Friday's quote X

 

PANTA RHEI

 

 

Heraclitus

A day in... Barcelona

I am not a person to improvise, I don't have a life that lets much space to improvising either, so I have an excuse not to improvise, so planning 30 hours in Barcelona on a Monday and booking flights for just five days later almost made me threw up.

But I didn't, and those 30 hours in Barcelona were awesome (except for the part where I couldn't have dinner because I had eaten too much and felt sick for a couple hours).

The Plan:

What to do in 30 hours in Barcelona?  This time there was no shopping involved (surprisingly!). This is a map of what we did:

You must know that (i) we were in no hurry to see anything, and (ii) we had already been to Barcelona, and therefore, there was no need to see/do all the tourinty stuff, even if I we did.

The Execution:

First you get up at 7:15 and try to get to the airport in time to take the 9:30 flight to Barcelona, not so easy when you have to convince someone else that getting up even before than weekdays is an excellent idea.

Second, the plane takes off and an hour later... you're there and your weekend finally starts.

And our tour of Barcelona, Such is Life edition starts here:

A. D. and H. - Quick stop at the hotel and off to a place that has the power to impress anyone who visits it, even if it does not have the name Gaudi written on it.

If you want a hotel a walking distance from almost everything, with wifi, laptops and even an exercise bike (yeah) in each room I'll have to recommend our hotel: http://www.hthoteles.com/es/hotel-petit-palace-museum-barcelona/, I cannot say much about the service however, they couldn't make me a chamomile tea during my food comma crisis, but...  

B.- Not 20 minutes from our hotel is el Palau de la Musica Catalana. Subject to political scandal and controversy in recent years, that does not mean it is a place that can  be overlooked. Totally worth to see its magnificent interior for 17€ per ticket, and you get a guided tour, which includes a little bit of Mendelson. Yes, music was surprisingly present everywhere we went so I will mention Mendelson and his organ concert played by a computer.

For more information on the Palau, here's their website: http://www.palaumusica.cat/ca/

I have to say that before our guided tour we had already stopped to grab a bite and a beer sitting in the sun at the cafe of el Palau, enjoying the first days of spring weather at last! It was gooooooooood.

We even took a couple of minutes to walk about the Barrio Gótico, with its narrow and dark streets, and felt odd to walk past this building in Via Laietana which seemed to spy on us with its hundreds of eyes pinned to its facade.

 But we were focusing on B, and its glass interior. That is for me the most impressive thing of the building.

 C.- 30 minute visit ofel Palau and that left us enogh time to walk up the Paseo de Gracia, enjoying two of Gaudi's landmarks (which any tourist would know). I may or may not have accidentally kicked a metal hurdle on the way while posing in front of Casa Batlló for a picture (taken with my BB because someone forgot to charge the camera, and I swear it was not me).

Lunch at Roca Moo, the restaurant at Hotel Omm was just a massive spectacle of food, champagne and good company :) We were even lucky enough that it rained while having lunch, but not after!

Short nap and opportunity to change the battery of the camera, and off again for an afternoon walk.

E. and F.- Around Plaza Real, and the Barrio Gótico, I posed for endless pictures which I may never get back (at least not until I have insisted a million times, let this count for one). We then heard the music, and then saw the enormous crowd, and then we just stared for a while.









During those minutes I stared I realised that Sardana is not so different from Sevillanas, first easy, then more intricate and difficult.

Then comic book stores, and Star Wars galore, and we were quite exhausted for the day. So we made our way back to Paseo de Gracia and Carrer de la Diputació.

G.- This place deserved to have been in our route for dinner, but I was sooooooooooooo full I couldn't even sit straight without feeling sick.

Still, Tapas 24 was in my plan for a light early dinner so I will post it anyway, cause the choice for dinner was just not too good to blog about it.

I.- Sunday morning, late morning, ideal for brunch, not that I found that many places to pick, not at least online, but I went for the most "alternative" choice and made a reservation at Dostrece, in the heart of el Raval. 

I have to admit we were a bit unsure at first, but benedict eggs and pancakes convinced us we were totally right, and we even got to see a Sikh procession through the window of the bar which was quite cool. I have no pics, but I found this link to a blog with some good pics http://lamevabarcelona.com/la-comunitat-sikh-de-barcelona/.

J. and K.- Down the Rambla (packed on a sunny Sunday), to the sea, around the Maremagnum and past the Museum of History, we met this groovy guys who brought the best of Cuba to our ears.

There was even a guy that produced Mojitos from a back pack, which was the most unhigenic thing I saw in all the weekend, and maybe in a long while, but it was three in the afternoon, we had had a massive brunch and we were in need of refreshment, so I remembered a very cool and hipster place I saw at Plaza Real, and we walked our way back there to lay back in the sun and drenched our thirst with a nice gin & tonic.

My pair of empty frames just made me blend in enough to enjoy Barcelona and take all this Instagramy pics,

And with that... our weekend was over.

I am counting the days to repeat it, somewhere else or anywhere else, otherwise what would become of this section, right?

Such is Life.

M

Friday's quote IX

Today's quote is a poem, please don't blame me, it's been a tough week.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tires by waiting
Or being lied to, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way into hating,
And yet, not look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
And treat those two imposters just the same.
If you can bear to hear the words you've spoken,
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or see the things you gave your live to broken,
And stoop, and build'em up with worn out tools.

Of you can make a heap of all your winnings,
And risk them all in one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss.
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew,
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on, when there is nothing in you,
Except the will which says to them "hold on".

If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foe, nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all of men count on you but none too much.
If you can fill the unforgiving minute,
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And, which is more, you'll be a man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling


I am holding on to a small piece of yellow paper. Hope to tell you about it, some day.

Such is Life

A day in... Stockholm - Part II

Last time I walked around Stockholm I stopped to catch my breath and I lost track of time in a lovely little shop right around the corner... o where were we?

Ah yes! Ostermalm:

E.- Next Stop in our route is a shop you can find anywhere in Stockholm, but, since you have to walk by on your way to F, you might as well stop in E, and get me ANYTHING. Lagerhaus is an IKEA for little home stuff, very affordable, and colourful, and cute.

www.lagerhaus.se

F.- Last stop before lunch is THE most lovely store for home design, pottery in particular. The colours, shapes, the fabrics, the details... everything about Bruka has Scandinavian written all over, and that means IWANTITALL, over and over again. Prices do not help my now damaged economy (five shops later I have not won the lottery damn it!

If I wasn't so scared of the flight back home, one of my three empty suitcases (yes, I am bringing three suitcases full of goodies for my sis and I am bringing three suitcases full of goodies for myself), with all that mint pottery.

Check the website here: http://www.brukadesign.se/

G.- And finally... Lunch. But why not shop while you choose what to eat? Of course! cause we have not done enough shopping yet, and my visa is not soft piece of plastic by now...

Lunch at Ostermalms Saluhall is the only natural alternative in our shopping day:

http://www.ostermalmshallen.se/

So much stuff done during the morning, we may have to take things slow in the afternoon, so only two more shops to come before dinner, but for now I think it is time to rest, and walk around Saluhall checking all the stands.

Truth is, if we are going to spend the afternoon in super hipster Sodermann maybe just two stops around there won't do the trick... 

I start to wonder if 6 shops before lunch (between 9 and 13:30 hours) is not too much... 

Maybe it is too little. Two weeks to find out. Stockholm. 

Such is Life

Postcards to Stockholm: DNA for dummies

Dear Sis,

I was curious to read in the press today that Christie's had auctioned the letter Francis Crick sent his son upon the discovery of the double helix. I did not know that, like our dad, DNA turns 60 this year!

As a way to celebrate I am going to tell you a little more about my encounter with that long chain with flat bits sticking out.

I began to mull over the news of the auction and my first thoughts went to you immediately, and I imagined myself receiving a letter with your (much cuter and cleaner that Mr. Crick's) hand writing explaining to me all about DNA.

I went in the search of the letter to read it myself and was absolutely moved and thrilled by the content, even if I am no scientist and I do not live in 1953, that letter has something, maybe the clarity of the explanation, maybe Mr. Crick's excitement, I really don't know, but I love it!

You may want to start sending letters to me from Stockholm, letters that I can keep and maybe sell for the amount of $5.3 million in time, please, take the hint. Send. Letters. Sister. Millions.

In truth, after reading it I wished I had those $5.3 million so that I could have gotten that letter for you.

I'll see you in less than a month! In the mean time, carry on. Nobel Prize.

Lots of love and kisses from the person whose DNA is closest to yours in the whole world.

M.

Friday's quote VIII

Monday afternoon, and I keep going over an idea that makes it hard to concentrate. I do not travel as much as I would like to. Indeed I do not.

Easter holidays spent at home with the family and suddenly I had the rush idea to get away for the weekend, so tickets and hotel were booked and paid for and I may be continuing my "A day in..." series after I complete Stockholm, who knows!

The problem is, of course, work. The excitement of the first few hours after booking everything has lead to the anxiety of spending a weekend away from emails, desks, bosses and work. So when it all came down to picking a quote for today, this (somewhat cheesy) quote from another eminent politician of the early 20th century seemed just right:

"It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things."

Theodore Roosevelt

Happy weekend.

Such is Life