New address

From now on, you'll find my blog here. Blogger is nice but I needed a few more features; hopefully you'll like the new site... Let me know if you have trouble getting there.

Bay windows in Barcelona

When I was looking for a new photographic project to undertake in Barcelona, my dad suggested balconies and while it is true this city has some very neat balconies, I became fascinated by the sunrooms or bay windows on some of the buildings. Here are some I caught on the way from the beach while walking along Passeig Sant Joan...

Relaxing Easter Weekend

On Easter weekend (Pasqua) most Barcelonins leave town and the city is invaded by tourists. This was particularly evident today when we made our way to the beach.

Alan's plan was to take the bus to Plaza Catalunya and walk down the Ramblas to the waterfront and along there to the Olympic Port. Between our apartment and Pl. Catalunya (5-10 min ride) we saw hardly anybody on the streets but the square itself was full of tour buses of every kind and the Ramblas was PACKED with people. The Ramblas are touted as one of the worst tourist traps around and I wasn't really looking forward to it but I have to admit it surprised me a bit. Some of the buildings along the boulevard are worth seeing and the human statues are incredible. REALLY well done.

After a walk along the boardwalk we found a table in the sun at the Baja Beach restaurant and settled for some sangria and light lunch. Around 3 pm we started making our way home. We discovered a bus (45) that goes from the beach to the bus stop at the corner of our street. Could not be more convenient. And a great ride to take visitors since it goes along the waterfront, through the old town and some nice streets of the eixample.

Palm Sunday at the Monastery of Pedralbes

Peace and light. Lightness brought not only by the sun but also by the delicate weightlessness of the columns. That's the impression that remained with me from our visit to the monastery of Pedralbes this morning. I've posted some of the images here.



After our visit to the monastery we walked around the square in front of the church, where families were enjoying the nice day after/before Palm sunday procession. These twin girls caught my attention while they were running around...

Pictures of bus tour

For those of you who asked for more pictures - here are the pictures we took today during a tour we took on an open deck bus: click here. I wasn't able to add comments to all the pictures but will post a review later...

Clases de español begin monday!

After much walking up, down and around the Diagonal looking for a cable company ,through which to get internet, a bank, grocery store, and all the other necessities of life, we finally made it to the Spanish school. I tried their online test and they had placed me in a high intermediate class but when we got to the school to register last wednesday, it turns out they don't have a high intermediate class beginning next week. I asked if I could go one level lower, but they thought best to place me one level higher. i.e. in the advanced class! eeeeeeek, spanish class may actually turn out to be hard! Alan thinks that it will probably be best for me if I have to struggle a little bit; he's probably right, I'll probably work harder and learn more that way. I'm still a bit uneasy though... on the plus side, there are only 2 other students in my class!

Un con leche, un cortado y una pasta por favor

2.25 euros. That's how much the bill for two cafes con leche (espresso with frothed milk) cost at a local cafe near our apartment in Barcelona. After 4 days paying about 7 euros for the same in Paris, the difference was nothing short of staggering. 'I can live here' I thought. Next came the revelation that I had to look VERY hard to find a bottle of wine that cost more than 5 euros. Casa Torres Sangre de Toro was a mere 3.45 euros at the local grocery store. Hmmm... this keeps getting better and better.

Muitos dos produtos encontrados nos supermercados aqui me lembram muito o que encontramos nos supermercados no Brasil: queijo frescal, iogurte liquido batido (danup), uma variedade grande de congelados, bebidas alcoolicas vendidas no supermercado (não é permitido na maior parte do canada), leite de caixinha, etc. Meus pais se sentirão em casa.

Relaxing in Pointe-Claire Village

We are staying with our friend Jenn in Pointe-Claire village and on thursday morning we went for a leisurely walk along the village and down to the point, by the lake (which is not really a lake but the St Lawrence river but which everybody calls "the lake"). The weather smiled upon us on our first official day of holiday and we spend an hour sitting in the sun watching a pair of paragliders zooming on the ice in a small bay by the village, one on a snowboard and another on skis.

Some sites and pictures of the village (I haven't been able to upload my pictures yet so these will do for now...)
Le Moulin de Pointe-Claire
I would love to live in a place like this
Official site
Euro-Plus Cafe (where we go for coffee every morning)
Dubuc Opticiens (where I buy my glasses - I'm having sunglasses made this time; they are so cool!!!)