Christmas Catalan-Style

This holiday season we are much more aware of the Christmas traditions here, and we're integrating them into our own traditions. It's worth noting at least two very famous Catalunyan traditions: El Caganer and Caga Tió.

El Caganer is the figure most characteristic of Catalan nativity scenes. It is said that its origins began in the 17th or 18th century. The Caganer is considered to be a symbol of good luck. It is available in many guises, such as policemen, politicians (even American ones such as George Bush), soccer players, peasants. Mauricio picked up an irreverent bishop for his nativity scene (pictured here, front and back of course). An exposition in Napa Valley in 2002 caused a protest by Catholics as being irreverent.

The Caga Tió means "pooping log." It's a very old tradition linked to winter solstice. Where once it was just a plain old log, over the years it has taken on a painted face and some Catalan characteristics such as the pastorets' red hat. The modern function of the Tió is to poop presents on or about Christmas Eve. Days before, the log is "fed" fruit peels and dried breads so that it will have something to poop. A blanket is put over it to keep it warm (and hide the presents!). On Christmas Eve, children warm up their sticks (where it used to be in the fire, now it's just by rubbing them all together) and then singing a song while hitting the log with the sticks. Then the blanket is lifted and candy and presents have been pooped out. Isabel partook in one at school, and took home some clay. Our landlord kindly invited us to her family's Caga Tió party on Christmas Eve (pictured) and Isabel took home lots of little gifts and candy (at this party, everyone contributed gifts for every child, and we repeated the Caga Tió 8 times to distribute all the gifts). How do we know the Caga Tió doesn't have any left? When the blanket is lifted and there are no presents, or when a piece of garlic or herring is left.

Isabel's First Pony Ride

Today we visited a park in Barcelona that we haven't been to yet. It's called Parc de Castell de les Oreneta, and located southwest of the Tibidabo mountain and just at te north tip of the Pedrables and Sarriá neighborhoods. Whereas the largest park near us, Parc Guell, is definitely a tourist stop, it was pretty clear this park just attracted locals.

It was a great day for Isabel: she got her first pony ride and a ride on the kiddie train, replete with a station.

Isabel starts school

Today was a landmark day for us. Isabel started daycare today! She was so excited carrying her new school backpack, and when we got close to the school and heard the kids playing (and crying!) she started pointing and couldn't wait to go in. She had no problem saying goodbye and taking off with the teacher. It's only been an hour so far, so we'll see how she takes being away from us all day.

On a separate note, today the prices of milk, bread, eggs and meat went up, and it's the talk of the town. I bought bread this morning, and the friendly clerks were apologizing for the increases. What's sad is that the cost of living is going up, but the salaries don't increase in parity. And they are already so low.

The Fiestas are Here!

This morning the neighborhood was eerily quiet. But that only makes sense as the Festa de Gracia officially started yesterday. The level of activity in the last few days has been incredible, especially with a rainstorm that hit Sunday night and ruined a lot of the paper decorations. We were not able to take part fully as Mauricio had his first concert with Sendebar out of town. But no matter - the festival goes on for at least 10 days!

(Hmmm, it's raining right now again -- poor decorations! Not sure if the judges have gone around yet.)

Yesterday the streets were filled with locals and outsiders, festival guide in hand, roaming the streets in awe of all the wonderful presentations. Close to us we have a Route 66 theme on Calle Verdi, a Noah's Ark lower down on our own street, and a colorful school supply set up near by. The streets and plazas are set up with bars and stages.

As we got home last night by car, we were able to pass through many of the plazas and get a quick snapshot of all the festival has to offer: many music performances, a full street of carnival rides, and lots of drinking and boisterous folks!

I am overwhelmed with the amount of activities available. Each decorated street association has activities all day – and there are 18 of them. Then there are the plazas: at least 10 of those. Plus, I have lots of work to do too, so can't fully take part of lots of stuff. :( But it is wonderful to see the amount of creativity and dedication to create such a magical community event.

View more pictures.

Sendebar in concert at the Monestir de Bartolomeu, Bellpuig. At least 150 people attended on a hot summer evening, and the concert was very well received!

The Fiestas are Coming!

So we've been hearing about the Fiestas of Gracia for a long time, and now they are just around the corner. Today we were walking around and noticed several streets closed off. Tables were set up and groups of people were busily working on decorations. Each street association decides on a theme and decorates the streets and compete for the best. Close to our building we saw creations of totem poles. Turns out the theme was Route 66! We're still deciding whether we will stick around. It seems that lots of locals actually leave as the streets are filled with non-stop partying. Can't wait to see the streets decorated.

Blackout in Barcelona 2

This morning I went to get a cup of coffee and down the block I could hear lots of banging and chanting and I could see a mass of people. Typical Catalan-style, it was a demonstration to protest the power outage, blocking cars and tourist buses. Locals came out with pots and pans to demand power. People are mad at having to pay so much for electricity on low salaries and yet, get so little in service. The Maragall power station is still not estimated to be back up and running for a week. That means ruin for many businesses such as meat shops. Mauricio said that he saw our meat guy, bread gal and more among the protesters.

Oh, and the power just went out again as we were returning home. Shopkeepers were hanging out by the door. Fortunately for us, our building was fine.

Addendum: Later that night, our street started to protest by banging pots and pans from their windows. The owner of the bar down the block led the protest with whistles. It went on for a long time.

Blackout in Barcelona

My sister Linda is in town this week so we're taking the opportunity to visit different beaches. On Monday, we were on the beach in Vilanova i la Geltru (which so far is becoming my favorite) and my friend Annie, who lives in Vilanova, met up with us after running a quick errand in Barcelona. She told us that there had been a short blackout in Barcelona, but somehow she had missed it. Her boyfriend called her about it. I didn't think anything of it as New York City is always having power outages. However, Annie mentioned that it was a big thing as this kind of problem hasn't really happened before.

We forgot about it until we reached our neighborhood on the way home, and I noticed people in shops in the dark with candles lit. I was beginning to worry that we would get home and not find electricity and our food gone bad. At least I knew we had a supply of candles and a flashlight. It seemed that some shops and buildings were back up, but some random ones not.

We got home and all was fine. The story was in the news, including yahoo.com. Apparently some faulty cable caused the grid to go out at 11:01. Some subway trains stalled, and the city had been a mess. I realized how lucky we had been. We were supposed to take the 11:10 train to Vilanova! We got there early to have a cup of coffee at the cafe upstairs, but as they didn't have decaf (which I'm only drinking these days) so they sent us downstairs to the (smoky) cafe by the platform. As we got downstairs at about 10:42, there was the 10:35 train to Vilanova coming in. We jumped on, delaying the coffee until we got there. Had we waited for the 11:01 train, we might not have gotten there in time and would have missed a gorgeous day on the beach.

Yesterday I tried to buy milk, but some supermarkets were completely closed and others only had dried goods. Some stores were open, but had extension cords running across the street to other shops to at least power the cash register. My fruit & vegetable shop could only take cash they said as I offered my bank card as we stood in the darkness. Of course! Our meat store on the corner was doing bad. They were losing a lot of meat. But I was able to buy some sausages they had in a provisional refrigerator. The clerk said that some buildings were on a grid from a power supply that was still out, and may not be fixed for up to a week. Last night, after Mauricio got back from a 3-week trip to the States, we went out to eat. Coming home, I didn't realize how bad the black out was until I saw the streetlights out and lots of shops and restaurants either closed or in candlelight. People were making the most of it.

To Castille-Leon and Back

This past week we took a spontaneous trip to Madrid. The goal was to deliver an instrument to the maker for repairs and to find an image in a cathedral for Mauricio's upcoming book – both of which were partially accomplished. Plus, I broke my small digital camera and lost my sunglasses. Nonetheless, we had a great mini-vacation revisiting places and seeing new ones and visiting lots of great folks. Lot of hours on trains and buses, but Isabel either enjoyed it or caught up on sleep. She's been a great traveling companion.

We started the trip with a 4-hour train from Barcelona to Madrid, and met up with David. We stayed at his place, which is in the Lavapies section of Madrid where the Rastro, or flea market, is held on Sundays. The next morning we started off with chocolate con churros at the Chocolateria Gines. Then we walked around, visiting the first pension (Mariu) we stayed at 7 years before, having a coffee at the same cafe nearby, buying books at the book stalls by the Prado, and revisiting the Prado as well. I love the Prado as there are so many significant pieces but the size is manageable. And here's where my camera dramatically went flying out of my purse into the middle of an 18th century hall, gaining the bemused look of other visitors. In the Plaza Mayor we ran into a food fair, and tasted wines and cheeses. A heavenly cheese that we bought was made from goat's milk soaked in wine. We didn’t end up looking for the famous Kilometro Zero marker (indicating the exact middle of Spain).

On Friday we were back on the train for a two-hour trip to Salamanca to visit Rudaina's mom Ana and family. I forgot how beautiful the countryside was around here, and was pleased to point out cows to Isabel -- who always looks for them in Catalunya where there aren't any! Once again we revisited places we had been to 7 years ago. This time we were able to see the Plaza Mayor in its entirety. Last time there was a book fair and couldn't take in the expanse and the beauty of the pink stone. Ana showed us the plaques of heads around the plaza that commemorated past conquistadores, writers, etc. She also pointed out some blue flat ones that were being held for future use. I commented that Spain was saving it for future conquistadors! We heard some traditional music, and saw two musicians in traditional dress. Ana said that a wedding party would follow, but even though we waited, they never appeared.

Later we walked past the restaurant, El Bardo, where I wanted to have dinner, remembering the wonderful homemade yogurt with nuts and honey we had several years back. However, we discovered that there was some sort of fire only days before and the restaurant was closed. Fortunately, Ana knew of another one that opened up, so we went there (after tapas first, of course). Instead of tourists, this was a local hangout, and there were three bachelor/bachelorette parties going on at the same time, which was quite amusing. There was the sedate professional group on our level, and a noisier and rowdier bunch with megaphone on the lower level. The food was incredible. Isabel ate up most of the tender jamon Serrano. Although they didn’t have the dessert I wanted, they brought me my second choice of chocolate mousse, adding the nuts on top. It was out of this world.

The next morning we were off on bus to Ciudad Rodrigo, a walled medieval town. Although we went to visit the cathedral, I couldn’t help take pictures of all the storks in their nests and flying around town. Once at the cathedral we discovered that they had strict policies about taking pictures – i.e., couldn’t do it. It didn’t matter anyway, because we could not find the image of the woman playing pandero that Mauricio had heard about. But he connected with the foundation running the visits, and they said they would look into it.

We returned the same day to Salamanca, and met up with Rudaina’s brother Angel and wife Maribel, whom we had met in New York also. We walked around town and went to another fabulous, rustic restaurant whose name I forget. We were back in Madrid by Sunday, and ended up going to a birthday party for another Anna’s boyfriend whom we never had met, but we wanted to see Anna. Met a whole bunch of expats living in Madrid, including another Colombian married to a Italian-Mexican! That evening we met up with Sandro and had fantastic thin-crust pizza outside on the noisy streets of Madrid near the Teatre Latina.

Photos above are from Plaza Mayor in Salamanca.

More Photos

Election Season

Today Isabel and I stopped to have coffee and juice at Don Teo's, a hole-in-the-wall cafe on the Escorial on the way to the metro. We sat outside at one of the few tables they have set up. At some point, I heard someone calling someone else and the woman at the next table waved. I looked at her and wondered where I knew her from. What store did she work in, I asked myself? Then it hit me -- she was one of the candidates running for mayor! She's running on the IC-Els Verds platform (Iniciativa per Catalunya/Green Party). She was sharply dressed, as she always seems to be in the pix I've seen of her in the papers and on the TV news. Once, I saw four men in suits and then Imma standing out next to them in a very red leather jacket. And here she was having a simple coffee and chatting with two other women right next to me! She's also married to one of the men who ran for President of Catalunya in November when I first got here.

The rest of the day I couldn't help looking at all the election posters, not that you can't help the posters with huge faces plastered all over town. Later on, I went to my Spanish conversation class, and funny enough, the topic of conversation was the elections, which was great, since I didn't have a grasp on all the parties. Below is, from left to right, Jordi Portabella (Esquerra, Republicana - independistas), Xavier Trias (CIU, or Convergencia i Unío, conservative/nationalists), and Jordi Heuru (PSC, partido socialista, and current mayor). Missing is Alberto Fernandez Diaz (Partido Popular -- PP).

Trip to Vic

Yesterday Mauricio, Isabel and I took a little side trip to the old town of Vic, the see of a bishop since 616, lies in a wide valley some 60km/37mi north of Barcelona, on the site of the Roman settlement of Ausa. It was the birthplace of the noted philosopher, mathematician and publicist Jaume Balmes (1810-48), who is pictured here in the funerary monument located in the center of the cloister. The town boasts a few examples of modernist houses, such as the Casa Bojons, also pictured. Another curiousity is the considerably restored Roman temple immediately adjoining the Baroque facade of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad. It seems that the remains of the temple were hidden within the Castle of Montcada, and only recently discovered.

The trip was a working excuse to travel. We needed to take a picture of a capital in a cloister of the Cathedral of Saint Peter (11-15th centuries) for Mauricio's upcoming book. [Congrats to Mauricio, who will be publishing a revised edition of his dissertation with a prominent German editorial house Reichenberger-Kassel, based in Barcelona.] With my new handy telephoto lens, we were able to get a snapshot of the capital approximately 20-25 feet from the floor. I am sure this is just the beginning of getting all the images in various places for his icongraphy collection.

See more pix in my Vic set on flickr.com

De Mar a Mar

Great news! Mauricio just released his new CD with his ensemble Sendebar, entitled De Mar a Mar. Plus, Catalunya Music radio aired a 15-minute program on it yesterday, featuring four songs. Check the website for more information on the CD, audio sample, and where to buy! www.sendebar.com

Spring breeze, Vilanova

I like this pix. We're on the beach in Vilanova i la Geltru on a windy spring day a few weeks ago. We went to visit our friends Annie and David.

Primavera is here

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of changes. My mom headed back to New York. We had daylight savings time. Friends are here visiting. My brother and family and my father are here as well. Spring is here but it's been raining non-stop. Today it's beautiful though, despite the weather forecasts. We even discovered that we do get direct sun in our patio area; it just depends on the time of year. Maybe we can grow a pot of basil!

We recently discovered a beautiful garden at the northern end of Barcelona. It's called the Jardin de Laberinto, and features a life-size labryinth in addition to other surprises at almost every turn. Isabel had a blast. Definitely worth a visit if you have the time. Great for kids.

See more pix >


We also took a bus trip with the American Society of Barcelona to a castle near Lleida called Montsonis. The descendants of the original owners still occupy the 10th-century castle, but they've set off many areas for a viewing museum. It was replete with portraits of ancestors, dating back to medieval times, knights' armor, and dungeons! Afterwards we went to a local restaurant to have more calçotadas. We were in for some entertainment from a singer/keyboardist with "chariots of fire" and wedding-type repertoire and dance floor. Isabel got a kick out of dancing and was thrilled when she had to pick the cards to determine the lottery winner for the ham. The proceeds went to pay the musician!

More pix >

Flamenco Birthday

To celebrate my mom's ??th birthday (let's just say it's significant), we decided to treat her to some flamenco. We took her to Tablao de Carmen (for the legendary Carmen Amaya), a cute little place located in Poble Espanyol. We did the dinner and show, and practically got front row seats. We were worried it was going to be another touristy in and out show. It partially was, but it was nothing like the big hall with tons of long tables and benches we went to in Sevilla. The intimate space was well organized so everyone got good views. Walking through Poble Espanyol at night was delightful as well. Isabel was entranced from the moment the show started. She was not expecting the vitality of the hand-clapping, foot-stomping, and singing right in front of her. She immediately started to imitate the clapping.

See a video of Isabel discovering flamenco.


Flamenco dancer. Isabel back at home. Mauricio and Grace at the Tablao.

Our Barcelona Ramble

Many folks ask us how we are enjoying the Barcelona late night ramble. Well, um, we have a two-year-old daughter, so, no, we don't really get to experience it like we did years ago as tourists. However, last night we took the opportunity to get out and see a friend's jazz performance while my mother is still in town. We invited our friend Jordi as well. We started out getting a bite to eat at 9 pm at a local Greek/Lebanese joint (the Greek yogurt here is awesome). Then we set out to look for the Sala Monasterio (clearly unmarked!) down by the sea and enjoyed two hours of Frederique's jazz trio plus guest guitarist. They played jazz standards and some of Frederique's compositions.

We then walked over towards the famous Rambla, cutting through the Raval. We caught sight of "Sidra & Cabrales." As I had a yen for this very rich and dense Spanish blue cheese (which I have yet to have since we moved here), we stopped in. Not surprisingly, Jordi knows someone who is also hanging out. Unlike other more upscale Asturian bars where the waiters pour sidra (cider) from a huge barrel with grace and flair, we are served the sidra from a bottle and are given one glass to share (the more traditional way). The pour starts out high, and any liquid not making it into the glass falls into a small barrel bucket on the floor by our feet. The cabrales was excellent and we also ordered chorizos with sidra as well before we headed out again.

As it was St. Paddy's Day, the streets were filled with green-hatted revelers (forgot to take a pix of that). We then walked through many winding streets, with young men approaching us with 6-packs of beer. We passed through the Plaça Reial, where it was packed, and then made it over to the Rambla. We finally found the bar Jordi wanted to take us to, The Black Sheep. We were asked for documents, not for our age, but for security! The place was huge, with many college-age students flirting with each other, of course. After a few American-sized pints (I had a pacharan instead), we headed out to catch a cab home. By this time it was 2:3o am, and we took a cab home (the metros close at 2am). Felt like my old days of hanging out in the East Village!

To see more photos, including the bucket, click here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barceluna/sets/72157600007185695

Our First Calçotada

We've been hearing about the calçotada for ages, but never actually experienced it — until today that is! What is the calçotada? No, they are not socks (that's calçats). They are a type of onion, (as you can see from the picture) like a leek, that is roasted over an open fire and eaten with a special sauce. Sure, we tried them at restaurants, but it's just not the same as we now know. What's more, we were invited to a privately held one. A group of musicians had a bit of a windfall so they decided to throw a calçotada, and invited us. There was also a German/Ecuadorian woman who is in Catalunya for a few months studying a Catalan pianist/composer. We converged at a farmhouse belonging to the family of one of the members. It even had olive trees on it (which farmhouse out here doesn't??).

With a gorgeous day as a backdrop, we watched the team cut up and place the calçots on the fire to grill them. As there were many, it took a while. We set up a long table with a couple of benches and sat down to wait. Meanwhile, Francesc, who made the calçot sauce, started spooning it into individual cups. The primary ingredient in the sauce is roasted almonds, chopped down to a paste, with tomatoes, lots of olive oil, roasted garlic (raw garlic would be too strong) and other secret ingredients that vary by chef. Finally the time came to eat: the guys brought the calçots wrapped in newspaper packets. I kept waiting for everyone to sit down. Instead, they moved the benches out of the way! We were to stand as we ate. No fineries here.

How to eat a calçot:
1) peel the outer grilled skin off in one fell swoop
2) dip the calçot into the sauce
3) tip back your head and eat as much as you can bite off (some of them can be fibery)

I was amazed at how tender and great they tasted. We all just tore into them until they were all gone, and ended up with black hands. But if this wasn't enough, it was back to the grill to cook up lots of meat. I didn't really eat the ribs, but I pulled a piece of sausage for Isabel and tasted it myself to make sure it wasn't too spicy. I was surprised at how tasty and fresh it was (this coming from me!!!) Truth be told, I went back for many more pieces for myself.

We ended the meal with a dessert called the Gypsy's Arm — a yellow-sponge roulade filled with a deliciously fresh cream with hints of lemon, and topped that off with a variety of liquers, such as one made from chamomile, as well as coffee from a thermos. Then we had to rush back to catch the train as my mom was returning from Germany. Unfortunately, it was a packed train as a large school group was travelling together, and we had to stand or sit on the floor. But that didn't detract from how wonderful it was to be in the outdoors all day. As was mentioned during the meal, the Catalans spend a lot of time eating. I don't have any problem with that.

Francesc's sauce and Jordi showing how to dip the calçot in the sauce.


Mauricio's first calçot. Antonella's a pro after putting a few down.


The remains of the calçots and the black hands.


Isabel fell asleep right before the calçots hit the table, but I had to throw at least one pix in of her day on the farm. We have to get her out more often. At first, she kept running to me saying "Scared." I guess I would be too if the weeds came up to my shoulders!


See more pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/barceluna/sets/72157594582920042/

Tarragona Adventure: Guest Blogger

Our friends Anthony and Dayle are in town visiting us this week. As I thought, they are amazed at how big and diverse Barcelona is, and every sight pretty much exceeds their expectations. Yesterday we went out of town to Tarragona and Sitges. I'll let Anthony describe it and give a little different perspective. But first, we had a spectacular day, with quite an adventure at the end as we didn't know if we would be able to get home! Anthony will explain why:

We headed out to Tarragona -- the Roman capital of the province of Iberia -- yesterday morning via commuter rail. The trip NORMALLY takes a little over an hour and we enjoyed a lovely tour along the Costa Dorada (Golden Coast) traveling right along the Mediterranean the entire time. So how bad could it be?

Naturally first glance in Tarragona was up an endless flight of steps from the station down by the beaches so we had to pop in to café for some caffeine -- I mean, coffee. We have fallen into the habit of grabbing bocadillos –- sandwiches on crusty bread. We have both fallen in love with the local jamón, which is exactly like Italian prosciutto - the raw, smoked kind we pay so much for in The States. And from café to café the tastes and origins of the meats, cheeses and vegetables change so much it’s like eating a completely different meal each time we get one. Catalonians have the habit of spreading an extremely flavorful thin thin thin veneer of “tomato” (sort of the way we use mustard only much less quantity) on their bread. This goes back to the time when bread would get hard and crusty really quickly and the moisture would soften it up. Well, it’s good!

Tarragona is full of Roman ruins and we even got to see some of them (in between meals). They are everywhere. You walk into a little shop and the sidewall has roman arches or a pilaster or an inscpription popping out of the wall. People in Tarragona regularly find busts and fragments in their basements and gardens when doing renovations and they’ve taken to just dropping them off at the archaeology museum in the middle of the night. Otherwise the government would intervene and conduct a serious dig and turn their lives into a nightmare.

Anyway, we wandered past the edge of the HUGE circus where the chariot races were held. This little corner (the rest of it is under the town) indicates how important this place was during Roman times. We walked past a grand wall of SOMETHING with pilasters, which became the side of a count’s castle in the 13th Century and is now part of the museum. Then we wandered down tiny streets with medieval houses built atop HUGE square-cut stones from temples and basilicas and what-have-you.

We then jumped ahead a thousand years and visited Tarragona Cathedral –- a simply stunning structure spanning the 13th through 18th centuries. Historians believe the original cathedral was a Visigoth structure slipped into the remains of a pagan temple and then enlarged and enhanced through the years. The cloister was a delight (photo), especially because it just kept getting warmer and warmer (we topped out at 24 degrees Celsius -– 75.2 in Fahrenheit) and we spent a few delightful hours with audio guides in hand studying the wonderful grotesques, devils, medieval workers, saints, stained glass and paintings in this must-see attraction (and taking LOTS of photos).

And then came lunch – Mauricio & Antonella’s friends Cristina and Francesc, who live about 20 minutes away by car -- joined us. We went to El Llugat (we think that’s a type of fishing boat), nestled inside a medieval structure built atop the law courts of the Roman city. We ordered a wonderful mixed antipasto to sample their offerings – sardines in oil and peppercorns, boquerones (another kind of sardine in vinegar instead of oil), muscles in a salty broth and delightful little shrimp just exploding with flavor. Then we moved on to the main courses.

We ordered their specialties: fideuas –- angel-hair noodles pan-fried in a seafood base with added chunks of fish, in this case, squid; arros amb crank -– a risotto cooked with teeny tiny Mediterranean crabs just exploding with flavor (you sucked out the meat) and caldo de mar –- a fish stew of local types including sea snails, muscles, clams and fish chunks. All these dishes were cooked with a dense, dark succulent base of herbs and spices that I would guess had an African origin. Nothing tomato-eey or oregano-eey Italianesque here, but DELICIOUS!

I don’t want to get too boring so I’ll just mention that we climbed to the top of the afore-mentioned castle during the afternoon siesta and enjoyed a spectacular view of the Old Town, the sea and the Roman amphitheatre snuggled into a cove right at the water’s edge. We definitely want to return to Tarragona someday and get to know the city better. The modern town looks great as well.

We had an appointment for that evening in the nearby seaside resort of Sitges to meet with Jordina Biosta Soler (everyone has two last names in this part of the world), an enormously talented “story-teller” for lack of a better word, who weaves tales of saints and traditional historical figures into captivating dramatic presentations. Mauricio plays various types of tambourines while she performs, adding sound effects and wonderful rhythms to her presentations. They wanted me to videotape a couple of pieces to develop a demo for them and we worked on the steps of a fourteenth century hospital on top of a hill by the sea. It was night by this time and magical. An earlier stroll along the beachfront didn’t hurt, either (photo). Dayle’s bud Jordi lives in Sitges, so he joined us and showed us the best places for caffeine in coffee and chocolate forms. A sort of Malibu on the Mediterranean. And we hear this is just the tip of the iceberg. They don’t call it the Costa Dorada for nothing.

So, as I said, it was a PERFECT day, until we learned of the breakdowns in the train system (they're talking sabotage!) and the subsequent demonstrations by angry riders in downtown Barcelona protesting the terrible way the train authority handled the mess. They succeeded in completely blocking the tracks in an important downtown hub (OUR station -- oh no!) and made the situation much worse. Luckily, we kept each other entertained, relaxed and just stuck it out. And we were able to get cabs at the edge of the city (one young man kindly offered the baby his), which had us home tired and relieved before 1:30.

Here is a news report on the train incident (in Spanish).


At the El Llugat restaurant in Tarragona


At the Sitges boardwalk


Esglesia de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla in Sitges at night


On the train waiting for it to move again

Sicily and more

It's been more than a month since I've posted. Besides a quick trip to Sicily, been keeping pretty busy. We started off the month of February with a quick trip to Girona. We were there six years ago, but only for an hour. We were amazed at the beautiful, quiet medieval center. It was such a gray day, so no photos. However, we are going back the end of this week. To be continued.

Then we went to Sicily for 6 days. We started off at my cousin's in Palermo, then went down to Palma di Montechiaro near Agrigento, where my mother was born. Agrigento is famous for its Greek temples, in much better condition than you'd find in Greece! It was exciting to show Mauricio where I'm from. Plus, I knew he would love the rich history: a mix of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and even some Norman. Not to mention tons of Baroque. I've posted a few pictures down below, but the rest can be seen on my new site on flickr.com:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barceluna/sets/72157594556633018

This week my friends Anthony and Dayle are in town. It's been great revisiting the city, and still being in love with it and finding out there is still so much to see. Tomorrow we revisit Tarragona and Sitges.

Photos from Sicily:

View of the cathedral in Palermo in a shop window facing it.



Near the cathedral: Wild dogs trying to cross the street amidst ongoing traffic to meet up with another dog in their pack across the street. We waited a long time to see if they could do it but finally gave up and left. Not sure if they ever did get across!


The famous Temple ruins in Agrigento, in the region my mother grew up.


The legendary church in my mother's hometown of Palma di Montechiara. I actually grew up with a small-scale wooden replica of this in my home, supposedly made by a blind man as the legend goes. My mother still has it!