Doors of Barcelona and Valencia

As mentioned before, I like doors. They are mysterious (what is behind that door) and mundane, yet beautiful. I was going to call this Doors of Spain, but since I really have only been to Barcelona and Valencia, this is what you get.

Valencia

We went to Valencia last year in August to participate in Tomatina. Since we were there with our friends we rented an apartment in a residential area of town. It was in one of many towering apartment blocks that line the main street. The front door though was cool.

Decoration was important even though the iron bars had to be functional as well.

In the back courtyards of the apartment buildings are restaurants and bars in the bottom floor of them all. They look into the courtyard and serve the locality. Just around the corner from our place I found this door all tricked out and fancy. Ok, so the security bars spoil the view of the door itself, but the surrounding is awesome.

There were so many carved wooden doors in the center of Valencia. The Art Nouveau architecture abounds and with it brings the fancy doors. Everything should be decorated and curvy. Oh yeah and symmetrical.

Barcelona

We just got back from Barcelona a few weeks ago. I have never been and Ali only once many years ago. It is a great place to wander and to door-spot, I found. It should be no surprise that in the town so well known for Gaudi and Art Nouveau there would be plenty of that style to look at. We walked down the Diagonal to the Sagrada Familia which led us along a Modernist Way marked by paving stones. I love the mixture of wood and glass in this one.

A door within a door is double special. This heavy wooden carved door is also along that walk. The right side though is the actual door, you can see the key hole and crack where it would open. The rest is still intricately carved. Not only do doors hold their mysteries inside, but show them out as well.

It was so hot the weekend we were in Barcelona that we really didn’t sightsee much at all.(we need to realize that August in Spain is HOT) And yet we did make it to the old part of town and an alleyway next to the cathedral. I found this door and the next there. This one had dust halfway up its bottom. In the end a very simple one, but intriguing as well. It was odd in that it was normal sized, in a town where grand is the standard. Then just a keyhole with no door handle.

Along the same way as the dusty door I found this imposing one. Rings abound, both on the main door wings and the smaller access door. All of the rivets really give the impression of “keep out”.

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We like Spain and definitely want to see more. I would love to compare the doors from this end to some in the south. The distinct architectures have their own type of doors. In the north east, Art Nouveau is king.