We are in the middle of summer. And it is in these months that a magical moment occurs in Barcelona, which is when the city's architectural jewels open up to nocturnal activities that free us from the heat and allow us to enjoy our heritage. There are dozens. Of all types, but I am going to focus on the Palau Güell, where on Thursdays you can enjoy a special musical evening, surrounded by Gaudí's 20 chimneys.
The architect from Reus liked to push the boundaries in his works. The Sagrada Família, Park Güell, La Pedrera, Casa Batlló… All are examples of his genius, and Palau Güell is no exception. Gaudí fitted a masterpiece into a plot on Nou de la Rambla street, which he converted into the residence of his patrons. We could talk about each of the corners of this palace, but I am going to stick to its rooftop, where the music nights are held.
And I'm going to throw out a challenge. Let's see who can discover the silhouette of a Cobi, the Olympic mascot, in the trencadís that covers the rooftop of Palau Güell. Yes, there is a Cobi on the roof of Palau Güell. Someone might think, if they find it, that Mariscal copied it from Gaudí. Well, no, and this is the story. It turns out that some artisans who were working in 1992 on the restoration of the roof had the idea of leaving the mascot among the mosaic as a kind of testament that they were in the middle of the Olympic year.
I'm not going to give clues about where to find it. You'll have to discover it for yourselves. Pepe Encinas, a friend and master photographer, told me about it. But the scoundrel didn't tell me where. So one day I went to the Palau, paid my entrance fee, and set about looking for Cobi on my own. I could have resorted to the press service or some other worker at the center, but the possibility that Pepe had pulled my leg held me back. I didn't want to make a fool of myself.
It took me two hours to find the blessed mascot, which I ended up cursing because at times I had the certain suspicion that this Encinas had made me a victim of one of his pranks, similar to those he used to perpetrate when we coincided in the newsroom of El Periódico. I had been inspecting the shapes of the trencadís for so long, bending down and adopting complicated positions that I even ended up attracting the attention of a member of the building's security.
As a good Sherlock Holmes fan, I applied the principle that "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." That's how I finally found Cobi, who is also accompanied by the Barcelona 92 logo. So, if you decide to enjoy one of the evenings at Palau Güell, for the price of admission you can also participate in an enigma-deciphering activity.
To date, three concerts have already been held at Palau Güell, featuring Paula Peso, Mercè de la Fuente, and Sara Aldana. Tonight it will be Aura's turn. There will still be three more performances: Marta Duran Quartet (July 27); Manual Dualicy (August 3), and Irene Reig Trío (August 10). Jazz predominates among the different performers, although there is also soul and funk.
I highly recommend this activity. There are others, but none offer the incentive of finding that camouflaged Cobi. May you find it well and, in passing, enjoy good music.