* The only way’s up, then Trevor. As for the road? I think it’s relatively new: it’s around the back of North Street …
† That reminds me, Olga, I really should sit down with a movie: I’ve got a few queued up, and not watched them! The heat’s really not helping! And I know what you mean about the end of a series. The last episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is on, on Sunday: it’s quite something! As Debbi will be able to tell you, Nathan Lane is amazing!
I’m just sorry about Chloe’s sound quality: I think I was getting some interference, there …
The sooner season four’s out?!? Arrrggghhh!
‡ That it is, Debbi! Sonya Walger, as the deeply crusty Molly Cobb? Was superb! (You’ve got these gung-ho, upbeat team of astronauts … and Molly, right in the middle of it, with a shot of something, a (metaphorical) cigar, and a cynical comment or two. Amazing stuff!)
^ He died, getting run over by a tram. A tram … ! There’s worse deaths, but that does seem undignified for a man of Gaudí’s stature.
Q1) 1852 Q2) Catalonia Q3) León Q4) Barcelona Q5) Finally … ? Gaudí is buried in one of his own buildings^. Which building? (Apparently? Orwell didn’t think much of it!) La Sagrada Familia (Well, everybody is entitled to an opinion. I have no idea what it will look like by the end of it, and when Orwell saw it, in the middle of the Spanish Civil War, I have no idea what it would have looked like, as the work on it was stopped for many years (I have this memory of going for a walk with my parents nearby, as my mother used to work not very far from it, and seeing one man, alone, working on the stone façade, chiselling away, and thinking, ‘Well, at this speed the world will end before the church is finished. Of course, by all accounts, all the big medieval cathedrals took years and years to be completed, generations…). Once the Japanese became enamoured of Gaudi and his architecture, they started visiting Barcelona by the thousands and their funds helped. They did try to buy one of his buildings, la Pedrera (Casa Milà, https://www.lapedrera.com/en). I’m not sure it’s true, but I heard, years back, that some publicity agency chose la Sagrada Familia as a backdrop to one of their ads in Japan (some alcoholic drink, brandy, I think), and people went crazy over it. Many of his plans and drawings for the building have disappeared over the years, so it’s anybody’s guess how much the final building will resemble what he had in mind, but it’s going to be huge, that’s for sure. Personally, I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite of his buildings (I love Parc Güell. You’ve mentioned the dragon and it’s there, and I also like Casa Batlló and la Pedrera. If you check the chimneys at la Pedrera, you’ll see why Darth Vader’s helmet feels very familiar…) The details of his death are terrible. As I mentioned, he used to dress as a pauper (he was not interested in things of this world at that time in his life, or much at all, it seems), and people thought he was a homeless guy, drunk, as he had knocked his head and didn’t make a lot of sense. It took a while for anybody to help him or realise who he was. One of my mother’s uncles died in a very similar way. He was quite old and frail and was knocked over (in that case I think by a bicycle or a motorcycle) as he crossed a road, with his wife, he knocked his head on the pavement and he died shortly after. I’ve left a comment on part 4 as well. Great work. I hope you get some practical suggestions from readers and you can do a follow-up post with everything you discover.
Looked that road up on Google and it is behind was used to be the old C & A department store. I looked up where my old office was in Eastern Road right against the railway line. It is stilled called Morland House but is now serviced apartments. Bit to close to the railway I think.
I love it when someone comments. But, having had anonymous comments I feel may be libellous, actionable or just plain offensive, over the years?
I’d appreciate you* leaving your name — with a link to your website or social-media profile†, for preference — before you post a comment.
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Contentious, actionable or abusive posts left anonymously will not be posted. Nor will comments using offensive pseudonyms or language, or that are abusive of other commenters.
Thank you.
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Q1) 1852
ReplyDeleteQ2) Catalonia
Q3) León
Q4) Barcelona
Q5) Finally … ? Gaudí is buried in one of his own buildings^. Which building? (Apparently? Orwell didn’t think much of it!) La Sagrada Familia (Well, everybody is entitled to an opinion. I have no idea what it will look like by the end of it, and when Orwell saw it, in the middle of the Spanish Civil War, I have no idea what it would have looked like, as the work on it was stopped for many years (I have this memory of going for a walk with my parents nearby, as my mother used to work not very far from it, and seeing one man, alone, working on the stone façade, chiselling away, and thinking, ‘Well, at this speed the world will end before the church is finished. Of course, by all accounts, all the big medieval cathedrals took years and years to be completed, generations…). Once the Japanese became enamoured of Gaudi and his architecture, they started visiting Barcelona by the thousands and their funds helped. They did try to buy one of his buildings, la Pedrera (Casa Milà, https://www.lapedrera.com/en). I’m not sure it’s true, but I heard, years back, that some publicity agency chose la Sagrada Familia as a backdrop to one of their ads in Japan (some alcoholic drink, brandy, I think), and people went crazy over it. Many of his plans and drawings for the building have disappeared over the years, so it’s anybody’s guess how much the final building will resemble what he had in mind, but it’s going to be huge, that’s for sure. Personally, I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite of his buildings (I love Parc Güell. You’ve mentioned the dragon and it’s there, and I also like Casa Batlló and la Pedrera. If you check the chimneys at la Pedrera, you’ll see why Darth Vader’s helmet feels very familiar…)
The details of his death are terrible. As I mentioned, he used to dress as a pauper (he was not interested in things of this world at that time in his life, or much at all, it seems), and people thought he was a homeless guy, drunk, as he had knocked his head and didn’t make a lot of sense. It took a while for anybody to help him or realise who he was. One of my mother’s uncles died in a very similar way. He was quite old and frail and was knocked over (in that case I think by a bicycle or a motorcycle) as he crossed a road, with his wife, he knocked his head on the pavement and he died shortly after.
I’ve left a comment on part 4 as well. Great work. I hope you get some practical suggestions from readers and you can do a follow-up post with everything you discover.
A1 1852
ReplyDeleteA2 Catalonia
A3 León
A4 Barcelona
A5 Sagrada Família
Looked that road up on Google and it is behind was used to be the old C & A department store. I looked up where my old office was in Eastern Road right against the railway line. It is stilled called Morland House but is now serviced apartments. Bit to close to the railway I think.
Yeah, the way he died sucks, but sometimes life can suck. She said with a plucky smile! :)
ReplyDelete1. 1852
2. Catalonia
3. León
4. Barcelona
5. the Sagrada Família