Paris and Barcelona time 2015

It is really hard to pick and choose from my iPhone pix of this amazing Gaudi-designed park so I'm just going to post too many, but first is one of Mark and Pablo. Pablo is a friend of our friends in S.C, Eric and Gracia Stanfieldi. Gracia is a native Barcelonian:

La Boqueria, a huge covered food market:

and a plaque outside an ancient Synagogue of which the original structure dates back to the 3rd or 4th century. 

and grand buildings:

Two Incredible Gaudi buildings:

Casa Batllo-

and La Pedrera-

Facade during the day:

During the night:

We stayed in a really sweet airbnb apt. in a great area right around the corner from one of Gaudi's greatest, although unfinished, achievements--La Sagrada Familia. It is not easy to get great pix of it as there is scaffolding all around the ever expanding Basilica. Current estimates put the scaffolding in place until 2026--the centenary of Gaudi's death. Here are my best attempts at pix from outside and inside and from up high in one of the towers:

Above the Nativity door and a portion of the door itself encrusted with green leaves and red, yellow flowers symbolizing (what else?) Jesus's birth. Mark especially liked all the sculptures of musicians:

High up in one of the many towers, a few of which you are able to climb or ride up in an elevator.  See the men perched high up on one of the many Gaudi fanciful finials:

The interior with its tree trunks and branches:

A view from one of the facades at night:

and my favorite one:

We also happened upon a street in the area with several Tunisian Jewish and Kosher bakeries. I sampled a few--delicious:

Our last morning in Paris saying our au avoirs to Leela and Dean and to our friend of long date, Michael Seiler, who is an American in Paris for around 40 years!

Mark and I stayed the first 3 nights of our trip at the home/library and digital media center founded by Henry-Louis de la Grange, Gustav Mahler's principal biographer. It's a building full of The Great Man's recordings, photos, paintings, scores, books, and an archival center for scholars, etc. Every room chock full of Mahleriana and books, clippings, paintings from turn of the century Vienna, the exciting time in which Mahler composed and conducted.

Here's the Mediatech  indicated on the metro station map:

View of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre from dirty window in escalator at the Pompidou Museum.

Leela, Dean and our old friend Frank (Mark met him in 1982) in front of the restaurant La Pharmacie which we just ate at. Very good!

another dirty view from Pompidou escalator...

First full day in Paris. First day also to meet Dean! Met Leela and Dean at their airbnb in the 'Haut Marais' late last night after the 2 of them and Mark flew in from TLV. But it was only for a brief few minutes as it was late and they were tired and hungry. He's a sweet easygoing guy and they seem so happy and nice together. Today we met at the romantic and ancient Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris. Then we walked around the Marais and around the wonderful 'Beaubourg'-Pompidou Museum and across the Seine to Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite and then Il St. Louis where we had a coffee, then back through the Marais.

Some pix of them. There are more from Leela's camera that I'll post soon: