On The Road Again

Friday, December 22 - A calm, moist, dark day in Montmartre. Lovely to be able to stroll about without huge crowds. Went into Sacre Coeur. Awe-some! Of course we had to check out the fabric stores at the base of the Butte. Always worth a gander.

Thursday, December 21 - Spent a few hours wandering around Le Louvre this day. Always happy to admire the Madonna of the Rocks and the Caravaggio's. Happy to report the Mona Lisa still draws the crowds. After enjoying the Italian corridor we went in search of the French paintings in the Richelieu. Closed on Thursdays! So we ended up in le Salon d'Apollon. And there were the jewels of the Empress Josephine. Oh. And if you are in le Louvre. Remember. Look up!

Wednesday, December 20 - A grey, mild day in Paris. Out and about. Took 16,500+ steps today. First to the Louvre to check the lines. Then to Notre Dame for tickets to the Concert de Noël on Friday. Then to Île St-Louis for restoration _ lunch in a small creperie. Finally, on to the metro to visit le Chateau de Vincennes. The pictures show the donjon, the moat and the Saint Chapelle. This is really worth a visit! And just at one end of metro line #1.

December 19 - Afternoon stroll along la promenade plantée, the original elevated linear park. Peaceful and pleasant even in winter. Lots of runners out. Return a long the ground level to window shop the viaduc des arts. Then off to Place des Vosges to see the Victor Hugo museum. A chance to see inside one of the apartments in the buildings built around this beautiful square dating from the early 1600's. Walked home past Notre Dame de Paris, all kitted out for the Christmas season!

Paris at Christmas. Magical!

Monday, August 7, 2017 - At beach, Darnley, PEI today! Sun sand wind n water. Blue blue sky. Summer doesn't get much better. Then, back to the cottage to bake a cake for a newly turned 17 - who doesn't get beaches. No mixer. No spatula. Hopefully it will taste good. Fun times!

Peggy's Cove in a fine mist of a fog yesterday. Gorgeous! As always. Then lobster at Shaw's Landing. There's a reason so many people go down to the south shore.

Beautiful day in Halifax yesterday! Ferry ride from Dartmouth and up hill to the Citadel. Always fun when they fire off a few cannon. Bonus was a well done exhibit of WWI trench set up in the moat. Probably not called a moat. Fun family day!

Friday, April 28 - The sun was back today and we were ooot n abooot in the Barri Gotic. A nice coffee in a sunny square. A last walk to admire the way the sun catches towers or facades as one rounds another corner into yet another square, small or big.

Thursday, April 27 - Can you believe it? We spent two and a half hours of a very wet day looking at Catalan art in the Museu National d'Art Catalan. Very interesting first floor curatorially speaking. Catalan art from the 1850s onward. We get out as the museum is closing and go down the steps to photograph the waterfall and fountains but just as I'm opening the camera it turns 6 o'clock and all the waterworks are shut off and the water all disappears. Just like that. Water is fleeting. Art endures!

Wednesday, April 26 - Drizzly day in Barcelona this day. A first for me this month in Spain. We went to explore MACBA, El Museu D'Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Guide books said a good site. Internet reviews were pretty negative. Guide books were too soft a sell. I am not a big fan of much modern art but MACBA has some amazing art. Very interesting and thought provoking installations. The building is also very cool. Or is that sick? Also walked through El Ravel to Sant Pau del Camp a former monastery (the cloister) and still used church (exterior pictured above) that date to about 900. The church was completely restored in the 13th century.

Tuesday, April 25 - Took a day trip to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia this day. In the heart of cava country. Went by local train and walked to the Codorníu winery. Impressive history of a family run business - one of the oldest (1515) and biggest in Spain. They started making cava in the 1800s. Also toured the Freixenet winery, which you can see from the train station. Some history here too as the husband of the family was disappeared during the Spanish Civil War.

Sunday, April 23 - Feliç diada da Sant Jordi! Big day for love here in Barcelona in honour of Saint George. Men give women red roses and women give men books. Music and readings abound. Happened upon a massed boys' choir from Fuldau, Germany singing at the noon Mass (international) in Santa Maria del Mar. So beautiful to see all those little boys singing. Then off to the beach! First truly beach worthy day!

Saturday, April 22 - Warm sunny day perfect for strolling through El Born. Went shopping at the Santa Caterina market for manchego cheese and various olives. The little green ones are called mallorcinas, we were told. Saw some impressive graffiti, espied señor minion and stopped by the neighbourhood snug before heading home for lunch on the terrace. Sweet start to the day! Vacation!!!

Friday, April 21 - Back to Figueres and Girona this day. Dalí museum very crowded with tour groups. Still worth a second go. Much to see. My companion and I were taken with some small paintings. He named the top two pictured here - 'Voice of Dalí' and 'Voice of Dalí at Night'. The lower picture shows one of a series of Dalí paintings in his "tacky phase."

Thursday, April 20 - Long walk through Barcelona this day. Ended up at Sant Pau again. Decided to go beyond facade. Well worth the price of admission!!! Preserved and restored 20th century hospital, last used in 2009. Large park like setting behind facade. Different buildings for different functions, medical issues. Beauty and function! We don't do enough of this today.

Monday, April 17 - A hot 29C in Sevilla today. We were on the church and convent trail. Thank goodness for taxis! Here are three small pretty things from the treasury of the cathedral. What an immense building! We made it to the church of the Macarena and the Alameda de Hercules. Trying to walk back to our hotel in the barrio Santa Cruz at the hottest point in the day was not a good idea even though we were in a shady linear park along the river for the most part. Even an ice cream stop - limonissima - didn't help. Resting up for the cool of the evening ...