Hola todos!
We´re feeling very Spanish tonight, as we seem to have blended seemlessly into the cultural sense of time here...we had our late afternoon siesta, just finished dinner around 11 pm, and now are here in the internet cafe before we head back to our hotel.
Today was a busy day...we started with a walking tour this morning, in which we saw the foundations of the original Roman city. (OK, it was a kind of nerdy walking tour, but Gretchen was still willing to go with me). Then the chocolate museum, (Barcelona was the first European port of entrance for cacao from South America), and the Picasso museum before our siesta. The Picasso museum alternated between amazing stuff (his interpretations of Velazquez´Las Meninas, his Blue Period, his early art school work), some naughty bits (lots of sexual drawings he did when he first moved to Barcelona), and some silly things (neither of us were big fans of his ceramics). My strange favorite: a black and white photo of him staring seriously into the camera while holding a small owl. I´ve got the postcard version to show when I get back.
We´ve just roused ourselves from sleep to see some of the more modernista, Gaudi et al type buildings, then some sangria and little sandwiches at a great place nearby. Can´t say enough about the sangria...it´s so tasty! Also a little dangerous...too easy to keep drinking and drinking...
One last thing, and possibly the best thing in Barcelona so far: last night, we went to the Magic Fountains, which sounds cheesy, and will sound even cheesier without pictures and video to demonstrate. There is a huge fountain here, several levels, with multiple jets of water, and every half hour on the weekends they coordinate the jets with colored lights and a sort of top 100 classical music medley, and the result really is...magical. :) Those of you reading this who´ve been in Barcelona may disagree, but sitting there in the hot night with the cool spray drifting down, listening to the melody from Beethoven´s 9th symphony with lots of colored water doing dramatic things...we loved it. We also loved meeting the old man who introduced himself to us and chatted at length about how his dad helped build the fountain, how he had family in America, and how evil Franciso Franco was. He was a proud Catalonian indeed.
More tomorrow...we have one more day in this great but slightly overwhelming place..
E
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
11 hours...
...are all it takes for Gretchen and Erin to get from Collioure, France, to Barcelona. Actual distance can´t be more than a few hundred kilometers...one could drive it in a few hours. But because there are exhorbitant fees when you return a car in a different country than you rented it from, we turned in our car and had the train situation all planned out...catch the 8:56 morning train and be in Barcelona by 2 pm or so. But alas, we ran into our first major travel mishap so far...the 8:56 was full, and so we sadly watched it go and settled in to wait for the next train at 1:45! After all the waiting, including another wait for a different train at a different station, we finally dragged ourselves into our room here in Barcelona around 7:30 pm...over 11 hours after we left this morning. But, always looking on the bright side, we made some keen observations today we would like to share:
*It´s easy to feel very safe in the train station when there are young French marines with serious shades and automatic weapons walking slowly amongst the waiting travelers.
*It´s OK to stick out your tongue at rude, staring little girls on trains, especially when they stick their tongues out at you first.
*The latest Euro summer fashion for men: white capri pants. They are everywhere, and the thinner the material, the better. Not just for Rafael Nadal anymore...
*No one shushes their children on Spanish trains....or stops them from hitting each other with their seat cushions.
*The loudest folks on the train, almost without fail: British and Americans. (Not us, though, of course. We travel as quietly as mice, except when Mama "steps" on my toes.)
In any case, after car, train, metro, and bewildered stumbling with suitcases through the streets, we are here, we are OK, and we are still glad to be traveling....more on Barcelona, hopefully with pictures, to come!
erin
*It´s easy to feel very safe in the train station when there are young French marines with serious shades and automatic weapons walking slowly amongst the waiting travelers.
*It´s OK to stick out your tongue at rude, staring little girls on trains, especially when they stick their tongues out at you first.
*The latest Euro summer fashion for men: white capri pants. They are everywhere, and the thinner the material, the better. Not just for Rafael Nadal anymore...
*No one shushes their children on Spanish trains....or stops them from hitting each other with their seat cushions.
*The loudest folks on the train, almost without fail: British and Americans. (Not us, though, of course. We travel as quietly as mice, except when Mama "steps" on my toes.)
In any case, after car, train, metro, and bewildered stumbling with suitcases through the streets, we are here, we are OK, and we are still glad to be traveling....more on Barcelona, hopefully with pictures, to come!
erin
Friday, July 14, 2006
La Med...
a photo from taken at our dinner table...the restaurant name sounds cheesy but was quite good, and you can´t beat the location...
sunset along the coast
a very cute street, with very good shopping, in Collioure
toes + med. sea = sigh of happiness sometime this coming winter...
We spent the day in Collioure in full vacation mode...on the beach in the hot sun, searching for sea glass, reading our novels, (I can't put Housekeeping down), and every once in a while hopping into the Med to cool off. Then a quick rinse at the beach shower and repeat....we took a picture today of ourselves at the beach that we promised we would put up in our classrooms to look at one dreary day in February.
Tomorrow we are off to Barcelona...and hopefully a better internet cafe..this one has great sangria but a very ancient and grumpy computer...
Cheers!
e
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Eating our way through France...
Bonjour, toute mes amis...
And a report on our past few days:
The food has been great, hence the title of this post. I've included some pictures that still don't really do it justice. For instance, tonight we had roasted pork, fish terrine (tasted better than it sounds), followed by creme brulee. Last night was veal, cured ham salad, and a mirabelle tart for dessert. (Mirabelles are small white plums, thanks Deanna Lee :) It would be tricky to be vegetarians in this land of many meats.
Today we strolled through the big weekly market in our town, which was lovely and tempting in many ways. Among items we passed up are various homemade liquers, foie gras, various items made with hazelnuts and walnuts, all specialties of this area. What we did buy: fresh herbed goat cheese, homemade duck sausage, baguette (0f course), and delicious garlic/oil olive tapenade. I accidentally asked for 300 grams instead of 30, but somehow we still ate most of it. :)
This morning we went to see some rather amazing Cro-Magnon paintings, something Gretchen was particularly excited about...I was kind of along for the ride. We climbed the hill to the cave and walked with our little group through the narrow limestone passageways (sign posted outside said, in English "Beware, difficult for claustrophobic person, tickets no refunded"). We were just standing there, in the semi-darkness, and then the guide used a little laser pointer and asked us if we could see...and the oohs and aahs were audible and many. I was quite amazed, and glad we came. There were huge bison several feet long, reindeer, and some of the animals were painted and also etched into the walls. They knew about perspective, they used the natural contours of the walls to suggest movement...all of this around 15,000 years ago, and we still don't know WHY they did it!
Later this afternoon we drove around a bit and went to the 12th century castle at Beynac nearby....then back to our place in time for a swim and a nap before dinner and internet cafe-ing! Tomorrow we leave for the very very southern part of france, our last stop before Barcelona on Saturday.
Bye for now!
e
View of the Dordogne river from the castle Beynac.
The castle, of course.
Me, trying to look fierce beause i was in a castle, sitting next to swords.
Um, this was the castle latrine, built right into the wall of the bedroom. Gretchen is such a good sport.
Our lunch from the market.
Many, many sausage choices....
Paella and potatoes...and we're not even in Spain yet!
The only pictures allowed at the caves are....outside the caves.
I would want this house if I lived here :)
our pool ;)
And a report on our past few days:
The food has been great, hence the title of this post. I've included some pictures that still don't really do it justice. For instance, tonight we had roasted pork, fish terrine (tasted better than it sounds), followed by creme brulee. Last night was veal, cured ham salad, and a mirabelle tart for dessert. (Mirabelles are small white plums, thanks Deanna Lee :) It would be tricky to be vegetarians in this land of many meats.
Today we strolled through the big weekly market in our town, which was lovely and tempting in many ways. Among items we passed up are various homemade liquers, foie gras, various items made with hazelnuts and walnuts, all specialties of this area. What we did buy: fresh herbed goat cheese, homemade duck sausage, baguette (0f course), and delicious garlic/oil olive tapenade. I accidentally asked for 300 grams instead of 30, but somehow we still ate most of it. :)
This morning we went to see some rather amazing Cro-Magnon paintings, something Gretchen was particularly excited about...I was kind of along for the ride. We climbed the hill to the cave and walked with our little group through the narrow limestone passageways (sign posted outside said, in English "Beware, difficult for claustrophobic person, tickets no refunded"). We were just standing there, in the semi-darkness, and then the guide used a little laser pointer and asked us if we could see...and the oohs and aahs were audible and many. I was quite amazed, and glad we came. There were huge bison several feet long, reindeer, and some of the animals were painted and also etched into the walls. They knew about perspective, they used the natural contours of the walls to suggest movement...all of this around 15,000 years ago, and we still don't know WHY they did it!
Later this afternoon we drove around a bit and went to the 12th century castle at Beynac nearby....then back to our place in time for a swim and a nap before dinner and internet cafe-ing! Tomorrow we leave for the very very southern part of france, our last stop before Barcelona on Saturday.
Bye for now!
e
View of the Dordogne river from the castle Beynac.
The castle, of course.
Me, trying to look fierce beause i was in a castle, sitting next to swords.
Um, this was the castle latrine, built right into the wall of the bedroom. Gretchen is such a good sport.
Our lunch from the market.
Many, many sausage choices....
Paella and potatoes...and we're not even in Spain yet!
The only pictures allowed at the caves are....outside the caves.
I would want this house if I lived here :)
our pool ;)
gretchen is sitting outside our room...wish you could hear the buzzing of the many bees on the lavender and the beautiful and soft calling of the frogs and night...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Un grand message....
"Aux armes, citoyennes..."
Zizou, before the incident...
Dinner while we waited...
Random but beautiful field of wild flowers...
"Our" chateau...that's me on the balcony.
Relaxing at the pool, looking up (past my toes) to the chateau.
First, a small report on the world cup...it was crazy, to say the least, and at times a bit overwhelming for these two Americans...we were told by the folks at the chateau where we were staying that the nearest big city, Tours, would have a big-screen showing, so we headed out there about an hour before the game. The crowd was gathered already and got bigger and bigger....lots of air horns, French flags painted on faces, and of course real flags on cars and being carried and waved in the air. I took a movie of the singing of the national anthem, complete with fists jammed in the air at the call to arms part (aux armes, citoyennes, formez vos battaillons...) Yikes!
The roar was deafening whenever Zidane did anything, (including shots of him just standing), and his goal sent the place over the top. Interestingly, though there was booing and bird-flipping at the Italians, it wasn't too out of control. One brave sould in the crowd was even waving an Italian flag. Then, when the infamous head-butting happened, the crowd applauded, though a bit subdued. The penalty kicks were agonizing....cheering, then hands on heads, then cheering, then...silence. Tears. Drooping flags. Then, at the very end, when the team was shown for nearly the last time, big applause. The French press is saying that while Zidane should never have done that, it was because Materazzi called him a terrorist and accused his Algerian father of collaborating with the French, using the term "harki". In any case, a very dramatic evening.
In non-sports news....we stayed at a lovely old chateau for just one night. It had suits of armor, tennis court, pool, library, and a lovely garden. We could barely afford to stay there, and thus couldn't eat dinner or the full breakfast available (just eggs and toast for us, please!), but it was a nice treat nonetheless.
We're now in a lovely little place with bungalows and a pool just above the very quaint town of Sarlat...dinner and breakfast are included in the price of the room, so last night we had white asparagus, roasted lamb, cheese course, and pear clafoutis. A great meal by our standards, but it seems to everyone else there to be tres normale. We seem to be the only Americans, which is strange for a Rick Steves recommended place.
Tomorrow we are on a quest to see the Cro-Magnon cave paintings...until then,
E
ps - finally, pictures!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Un petit message
Bon soir from Sarlat, in the Southwest of France...
we are in an internet cafe that is about to close; therefore I promise more tomorrow on the following topics:
-brief visit to Paris,
-watching the World Cup final on a big screen with thousands of screaming, excited, and then screaming, heartbroken French folks,
-our stay in an honest-to-goodness chateau,
...and more!
till then,
e
we are in an internet cafe that is about to close; therefore I promise more tomorrow on the following topics:
-brief visit to Paris,
-watching the World Cup final on a big screen with thousands of screaming, excited, and then screaming, heartbroken French folks,
-our stay in an honest-to-goodness chateau,
...and more!
till then,
e
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Bruges, the Medieval Carmel
post-brewery tour tasting - so good!
les frites....avec curry ketchup et un petit fork
this chocolate shop offered chocolates flavored with lemongrass, cuban cigar, cola, passionfruit, and all the usual goodies. Hazelnut was my favorite...
Some notable gastronomic delights:
-best chocolate ever! We bought some from a woman today who assures us that the special thermal bag we got it to protect it will make it last all the way through the 100 degree southern Spain part of our trip. But the hazelnut praline was so, so, delicious.
-lovely beer! We went on a brewery tour with possibly the most taciturn guide I've ever had: "On the next part of our tour the stairs are very steep, and mind your head. I hope you will survive it." But the large glass of light, slightly sweet beer at the end was worth ALL of the danger.
-fries...they really are quite good: I wasn't brave enough to try the mayo option, but there was an interesting meat sauce. I had curry ketchup. Yum. Good think we are biking and climbing lots of stairs in the face of such good treats!
tomorrow, France. Allez les Bleus!
e
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