Metropol Parasol Seville; The trilogy of experiences.

Act 1; Thursday 14th

So, in a cab, Weary after trundling around Seville since we flew in earlier in the day; I looked up and saw the sky was covered by a giant wooden honeycomb like mesh. I was stunned by its appearance. It resumed something out of Sci-Fi movie so; I ask the Cabbie to stop immediately. I jump out, pull out my SLR and snap..then gaze in awe then snap some more..

Photo by Paul Allen

Its called the Metropol Parasol or The Mushroom. As you can see.. it's quite magnificent.

Photo by Paul Allen

90 million Euros was the cost(!) and whilst in these austere times its questionable to splash out on a piece of Couture Architecture I'll just marvel at its splendour.

Friday 15th

Act 2: The next day after a touch of local flamenco I am drawn childlike back to the scene..its mid february and a sunny 21c.. and just sit underneath and gaze upward... not alone of course. Other groups make camp there too and we all bask in the ambience watching the Sevillanos drift past.

Photo by Paul Allen

Saturday 16th

Act 3;
After finding out we can walk around the top I return for the final act. I pay my 1 Euro go up 2 floors and as the lift opens I am greeted with the Mushroomed honeycombed wooden mesh and the Seville skyline fused as one. It's a gorgeous view only dampened slightly by the grey sky..wish I had done this in the Second Act but no matter. It evokes feelings of another dimension in which we live in a city 2 tier and I was upper echelon of society.  We drift around the walkways peering at the construction and wish for something like this closer to home.. if only....

Photo by Paul Allen

Photo by Paul Allen

Photo by Paul Allen

Paul Allen is a Bohemian who by day works as a Government detective. He has various bits of performance art in London and abroad.
The last couple of years Paul has done photojournalism in Europe reporting most notably on the last 2 Venetian Biennales and the Radio France music festival in Montpellier for the last 3 years.
His gallery is available on ANDfotography website.
We were lucky enough to host him on our blog!

Tunnel Spoons

Tunnel Spoons

Ladies and Gentlemen, behold the designer spoons of Eurostar!

In a world where everybody is striving to make their brand different, cutlery can often be a battleground of ideas, fought out between designers in all parts of the world endeavouring to make a unique statement.

In this case, the Eurostar spoons are a fascinatingly narrow waisted effort which look as if Uri Geller could have had them fall apart just by looking at them during his heyday in the 1970's.

Alas, they aren't very practical to actually eat with but then again Eurostar is one of those magnificent inventions where design has been of great importance but which in operation so often tends to be a touch average...then again instead of spending so much money on the spoons, I am one of those old-fashioned types who would just be satisfied if the toilets actually worked (as they haven't on something like 5 of my last 7 trips)...