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Barcelona Olympic stadium & Magic Fountain

Some big cities just have it, and Barcelona is one of them. Last Saturday evening for example there was a world class athletics meet at the Olympic stadium on Montjuic and later we watched the Magic Fountain show from the steps of the MNAC- fabulous entertainment all round!
The athletics "Miting" had some big stars that were keen to get some last minute competitive races in before the World Championships in Berlin in august but the highlight of the evening was Marta Dominguez' Spanish record in the 3,000m steeplechase. Ever the competitor, she came through brilliantly with the home crowd saluting her efforts in what is still one of the greatest venues in athletics history with the '92 Olympics ever present.
A short walk from the stadium to the steps of the MNAC and we had another wonderful surprise looking down over the Plaza Espanya and the Magic Fountain light and music show. During the summer months you can see it from thu-sun from around dusk (9.30pm) and is well worth catching for the informal atmosphere, balmy night temperature and of course the dramatic water, light and music show.
For a city which is no longer cheap these fun events on a Saturday night were a true bargain (athletics 10€ Magic Fountain free!)

Click here to download:

Barcelona_Olympic_stadium_Magi.zip (5121 KB)

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Filed under // 000m steeplechase 3 92 Olmpics Barcelona Magic Fountain Marta Dominguez MNAC Olympic stadium Plaza Espanya

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Must see- Capa's and Taro's Spanish Civil War photos

After the wonderful Sorolla exhibition, which is now in Madrid, the MNAC is hosting another must see with photos which inflamed the world and sent thousands of idealists like George Orwell to join the anti-fascist cause during the Spanish Civil War.

Robert Capa and his partner Gerda Taro were instrumental in filling the new media of illustrated weekly magazines which became so influential and of which they were some of the pioneers of photo-journalism.

The pictures are of the front line at the Battle of the Ebro, one of the bloodiest of the war and also shows the other tragic side of war with the flood of refugees heading out of Tarragona and Barcelona and heading for the French border in 1939 when the war was almost over.

Capa went on to record wars in China and was present for the D Day landing of which there are few such dramatic pictures.

Even after 70 years the Civil War and it's legacy is a period most Spaniards would rather forget but these photos will not let us and so it should be especially since Gerda Taro and so many others gave their lives in the effort.