Day 4 Parc Guell

Probably the 2nd most popular site in Barcelona is Parc Guell (the l ls are pronounced as a y ...so it is something like Gway..... We took the Turista bus to the stop near by and then hiked up 6 steep blocks or so to the entrance. There is no charge to enter but a small museum does have a charge. Gaudi was commissioned by the Guell family to design a hillside garden community built over a covered market. Only two houses were ever built, one of which Gaudi lived in. This is one of two guard houses at the entrance. They have a gingerbread house appearance.
This was an exquisite fence with a look of palm designs. All of his work is very organic and nature oriented.
The picture is not crooked. I don't know what this passageway is but it was very different. The child is sitting in a small nitch in the wall, one of several spaced along the way.
Near the top is a lovely view of the city. (Click to enlarge) On the left you can see the towers of the Sagrada Familia. On the far right is the W hotel along the waterfront of the Mediterranean.
There are many many noisy green parakeets in the trees....I actually took a better picture than this but it was very very slow posting these pictures and I didn't have the patience to redo it.
This was an open snack bar area. We stopped for a refreshment and to enjoy the music from some nearby musicians.....and were unable to avoid the young couple at the next table, devouring each others faces......
These tiles were along a walkway....they are similar to the ones downtown that line the streets and are designed by Gaudi.
One of the most distinctive feature of the area above the columns that are in the market, is the serpentine tiled benches.
They are covered with beautiful broken tiles....it is not really a mosaic as they do not form a picture. They broke up tiles of color for the top and white for the base. It is just so imaginative and gorgeous. And when you sit, the brown line feels like a lumbar support and it's very comfortable....but a bit cool this time of year.
A close up of one area of the bench...,I have many many pictures of the details.
This was to be the market below the benches. On the ceiling are more tiles and the large colored circles are detailed mosaics of various organic shapes. Amazing.....and so beautiful.
Along the stairs near the entree is this tiled lizard. It is an iconic design, reproduced
everywhere. It was impossible to get a picture of it as everyone wanted a picture of themselves near it. I gave up and chose to take a picture of the most attractive person I saw waiting for her chance.
These broken tiles were a bit different. It looks like they took a tile, broke it up in pieces and then replaced it in its original form.

The other gate house at the entrance with the fanciful tower beside it. The entire park was quite large and paths descended upwards into a heavily treed area. I can see where it would be a nice respite from the hot summer Spanish sun.
Here is another Gaudi building in downtown. It is supposed to be quite spectacular inside as well but they wanted about $25 for a peek and we decided that we'd seen quite enough for the moment. By the way, Gaudi lived to be 74 and died in 1926 when he was run over by a tram. He laid in the street for hours as it was thought he was a beggar. By the time he was taken to a hospital, it was too late.
We have Christmas decorations on our street. The door to our apt. is on the right. We were worn out from our long day and chose to take the easy route for dinner and walk over a couple blocks to the Mexican restaurant again. We were the only ones there......we were told that most won't come for dinner until 8 or so....except that older people come earlier.! Our waitress ..Anna, and the entire staff, is from Mexico. They remind us that they serve authentic Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. They all speak perfect English and we had great fun with them. As we were finishing, two young families did come in but it was nice to have private dining while it lasted. We said we'd be back before we left. It is really good food and so convenient.

The city seems young.....Anna said that the older people tend to stay home or live in the hilly part of the city, which is more exclusive. There are 8 universities and we heard many languages on the street. We also heard familiar southern accents and more obvious American students. A popular fashion statement seems to be leggings or sheer stockings with very short skirts or shorts and boots. Boots and scarfs are definitely the most popular accessory for all ages. Not very many blondes around. I haven't seen any french manicures. IPhones and Blackberry's are common. Backpacks are ubiquitous among the young and old. Smoking is more common than I expected. I've seen a couple of chubby people but they did not look Spanish. I"m not really hung up on the thin or wide....it has just been very obvious. Compared to the crowds at Disney, this place is positively anorexic.

Time to call it a night. Tomorrow is La Rambla ......

Day 3 views

For those of you wondering how I "watch" football on the computer, here is a picture of the screen from www.nfl.com. It is a live version of the game....or as live as it can be while they get the little arrows posted after the play. I'm rather amazed at the Broncos season.....who would have hoped that it could look this good after the last few years.
We had good intentions of getting an early start on the Turista bus but didn't open our eyes until 10am. We are still are on some strange time zone, midway between here and there.
The buses travel around the city on the Blue route and the Red route. Each is about a 2 hour loop with headphones that continually give you information on the areas we pass. For 30 euros each, we can hop on and off for two days (about $43 each) It's actually a pretty good deal considering the helpful info we got and the up close and personal view of the neighborhoods and city highlights. We stopped by the Sagrada Familia again today. It is still almost impossible to get a good picture of this massive and unusual structure.

These are white birds on a tree midway up the side......the entire thing is very organic, which is a Gaudi trademark. I was surprised to see colored images scattered about....like fruit and flowers.

The cathedral has 3 different sides depicting the life of Christ. This is the nativity and it was done in Gaudi's time....

These two pictures are of the Crucifixion and done in a completely different style, more modernistic and widely criticized as not adhering to the Gaudi ideal.

We rode in the upper deck of the bus, up next to the windshield to get some protection from the light wind.
A view of the back of the bus......at some stops, it was completely full.
We passed someone moving into their apartment.....doubt a piano would fit on that lift.
Here is the symbol from the '92 Olympics.....
There is a Columbus Circle in Barcelona as well as NYC....he is supposedly pointing at the new world but in actuality, he is pointing towards the Mediterranean. The building is not that close.....just a lousy picture. We hopped off the bus in downtown and cheered on finding this nearby.....the perfect solution to cold hands. There is the ubiquitous McDonalds and Subway and an occasional Burger King. Starbucks seems limited to the very heart of the city. We could use one down near us. We are comfortable finding our way around, reading maps, using the Metro (a favorite) and even strolling after dark. We still have an extensive list of must see items but not sure we'll get to all of them. Tonight, we went to a larger market and bought frozen Buitoni pizzas and cooked in...not very gourmet but our feet needed a break.
Typical architecture around the city.
This is another Gaudi piece......there are many ......

What a nice way to end the day............

Impressions Day 2

Our apartment is quite nice and every wall has very interesting art work. The furniture and dishes are labeled IKEA and it all has that swedish clean-lined look about it. It is much larger than I had expected.

We started the day late, sleeping in and feeling lazy. After a light breakfast of coffee tea and fruit, we studied the maps and headed out. Our first challenge was the Metro system. We can cross that challenge off of our list....it was quite basic and important directions were in English. It was spotlessly clean, quick and efficient. Puts NY subways to shame ! The only drawback is not seeing where you're going. The buses would have avoided that but they looked very crowded and we read some warnings about them. There is a Turista double decker (open-air on the top) bus that stops all over the city at the top attractions and tomorrow we will use that to better view the sights.

Our main goal today was to head to the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by Antonio Gaudi. ( I would try and link to it but all the sites come up in Spanish from either Google or Bing) He was an architect in the late 1800's who designed this as "a symbolic construct encompassing the entire story and scope of the Christian faith". I can never begin to explain it so if you have an interest, try Wikipedia. It was very
crowded and has been under continual construction since 1882. It is planned to be completed by 2026. Much of it is covered in sheeting and scaffolding and my pictures don't capture it well......There will be 12 of those large bell towers when complete ! We plan to return tomorrow and get better shots when , hopefully, the crowds have lessened......Paul was a bit wary of getting in the midst of it all (even the Metro gives warnings in English about the pickpockets) so we looked mostly from afar. I used my iPhone for some pictures but decided that I either need to use the camera or leave it behind....so look for more pics tomorrow.

After a bit more strolling , we felt the first signs of starvation set in. Our UNTOURS guide book recommended a place right near our apt as having the best Mexican food in Barcelona. It was a tiny place, tucked away on a small street. We had no reservation so they plied us with drinks while we waited briefly for a table.
We were laboring over the Spanish menu with our dictionary in hand when the lovely waitress came over and offered us the English version. I said we really needed to practice so we used one of each.
Paul ordered the tuna on guac with rice and I had enchiladas. Both were delicious. Interesting comparison between my portion of 3 small chicken enchiladas, a small side of refried beans and a light sauce with smattering of cheese, compared to the gluttonous portions we get at home.

My first impression of the population here was that they are all slender and today, that impression remained. I began my search for anyone even pudgy and failed . Most everyone was younger than us but there were a few elders around and they were slim as well. The families and the bicycles and the couples and the dogs were all out today. Audi, VW, Citroen and Hondas seem to be the cars of choice. Weather was sunny and about 60, nice enough but layers felt good.

And now I have to "watch" the Broncos on the computer play the Vikings. Buenos noches!.....

First impressions.....

is that flying in First Class is better than spending 8 hours in Coach seating......Not that most of us have a choice and far be it for me to spend that kind of money for a comfortable chair high in the sky. But, when the stars align and there are empty seats up front, we are sure glad that we got to partake. Somehow, dining well, drinking well and then curling up with a comfy blanket and pillow in a bed-like situation makes those hours just zip by. I do not particularly like flying altho it is getting easier the more I do it......but First Class somehow eases the anxieties just a bit.

As we came over the Pyrenees, bordering Spain and France, the sun was up and the views were spectacular. We descended quickly over hilly green country. The airport is shiny new and quite vacant. We were met promptly by a nice young man who has relatives in Orlando.

Our apartment is in the Port Vell area, along the harbor. This is our view from the 3rd floor balcony. After a much needed siesta and no idea what time it was in our brain, we headed out to walk along the marina. The Saturday crowds were out along with street vendors and musicians. Our driver said we were in an excellent location. We were met by the apt. manager (formerly from Long Island) who issued dire warnings about the pick pockets and said we should not carry anything in a purse or bag that is visible. Well, on our stroll later, everyone had a bag, backpack, messenger bag, large designer type purses....many on a cross body type strap but many just dangling off the shoulder. I took my bag and with its double straps , I was able to wrap one around my waist and one cross body so I feel secure....plus, we carry nothing with us except guide books, maps, water and my camera....it is insured and I'm not going to worry. Money and credit card goes in an inside pocket...no wallets. The apt is quite spacious with two bathrooms, very comfortable beds (twins together) and fast wifi. As the sun set and it got cooler, we stopped along the marina for
a dinner outside. I ordered the sole and was taken aback when an entire fish arrived....but the waiter deftly deboned and beheaded it and it soon looked like something from the seafood section of Publix. But very fresh and light and just what I needed. Paul , of course, had the salmon which he said was very good.

We enjoyed the promanade as we ate.....most everyone, young and old, is slim. Everyone, men and women, wear scarves (yes, Rian, I wore mine also and packed several). A lot of smokers, in and out of the restaurant (maybe just on the outside, hopefully). A large, large dog was also enjoying the dining. Dinner was about $70 without wine or dessert....one beer only. We did not order bread, but it came along with olives and little pickled onions and we were charged for it. It was good so guess we won't complain.

For those of you texters out there.....with the new iPhone upgrade, apparently we can text while on wifi. Not terribly convenient if one is out and about but if in a wifi setting , it works just fine while all the data is off and the plane is in airplane mode. We DO NOT want to get charged for data while in Europe.

Anyway, I did not mean to go on and on....pictures tomorrow or when I get around to it.....but first I have to take some.

Hasta la vista

Getting ready...................
It's always a challenge to travel light and to try and get it all in one small rolling bag but we're getting better. Black is the color of the travel wardrobe. Temps will range from 40-60's so a light coat will cover any questionable choices.

Currently in a head cold management mode......the timing is lousy but hoping the COLD-EZE will ward it off.....don't feel any worse today so will continue to down the gallons of water and make offerings to the goddesses of healthy traveling.
Studying various guides, practicing with the BIG camera (which fits nicely in the new bag and reinforces my wise decision to get it) .
We are going with UNTOURS and despite our last minute reservation, they have been very accommodating and helpful.

We'll head north on Thursday to spend a night with Andy and Mason and then leave from Newark on Friday evening. An 8 hour flight and a 6 hour time difference might necessitate a quick nap before seeking out the local scenes and sampling

local brews and tapas.

We will have wifi at the apartment and hope to keep the blog semi-updated......more for our benefit than yours. We will want to remember the details of the trip and since our brains are totally full of 68 years of stuff, we need to keep the new memories in off -site files for retrieval. As we all know too well, we can remember what we did 48 years ago today ........

but not what we had for breakfast yesterday.......................... Adios

Cat Nap

Required activity after a whirlwind cross-country trip. ........Home again Saturday

afternoon. When flying west, there is that 3 hour time advance.....arriving in Sacramento on Wed. before noon was nice but considering that we had to get up so early, by the time we finally hit the pillows, we'd been awake over 20 hours....then a busy holiday and too much carbohydrates and a red eye flight home and yesterday was a haze of napping and time confusion.

We're trying to store up some sleep credits before we head to the airport again.....Barcelona is not a given yet as we are waiting to see what the passenger load looks like before we commit. We've been reading the guide books, looking for language apps to supplement my rudimentary college Spanish (I do know how to get a Spanish speaking woman thru labor and delivery but not sure that empujar and dolor will get me very far).

I have a minor obsession with handbags. I've been searching for the perfect one for years. I have pared down my collection to just a few favorites and practical bags. BUT, I still did not have what I considered to be the best travel bag. Until this week. I ordered the Baggallini Brussels bag. It is a regular bag, a cross-body and a backpack. On this trip, it carried the iPad, the Kindle , my large wallet, a water bottle and assorted other necessities. It was not heavy, nor bulky. It is close to PERFECT. It is a durable nylon-type fabric with heavy duty zippers and straps. It comes in many colors but black is the favorite go-to for me. Amazon has it for about the best price. Baggallini bags are the creation of 2 flight attendants and they have something in every size and for every purpose.

Now that we are awake, we are headed out for a short 9 holes of golf and then will park ourselves in front of the TV to watch St. Tebow save the day once more.

Happy Thanksgiving

Despite my anxieties, we made it to the West Coast just fine........

Wishing you all a wonderful day with those you love.! And an especially happy day in Denver as Mike and Jenna return from a far away trip to Singapore and Tokyo.

Trains , planes and going nowhere fast.........

It was a rousing game of Mexican Train the other night. Fueled by some wine, some popcorn and M&M's...(.yea, I agree, candy and wine aren't my first choice but there's no accounting for friends bad taste.) Or, on the other hand, if the hostess had offered a more gourmet selection, the M&M's would have gone untouched. But, I do think we need to consider playing for some silver.....or at least a penny a point...It might make us more attentive and more cut throat and less likely to 'be kind to our neighbors'.....

Currently we are pondering a trip West for some family fellowship and good food. But, because of the frugal way of travel that we have become accustomed to, we are trying to utilize the parent passes on Continental. We initially didn't think it possible to do this on a holiday and maybe we should have gone with our first instincts But because one of us is the eternal optimist (and guess who is not?) ,we decided to go for it. Numbers looked great until this morning........
If you look at the above very poor picture of a web page for employees, it shows a 6:25 am flt to Houston and a connecting flight to Sacramento. The MCO flt originally had some 30 seats and few pass riders....it now has 23 seats and 20 pass riders and the Miller family is near the bottom of that 20 (its based on seniority and pass classification.... even though one of us endured hours of excruciating labor, we raised him to adulthood through illness and orthodontia and college),... we are just parents and of a lower status that the employee himself.!! During the day and evening , the commuters who travel between bases will start listing and the Millers will then be relegated to the wing. It's always an adventure and has paid off nicely as long as we can accept that there is no seat for us (we are even happy with a MIDDLE seat).

So , to all of our thousands of fans out there in blogland.....Please have a wonderful holiday, eat much, enjoy family and friends and be thankful that you are not at the airport with us watching the planes taking off..............

Flight of Ideas

It's a psychological term and I am often afflicted with it. My mind speeds along with all sorts of thoughts, often overlapping and getting in traffic jams.....fortunately, those thoughts don't usually pour out my mouth in a jumbled form....they just spin around messing up the old brain cells.....but sometimes a few drip out into my blog. Bear with me....it can only get worse as I sneak up on elderlyness, my ability to think first will deteriorate and I will be left as an old woman babbling on and on and on..............

And so....for those of you wondering if I kept THE SHOES... I actually gave in and took them for a test walk and I literally glided along effortlessly. They are very light and flexible compared to my other ones. However, the color was poorly represented in the photo on Zappos.

This is their picture....

and this is the actual......very much darker and less pastel. I was a tad disappointed but they still make me smile and there has been no real break-in period. I did get a
blister on my toes after 5.5 miles the other day but my 3.5 miles today left no such pain. I am walking more and farther and faster. Sometimes chatting with a friend, sometimes, talking to myself or humming to the music.

One of the perks, or banes, of retirement is more free time. We talk of travel but sometimes the reality of planning gets set aside for more mundane daily tasks. We are finally getting serious and thinking of heading in this direction near the end of the month.


Yes, it is Barcelona. It seems like a cooler time of year to visit, fewer crowds and best of all, the flights have plenty of empty seats so we can take advantage of Jon's pass privileges again. We will use the UNTOUR company to arrange for accommodations and guide books and transfers to and from the airport. They also provide a local cell phone, local transportation passes, museum and art admissions and an actual person that we can call with questions or for help. We will have a small apartment and an orientation chat with Rachel to get acclimated to our geography. We understand that we could easily do much of this on our own, but the price for this is reasonable during the off season and we liked the idea of some guidance without doing an actual tour.

We are also seriously considering a longer more exotic trip in the spring. I think you should join us......we'd love the company.

And so....what about those Broncos?? They are near the top in their division and, using rather unorthodox methods to take advantage of Tebow's skills, or lack there of...they are managing to win for a change. I suspect that Thursday night against the Jets might have a more painful outcome.