Stop the Madness, Please. It's been a Brutal Week in the U.S.

This has been a brutal week for U.S. citizens. Hopefully next week will be better.
Just look at all this...

DEUTSCHE BANK FINED $630M OVER RUSSIA MONEY LAUNDERING CLAIMS AND- A REALLY WEIRD DETAIL BURIED IN A NEW YORK TIMES STORY ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO GET THE JUSTICE TO RETIRE.

Deutsche Bank has been fined more than $630m (£506m) for failing to prevent $10bn of Russian money laundering and exposing the UK financial system to the risk of financial crime. Shares in major Russian companies were paid for in roubles through the Moscow office and then the same stock would be sold through London, sometimes on the same day, for a related customer, the New York regulator said. The sellers were registered in offshore locations and received payment for the shares in dollars. A dozen entities were identified.  https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/31/deutsche-bank-fined-630m-over-russia-money-laundering-claims?__twitter_impression=true

 **JUSTICE KENNEDY’S SON & TRUMP CONNECTION: Justice Kennedy’s son, Justin. The younger Mr. Kennedy spent more than a decade at Deutsche Bank, eventually rising to become the bank’s global head of real estate capital markets, and he worked closely with Mr. Trump when he was a real estate developer, according to two people with knowledge of his role.

  During Mr. Kennedy’s tenure, Deutsche Bank became Mr. Trump’s most important lender, dispensing well over $1 billion in loans to him for the renovation and construction of skyscrapers in New York and Chicago at a time other mainstream banks were wary of doing business with him because of his troubled business history.

https://www.outsidethebeltway.com/anthony-kennedys-son-loaned-trump-one-billlllllion-dollars/

‘FINISH IT THE HELL UP’ Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein deflected heated attacks from Republican lawmakers during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday, including a scorching tirade on the Russia probe from Rep. Trey Gowdy, who told Rosenstein: “Whatever you’ve got, finish it the hell up, because this country is being torn apart.” That’s the same Trey Gowdy WHO SPENT MORE THAN 2 YEARS on the politically motivated Benghazi probe.

ANOTHER FOX NEWS COMMENTATOR HIRED BY THE WHITE HOUSE - Bill Shine has taken a job in Trump’s communications department, get ready for a White House run by Fox News

A WHACKED OUT DEMOCRAT IN THE MIX - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) who told restaurants it's okay to toss out Trump supporters (which it IS NOT), has canceled events in Alabama and Texas scheduled for this weekend due to a “very serious death threats.”  That's because Trump Supporters always threaten with guns (and Democrats use words). 

NOT A JOKING MATTER - Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a speech Tuesday in which he cracked a joke about separating immigrant parents from their children. Of course, the conservative crowd laughed and applauded. Sickening. What's even more appalling is the people who laughed and cheered this- they have totally LOST their humanity and are barbaric

SHOOTING AT A NEWSPAPER, AND A PRESIDENT WHO INCITES ANGER AGAINST REPORTERS - Thursday's shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis Maryland. There were 5 fatalities and many more injured. They were murdered by a young white man who purposely damaged his fingerprints to avoid being identified. He had a long range rifle. Sadly this is not a surprise since our president has attacked all reporters except Fox News, and has promoted hatred for them. That same president has the gall to say that his thoughts are with the victims, when he is the one inciting violence and promoting hatred of the very people that were murdered today

This Week's Project: Had a New Roof Installed (and a Lesson to you)

Workers tearing off the old roof

This week we had a new roof put on our house. There were several guys working on the roof, and it took just the one day.  

You may or may not remember that 2 years ago we had a new roof put on, and we thought we were getting a good deal. Well, we didn't. Shingles have become loose, some have fallen off. Many of them buckled around our upstairs skylights, and that meant water could get into the attic. Not good. 

So, we met with a contractor that Tom used to go to school with, and he talked with us about what was wrong with the old roof and the importance of replacing it. There was a LOT wrong with it. 

In fact, the contractor said this in an email to Tom: "There was no starter row of shingles, no ice shield, not to mention ~ installed incorrectly.  Your roof project will be legendary in my "bad contractor" file.  I thank you for that!"

So, let this be a lesson to you, too. When it seems like a bargain, it's not. It'll cost you TWICE. It was an expensive lesson to learn, but at least we have a new, waterproof, roof.

Spain Trip #28: Granada: Famous Alhambra Palace Part 1: History

L to R: Tom, Doug, Scott, and Dan

The most famous structure in Granada, Spain is the Alhambra Palace. This is part 1 of our tour of Alhambra Palace and in this blog, we'll begin taking you through! In order to understand it's significance, you need to know what it is and what happened to it throughout history, so we'll tell you and show you. In addition, we ran into some ghosts (which we'll highlight in an upcoming blog). 

HOW DID THE PALACE COME ABOUT IN GRANADA? Before reaching Spain, the Moors had seen and occupied Roman villas. Muhammad I (1230-72) made the Alhambra his palace and much of the work was done in the reigns of Yusuf I (1333-54) and Muhammad V (1354-91). The overall plan of the plateau resembles that of Hadrian's Villa. 

A gated entry into the Alhambra Palace complex

FUN FACT:  In Arabic, Alhambra means Red Castle.

WHEN WAS THE ALHAMBRA PALACE CONSTRUCTED? - Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. In 889 AD it was built as a small fortress. It was built on the remains of ancient Roman fortifications.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PALACE OVER TIME?
1200s -  The palace then fell into disrepair and was ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current palace and walls.

1333 - It was converted into a royal palace by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada

1492 - After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered in the Renaissance style.

Inside the palace: the fountain of lions

1526 - Charles I and V commissioned a new Renaissance palace better befitting the Holy Roman Emperor in the revolutionary Mannerist style influenced by Humanist philosophy in direct juxtaposition with the Nasrid Andalusian architecture, but it was ultimately never completed due to Morisco rebellions in Granada.

THEN ABANDONED!  The palace and grounds sat empty for a couple of hundred years and were inhabited by the homeless. 

FUN FACT  FOUNTAIN OF THE LIONS - The Lion Fountain, from which the brilliant Court of the Lions takes its name, dates from the eleventh century.

View of Granada from Alhambra Palace

1815- Alhambra was rediscovered following the defeat of Napoleon, who had conducted retaliatory destruction of the site. The rediscoverers were first British intellectuals and then other north European Romantic travelers.

NEXT: Alhambra Palace Part 2: Architecture

Spain Trip #27: Granada Best Bakeries (and Dunkin' Donuts!)

Rob outside the Granada Dunkin

In this blog about our trip to Spain we're showing you around the small and beautiful town of Granada, home of the Moor palace called Alhambra (which we'll get to in a later blog). This time, however, we want to focus on the best bakeries... and there were a lot of them! and we're tossing in some Granada Quick Facts, too. 

WE FOUND A DUNKIN'! 
  Not only that, we also found the only Dunkin' Donuts (our favorite), so I (Rob) was really happy to have great coffee. Spanish coffee is just too strong for me. When you can stand a spoon in the middle of the cup of coffee and it doesn't move, that's too strong (okay, I'm exaggerating here). Of course, I was so excited I not only had an extra large black coffee, but had to have a Boston Cream donut as well. Tom enjoyed his Dunkin' unsweetened Iced Tea, too. 

Tea and Coffee from Dunkin! 

  The shop was incredibly clean, and it had a rounded marble countertop in the middle of the store (where the employee, coffee and donuts were in the store's center (behind the counter). 

The Dunkin' donuts

PANADERIA BOLLERIA "La Romanilla" - was an excellent bakery. "Panderia" means "bakery." 
It's located at 17 Calle Silleria, Granada. There's an overwhelming number of pasteries, and very inexpensive. Tom got a pretzel-like treat and I got a sugary, chocolate treat.   

  It's located in a square just south of the Cathedral. 

Tom outside Panaderia Bolleria "La Romanilla" 

BAKERY CAFES - There was a bakery/cafe on the main street where our hotel was located,where we enjoyed a nice lunch with Dan, Scott and Doug, but I can't recall the name. I did, however, remember to take a picture of all the pastries in the front window after we left! 

The window of a Bakery-Cafe where we ate lunch 

NEXT: Part 1 of the Famous Alhambra Palace! 

QUICK FACTS ABOUT GRANADA: 
1) There are 3 rivers running near or through the city
2) Laundromats: The Way to Go. It is much cheaper (7 Euro for all of our clothes -2 people -from 4 days ) to do your laundry at a laundromat than it is to have a hotel do it, who charged 7 euro for 1 shirt! 
3) The "Paseo de los Tristes" is the "Walk of the Sad" - In earlier times this road was known for the way to the cemetery and where they would carry their deceased loved ones. Goes near the Alhambra Palace.
5) Cypress Trees are common. . 

Spain Blog #26: Off to Granada, Queen Isabella & Columbus

Dan, our tour guide, and Tom at the airport 

In today's blog about our Spain trip (that we took back in May), we take you to Granada!  In this blog we'll learn a bit about the city, and about a famous statue of Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus.

The tour group we traveled with is called Detours. They arranged for the group of us (there were 9) to fly from Barcelona to Granada.

ready to fly! 

SOME BASICS ABOUT GRANADA: Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the ancient Moor palace called the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens. It's a small city, and about 230,000 people live there.

Statute of Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus

MONUMENT OF QUEEN ISABELLA AND CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS - This monument stands tall in La Plaza Isobel de Catolica (Plaza of Isabella the Catholic). The monument depicts Queen Isabella sitting in a chair while listening to Columbus talk about his plans to sail to the new world. In the front of the monument, there are two small figures raising what looks like a scroll, with significant dates on it. January 2, 1492 was the date of the surrender of Granada  and October 12, 1492, is the date of the discovery of America.

CITY LIFE, DOGS, CRAFTSPEOPLE - Granada is a small city with a friendly feel to it. We found it very walkable and people were very friendly. 

We also noticed that there are a LOT of dog parents here, too, as there were in Barcelona. In fact, we noticed that there were also homeless people with dogs here. 

Furniture maker 

A Granada Dog!

We did come across one man making furniture on a side street. He was quite talented. 



NEXT: The Best Bakeries in Granada (and Dunkin' Donuts!) 

 

Spain Blog #25: Barcelona: A 360 Degree View

LtoR: Doug, Scott, Gary, David, Rob, Bruce 

This is our last blog about our time in Barcelona, Spain before we moved onto Granada. In this blog we'll tell you about the best place to see the city. It gives you a 360 degree view! 

THE 360 LOUNGE BAR- There's a bar atop a cylindrical building in Barcelona, and it's called the 360 Lounge because you get a view of Barcelona in all directions. The bar is located in the Raval area of the city (where we saw the statue of the giant cat - in an earlier blog) Fortunately, the rain ended in time for our journey to the top of the building. 

L to R: Tom, Rob, Dan 

The Lounge Bar is located in the hotel name is Barcelo Raval, which sits next to the contemporary art museum MACBA another modern looking building in the old neighborhood of Raval. 

The bar sign

A look out over Barcelona from the 360 :Lounge Bar

NEXT: Flying to Grenada! 

In Memory of Max: Cindy's Dachshund, (formerly our Foster Dog)

Max

Today's blog is in Memory of a wonderful dog named Max that we were lucky to foster in 2015, and who got to know our kids. He was adopted by our friend Cindy,  into the best-ever home, and we just learned about his passing. We're devastated.

  Back on Nov.7, 2015, Max and Milo, two bonded Dachshunds were adopted by Cindy in Pennsylvania. We immediately befriended Cindy, who as big-hearted as she is, had no problem adopting a bonded pair of dogs into her home. On June 19, Max, the long haired, black and tan Dachshund passed suddenly from congestive heart failure.

L to R: Tom, Rob, Milo, Max and Cindy 

Cindy, Max, Milo, Michael

Read the story of their arrival into the Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue, and how Cindy adopted them here:  Buzzletter story of "Greatest Dog Rescue Story Ever: Max and Milo"

Cindy has been taking incredible care of Max and Milo since she adopted them. She's been sleeping on her downstairs living room floor for months to be with Milo, who has been going through health issues! What a Mom!

L to R: Max, Dolly, Franklin and Tyler

Our friend Bear Elliott met Max and Milo before we did. You can read how he was the first in the transport chain that brought them from Ohio to Maryland for adoption here: http://rob-tom-dolly-franklin.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-friend-bear-elliott-does-his-1st.html 

MAX'S FUN LAST WEEKEND -  Cindy said Max seemed fine this weekend.  She sent me a video of little black and tan Max (she called him Fritz) swimming happily (BELOW)  in a nearby stream.    Michael (Cindy's son) and Xavier (Michael's big dog) were also enjoying the stream. Everyone seemed healthy and happy.
  On the night of June 18th Max began coughing. She and her son Michael rushed Max to the vet. Cindy said Max stopped breathing and the vets resuscitated him twice. Then he wouldn't come back.  He just wanted to sleep, and his little body was tired. But Max got more love in his last years than he did during his entire life.
   We love you, Max!

Idiot of the Week: NJ GOP House Candidate: ‘Diversity Is A Bunch Of Crap,’ ‘Un-American’

This week's Idiot is from the Republican Party... not surprising, since you know who took office many in his party have unleashed their racism and bigotry without fear of repercussions. This idiot is a New Je-Seth Grsey House Candidate named Seth Grossman. He said ‘Diversity Is A Bunch Of Crap, and it's ‘Un-American.’ Yes. he said it, and it's ON VIDEO (see below) 

Tom said: As a fed employee, I can attest to how much diversity &; inclusion is ingrained into every employee. As part of the on-boarding process for new employees, we must attend an intensive indoctrination course that lasts for several months. Thereafter, we must take a mandatory refresher course on a yearly basis. Now we are finding out how Republicans truly feel about D&;I. Sadly, I knew this would eventually start coming to light. We'll see what changes are implemented across all of the federal agencies in the next several years.

THE STORY: A GOP candidate is taking heat for comments he made calling diversity “crap” and “un-American.” And instead of apologizing, the New Jersey congressional candidate is doubling down. The April comments made by Seth Grossman, the surprise winner of last week’s Republican primary in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, were posted in a video by American Bridge to the 21st Century, a political action committee monitoring GOP candidates.

HERE's THE VIDEO for the non-believers: Seth Grossman: "Diversity is a Bunch of Crap and Un-American" 4/21/2018
Video Link: https://youtu.be/MmcybeQ4sU4 

Good Paperback for Superman Fans: The Further Adventures of Superman (Edited Martin Greenberg)

I (Rob) recently enjoyed a paperback collection of short stories about Superman in a 1993 paperback (all text only) called "The Further Adventures of Superman," edited by Martin Greenberg.

ROB'S FAVORITE STORY IN THE COLLECTION: 
One of my favorite stories was one of the shortest. It was about how an Army recruitment doctor failed Clark Kent for several reasons. One was that the doctor kept breaking needles on Clark's (Superman's) skin, so he couldn't get vaccinated, and another reason was that Clark/Superman read an eye chart in the next room, so he got a failing grade. There were several other good stories in the book, too. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: It collects ten stories by Joey Cavalieri, Mike Resnick, and eight other top writers follow Kal-El of Krypton, the native son of a dying planet, as he makes a double life for himself on Earth as reporter Clark Kent and superhero Superman.

It's a good collection of stories. NOTE: There were 2 stories in it that I just couldn't finish. I just didn't care for them. 

Spain Blog #24: Barcelona: Ancient Roman Ruins and a Ghost

Temple of Augustus

Another place we visited in Barcelona was the ancient Roman ruins, and there was a ghost nearby! 
Yesterday we talked about the Cathedral Generalitat. Well, the Roman ruins are right next to the cathedral. The Roman ruins are that of the Temple of Augustus.


WHAT IS THE TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS?  The Temple of Augustus was a Roman temple built during the Imperial period in the late first century BC! It was built for the colony of Barcino (modern day Barcelona). It was a place of worship for Emperor Augustus and was the forum for politics and rule. It was also the central building on Tàber Hill, currently in Carrer del Paradís number 10, in the city's Gothic Quarter

THE STRUCTURE:   It was 37 meters long and 17 meters wide, and the front contained six columns (hexastyle temple). The columns surrounded the entire building, which had a single nave inside. The temple was reconstructed by the architect Puig i Cadafalch in the early 20th century.

Rob and Tom outside the ruins

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TODAY? Inside a small medieval courtyard, there are four columns from the Temple of Augustus. They are more than 2,000 years old, and stand on a stone floor base. 

Info about the temple

THE GHOST ON CARRIER PRADIS - Near the temple ruins is a street called Carrer Paradis (Paradise Street). As we approached the street (which looks more like an alleyway) I (Rob) suddenly got very dizzy and my knees buckled! I sensed a Moor soldier who lived in Barcelona in 800 A.D. and died there. He was standing still at his post and not speaking. I don't know his name, and because he didn't react, I get the sense that he was residual energy (that is, an emotional impression that was so strong it left an image) and not an interactive ghost. 

NEXT: THE 360 LOUNGE WITH A GREAT VIEW

A stone marker from the temple

Spain Trip #23: Barcelona:Cathedral Generalitat, Gargoyles, Tortured Saint, Aqueduct & Walkway Bridge

Tom and Rob at the Walkway bridge

In this blog about our trip to Spain, we're still in Barcelona exploring the sites. One of the places we visited was the massive Cathedral Generalitat. On the right side of the cathedral there is still part of an ancient Roman aqueduct! There's also a famous picture spot on the side of the Cathedral where people stop in front of an elevated walkway bridge between buildings. You'll also learn about the gargoyles and a famous, tortured saint in this blog. 

WALKWAY BRIDGE- Connecting the back of the Cathedral to another building is an enclosed and architecturally beautiful bridge. We don't know the history of it, but paused for a photo in front of it. 

Cathedral Generalitat

ABOUT CATHEDRAL GENERALITAT - The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the Gothiccathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE & GARGOYLES - The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical. It is a pseudobasilica, vaulted over five aisles, the outer two divided into chapels. The transept is truncated. The east end is a chevet of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar is raised, allowing a clear view into the crypt.

A Gargoyleson Cathedral Generalitat

STORY OF THE MARTYRED AND TORTURED SAINT - The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.

Rob outside Cathedral Generalitat

NEXT: THE ANCIENT ROMAN RUINS AND THE GHOST!  

Spain Trip #22: Gaudi's House Museum

We loved this sun porch

In today's blog, we'll take you through Architect Antoni Gaudi's house, now a museum. Gaudi designed the Sagrada Familia basilica, several buildings, and Park Guell that we talked about yesterday. He built a house for himself on a hill overlooking the park.
   We all thought the highlight of the house was the sunporch, overlooking the Park Guell. This blog also  explores the house history. 

WHAT IS THE GAUDI HOUSE? Gaudí House-Museum, located within the Park Güell in Barcelona was the residence of Antoni Gaudí for almost 20 years, from 1906 till the end of 1925. It was constructed as a show house for the Park Guell residential development. 
DESIGNED BY:   Francesc d’Assís Berenguer i Mestres (1866-1914), Gaudí’s friend and right-hand-man.
WHERE IS IT?  Park Güell, Ctra. del Carmel, 23A, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Modernisme

Gaudi's odd looking chair designs

FURNITURE DESIGNER -  Gaudi also designed his own furniture and it looked odd. We couldn't understand how some of it could be considered comfortable. However, because the furniture were museum pieces, we weren't allowed to sit on it to find out how comfortable or uncomfortable it was. 

WHEN DID GAUDI LIVE THERE? 
According to casamuseugaudi.org, Gaudí moved into this house in Park Güell with his father and his niece in 1906. After the death of both, Gaudí continued to live there alone. Carmelite nuns assisted him with the domestic chores, and he was often accompanied by friends, who watched over his health.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOUSE? After Gaudí’s death, the house was acquired and occupied by private owners. Years later, on 28 September 1963, the site opened to the public as the Gaudí House Museum.

Since 1992, the house has been owned by the Construction Board of La Sagrada Família Foundation. The purpose of opening the house to the public is to share Gaudí’s life and work.

For more information, visit: http://www.casamuseugaudi.org/en/the-exhibition/

The front entrance 

St. Anthony at the Front door

The Gaudi House Museum

Spain Trip #21: Barcelona: Park Guell part 2: Salamander, Aquaduct, Marketplace

Doug, Scott and Tom in the Marketplace

In today's blog, Part 2 of the Park Guell visit, you'll see the "Marketplace" part of the big park and learn about the aqueduct and the famous Salamander. 

Marketplace columns

WHO IS PARK GUELL NAMED FOR? Park Güell is named after Eusebi Güell, a wealthy Catalonian entrepreneur and influential member the Barcelona bourgeoisie. A close friend of Gaudí, he commissioned several of his works including Palau Güell, Bodegas Güell, Pabellones de la Finca Güell and the Colonia Güell crypt.

THE MARKETPLACE - This area is a huge area designed for vendors to sell wares. It has many massive columns that support a wavy shaped roof. Gaudí made efforts to make this space unique. Wavy shapes are reminiscent of flowing lava. The columns made the structure look like something 
out of Greece. 
Outside the marketplace there are also covered walkways with columns shaped like trees.

The Aqueduct that runs around the park 

WHAT IS THE AQUEDUCT - Antoni Gaudi designed the park with an aqueduct so people could get fresh drinking water.  He set up water collection systems throughout the park. The aqueduct was supported by crazy rock-like columns that went through the park. They were a mix of art and practicality.

THE FAMOUS SALAMANDER - A large and brightly colored, tiled salamander sits near the top of the stairs of the Marketplace area in the Park Guell. Fresh water from the aqueduct comes out of the salamander's mouth. 

Rocklike columns under the aqueduct

  As you go through Barcelona, you'll see this brightly colored Salamander on a LOT of TEE SHIRTS- Now you know the source of it. It's part of the aqueduct in Gaudi's Park Guell. 

AN OBSERVATION - There was actually very little information about the park. It seemed more as a place to walk around and enjoy the gardens that surrounded the odd looking structures. After a walk through the park, we then visited the residence of Antoni Gaudi, that sat at the top of the hill overlooking the park. That's our next blog! 

The Salamander

NEXT: Antoni Gaudi's House (Museum)

Spain Trip #20: Barcelona: Park Guell part 1

Gaudi Building #2 

In today's blog about our trip to Spain, we're going to take you to the famous "Park Guell" located on a hill atop the city of Barcelona. This park was designed by Antoni Gaudi, of whom you learned about in the previous blog on the Sagrada Familia basilica.

WHAT IS PARK GUELL? The Park Güell is a public park system composed of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill, in Barcelona, Catalonia. Carmel Hill belongs to the mountain range of Collserola – the Parc del Carmel is located on the northern face.

ADMISSION: Although it's a public park there is an admission charge to get in it. There are also two buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi, and a "marketplace" with columns. TO BUY A TICKET: https://www.parkguell.es/en/portada

WHO DESIGNED IT? Three Architects: Antoni Gaudí, Josep Maria Jujol, Joan Rubió

WHAT WAS IT'S PURPOSE? I was a large park constructed beginning in 1900, but completed in 1914. It was created to be part of a self-contained suburb for the wealthy that included public areas. In the center of the park today sits an elementary school for the neighborhood children.

Gaudi building #1

stonework in building #1

 WHY WAS IT A FAILURE? The idea for the park was to be the center of a neighborhood for the wealthy. The elite were pitched the idea of having homes built around the park. Only 4 homes were purchased, so the project and the idea became a failure. By 1922, after 8 years of trying, the park was donated to the City of Barcelona.

 AMAZING TILE WORK - Gaudi's designs included amazing, detailed tile work. Multicolored tiles were everywhere and on everything!  From the inside to the outside of buildings. Tiny colored tiles lined the back of cement park benches. 

Scott sits on one of the ornamental tiled park benches 

FAST FACT: In 1984, UNESCO declared Park Güell a World Heritage Site. barcelonaexperience.com

OUR OBSERVATION: There was a lot of construction happening in the park. The main portion of the park consisted of the "Marketplace" which you will see in the next blog. The top part of that marketplace was under construction, with earth moving equipment placing dirt over it, and leveling it. Some of it was fenced off so visitors could not access the park. 

Tile in detail

NEXT: The Marketplace & Aqueduct

Entry way from the top of the hill