wendy house

I was 19 the first time that I noticed graffiti as street art. It was a stylysed picture of a person body-pop dancing on a wall in Clifton, Bristol. Over the years graffiti as an art from has become much more prevalent and is often one of the joys of wandering round cities. Barcelona was full of it. Here are some examples from Barcelona

Many of the protective shop-fronts are bespoke painted. This makes them look attractive and prevented less creative graffiti

The little old gentleman in the appartment opposite shuffles out each morning and early evening, He smiles and waves at us, watches the bubbles we are blowing into the gap between our building. The bubbles fall towards the pedestrians below. People see them falling, spin around and laugh contagiously

In the evenings the lady in the apartment next to the old gentleman leans out, looks upward and calls to her friend 2 floors above. We see the lights in the apartment above go out then see the friends together in the apartment opposite

Another young man sits most days in a room full of books with his windows and shutters thrown wide open. Lightly dressed, often barefoot. He rarely looks away from his books. A plump, elderly lady in overalls wipes his windowsills and brushes his floors while he reads and writes. They work alone in the same apartment

We never saw the person who owned the parrot or the person who stored their bike – hanging off the balcony

At night my imagination built stories in dreams about the unseen occupants

Virgin me!

Never been on the roof of a Catholic Cathedral…until….NOW!

 Watching the mason’s cut stone, in-situ, to fit windows. Clouds of stone-dust swirling into the air. Orange roofs, the mediterranean, in the distance. Being on top of a Cathedral gives you all sorts of new perspectives and an appetite for Paella…

A little second floor apartment off la Rambla in downtown Barcelona, Carrer Unio, is full of life at all times of the day:

• deliveries to the many small shops and bars
• trucks collecting rubbish from the communal bins
• tourists renting bicycles and mopeds
• a parrot living on the balcony opposite narrating the events
• Revellers walking out or home

and,  one of the best sounds as we ate breakfast on our balcony. The chattering of schoolchildren:

Another quirky Barcelonain passtime is burying cartoon characters in the Beach. Here we see a (cartoon) government official, who has been buried in the beech, still managing to let everyone know where the bins are placed:
Don’t you just admire this government official’s dedication to duty?

The Catalonians of Barcelona keep their jungle’s hidden, cunningly, across many small apartments above small winding streets. Some Catalonians are more adept at restraining their jungles. Here we see one attempting a breakout

This summer, October (I have a flexible definition of summer)

I’m off to Barcelona with a blogging friend, LaCroix, from Seattle

As the excitement ramps up to amber risk level I’ve been gathering advice from people who know Barcelona. Here’s some awesome suggestions from a London friend who’s in love with a person that lives in Barcelona:

1. Day trip - Montserrat: Things to do: wander around and admire the shapes that inspired Gaudi, listen to boys’ choir, see the Saint, take the funicular to the top and check out some of the walks once at the top
2. Day trip if you’re renting a car – Cadaques and Port Lligat, book well in advance to visit Salvador Dali’s house. Drive all the way up to the most Eastern point of the Iberian peninsula (Cap de Creus) and have a coffee/beer/snack at the top enjoying the amazing views.
3. Montjuic – check out the Olympic Village during the day, pop in to Poble Espanyol, an open air museum and enjoy the distinct style of the Spanish regions. An absolute must are the ‘magic’ fountains (Thurs-Sun 2100-2330, buy some beers or cava beforehand to enjoy the show!) between the National Palace and Placa Espanya.
4. Eating at the market. Les Cuines de Santa Caterina – this is a general google search. Looks like your Lonely Planet guide should have the details. I’ve only ever eaten at the ‘bar’, not the restaurant part. Quite a trendy place, definitely a step up from the traditional tapas bars, yet located under the market roof. If you want to experience the basic market eating check and love fresh seafood out La Paradeta located in Born. Check out opening hours if you decide to go.
5. Things you should eat/drink: I am not talking your usual tortilla/paella stuff (btw sangria is widely regarded a tourist drink, try it if you wish but don’t be deceived – in my 4 years or so I maybe drank it….1 time with the locals).
   1. Cruasanes de crema (mini croissants with custard filling), at one of the bakeries around town. I get mine from Moli Vell, perfect with your afternoon ‘cortado’ – a popular afternoon coffee (cortado means coffee cut with milk).
   2. Another thing to try at the bakery is Ensaimadas. It’s a Mallorcan thing, when I first tried it I thought nothing special, but if you find good quality ones they’re divine
   3. Pintxos – Basque thing. Get a few on your plate and then pay by the number of ‘toothpicks’ left from the pintxos (also known as montaditos). The fun is in hiding a few toothpicks and paying less
   4. Pulpo a la gallega – from what I’ve seen the locals eat pulpo as if it was chicken in the UK
   5. Pebrots de padron – one of the tapas – tiny green peppers. The fun starts when you get a spicy one!!!
   6. Ensalada rusa – this is a mediterranean version of the typical Russian dish (Russians have it for every big occasion, so I was surprised to find it made its way into Spanish cuising), one of the tapas
   7. Cava
   8. Jamon – ranging from industrially fed to acorn fed pigs, make sure you’re ready to appreciate the highest jamon category
   9. Pa amb tomaquet (bread with tomato) – typical fresh Catalan bread ‘rubbed’ with tomato (sometimes garlic) and olive oil, probably the most Catalan thing you can find, they use tomato and olive oil like non-Catalans would use mayo or butter
6. Paella – OK so you should of course try paella, but make sure it’s good. Don’t go for the €10 per person type restaurants. We investigated over the weekend and for quite a central location Kaiku seemed good. Silvia’s relatives have been coming here for years (when Barceloneta was still a fishing village) and it’s got sea views and it’s close to the beach and everywhere else. There’s another restaurant close to Barceloneta bearch – Can Costa but the reviews are not as good. Apparently quality paella is freshly made, on charcoal or wood, uses fresh ingredients and good stock, for that be prepared to pay €25 and up. The cheaper ones are often re-heated from frozen. If you’re sharing a paella between two you probably won’t need starters (unless very hungry)
7. Go up Las Arenas a bull ring refurbished into a shopping mall (lots of Catalans are against bull fighting, as a. they see it as cruelty b. bulls are a symbol of Spanishness). The facade was lifted up several meters (quite incredible) and you’ll get great views of Barcelona (L’Eixample and Montjuic)
8. Spice up your Gaudi day by popping into Vincon a designy shop two steps from La Pedrera – great for window shopping experience or buying stuff for Wendy House
9. Read The Shadow of the Wind and visit some of the landmarks mentioned in the book. They even do the shadow of the wind tours. You’ll find lots of historic drinking/eating places mentioned in the book like Els Cuatre Gats (the four cats).
10. Have a drink in hotel Barcelo Raval to chilled jazz music and then go up to the roof terrace to enjoy the night views

Interestingly, barrios (neighbourhoods) like Raval and Barceloneta close to the sea tend to be the poorer ones, as they used to be fishing villages, old buildings with no lifts. The further up ‘the mountain’ you go in Barcelona, the posher. Watch your bags at all times when on the beach and in crowds of people. On the Barceloneta beach literally attach your bag to yourself as thieves can grab it and run. Take minimum cash and documents when you’re out. If you’re vigilant chances are nothing will happen, but I’ve had all my documents, cards, mobile and money stolen once

How fabulous to be given such thorough and thoughtful advice from a friend. Excitement levels have definitely reached amber!

cafes to the left.      cafes ahead.      cafes to the right.        

Cafes on the edge of the  Lavapies district of Madrid.  

Perfect places to eavesdrop,   observe locals,    and  tourists. The wait-staff of the two empty cafes ahead hold conversations across the street and physically perk-up whenever potential customers, people, walk down the street between them…

There may be a time in every bidet’s life when it waits on the street.  

The silver Moped  appears to be gaurding the silver Bidet from random attack  by a misguidedly malicious person that may well hold a grudge against bidets in general  due to unfortunate accident in their formative years.   Its possible.   The attacker is unlikely to have been raised in the US where people are  protected from high-risk,   irresponsible, youthful escapades with  bidets.  

Do you think  this bidet is visiting the Hotel?

A basic coat of white covered with coloured dashes and squiggles overlayed with grafitti.   The car appeared to be inviting me to get a spraycan out and add my momento to its journey.   Mobile, socially accessible and constructed art.

Fabulous use  for a classic car of which I have very fond memories.

In Spains Catholic religious capital Cathedral, Toledo, the burial places of Cardinals are marked by their hats being suspecnded from the ceiling above.   The hats hang until they decompose.   They add an eerie feeling to the cathedral as they gently swing in the silence.

The building in the centre of this photograph  is covered in cloth that is coloured to look like the outside of a building.   Behind the cloth I can hear what I pressume to be hammers and drills and conversation,   muffled in the distance.   What a wonderful gift to the inhabitants of the city,   containing the noise and dust of renovation to the building being renovated.  

Cosmopolitan? thats me!

because I drank a German beer made with the finest organic hemp from a bottle with an English label in a Spanish cafe.      It was all terribly civilised.  

Politeness and respect all around.

The man in this photograph was giving the lady a personal guided tour of the Latin Quarter of Madrid.   In English.  

I followed them,   at a distance,   for a couple of miles hearing all sorts of lovely little details.   They nearly discovered me once when they walked down a dead-end alley and turned round to come back out.   Luckily I was still in Hitchcock sleuth mode and  managed to scarper without being spotted or falling over any parked Mopeds.

According to the guide this is the oldest door in Madrid at 500yrs old.   Madrid is a fairly young city by European standards.

they do not drip messy wax,   they do not blow-out in the gentle church breezes, securely collecting donations,   equal lights for each prayer, only the bulbs need replacing and the cover  eases dusting and cleaning.   These prayer installations were in both the Cathedrals I visited in Spain.

Progress?  

The emotional, sensual, experience of an electric prayer barely touches that of lighting, smelling, watching real candles.  

not the name of an English pub.

A Madrid morning moment.

Infront of a Musical Opera shop where Nun and moped pretend that they have never met before.

After taking the photo I joined the game by pretending that I was in an Alfred Hitchocock movie and followed the nun.   Just incase.     I think I managed to stay incognito,   following from a distance,   wearing dark reflective Ray Bans.

Warning.

Lady in deceptively slow-moving dress caught undertaking a yellow Moped on Gran Via.   Watch out for the Handbag,   it’s like an air-bag only much harder on sudden contact.

I jumped right in and fell-over on my first day in Madrid.  

Nice scrape there on my knee… …and what colour and style are those pants I’m wearing….a shade of khaki…a version of cargo….have I succumbed to the camoflauge of the masses?  

Oh fickle me and my grazed knee.  

We are sat at the beautiful Madrid airport watching the  rain……

the RAIN   in SPAIN waiting for my PLANE

The Spanish locals are wearing the pants of the cargo khaki.   They are internationale.   They are slightly smaller than the US equivalent.   They look like they fit the wearer.    They are all over the place here in Madrid.   Should I be scared or simply make sure I extend my wardrobe to contain the now essential khaki pants des cargo?

forty-third in a series of posts describing the experience of taking tea,   or not taking it in this case,  English style.

Thursday Tiffin #43:  withdrawal

It is highly likely that I haven’t had a cup of tea for days by now because I’m on HOLIDAY in SPAIN where its probably too HOT for proper tea.  

When I know for sure where I am and what I’m doing and whether it involves tea or not I’ll write a comment on this post about withdrawal symptons.     I can’t really be sure what’s happening because I wrote this blog entry before I left for SPAIN and used that automatic post-it  widget doobry  to post it now.  

Gosh,   I hope I’m alright

fifty-third in a Wednesday series of posts attempting to uncover the many mysteries of my singleness

Reason #53:  see reasons 1 though 52

I’m on Holiday in SPAIN,   Madrid,   its and exotic place,   surely you can’t expect me to write sensible reasons for being single when I’m on HOLIDAY.   You’ll have to satisfy your curiosity with a bit of re-visiting earlier gems of delightful rationality because I’m GONE.   Let’s say it together, with feeling,

GONE

MADRID

SPAIN

HOLIDAY  

(gosh,   I hope I’m alright)

friend: there was something else I wanted to tell you about but I’ve forgotten …..
wendy: interview,  driving, kerouac, exam, Budapest, spa, Spain
friend: Spain!

by and by she told  the story of the testical salad, alas, an unpublishable urban tale

Guest entry from Barcelonean WhitePrince.

I’ve taken minor editorial liberties.   This is risky given Eyan’s profession and my punctuatory skills.   I love the way Eyan captures frustrations of his everyday work, translating,  and side-benefits:

It’s easy to get distracted when researching technogyl terminolgy and follow links to something totally unrelated. Today I have read about:

1. Queen Victoria and her offspring
2. London City Airport
3. Luxair (and edited some rather dodgy English in the Wikipedia entry)
4. Tony Blair’s woes in the Scottish by-election
5. A 19th century train crash in Northern Ireland
6. Stairway design  get the work done. It takes longer than it should. I could bspoke German until she w