reason to travel! Last weekend I was in the beautiful Seville. 

I could stroll along the Guadalquivir river and I saw the Golden Tower. The name comes from its shining reflection on the river.

The tower was part of a defense wall that the arabs built in the  13th century, when they ruled that part of Spain.

I also saw the Giralda, the bell tower of the Cathedral. 

The lower part of the Giralda, the first two thirds, was a minarete of the 12 th century. It has two sisters in Morocco (one in Marrakesh and the other in Rabat). 

I didn't have too much time to go sightseeing, but I had enough to know that I want to come back.

I told stories for children on Saturday morning. Unfortunatly I don't have any photographs yet, but it was a wonderful experience. They were so warm and good listeners; another reason to come back. 

And tomorrow Jose and I are going to Zamora. We will be there telling stories during the week as part of storytelling festival in the Etnographic Museum.

Street art

I like people who use art to express themselves. It's because of that I like street art in general. Many graffitis are authentic masterpieces. After Jean-Michael Basquiat, Keith Haring or more recently Banksy, nobody wonders of seeing their paintings in galleries and museums.

But the natural environment for graffitis are streets, empty urban espaces, run-down houses... and artists are normally anonymous.

Indeed graffitis move in the border line between art and vandalism.

Near our place in Barcelona you can see this huge graffiti. The house is an illegal cultural center created by squatters, but it seems they are proud of themselves. They are not hiding.

I like the idea of breaking our quotidian chains and fly from the balcony of home.

Recently I have seen this movie, highly recomended, Exit through the gift shop. 

I loved it. At the beginning you think it's a documentary about street art movement, but after a while you realize is also about something else: about an artist, a really peculiar guy, and about the world of art market. It's a real story, although sometimes you think it can not be possible.

It's very funny when you see how the balcony of your neighbour starts flying. You think, maybe mine can also do it...

New beginnings

Yes, this is the beginning of my English blog where I want to share: books, music, art, movies and beautiful things about Barcelona.

In the beginning of the book I'm reading now, it says:

Above all remember this: that magic belongs as much to the heart as to the head and everything which is done, should be done from love or joy or righteous anger.

From  The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories 

by Susanna Clarke

This is definitly done from love and joy with the only aim of having fun and sharing things I like with friends.