Friday, July 23, 2004
Blogging somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, for future cut-and-pasting. It’s been a jam-packed few days. After finishing blogging on Tuesday wandering squares of Gracia, Rius y Taulet and Plaza del Sol. Bumped into a really cute dog who was being carried around by a guy from Denver. At least 4 people walked up while we were talking to pet the dog, who’s a 2 month old golden retriever who is more white than golden. Mr. Denver, aka Steve, invited me for a beer so we chatted for a while. Earlier, cute Pucca/Doraemon/Hello Kitty/Powder Puff Girl store on Rocafort. Past summers’ cultural excursions filtering over into this one.
Wednesday another late start. Wandered over to Mercado Sant Antoni, great then got lost in Pueblo Sec and Rabal neighborhoods before finding myself back on Las Ramblas. 4 course meal at Chinese restaurant for 6 euros--orange chicken, fried rice with shrimp, fresh squeezed oj, salad and chocolate ice cream. Had intended to see MACBA (contemporary art museum) but forgot and went to see P3K at Maremagnum instead. Got there late, and slow lines, but long ads so didn’t miss much. Kind of fun, but definitely for kids. So realizing all choices I was making--passed up aquarium though hadn’t really planned on going before then. Went to Steve and dog Tasha’s place to chat for a while. Steve came here to teach,but now is computer programmer and doing commercials on the side.
Thursday last minute change of plans. Found out Monastery of St Pedrables was less than 10 minutes walk from UPC so went there for morning after stopping by UPC for goodbye to cafeteria lady and email check. Kind of small, Rubens painting of curvy Virgen and Elizabeth with infant Jesus and John, Amoroso’s Girl Sewing and St Martha by Zamboran I think stood out. Cloistered nuns still live behind there, but last of the line apparently. Walking back, modermist park on Av.George Collins(biographer of Gaudi from MA). All this stuff so close to campus and I never knew. Long walk/wait for bus. Walk down Diagonal and Eixample, more modernist buildings like Casa Asia, much nicer than Gaudi houses. Used up all digital camera pictures so had to buy disposable camera. That side of Eixample so much nicer than mine--wish I had had more of a chance to explore it.
Was debating whether or not to see Patti Smith concert at Palau of Musica Catalana or Maria del Mar at Teatro Grec, but cheap tickets sold out for Maria del Mar and web site for palau tickets kept crashing. Was still hoping to pick up tickets at door, but so tired, gobbled down orange duck leftoversand flans, chatted with Luisa and Rosa (who found out is 68--younger than Mom but seems a lot older), went to locturios to call Mom and say goodbyes. Walked to Montjuic to see Magic Fountain, colored streams of water with music “Amigos Para Siempre”, Chinese with flowery name scripting, tourist bus, Italians with digital pictures.
Came home to packing, had trouble sleeping with all little noises. Woke up at 6:30, just my luck the elevator stopped working again so had to drag suitcase and bag down 7 flights of stairs. Was going up to get big suitcase and backpack, only to find that Rosa had woken up Carmen and Luisa and they had also come down all those stairs with the rest of my stuff! So grateful--Rosa, with her bad knees was really worried about me missing the plane.
Grabbed taxi, next worry about how to pay. Lucky I hadn’t spent on name thing last night or concert--had assumed I could take bus, but had way too much luggage to struggle the 4 blocks to Sants-Estacio. But still not quite enough, 16 when it was going to cost me 18 or 20 and he didn’t take credit cards or dollars. When he got there, he insisted that noone was going to change 3 dollars, was going to need 10 minumum
with a commission and he was going to run the meter until I could find the rest of the money. Luckily some random person dropping off people was able to change the 3 dollars and the guy finally got out, accepted my money and got my luggage out. So next crisis averted.
Wednesday another late start. Wandered over to Mercado Sant Antoni, great then got lost in Pueblo Sec and Rabal neighborhoods before finding myself back on Las Ramblas. 4 course meal at Chinese restaurant for 6 euros--orange chicken, fried rice with shrimp, fresh squeezed oj, salad and chocolate ice cream. Had intended to see MACBA (contemporary art museum) but forgot and went to see P3K at Maremagnum instead. Got there late, and slow lines, but long ads so didn’t miss much. Kind of fun, but definitely for kids. So realizing all choices I was making--passed up aquarium though hadn’t really planned on going before then. Went to Steve and dog Tasha’s place to chat for a while. Steve came here to teach,but now is computer programmer and doing commercials on the side.
Thursday last minute change of plans. Found out Monastery of St Pedrables was less than 10 minutes walk from UPC so went there for morning after stopping by UPC for goodbye to cafeteria lady and email check. Kind of small, Rubens painting of curvy Virgen and Elizabeth with infant Jesus and John, Amoroso’s Girl Sewing and St Martha by Zamboran I think stood out. Cloistered nuns still live behind there, but last of the line apparently. Walking back, modermist park on Av.George Collins(biographer of Gaudi from MA). All this stuff so close to campus and I never knew. Long walk/wait for bus. Walk down Diagonal and Eixample, more modernist buildings like Casa Asia, much nicer than Gaudi houses. Used up all digital camera pictures so had to buy disposable camera. That side of Eixample so much nicer than mine--wish I had had more of a chance to explore it.
Was debating whether or not to see Patti Smith concert at Palau of Musica Catalana or Maria del Mar at Teatro Grec, but cheap tickets sold out for Maria del Mar and web site for palau tickets kept crashing. Was still hoping to pick up tickets at door, but so tired, gobbled down orange duck leftoversand flans, chatted with Luisa and Rosa (who found out is 68--younger than Mom but seems a lot older), went to locturios to call Mom and say goodbyes. Walked to Montjuic to see Magic Fountain, colored streams of water with music “Amigos Para Siempre”, Chinese with flowery name scripting, tourist bus, Italians with digital pictures.
Came home to packing, had trouble sleeping with all little noises. Woke up at 6:30, just my luck the elevator stopped working again so had to drag suitcase and bag down 7 flights of stairs. Was going up to get big suitcase and backpack, only to find that Rosa had woken up Carmen and Luisa and they had also come down all those stairs with the rest of my stuff! So grateful--Rosa, with her bad knees was really worried about me missing the plane.
Grabbed taxi, next worry about how to pay. Lucky I hadn’t spent on name thing last night or concert--had assumed I could take bus, but had way too much luggage to struggle the 4 blocks to Sants-Estacio. But still not quite enough, 16 when it was going to cost me 18 or 20 and he didn’t take credit cards or dollars. When he got there, he insisted that noone was going to change 3 dollars, was going to need 10 minumum
with a commission and he was going to run the meter until I could find the rest of the money. Luckily some random person dropping off people was able to change the 3 dollars and the guy finally got out, accepted my money and got my luggage out. So next crisis averted.
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