Hi, it’s Mike.
Jean did a nice take on the ‘quick and dirty’ leading up to our trip to Barcelona. Let me add a couple other thoughts….
- Tom gave away all of his pocket money to the buskers and street artists. So many talented artists.So great to see him appreciate them.
- Henry loved Leonardo Da Vinci’s machine museum. Pulleys, cranks, ball bearings, etc. showcasing what a great man he was while revealing one of Henry’s curiosities. He took time to build a solid bridge out of sticks originally designed to move troops across a river in short order. It was interesting to know that Machiavelli’s “The Prince” was based on the guy who hired Da Vinci to be a military engineer and advisor. Who knew!?
- Lucy loved our pizza and gelato making course. For the next couple days she was working hard to convince me that we should open a pizza and gelato restaurant in Edgemont Village. She had everyone’s job sorted, they types of pizza and gelato to be sold, the costs and how we’d divvy up the profits. She even offered me the job of my choice if we could do it together – nice of her. I agreed with her that Italy wins on food – especially the gelato.
- Michelangelo’s “David” is better than I’d remembered. He’s even got the sling that slew Goliath. Malcolm Gladwell exposes the disadvantages that the giant had in the battle in his same titled book. After seeing the statue the boys were pretty excited by the story. Great history for all of us.
The Languedoc region of France is stunning. After a great stay near Carcasonne the drive through the Pyrenees was beautiful. It’s Cathar country full of dark history, dilapidated castles, forests, vineyards, farms and mountains. We agreed that it would be a great place to stay for longer if we weren’t committed elsewhere.
The theme park, Port Aventura, was a big hit with everyone. It’s very Disneyesque (having been the original Disney Europe planned site before moving to Paris) – imagine big, clean, varied lands, with tonnes of rides and shows and you have it. It was a perfect destination for Halloween given the costumes and spooky atmosphere. Even better – there was no candy and the kids forgot all about it. I also selfishly enjoyed “Shambhala” that claims to be the highest coaster in Europe. Jean was kind enough to force me onto it knowing I’d have fun. Here’s a point of view video of the experience (not mine).
Tired, hungry, and squished we managed the 1.5 hr train into Barcelona. It was the first time I felt like I did at 17 years old backpacking in Europe. Except this time with four others….
Barcelona has been great for us. Very liveable, beautiful city with lots on offer.
- It’s been a huge treat to have Elizabeth, Nancy, and Gwen (Jean’s mum, aunt and sister respectively) join us for a week. Elizabeth is so generous in spirit, Nancy is patient and oh-so-game for anything (perfect fit for our noisy crew), and Gwen keeps us all laughing all day long. They helped us purge bags (we sent 2.5 bags of stuff home), replenished our books, introduced a new McNewlandson handshake, added to our observations, and generally raised us up. We’re all a bit sad to see them go.
- The Sagrada Familia (Gaudi’s masterwork) is unbelievable. Like being in a dream and it’s not yet finished. Another 10 years of work ahead. It’s the most impressive cathedral I’ve seen. Unexpected and truly wonderful.
- We also saw his Park Guell with equally interesting designs including a labyrinth where I was expecting the minotaur to surface.
- The Boqueria market puts Granville Island into perspective. Delicious, fresh, and every kind of food you’d ever want or need. We all enjoyed the fresh, inexpensive smoothies and went for seconds…then thirds…then…
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic put on a great music, water, and light show for us last night. Locals, street vendors offering trinkets (and beer), and a bunch of tourists to join us. Great show and fun night for us.
More pigeons! Lots of them.
We just returned from a week in Marrakech where they were hosting a UN climate change conference. It was like they cleaned up just for us. Lots of security and waving Moroccan flags. It was interesting to see some modernization with rooftop satellites. It’s got beauty, and Arab culture, and can be overwhelming in big doses.
Our Riad (Ghali) was an oasis in the culture shocking medina. It’s the first place we’ve been that felt truly different and after a couple full-on days our crew tired. With the exception of a couple of overly ambitious street welcomers the people were great too.
Some highlights…
the diverse maze that is the Souks is a sight to see. It offers wonderful metal work, tanneries, spices, textiles, foods, and shops. Remarkable contrast of how some people make their living. We visited a shoe maker who’s been making shoes by hand for 74 years – wow. Tom had a chance to make some shoes with him briefly…
- the Jemma el Fnaa (centre square of the medina) is everything people say about it…snake charmers, monkeys (including one with a diaper), cafes, restaurants, calls to prayer, henna hand painting, smoking meats, drums & pipes, donkey carts, gas belching scooters / motorcycles with up to four people at a time, and a full bounty of rich smells. In the evening the crowds come out to see belly dancers, youth boxing matches, musicians, and other night time entertainment.
side trip into the Atlas Mountains where we visited a Berber market.
People come from great distances to walk through muddy paths to buy and sell their services and wares. I had a shave from the resident barber in his hut and was offered 20K camels for Jean. I later told her that wouldn’t consider anything less than 50K. The mountains are majestic and a reminder that there’s quite a bit to Morocco that we have yet to experience.
- Lucy found a living stuffy that she wanted to take home (yes, that’s a three day old super cute goat)
- She was also put to work churning some nuts into oil with the locals
- Of course, you can’t go to Morocco without riding some camels.
So we did. It was short and sweet. Sort of like a tight trail ride on horseback – except they were camels. Our guides shared how remarkable these animals are in that they are custom built for long desert treks. Super interesting. Makes me want to do the 54-day trade trek to or from Timbuktu on camelback. Another time perhaps.
All for now. Cheers, M