The forest-mimicking columns inside Gaudi's temple La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (Photo by Juan Salmoral) If there is any one principle that resonates through the work of architectural legend Antoni Gaudí, it's that nothing beats the beautiful ingenuity of Nature. Born on this day in 1852, Gaudí was infatuated with the natural world. He immersed himself in nature's forms -- from sea shells to mushrooms. Organic shapes inspired Gaudí's stunningly original monuments in and around Spain's cultural mecca, Barcelona. His bizarre buildings are wrought with swirling ceilings, gill-like window vents, molten façades, ruffled rooftops, and whimsical chimney creatures. Even the structural elements of Gaudí's buildings take on surreal, nature-inspired forms through tree-like columns, bone supports, helicoid staircases, and rib-shaped rafters. Despite his innovations, Barcelonians didn't think much of him during his lifetime. Aside from the few rich clients who adored (and funded) his artistry, most civilians -- and frankly, most of Gaudi's colleagues -- scoffed equally at his major works. Nevertheless, the Catalan creator of biomorphic curves eventually earned posthumous praise from master architects and artists, solidifying his status as a forefather of Modernism. Suggested Sites... Casa Battló (1905-1907) - Gaudí's gaudy apartment, inspired by sea forms. Casa Milà (1905-1907) - Gaudí's undulating building called "The Quarry." Parque Guëll (1900-1914) - Gaudí's park, featuring his home, bridges, mosaics, terraces, and sculptures. La Sagrada Familia (1882-2026?) - his massive masterpiece-in-progress, full of cave forms and unforgettable towers. NYC Grand Hotel Plans (1908) - Gaudí fans proposed his design for the new World Trade Center.

Directory categories: Antoni Gaudi, Master Architects, Barcelona Local Guides, Art Nouveau

Archived under: 19th Century, Antoni Gaudi, Architects, Architecture, Arts, Birthdays, Buildings, Creativity, Design, Europe, History, Regional, Spain, Tourist Attractions

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Bugs Bunny gets the bull in the 1952 short Bully For Bugs Musical satirist Tom Lehrer once said of bullfighting, "There is surely nothing more beautiful in this world than the sight of a lone man facing single-handedly a half a ton of angry pot roast." Unfortunately for Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez, better known as Manolete, he was facing the wrong pot roast on August 28, 1947. Considered the greatest bullfighter of all time, Manolete had actually retired from the bull ring, but was unable to stay away. On that day, he had already killed four bulls, but toro numero cinco, Islero, got posthumous revenge. Before dying, he gored Manolete in the thigh, an injury that led to the torero's own death the next day -- an event that sent Spain into three days of mourning. Tauromachy has been criticized for being nothing but a blood sport, and while most of the time the matador gets the bull, sometimes, as Manolete discovered to his misfortune, the bull gets you. Suggested Sites... The Death of Manolete - literary and video excerpts from Barnaby Conrad's book and film. Wikipedia: Bullfighting - brief history of tauromachy. Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe: Bullfighting - not everyone is a bullfighting fan. Story of a Matador - video documentary on what makes an otherwise sane man get into the bull ring. Toropedia - encyclopedia of bullfighting and bullfighters.

Directory categories: Bullfighting, Matadors, Opposing Views of Bullfighting, Spain, Ernest Hemingway

Archived under: Animal Rights, Animals, Anniversaries, Dead Celebrities, Death, Spain, Sports

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The Battle of Wine in Haro, La Rioja We've all heeded the call (or ducked out of the way) upon hearing the hearty cry for a food fight. In Spain, this type of culinary free-for-all reaches new heights. You may already be familiar with La Tomatina, the tomato-lobbing pulp fest that brings people by the thousands to the village of Bunyol every year. But have you heard about the great Riscos de Bilibio Wine Battle? On June 29th, wine literally flows through this sleepy little hamlet's streets in honor of San Pedro. Decked out in spotless white duds, celebrants arm themselves with boda bags, buckets, and super soakers, dousing anything that moves until everyone is wearing purple. And this is no spectator sport, amigos. Spray or get out of the way. A good time is had by all, although it does seem a waste of good Rioja wine. Maybe they could combine La Tomatina and the Batalla de Vino into one event, and at least get a good gazpacho out of the deal. Suggested Sites... Ciudad de Haro - most of the time, they drink the wine here. Find out about their history, traditions, and wine industry. RiojaWine.com - history, tasting manual, and a visitor's guide to the bodegas of Rioja. lastminute.com - find other weird and wonderful events in Spain, like the Running of the Nudes. Japanese Human Art - watch a performance of food fight in slow motion and reverse action.

Directory categories: Spain Travel Guides, Spain, La Tomatina, Wine Tours, Wine Events

Archived under: Cultures, Festivals, Holidays, Spain, Weird Stuff, Wine

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The forest-mimicking columns inside Gaudi's temple La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (Photo by Juan Salmoral) If there is any one principle resonating through the work of architectural legend Antoni Gaudí, it's that nothing beats the beautiful ingenuity of nature. Born on this day in 1852, Gaudí was infatuated with the natural world. He immersed himself in nature's forms -- from sea shells to mushrooms. Organic shapes inspired Gaudí's stunningly original monuments in and around Spain's cultural mecca, Barcelona. His bizarre buildings are wrought with swirling ceilings, gill-like window vents, molten facades, ruffled rooftops, and whimsical chimney creatures. Even the structural elements of Gaudí's buildings take on surreal, nature-inspired forms through tree-like columns, bone supports, helicoid staircases, and rib-shaped rafters. Despite his innovations, Barcelonians didn't think much of him during his lifetime, aside from the few rich clients who adored (and funded) his artistry. At the time, citizens and colleagues alike scoffed at his major works. Nevertheless, the Catalan creator of biomorphic curves eventually earned posthumous praise from master architects and artists, solidifying his status as a forefather of modernism. Suggested Sites... Casa Battló (1905-1907) - Gaudí's gaudy apartment, inspired by sea forms. Casa Milà (1905-1907) - Gaudí's undulating building called "The Quarry." Parque Guëll (1900-1914) - Gaudí's park featuring his home, bridges, mosaics, terraces, and sculptures. La Sagrada Familia (1882-?) - his massive masterpiece-in-progress, full of cave forms and unforgettable towers. NYC Grand Hotel Plans (1908) - Gaudí fans proposed his design for the new World Trade Center.

Directory categories: Antoni Gaudí, Master Architects, Barcelona Local Guides, Art Nouveau

Archived under: Antoni Gaudi, Architects, Arts, Regional, Spain

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The Salvador Dalí exhibition entrance by the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Photo by Max Buten) If you dream of melting clocks and hallucinogenic dreamscapes, you can thank Salvador Dalí. Born on this day in 1904, this Spanish star of the art world rose to the top of the Surrealist movement by extracting inspiration from his subconcious mind. Dalí embodied surrealism through strange artwork full of connotations and symbols. And his originality wasn't limited to his art; he also possessed distinctive showmanship. From lecturing in a deep-sea diving suit to speaking about himself in the third person, Dalí was big on bizarre. He declared allegiance to an odd political ideology called Anarcho-Monarchism. He begged for attention with his handle-bar mustache and bug-eyed gaze. And he didn't shy away from self-aggrandizing statements, to the dismay of many fans and critics. Despite criticisms of his press-hungry theatrics, we think Dalí deserves a commemoration for dazzling us with his unparalleled imagination and creative output. Creating 1,500 works would be any artist's dream come true. Suggested Sites... Dalí's Disney Film - see clips of "Destino," a 2003 animation based on Dalí's cartoon project with Walt Disney in 1945. "The Death of Salvador Dalí" - a 2006 comedic short inspired by Dalí's friendship with Sigmund Freud. Dalí's Alka Seltzer Commercial - Dalí doing his thing before the "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" phenomenon. Dalí's Lanvin Chocolate Commercial - 1968 French advertising at its best. Salvador Dalí Timeline - highlights of his lavish life.

Directory categories: Salvador Dalí, Painting Masters, Dadaists and Surrealists, Dada and Surrealism, Spanish Masters

Archived under: Artists, Arts, Birthdays, Directors, Spain

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