December 4

Garden Bar on 6th

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him… We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. ~ John F. Kennedy

[Thus, seeking nourishment, the Super and I sought out fellow fans of Theatre L’Homme Dieu and found them happily ensconced at the Garden Bar on 6th.  A shout out to Mahrie Ohren for venue hosting the TLHD 2019 announcement party . . . ]

[Psssst, have you heard what the first show of the season is going to be?]

[There’s been no leaking?]

[Have 6 strings, will travel . . . ]

[Eric Clapton who?]

[From Mahrie’s charcuterie board . . . ]

[From Mahrie’s wine cellar . . . ]

[I thought the Flegenheimer Bros. were a 1930’s traveling circus?]

[Sometimes the “background” is foreground . . . ]

[Under the I, 17 – that’s I 17 . . . ]

[Bingo!  (Otherwise known as the CEO of the Class of 65’s lunch time and place venues . . . ]

[Was that N 32?  I can’t hear the caller with that “background” music?]

[How can you get a Bingo when only two numbers have been called?]

[Yes, we did get a Bingo – we paid in advance for three squares!]

[Heads-up.  He’s pointing his camera at us.]

[We’ll show him . . . ]

[We’ll give him big smiles!]

[All I am saying, is give peace a chance . . . ]

[OMG, we’re not even safe in the food line . . . ]

[No, they’re not Rocky Mountain oysters . . . ]

[Vick has been keeping us happy here for over 10 years!]

[The bar is hopping . . . ]

[And so is Nicole . . . ]

[Our fearless leader, the executive director of TLHD, does a great job bringing fun and culture to our fair community . . . ]

[The high school carolers have arrived . . . ]

[And away they sing . . . ]

[Now the place is so packed, my duties as the photographic chronicler of the event prevents me from getting back to our table in the corner . . . ]

[So, sing along with the carolers . . . ]

[Then it was time for Nicole to announce the upcoming season . . .      ]

[So up on her soapbox she got . . . ]

[Play No. 1:  (TBA). . . ]

[But Erik’s playing it cool . . . ]

[Play No. 2:  Blue Skies Grey by Shapeshift Theatrical, July 9 – 13 . . . ]

[Ably assisted by a former TLHD staffer, (I know I’m going to screw this up) Sarah (?)]

[And yes, Erik also helped with the billboards . . . ]

[Play No. 3:  Til Death: A Marriage Musical, July 16 – 20 . . . ]

[Play No. 4:  Kevin Kling – Autobiographical Tales, July 23 – 27 . . . ]

[Play No. 5:  Church Basement Ladies 7: You Smell Barn, August 6 – 10 . . . ]

[Concert No. 1: Matt Vee Family & Friends Celebrate Neil Diamond, July 5 . . . ]

[Concert No. 2:  Jeff Dayton: A Salute to Glen Campbell, July 31 . . . ]

[Concert No. 3:  Six Appeal Vocal Band, August 14 – 15 . . . ]

[You may recall . . . ]

[They wowed the assembled masses . . . ]

[At the end of last season’s fundraiser soiree . . . ]

[A good get again!]

[And there you have it, boys and girls!  Tell all your friends and neighbors, and even some not so friends.  We are big fans of that theatrical acronym: SRO!]

[And on the way home.  I was going to go to the boys hockey game, then I thought – that was enough excitement for one night.  BTW, Cards won 10 – 0 – apparently my support wasn’t needed.]

[The carolers, of course, were long gone by now.  But they seem an appropriate way to end this missive . . . ]

If you want to help the American theater, don’t be an actress, be an audience.  ~  Tallulah Bankhead

Up Next:  Spain, basketball?

October 22

Barcelona

Finally, the wrap up to Day 2 . . . 

[Walking away from the port, I got a chance to work on my Catalan.  Now that I know “obert” means “open,” and educated guess would be that the African reserve is “open all year.”  Correctamundo!]

[Joan Salvat-Papasseit, Catalan poet . . . ]

[Chistopher Columbus, an Italian sailor . . . ]

[Spain’s flag, over a government building?]

[We were looking for a way to street level, but this one was blocked?]

[Bunch of cool-looking, unidentified buildings – note the giant prawn on the lower left, soon to be identified . . . ]

[The History Museum of Catalonia . . . ]

[With a park and a boat in the foreground . . . ]

[A boat named . . . Itasca?]

[And off the waterfront, beginning our walkabout . . . ]

[El Cap de Barcelona Head (Barcelona’s Head by Roy Lichtenstein) . . . ]

[Gambrinus, Javier Mariscal’s lobster/prawn statue . . . ]

[Previously shot from below along the waterfront . . . ]

[The post office . . . ]

[The Gothic Quarter . . . ]

[The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona.  It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to the Ronda de Sant Pere.  It is a part of Ciutat Vella district.  The quarter encompasses the oldest parts of the city of Barcelona, and includes the remains of the city’s Roman wall and several notable medieval landmarks.  Much of the present-day fabric of the quarter, however, dates to the 19th and early 20th centuries.  El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area, along with the former Sinagoga Major.  The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares.  Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis (Wikipedia).]

[Then a momentary brush with modernity, on the side . . . ]

[And food stuff!]

[Agreed!  Indeed, a wonderful place . . . ]

[Back to the medieval, Chapel of St. Agatha Gothic Tower . . . ]

[This life size bronze equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III was sculpted by Frederic Marès and inaugerated in 1950. Located in Plaça Ramon Berenguer el Gran, the monument is a replica of an earlier statue which was created by Josep Llimona for the Barcelona Universal Exposition of 1888. The Count, who ruled Barcelona from 1097 to 1131, is portrayed in regal pose riding his horse Danc. The ancient Roman walls of Barcelona and the medieval Palau Reial make a perfect backdrop (barcelonalowdown.com).]

[Bubbles and kids (neither of which are Gothic)!]

[Woo-hah!  Guess who?]

[Always a flower child . . . ]

[Described in the following photo . . . ]

[The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona.  The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, with the principal work done in the fourteenth century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese (Font de les Oques) was completed in 1448.  In the late nineteenth century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches.  The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical (Wikipedia).]

[Double checking our location in the “shadow” of the cathedral . . . ]

[Aquaduct and gate of the Roman wall . . . ]

[Sculpture outside La Seu Cathedral on Carrer de Bisbe in Barri Gothic district . . . ]

[A glimpse of the outside (inside) world . . . ]

[So, Minneapolis wasn’t first with skyways . . . ]

[Bridge of Sighs . . . ]

[Barcelona City Hall in the Gothic Quarter on the Place de Sant Jaume (Saint James Square) . . . ]

[The “woman” on the balcony . . . ]

[Joined by a “man” on a balcony . . . ]

[The mannequins on the balconies?]

[Antoni Llena’s chicken wire tribute to Castellers.  Located in Plaça de Sant Miquel behind Barcelona’s City Hall, this unusual 26.5m high stainless steel tower by Antoni Llena i Font was unveiled in 2012 during the Feast of Santa Eulalia.  The statue is titled Homenatge als Castellers and is a tribute to the emblematic human towers which are a traditional feature of public events in Catalonia (barcelonalowdown).]

[The fun pedestrian streets . . . ]

[The fun vegan fast food cafes . . . ]

[The fun beautiful surprises . . . and where we ultimately had dinner . . . ]

[Well, why not?]

[And this is what we accidentally stumbled into . . . ]

[Plaça Reial is a square in the Barri Gotic.  It is to La Rambla, and is a well-known tourist attraction, especially at night. On the plaza are a large number of restaurants and some of the city’s most famous nightclubs, including Sidecar, Jamboree, and Karma. The square is the site of the Hotel Roma Reial and club, and is also known for its many outdoor venues. It is a popular meeting place during the summer, during the annual La Merce festival in September when open-air concerts take place, and during other celebrations such as New Year’s Eve (Wikipedia).]

[And a video thereof . . . ]

[And where we dined therein . . . ]

[Of course, I can no longer remember the name of the specific restaurant . . . ]

[Flash; followed by no flash . . . ]

[The wine, and the fine dining, were very good . . . ]

[Melon and Spanish ham . . . . Mmmmmmmm, good.]

[Back home (i.e., our hotel lobby) – the next day would be our 3rd in Barcelona.]

If you’re too open-minded; your brains will fall out.  ~  Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Up Next:  Yup, Barcelona

November 27

Alexandria Area High School

We momentarily interrupt Spain for the Cardinal girls’ basketball team’s seasoner opener . . . 

[I arrived in time for the last few minutes of the JV game.  Always nice to see what’s coming up in the pipeline . . . ]

[Then the varsity came out for warm-up drills . . . ]

[OK, who do I remember from last year?]

[Here’s senior center McKenzie Duwenhoegger – she has signed with the ‘U’ to toss around the discus and to put the shot for the track team . . . ]

[In mid-photo, junior guard Mia McGrane . . . ]

[McKenzie “putting” the basketball . . . ]

[Looks like senior guard Kaye Paschka with the flying hair . . . ]

[And the shoot around . . . ]

[Richie and Marlene Braun, famed in song and story . . . ]

[Starter introductions . . . ]

[Kaye (3) . . . ]

[Mia (5) . . . ]

[Ella Grove (11), junior forward . . . ]

[Emily Jones (55), senior forward . . . ]

[McKenzie . . . ]

[Boom Shakalaka (well, you come up with something) . . . ]

[McKenzie gets the opening tip . . . ]

[And I just noticed her dad, high school principal Chad, high in the stands in the black long sleeved shirt . . . ]

[And just below Chad, Dave Harris, the retired Voice of the Cardinals . . . ]

[McKenzie scored the first 7 points of the game . . . ]

[I was glad to see Kohler’s assessment of the game was the same as mine.  First game jitters undoubtedly contributed to a rather sloppy game with poor shooting and lots of turnovers . . . ]

[But those are the kind of games in which the Cards excel.  Except for a few minutes at the start of the second half, their fullcourt, all-the-time pressure defense created havoc.  And havoc leads to easy baskets at the offensive end.  Here’s Ella at the point of the defense with her six footedness . . . ]

[Sophomore guard Cate Bloom (21) on the ball . . . ]

[And here’s Kaye, the gnat to beat all gnats.  Her quickness always a thorn in the opponent’s side . . . ]

[And here likely another steal by her . . . ]

[Well, our aggressive defense does lead to a lot of fouls . . . ]

[Here Jonesie chases down a Warrior . . . ]

[Maybe a good spot for a little live game action . . . ]

[Here’s Mia on a breakaway . . . ]

[She was fouled . . . ]

[A shoots a freebie accordingly . . . ]

[Kaye: Oh, yeah . . . ]

[Kaye and Cate as backcourters.  Because of the pace of play, the Cards play a lot of players – coming in in groups of 3, 4, 5 . . . ]

[I believe this is junior center Larissa Lamb . . . ]

[At the half – the Cards spurted to the end . . . ]

[THREE!!]

[Cards inbound under their basket . . . ]

[Mia inbounds; Ella again gets caught in the camera’s wrong focus point . . . ]

[Kaye and Ella bring it up . . . ]

[The energizer . . . ]

[And shooting a freebie . . . ]

[Then Jonesie . . . ]

[We played to our strengths, three 6-footers on the front line rebounded well, and the whippet guards create turnovers.  As I recall, McKenzie had 19 points with good inside position, Kaye and Mia had 12 and 11, respectively.  We’ll be a tough out this year.]

[p.s.  Did we ever tell you about Thanksgiving dinner in a champagne flute at the winery?]

Upon hearing this is Kohler’s 33rd year at the helm of the Cardinals, several subpoenaed her Kenyan birth certificate for verification . . .

Up Next:  Back to Spain . . .

October 22

Barcelona

[After the Sagrada Familia tour, we were free to wander about on our own – so we did!  Here we’re getting our bearings for a walk to the Barcelona waterfront on the Balearic Sea.]

[And this appeared to be the major thoroughfare to accomplish such . . . ]

[La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona.  A tree-lined pedestrian street, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) connecting Placa de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.  La Rambla forms the boundary between the quarters of Barri Gotic, to the east, and El Raval, to the west.  La Rambla can be crowded, especially during the height of the tourist season. Its popularity with tourists has affected the character of the street, with a move to pavement cafes and souvenir kiosks.  The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorce once said that La Rambla was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end” (Wikipedia).]

[The can be crowded part was certainly in effect on this day . . . ]

[Well, let’s escape the crowds of La Rambla on a side street.  Oooops!]

[Actually, we were looking for a place to have lunch.  And this is what we found . . . ]

[Overlooking a rather supersized food market . . . ]

[The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciudad Vieja district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceo, Barcelona’s opera house (Wikipedia).]

[But lunch . . . ]

[Bill ordered paella – we all nibbled around the edges . . . ]

[And then down to the market . . . ]

[The Super discovered something!]

[Spain is ham; ham is Spain . . . ]

[OK, let’s see if we can find our way out of here . . . ]

[Obviously our adventures in Barcelona were not universally appreciated . . . ]

[The Gran Teatre del Liceu, or simply Liceu in Catalan, is an opera house on La Rambla in Barcelona, Catalonia. The Liceu opened on 4 April 1847. The adjacent Liceu metro station is named for the theatre (Wikipedia).]

[Back on still crowded La Rambla . . . ]

[There’s that Gaudi name again . . . ]

[The Palau Güell is a mansion designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi for the industrial tycoon Eusebi Guell and built between 1886 and 1888. It is situated on the Carrer Nou de la Rambla in the El Raval neighborhood. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Works of Antoni Gaudí” (Wikipedia).]

[A building . . . ]

[The Teatre Principal (in Catalan, or in Spanish Teatro Principal) is the oldest theatre in Barcelona, founded in 1579, built between 1597 and 1603 and rebuilt several times, mainly in 1788 and again in 1848. The theatre was originally named the Teatro de la Santa Cruz in Spanish (or Teatre de la Santa Creu in Catalan). It is located on the famous avenue of La Rambla (Wikipedia).]

[Continuing on, we began running into sidewalk cafes for which we were looking before lunch . . . ]

[Though not a Mickey Dee’s . . . ]

[The Super and Anne looking over a variety of small beverages . . . ]

[Frederic Soler, a Catalan playwright . . . ]

[Sidewalk art . . . ]

[Still Frederic . . . ]

[Whoa, waterfront ahead – the Jaume I Tower at Port Vell . . . ]

[And the living “statues” of La Rambla – this Gaileo guy is an internet viral photo . . . ]

[Here helping a young man view the heavens . . . ]

[A photobombing guy . . . ]

[The Columbus Monument is a 60 m (197 ft) tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla.  It was constructed for the Exposicion Universal de Barcelona (1888) in honor of Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent (Wikipedia).]

[Meanwhile, back at the living statues . . . ]

[The Military Government of Barcelona (Gobierno Militar) building . . . ]

[Aduana de Barcelona, old customs building, across from the traffic circle with the Columbus monument . . . ]

[On the circle . . . ]

[Bill shooting the circle – well, the items therein . . . ]

[The Super at the base of the Columbus monument . . . ]

[And here’s the top.  A monument to the guy who discovered America 130 years after the Vikings?]

[Barcelona Sunset Port Vell Traffic Circle Metal Sculpture, very important in the life and times of this cub reporter.  Several years ago the Super and I took a Mediterranean cruise.  It ended in Barcelona.  We got off the ship, immediately took some mode of transportation to the airport, and flew home.  This sculpture is my only memory of Barcelona from that trip . . . ]

[Port of Barcelona – it says so on the building . . . ]

[Christopher himself is a 24-foot tall bronze statue atop a 131-foot tall Corinthian column . . . ]

[Stuff is going on at the Port . . . ]

[A boat.  An old boat.  With two masts . . . ]

[Looking across the harbor . . . ]

[A cruise ship, the tower, and a sightseeing boat . . . ]

[Columbus from the docks . . . ]

[Barcelona sailing club?]

[The waterfront walkway from the pier . . . ]

[The Port Vell area . . . ]

[Strolling the pier . . . ]

[Cable cars approaching the tower . . . ]

[Oy, collision ahead?]

[Anne and the Super grab a seat, scour the map, and eyeball a local avian . . . ]

[My Barcelonan attachment . . . ]

[Buenos dias, senor (senora?) pajaro!]

[Further conversation was not possible because of the language barrier . . . ]

[But it was a beautiful day for a photo of happy tourists . . . ]

[And we’ll finish up Day 2 with Part 3 next . . . ]

Every country gets the circus it deserves. Spain gets bullfights. Italy gets the Catholic Church. America gets Hollywood.  ~  Erica Jong

Up Next:  Still Barcelona

October 22

Barcelona

The next morning, the start of a big day.  We walked to Sagrada Familia, which was as I recall a litte less than a mile straight east of our hotel.  A beautiful morning for a walk – so we did.  After our tour of the cathedral, we spent the afternoon strolling to the waterfront.  Accordingly, I took well over 200 photos on the day that will likely require three separate postings . . . 

[First job was to cross our busy street.  It was morning rush hour – an amazing number of people, men and women, commute by motorcycle or scooter . . . ]

[Then it was lovely on the roads less traveled . . . ]

[The second building from the left is a Gaudi (much more on Antoni Gaudi as we go along).  The distinctive design of his structures are a, if not the, major attraction in Barcelona.  We’re heading for one now in the Sagrada . . . ]

[Some wag on the Google-machine posted this:  . . . stands in the middle one of the many “glorietas” (traffic circles) which stud the boulevard(s).  And I can’t identify or find this one . . . ]

[Or this one . . . ]

[Bill and I wondered about the flag.  It is, as Bill suspected, the Catalan flag.  It is also, as he suspected, very similar to the Puerto Rican flag . . . ]

[And we’ve arrived at Sagrada Familia (“Sacred Family”) . . . ]

[The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926). Gaudí’s work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral, which must be the seat of a bishop.  In 1883, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt.  At the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, when he was run down by a streetcar, less than a quarter of the project was complete . . . (Wikipedia).]

[Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Familia’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s.  Since commencing construction in 1882, advancements in technologies such as computer aided design and computerised numerical control (CNC) have enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project’s greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolising an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It is anticipated that the building can be completed by 2026—the centenary of Gaudí’s death.  Describing Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said “it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art”, and Paul Goldberger describes it as “the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages” (Wikipedia).]

[Next to the “minor basilica’?]

[We were not yet on our planned trip tour, so Bill had arranged this Sagrada tour ahead of time.  We met a guide with a red umbrella on the street between the basilica and its same named park.  We were comfortably early . . . ]

[So, go into the park and take lots of photos . . . ]

[The start of several vantages . . . ]

[Beautiful blue sky backdrop . . . ]

[As previously noted, the basilica is scheduled for completion in 2026.  The existing four spires will be the shortest of the 10 more to come.  Here are four examples of the completed project on loan from the internet.]

[Back in current time, Bill’s still snapping photos . . . ]

[While the Super and Anne take advantage of a seldom-found bench . . . ]

[As I worked my way around, I found photo op crowds at every opening . . . ]

[I squeezed through to get a shot over the park pond . . . ]

[To the other side of the pond . . . ]

[I guess other tourists had heard about this place too?]

[We have joined the tour and are in the waiting area for tour groups . . . ]

[There was a discussion of this piece of art.  I can’t remember what it was nor can I find anything on it.  I think it’s new . . . ]

[The detail of the sculptures in the building . . . ]

[Our guide is rounding us up for the final assault . . . ]

[But first, a model of the completed structure . . . ]

[I can’t believe I can’t find anything on this?]

[Bill’s getting the poop, the whole poop, and nothing but the poop . . . ]

[And then we both photo the model . . . ]

[The detail is amazing . . . ]

[And here you have Asian faces because they were done by a Japanese sculptor . . . ]

[The Nativity façade’s Charity portico is closed by two pairs of extraordinarily detailed doors designed by the Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo. Each pair of these bronze doors is 7 metres tall and 3 metres wide (rob-tomlinson.com).

[Welcome to the inside . . . ]

[I was an immediate fan – crisp interior, clean, and not overly busy as most such places often are . . . ]

[Shooting straight up . . . ]

[Seems like a good spot to stick in the video . . . ]

[It looks crowded but it didn’t feel that way . . . ]

[The most obvious transformation that Gaudí managed was to fuse the forms of nature onto the man-made. Columns were no longer symmetrical architectural forms that merely carried weight, but were stone trees arranged as if in a forest, bathed in ever-changing light, reaching upwards in pursuit of the loftiness of medieval cathedrals. His plan was to have the basilica form a link between the earthly and the heavenly and at 172.5 metres to be Barcelona’s highest building, just 50 centimetres less than Barcelona’s nearby Montjuïc mountain. When finished, this will become the tallest church on the planet (rob-tomlinson.com).]

[And we’re out – the Super grabs a seat (aways, when you can) . . . ]

[The west-facing Passion façade . . . Gaudí wanted this façade to frighten and this explains its starkness and restraint. There is the Last Supper, Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial and, in all, the Twelve Stations of the Cross. There is the dove descending and the risen Christ. There are pillars like bones. The four bell towers of this façade contain tubular bells which are surrounded by sloping vents to help carry their sound to the streets below (rob-tomlinson.com).]

[The Magic Square – if you add the number grid horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, the answer is always 33, the age Jesus is traditionally believed to have been at execution . . . ]

[The Super is checking it out from below . . . ]

[Now we’re trying to figure out where we are and where we’re going . . . ]

[The Sagrada Família Schools building was constructed in 1909 by the modern Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi near the site of the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia. It was a small school building for the children of the workers building the Sagrada Familia although other children of the neighborhood attended, especially from the underprivileged classes . . . (Wikipedia, and photo) ].

[The building has a rectangular footprint of 10 m (33 ft) by 20 m (66 ft), and contains three classrooms, a hall, and a chapel, with lavatories in an addition to the building. The construction was done with a brick facade, in three overlapping layers, following the Catalan technical tradition. Both the walls and the roof have a wavy form, that gives the structure a sensation of lightness but, at the same time, great strength. On the exterior three areas intended as open-air classrooms were covered with iron pergolas.  The building has been seen as an example of constructive genius and has served as a source of inspiration for many architects for its simplicity, stamina, original volume, functionality, and geometrical purity (Wikipedia).]

[And we’re in the classroom now . . . ]

[The Super’s apparently bored with the subject matter . . . ]

[OMG, another selfie?]

[Because he is (and will be) featured so much in Barcelona: Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Spanish architect who is the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí’s works have a highly individualized, and one-of-a-kind style. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Familia.  Gaudí’s work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion.  He considered every detail of his creations and integrated into his architecture such crafts as ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron forging, and carpentry.  He also introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as ‘trencadis’ which used waste ceramic pieces.  Under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the ‘Modernista’ movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream ‘Modernisme’, culminating in an organic style inspired by natural forms. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and moulding the details as he conceived them.  Gaudí’s work enjoys global popularity and continuing admiration and study by architects. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete Sagrada Família, is the most-visited monument in Spain.  Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.  Gaudí’s Romn Catholic faith intensified during his life and religious images appear in many of his works. This earned him the nickname “God’s Architect” and led to calls for his beatification (Wikipedia).]

[Wrapping it up in the school . . . ]

[In the future . . . ]

I would sooner be a foreigner in Spain than in most countries. How easy it is to make friends in Spain!  ~  George Orwell

Up Next:  Part 2

October 21

Barcelona

[Continuing our first day in Barcelona, strolling about on Montjuic Hill . . . ]

[Appears to be a dead tree – oh, and the towers of the Palau Nacional (National Palace), a/k/a, home of the National Art Museum of Catalonia since 1934 . . . ]

[Basically, the view 90 degrees to the right of our first views of the city from the top of Montjuic . . . ]

[Looking back to where we were and where we returned in the following photos . . . ]

[Above and below, the hilltop views of Barcelona . . . ]

[This is the place . . . ]

[From which to get this view . . . ]

[The guy played terrific classical guitar.  When I went to drop a few Euros in his case, he was gone.  We ran across several excellent street guitar players on the trip . . . ]

[All this excitement created thirsts . . . ]

[I held the table while the others beverage shopped . . . ]

[And then you just keep coming back to this view . . . ]

[Did you notice the gull make an ever growing three-photo appearance?]

[We are so enjoying this . . . ]

[We too!]

[OK, Bill and I had a beer; Anne and the Super had gelato . . . ]

[And then we switched positions so they could be in the sun . . . ]

[Now we’re heading off to see what’s on the other side of the museum . . . ]

[We didn’t get far before I needed another rest . . . ]

[I am me; the statue is unknown . . . ]

[A nice tree-lined street . . . ]

[And now from the other side . . . ]

[At least this one is identified . . . ]

[This Olympic Bell was a gift of several German families and the German state government of Baden-Württemberg to Barcelona during the 1992 Olympic Games (waymarking.com).]

[Barcelona Olympic stadium (1992) . . . ]

[Barcelona Olympic Stadium Esplanade at Montjuic hill . . . ]

[Olympic spire . . . ]

[Again, the stadium . . . ]

[Then we walked around the stadium . . . ]

[But first looking back at where we came into the Olympic zone . . . ]

[Were any of you here?]

[So, we’ve circle around the stadium.  It was a warm day, we’ve walked a long way, and starting to feel pooped . . . ]

[And now we’re heading downhill in search of the funicular for the final downhill dash.  Along the way, there are breaks in the trees for views of the city . . . ]

[In the middle here is Sagrada Familia, where we would be the following mornig . . . ]

[A cable car – we would take a ride in a following day . . . ]

[Where the cable car alights . . . ]

[A garden adjacent to . . . ]

[The funcular . . . ]

[Which we rode to the bottom of Montjuic on our multi-ride subway tickets . . . ]

[And then on the walk back to our hotel we stopped at an outdoor cafe for fine dining.  In front of me was my first of several Spanish salads . . . ]

[And the restaurant was Vivo.  It was nice – and handily walking distance from our hotel . . . ]

[Buenos noches, y’all.  In the morning we walk to Sagrada Familia . . . ]

[And the last photo of a marathon walking day.  Why yes, Halloween is a biggie in Spain.]

Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.  ~  Gustave Flaubert

Up Next:  Even more Barcelona?

October 21

Barcelona

OK, I hear you say, you just finished blogging Russia yesterday – how’d you get to Spain today?  Well, I’m just way behind.  This Spain trip wasn’t even on the calendar when we left Russia in mid-June – but then it was.  From October 21 – 31, with friends Anne and Bill Gross from northern Virginia, we visited Barcelona, Madrid, Grenada, Seville, Cordoba, and back to Madrid and Toledo . . . 

October 19

[Word from our “early bird” was to get packing . . . ]

October 20

[The new Executive Express terminal in St. Cloud – on the way to Barcelona . . . ]

[Stage 2.  Made it to MSP – we were ‘TSA pre’ so it only took 3 1/2 days to get to our gate . . . ]

[Stage 3.  Hotlanta.  We may have hit some flying reindeer on the way down but otherwise an uneventful flight.  See you in Barcelona in the morning . . . ]

[OK, it wasn’t all smooth – many people tried to board with carry-ons as big as a Buick – and NO peanuts on board because of an allergic passenger.  The boarding gate only required you stand facing a “face identifier” – no ticket or passport necessary.  This was way too complicated for the “adults in the room.”  In spite of a very large sign at the entry point, many did not stand “behind the line” waiting their turn for the check-in prcedure.  It was like herding kindergarteners.  The gate attendant was getting frustrated.  And so it goes . . . ]

October 21

[Something like three movies later, we were over Barcelona . . . ]

[Arriving at 8:30 am . . . ]

[Barcelona, we are here!]

[Where we were going and how we were going to get there . . . ]

[Stage 4.  Arrived at our hotel, Olivia Balmas, where we jumped on some mimosas! Woo-woo!]

[Planning the rest of the day . . . ]

[Weather courtesy of our hotel – it was going to be lovely . . . ]

[We heard there was a pool on the roof . . . ]

[Bill leads the way to it . . . ]

[Hey, this is nice!]

[Horizon pool with a view . . . ]

[But somehow in our four days at the Olivia Balmas, we couldn’t find time to come up here again . . . ]

[I believe the Super appreciated the tanning prospects . . . ]

[Buenos dias, Barcelona!]

[Just across the street – Jami could have come with us!]

[This was our room.  We had three English-language channels – CNBC, Bloomberg, and RT.  Not exactly exciting entertainment . . . ]

[The view from our window.  We were right downtown . . . ]

[Lest you were wondering?]

[We’d probably been up for 20 hours.  But it was a beautiful morning – so we set off to see the excitement that is Barcelona . . . ]

[A civilized city – an easy to use and efficient subway system . . . ]

[And now I have some Euros . . . ]

[Our train arrives in 54 seconds . . . ]

[Looks like mostly locals . . . ]

[Our stop would be Espanya . . . ]

[Courtesy of the internet, this is where we were and where we were going – to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the National Art Museum of Catalonia, on Montjuic hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, near Plaza Espanya . . . ]

[Venetian Towers on Plaza Espanya leading the way to MNAC . . . ]

[Catalonia Hotel (background) of the monument fountain in Plaza Espanya . . . ]

[Las Arenas, a new shopping centre . . . ]

[An unidentified small statue on the plaza . . . ]

[Walk this way for the MNAC . . . ]

[Up the grand avenue – note the guy in the white tee shirt hanging on the lamp post, he will appear again . . . ]

[Fira de Montjuïc is the convention center . . . ]

[There’s the white tee shirt guy again . . . ]

[We’re closing in on our goal . . . ]

[And finally photobombed by white tee shirt guy.  I gave him a thumbs-up . . . ]

[The Magic Fountain in the foreground – though it’s not fountaining . . . ]

[A look back from whence we came . . . ]

[The Four Columns (“Les Quatre Columnes” in Catalan) are four Ionic columns originally created by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. They were erected in 1919, where the Magic Fountain of Montjuic now stands.  A replica of the columns was erected in 2010 very close to the original site and following the original plans (Wikipedia).]

[Are you taking my picture, mister?]

[The classic first-day-of-vacation photo of tourists, standing in front of an iconic setting, on a beautiful day, with the guys in matching outfits . . . ]

[Looking down now on the Magic Fountain of Montjuic and the Venetian Towers . . . ]

[A triad of photos of Anne leaving the scene of the crime . . . ]

[Why yes, this is beautiful . . . ]

[Why yes, this is beautiful . . . ]

[Still a climb to our final objective . . . ]

[And we made it to the top.  Part 2 of day 1 will be our fun time on Montjuic Hill and our excursion back to our Diagonal subway stop hotel – hopefully published soon.]

There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day.  ~  Ernest Hemingway

Up Next:  Barcelona? Thanksgiving?

June 12

Do svidaniya (“until the next meeting”)

The weary travelers head for home on Day 17 . . . 

[As we were leaving the ship for the last time, I turned to our crew and said, “do svidaniya.”  It’s a phrase I’ve heard many times in movies involving Russians.  It’s a polite way of saying “until we meet again” instead of the more final “good bye.”  I then heard one of the crew say to another, “Where’d that come from?”  Ha!]

[Alexey guided us one last time, helping us navigate through the airport procedures to get to our gate.  It was a piece of cake, easier than any other airport we’ve been through . . . ]

[We came home via Paris . . . ]

[The Super lined up a little extra leg room for us . . . ]

[I don’t sleep and now can’t recall all the movies I watched over and back . . . ]

[I believe one was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri . . . ]

[Little did we realize while winging our way home . . . ]

[That four months later we would be taking our third overseas junket of the year – to Spain.  Well, it would be four if Wisconsin counted as being overseas.]

Adventure, yeah.  I guess that’s what you call it when everybody comes back alive.  ~  Mercedes Lackey

Up Next:  Spain . . . or hockey?

June 11

Moscow

[We’ve finished lunch, now it was time to finish our stroll through Zaryadye Park and ahead is the “floating bridge” . . .]

[View of the floating bridge, the Moskva River, and the Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building . . . ]

[“Green” landscaping abounds . . . ]

[And what’s a park without flowers?]

[Including a flower hosting a bee . . . ]

[We approach the floating bridge . . . ]

[A glimpse of the park’s amphitheater over the berm . . . ]

[The walkway to the floating bridge . . . ]

[The floating bridge is a thin air structure in the form of the letter “V” with a large outward extension above the water. It towers over the embankment and seems to hover over the Moscow River.  The bridge is unique in Russia: it is a 70 meter structure without a single support. The bearing structure of the bridge is made of concrete, and the decorative elements are made of metal. The deck is wooden; the construction withstands a load of 240 tons corresponding to 3–4 thousand people (Wikipedia).]

[In the foreground, folks coming off the bridge . . . ]

[And coming on from the other side . . . ]

[A collective WOW from the Super and Tom . . . ]

[Again, the view of Moskva river and Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building . . . ]

[And here looking directly across the river . . . ]

[And in the other direction, the Kremlin . . . ]

[This looks like one of the Google posted photos . . . ]

[Sightseeing boats (remember our Moscow by night adventure?) . . . ]

[Just, the view . . . ]

[From the tip of the vee, looking back into the park . . . ]

[The Super rises above the throngs for a shot of the Kremlin . . . ]

[Straight down the river on the city side . . . ]

[In 2018, Time magazine put Zaryadye Park . . . ]

[On 2018 list of World’s Greatest Places.]

[Yup, it’s gotta be right up there . . . ]

[The glass crust cover of the amphitheater . . . ]

[Think I’ll hop up on this bench . . . ]

[I do not know who photobombed behind the soccer ball . . . ]

[Now it’s time to walk to the Kremlin for our scheduled tour . . . ]

[Along the way this woman asked us if we were Americans.  Is it that obvious?]

[So she chatted with us along way.  She was a Russian journalist here to cover the World Cup.  I think her name was Maria.  We should have visited longer . . . ]

[And photo by Pam . . . ]

[OK, here’s the Kremlin wall.  Now, how do we get in?]

[It turned out to be a longer hike than we thought.  Here Tom stops to ponder the efficacy of climbing over the wall – either that or he’s playing the role of a prison escapee.]

[Ah, we found Vladimir again . . . ]

[Emperor Alexander I of Russia . . . ]

[The staging area for the assault on the Kremlin entrance gate.  Tom taking advantage of one of the few places to take a load off . . . ]

[Pam going ISO our guided tour group . . . ]

[The assault has begun . . . ]

[And here’s our lollipop leader . . . ]

[Amidst other lollipop group leaders.  Yes, we’re going enmasse up those steps.  I believe it would take forever to try to buy a ticket and go through solo.  Even with this many people, the groups actually entered rather quickly . . . ]

[And, we’re in!]

[Looking back at where we came in, and to know the way out . . . ]

[Familiar sightings ahead from the Red Square side – the clock tower and St. Basil’s.]

[The entrance/exit gate . . . ]

[Annunciation Cathedral in the background . . . ]

[Our statuesque guide had to stop and gather her slower moving minions on occasion . . . ]

[Now that’s a spired tower.]

[Kremlin arsenal . . . ]

[Cathedral of the Archangel . . . ]

[Putin’s office is the one under the central arch.  I was amazed at the visible lack of security?]

[The Tsar cannon with the Annunciation Cathedral in the background . . . ]

[The Tsar Cannon is a large early modern periodartillery piece (known as a bombarda in Russian).  It is a monument of Russian artillery casting art, cast in bronze in 1586 in Moscow. Mostly of symbolic impact, it was never used in a war. However, the cannon bears traces of at least one firing. Per the Guinness Book of Records it is the largest bombard by caliber in the world, and it is a major tourist attraction in the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin (Wikipedia).]

[Annunciation Cathedral in the background; Assumption Cathedral in the foreground . . . ]

[Looking down the barrel, Assumption Cathedral on the left; Patriarch’s Palace (Church of the 12 Apostles) on the right . . . ]

[The Tsar (or Royal) Bell is located between the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Kremlin Wall. Made of bronze, the bell cracked during a fire after being completed and has never been rung. The bell is the largest bell in the world, weighing 201,924 kilograms (445,166 lb), with a height of 6.14 metres (20.1 ft) and diameter of 6.6 metres (22 ft), and thickness of up to 61 centimetres (24 in). The broken piece weighs 11,500 kilograms (25,400 lb) (Wikipedia).]

[Honestly, I didn’t break it!]

[That’s some bell!]

[Now entering Cathedral Square, most of the cathedrals we have already seen from outside the square . . . ]

[This way in – Moscow, the city, on the far side . . . ]

[Assumption and Patriarch’s . . . ]

[And lots of tourists just generally milling around . . . ]

[Annunciation and the Super . . . ]

[360 degrees of photo ops (Archangel Cathedral in the backgound) . . . ]

[Our guide readies us for an assault on Archangel Cathedral . . . ]

[The Super and I decided to sit outside in the great weather . . . ]

[And these two young ladies made folly of the usual static selfie!]

[With a vertical free standing selfie-stick . . . ]

[The door to Assumption Cathedral . . . ]

[A great photo op backdrop . . . ]

[Amongst the cathedrals was this building.  I know it was discussed – maybe something to do with the exterior design or material.  But I couldn’t find anything on it?]

[Back to the unique Assumption door . . . ]

[On the right, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the tallest structure on the square . . . ]

[And here comes our group . . . ]

[And now back out through the gardens . . . ]

[Leaving Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Tsar bell . . . ]

[Way out, you know, the exit.  Our guide is either shooting us . . . ]

[Or maybe a selfie . . . ]

[We’re on the bus heading back to the ship, past some familiar sights . . . ]

[And back on board, the last supper . . . ]

[“Weakie,” it’s only appropriate we wrap up with foodies.  We head for Minnesota via Paris in the morning . . . ]

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.  ~  Mark Twain

Up Next:  Ta-ta, Russia!

June 11

Moscow

The last full day in Russia.  We would leave Moscow the next morning . . . 

[And what a beautiful sight to wake up to . . . ]

[Now on our way for a day at the Kremlin.  Likely a statue of some important Russian.  Or a monument to KFC?]

[Vladimir Mayakovsky, a poet, playwright, artist, and actor who committed suicide in 1930 . . . ]

[Apparently not a tourist worthy fountain though I found it cute . . . ]

[The only identifier I could find was “Moscow fountain with drinking water” . . . ]

[The forever popular Pushkin . . . ]

[Not to mention St. Vladimir – and the Kremlin is in sight . . . ]

[As you’ll recall from a previous post, the Russian State Library . . . ]

[And Alexander Gardens at the Kremlin . . . ]

[An example of the ubiquitous American tourist . . . ]

[An example of ubiquitous American tourists . . . ]

[And Pam and Tom, more American tourists . . . ]

[No, we do not know the photobombing lady . . . ]

[Patriarch Hermogenes in Alexander Garden . . . ]

[Four Seasons Fountain . . . ]

[Modeling with the FIFA World Cup Model . . . ]

[This, of course, is Mother Russia . . . ]

[Tom with an in the neighborhood photo op . . . ]

[“Seeking shelter from the storm?”]

[And two from Pam . . . ]

[Well, Pam did a camera handoff to get this shot of the four of us . . . ]

[We’re in the land of the cosmonaut . . . ]

[Two can model with the model . . . ]

[No, we do not know the photobombing man . . . ]

[And the four horses in the Four Seasons . . . ]

[Another Russian model?]

[All part of Alexander Garden . . . ]

[Photo by Pam – we look a little chilled . . . ]

[And back at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers . . . ]

[Did you know my birth year is 1945?]

[We actually watched quite a bit of RT in Spain (a later trip) . . . ]

[The classic photo of the main entrance to the Kremlin . . . ]

[As I recall, this is when we dropped in on the Four Seasons Hotel for a rest, a hot drink, and a WC . . . ]

[Yeah, it’s a pretty nice place . . . ]

[The WC!]

[Back outside to find a volleyball game in progress . . . ]

[Are there bad wine bars?]

[This may be the Four Seasons?]

[The Super captures Lenin in all his glory . . . ]

[ . . . and the pigeon on his head . . . ]

[The Metropol Hotel – we were told it had a rooftop restaurant with good views.  I don’t recall why we didn’t partake?]

[So, we were heading to the Bolshoi Ballet anyway . . . ]

[Where we stumbled into another modeling session . . . ]

[But first the Super shoots the theatre . . . ]

[And then Pam moved in for a modeling close-up . . . ]

[OK, so did I!]

[But we couldn’t go in – another venue closed during FIFA . . . ]

[A distance shot of the Super, Pam, and Tom in front of this landmark theatre . . . ]

 

[A Hyatt in the distance . . . ]

[The Bolshoi area looking back to Manezhnaya Square . . . ]

[Russian State Academical Maly Theatre . . . ]

[The Metropol . . . ]

[Streets too busy and/or wide to cross?  So, walk under . . . ]

[Almost like a subway for walkers . . . ]

[As I recall, this was in the Metropol?]

[Never pass up a WC – or a selfie op . . . ]

[Pretty good friends . . . ]

[Back outside (obviously) . . . ]

[With comrade Lenin . . . ]

[We’re on the move again and stopping for photo ops along the way . . . ]

[Photo op by Pam . . . ]

[The State Duma –  the lower house of the Federal Assembly (the upper house is the Council of the Federation. The Duma headquarters are located a few steps from Manege Square.  Its members are referred to as deputies. The State Duma replaced the Supreme Soviet as a result of the new constitution introduced by Boris Yeltsin in the aftermath of the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993, and approved by the Russian public in a referendum (Wikipedia).]

[Moscow Hotel . . . ]

[So, here’s where we are!]

[Looking into Red Square from “across the street” . . . ]

[Entering the Moscow Hotel . . . ]

[That never pass up a selfie op again . . . ]

[And back under the people tunnel . . . ]

[Coming back up at the Kremlin’s main gate . . . ]

[Stand by for news!]

[Cool door . . . ]

[And back on the Super’s street of lights . . . ]

[Hi!  Here I am again!  And the sun is shining!]

[Getting our bearings . . . ]

[Kazan Church in Red Square . . . ]

[These guys didn’t make the tourist information list?]

[Walking along parallel to Red Square, which would be on our right here . . . ]

[To get to Red Square, I had to breech this barrier probably in violation of multiple security codes (photo by Pam) . . . ]

[So now we are tracking right toward Red Square . . . ]

[Where we start running into people of a FIFA international flavor . . . ]

[And you can’t help shooting St. Basil from every angle . . . ]

[The Kremlin’s outer wall . . . ]

[The view 90 degrees to the left of the Kremlin wall shot.  I believe this is Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, a concrete arch bridge that spans the Moskva River immediately east of the Kremlin. The bridge was built 1936-1937 and connects Red Square with Bolshaya Ordynka street in Zamoskvorechye (Wikipedia).]

[A FIFA information booth . . . ]

[Seriously, the only thing I could find was “small church on Red Square.”  It deserves better . . . ]

[To know it is to love it . . . ]

[And now we’re ambling into Zaryadye Park, Moscow’s first new green space in 50 years, designed by the American architects Diller Scofidio & Renfro, and one of the most ambitious and expensive architectural projects in Russia in decades.  It opened September 2017 (nytimes.com)]

[That selfie thing again . . . ]

[Natural is becoming the new normal in modernity . . . ]

[Oh, and they have this outer space restaurant.  So, why not have a far out lunch here?]

[And we did!]

[Unique place . . . ]

[Very large indicating they likely host large events . . . ]

[A large table dining room in the back . . . ]

[I’ll have what the cosmonauts eat.  Nyet!]

[A large and diverse menu . . . ]

[Now we have some “foodie” shots, especially for FOB (friend of the blog) “Weakie” who wanted more food shots and less shots of churchs, buildings, bridges, and other such stuff . . . ]

[And we thought the food surprisingly good . . . ]

[The private dining room . . . ]

[The fancified WC’s . . . ]

[7 lunch shots from the Super . . . ]

[They say you can be subject to large amounts of radiation in Russia . . . ]

[And the ladies’ WC . . . ]

[And a couple lunch shots from Pam . . . ]

[Part 2 will be the Kremlin, up next . . . ]

[And here’s a little report on the place by CBS Sunday Morning . . . ]

A cruise ship is a floating town of lazy people.  ~  Garrison Keillor

Up Next:  The penultimate Russian post . . .