This month turned out to be the most prolific of 2001: 10 rolls of film with a total of 260 images. Unfortunately one strip of negatives has disappeared, & with a Best of Europe II group pic to boot. My guess is that I made copies to distribute, then the strip was misplaced. C’est la vie.
Catalunya observations: I know, I know. Catalunya isn’t officially a country, no matter what pro-indepe folks might profess. However, this is the best way to group some of those photos from a Rick Steves tour, along with travel with one of my best friends who came from Seattle afterwards, then continuing solo. In fact, I’ve not returned to Sitges, Tarragona, Port Aventura, Poblet or Lérida since!
I chose several photos of Parc Güell in Barcelona on purpose, mainly to highlight the change in tourism. No admission fee but so few people back then! For a shock, just check it out recently in the photo below. Yikes.
I’d love to know who is the man with the Sagrada Familia model & what was his inspiration, especially since the main structure of the basilica is now complete… 25 years later. Truth be told, I like his version better! The giant lobster has been saved, but the fun seafood restaurant it perched on is now just a memory.
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Andorra observations: My only memories of Andorra la Vella are food poisoning & the fantastic thermal bath complex David & I visited on its first day open after a two-week cleaning. Made me feel a lot better!
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Gibraltar observations: As a geopolitical anomaly, Gibraltar ranks high… but my experiences there have often been meh. Great views for sure, but overpriced & stuck in a more important past. Border officials used to give out cool passport stamps on request though.
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Spain observations: Apologies for climbing on statues in Navacerrada! I was 30 & couldn’t resist. Mass tourism had yet to reach Consuegra, & the helter-skelter appearance of its windmills only added to their charm. Although better maintained today, adding a coffee shop & corresponding recycling bins isn’t the best choice in my opinion. Corpus Christi festivities in Triana (Sevilla) fascinated me even then.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this glance at the past. Read about the genesis of this project, & please leave a comment below if you also remember this particular time & place.