winifredcreamer

La Mercé: Great big giant heads, parades, fireworks, music, dance…

From the title, you get the idea. La Mercé is the annual festival of Our Lady of Mercy, one of the patronesses of Barcelona. It spans a week, this year Sept. 18-24 and there are more events than one person could get to. We went to see the giants and the giant heads before theyContinue reading “La Mercé: Great big giant heads, parades, fireworks, music, dance…”

Museums and Modernism-Modernismo 9.16.15

Barcelona’s wonderful museums include many that focus on artists and architects of the early 20th century. We are starting to make the rounds and may make return visits to both the Picasso Museum http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/ and the Miro Foundation. http://www.fmirobcn.org/en/ A great deal is made of modernism, but what that is remains puzzling. Definitions suggest thatContinue reading “Museums and Modernism-Modernismo 9.16.15”

Subway, train, bus, and on foot

I commented on the events of Catalonia Day, but there’s more! Riding the escalator to the subway the next day, what did I see, but a left over arrow from the demonstration. This lone survivor (dark pink, for equality) is now living on the wall of our apartment. I am very happy with my artifactContinue reading “Subway, train, bus, and on foot”

Catalonia Day 9.11.15

It was a great day in Barcelona. Open house at the Born neighborhood cultural center shared its extensive archaeological exhibit on life in Barcelona in the 1700s. Outside the Center, castellers built human towers. This is a Catalonian tradition that requires solidarity–groups create a huge base of people pushing toward the center and upward. GroupContinue reading “Catalonia Day 9.11.15”

Barcelona’s waterfront from the sky

The aerial tramway from Barceloneta to the Montjuic hill is a great intro to Barcelona. You can see a little of everything. First you have to wait to go up to the tramway in a very small elevator. The views are spectacular. There is sculpture, a walkway across a swing bridge, and a big mall.Continue reading “Barcelona’s waterfront from the sky”

Barcelona is full–of everyone

We arrived in Barcelona after a very long trip from LA via Miami. We were delayed several hours by stormy weather in Miami and as a result didn’t arrive in Barcelona until 11:45 am local time. Our host Joan was waiting at the apartment and we settled in rapidly. I still have plenty of jetContinue reading “Barcelona is full–of everyone”

This is Jeopardy!

Driving in from the north to Pasadena we missed most of the rush hour traffic and arrived around 6 pm. Unloaded most of the car at Amanda’s house, since she and Jimmy are the inheritors, willing or unwilling, of our miscellany. They are rewarded by getting our leftover kitchen ingredients and picnic supplies, and stuckContinue reading “This is Jeopardy!”

Mendocino to LA, via the Monterey Aquarium

We left our wonderful house in Little River, CA (thank you Eckhart, Birdie, Jenna and VRBO) to head south for LA and then Barcelona. Down by a couple of boxes, the car was still packed to the doors. I gave up on the bird feeder–after the raccoon visit it was held together with fishing line.Continue reading “Mendocino to LA, via the Monterey Aquarium”

Mendocino area highlight reel

Best trail: Anyplace on the California Coastal Trail Best day hike: Pygmy Woods/Upper Fern Canyon loop, Van Damme State Park Best guidebook: The hiker’s hip pocket guide to the Mendocino Coast, by Bob Lorentzen Best coffee shop: Moody’s, Lansing St., Mendocino Best beach for collecting abalone: Van Damme State Beach, Little River; Mendocino Headlands, MendocinoContinue reading “Mendocino area highlight reel”

And Away We Go

Mendocino has been a blissful environment, yet tomorrow we leave. Yesterday, I put some of my beachcombing shells back in the water. In addition to packing, we spent our last day beachcombing on one of the best beaches yet, the Mendocino Headlands. I found a lot of abalone pieces, but left them in place forContinue reading “And Away We Go”