I arrived in Barcelona very late. Actually, this may be the only time in which Barcelona even exists.
There is a fabulous market right in this very location that is apparently open in something called the 'daytime". The "daytime" is a mystical time that most people in Barcelona don't even know exists.
I know this for sure because the next morning, at 9 AM on a WEEKDAY, I could not find any place open to buy coffee. People sleep in until approximately 3 PM. They then roll around in bed, thinking about getting up until 4 PM. They then get up, have some chocolate and churros, and then take a quick nap before it gets dark. And then they party.
from Trey Ratcliff at www.stuckincustoms.com
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I did not know this prior to flying to the little island of Ibiza off the coast of Spain -- but I was happy to discover that the old part of the city is an walled medieval town. Awesome! Whenever I see one of those, all I want to do is run around them, like I'm in a the latest Assassin's Creed, except with a camera instead of a stiletto incognito.
The old part of the city has been turned into galleries, restaurants, and small boutique hotels. The textures and lights are warm and supple. I loved walking around and discovering little parts here and there -- it was all especially nice because it was completely unexpected.
from the blog www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: stuckincustoms treyratcliff stuck customs stuckincustoms.com travel blog travelblog photography photoblog photographyblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff world Europe spain España Reino de España Mediterranean pine islands pityuses Illes Pitiüses Islas Pitiusas Balearic eivissa Iberian Illes Balears archipelago autonomous community province Comunidad Autónoma Ibiza island medieval explore exploring history historic assassins creed stiletto incognito boutique dessert bar restaurant chairs butterfly cobble paved winding alley street road September 2010 Nikon d3x SOETOP50-SpotsForDaydreamers
While walking through the streets around the edges of Las Ramblas, I found this secret place. I'm not sure I could even find it again. Maybe one of our smart readers knows exactly where it is. Anyway, the place was quite beautiful, as you can see. It was also pretty much empty, so I had no trouble moving around to find the interesting shots.
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Part of Ibiza is an old walled medieval town that is surrounded by layers of winding streets old shops intermixed with homes. A few streets away from the walls, some of the streets are full of pubs and quirky shops... I think it's better to explore them at night than in the day -- and especially so in the rain.
On this night, it was a little chilly and rainy, but that does not effect my camera. I've never had a problem because of rain or cold or heat or anything. It just works!
The rainy streets were full of colors and life. I saw this couple quickly walking under an umbrella so I took a quick one to capture the scene.
from the blog www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: stuck customs travel blog travelblog photography photoblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff treyratcliff world Europe spain España Reino de España Mediterranean pine islands pityuses Illes Pitiüses Islas Pitiusas Balearic eivissa Iberian Illes Balears archipelago autonomous community province Comunidad Autónoma Ibiza island Ibiza town town old town old city southeast coast coastal restored restoration villa d’eivissa example dalt villa nightlife shopping rain rainy wet umbrella romantic romance couple walking walk medieval historic date café shop shops
On my first evening in Barcelona, I dumped my bags in the room them went right out to explore. Unpacking is so boring... let's face it.
I started going down side-streets and back alleys to where I heard activity and motion. I was more or less zig-zagging my way to Las Ramblas, where there's always a lot of activity. But I didn't want to go right there. During the weaving, I found this enormous cathedral nestled between a square of classical looking Spanish buildings. A performer had lit a unique homemade contraption of flames and was whirling it about. I got back behind her and set up for this shot.
from the blog www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: stuckincustoms treyratcliff stuck customs stuckincustoms.com travel blog travelblog photography photoblog photographyblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff world Europe spain España Reino de España Mediterranean catalonia Barcelona city urban las ramblas la ramblas la rambla rambla street central tourism mall community neighborhood crowd attraction culture cultural district art artists ensnared flame fire dance architecture medieval history historic September 2010 Nikon d3x SOETOP50-SpotsForDaydreamers