Black Kitties and Ants With Wings

Despite the title of this entry, this place just gets better and better. Instead of yapping about it, I'm just gonna post some pictures. I didn't make it to the Monastery today but I am going tomorrow instead. Actually got some writing done today, followed by a trip to the local grocery store and an evening full of food, cava and laughter. This place is truly magical and the bonds are already forming.

Michelle and Rebecca play with the kitties (Thing 1 and Thing 2) Tonight the proprieter (why can't I spell that?) Karine said they are taking the kitties to a shelter soon to be adopted. Michelle and I are scheming ways for this to not happen. I can't stand the thought of it because I've bonded with these two AND both the Mama and Papa cat live here.     


These archways are the view from my bedroom window. Just found out that once my roommate leaves next week, no one new is coming, so I've got a single for the rest of the stay, which is quite lovely!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 playing in the grass... oh, there are also giant ants with wings here. It makes my stomach turn. Apparently they are born, mate with the Queen or some female ants, develop wings and fly away and die. WTF? They are so big. Ick.

Roger Sterling...right? Doesn't this guy look like Roger Sterling from Mad Man? He's really Roger Hart, an artist and the funniest Brit ever. I wonder if he'll ever Google himself and find this picture?!

Ah, and here is Marcel, Karine's husband. They both run this place. He used to be the CEO of GE in Europe and 3 years ago quit to run Can Serrat. He is an amazing chef, the most gregarious person you've ever met and also almost made it to the men's Olympic gymnastics team, but broke his wrist before the team went off to compete in L.A. in 1984. Here he is showing us his moves...


xo

All Play, No Work?

I know I am supposed to be here writing fiction, and I'm sure I'll get to it eventually, but so far it's been lots of blogging, copious amounts of eating, a little drinking, lots of talking, and lots of time figuring out my trip to Toulouse next weekend. Oh, and just found out today that there are two art presentations happening here, one next week and one the week after with the community of El Bruc. I thought only the full-fellowship people were required to participate, but no, it's all of us. You KNOW what I'll be doing, right? That's right, Pechu-Kucha it is! I made sure to make my book available in Spain on Amazon in case there are any takers...


Every night the husband/wife proprieters (how do you spell that?) cook for us. Tonight it was tuna and salmon carpaccio, basil mashed potatoes, slices of zucchini from the garden (so big that one zucchini fed 12 of us) pork for the meat-eaters and caviar on toasted baguettes with fruits and lemons. I even ate it and it was phenomenal. 


I spoke at length with the other writer - Pablo. He teaches college in upstate NY and won an NEA this year. He'd applied 5 times and finally got it on the 5th try. How inspiring. As we were talking, the two kittens jumped into my lap and promptly fell asleep on each other. My leg fell asleep, too, but do you think I moved it? Of course not. Had to make sure the kitties were comfy. 


Tomorrow will be another day of non-writing as 4 of us are going to check out the Black Madonna at the Montserrat Monastery. This Jew is very excited to see it.


Have more stories about trying to get train tickets to France, but I can't bear to relive it... I'll be going on Sunday the 16th-Tues. 18th and will be on many trains and busses to get there. It will be fun to speak French and see one of my oldest friends, Mimi.

For All My Foodie Friends...

I must describe my dinner out tonight: green melon balls, smaller avocado balls, smoked salmon and currents served in a melon bowl, white wine, followed by a dessert crepe, filled with vanilla gelato, chocolate sauce and candied nuts and some sort of liquor sauce. All for under 20 Euros. Way under. That's it for now...

Hola El Bruc

Yesterday I was required to take the metro to some bus shed in Barcelona, find the right bus, ask the driver if it was going to El Bruc, board, get off at a bar in El Bruc and wait for a grey mini-van to pick me up. It all sounded very suspect and vague, but I managed to figure it all out. It was actually very easy.


Can Serrat, the name of the artists colony, is pretty outstanding albeit rustic in odd ways. It reminds me of Esalen in a way, though there are only 10 people here. I have a 'suite mate' named Daisy who is from SF and an artist, and befriended Jill, an artist from New Zealand and Roger an artist from Dover who looks so much like Roger on Mad Men. There is another Melissa here who lives and works here and so I've been dubbed "Mel" even though whenever anybody calls her name, I think they're speaking to me. There are a bunch more people but I'm not fully clear on who everybody is yet.


Last night we dined al fresco - I imagine that will happen every night - and the mosquitos started chomping on me immediately. It was shocking how many bites I had. I think I'll be wearing a thick coat of repellant from now on and every day.


The building is an old winery - very funky, a little moldy, cool, cavernous, communal bathroom area which is less than ideal but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I know of many friends/family who would be utterly grossed out, but when in Spain...


The resident cat just had kittens in May so there are a bunch of adorable black kitties everywhere. After dinner a bunch of us climbed a sort of jungle gym outside behind the property and upon reaching the landing this is what we saw:

 Roommate Daisy...

Incredible view of Monserrat mountains.


After dinner, everyone started setting up for Blues night here on the property. The evening started at around 10:30 pm. About 100 people came here and allegedly the best Blues band in Spain played. (That's debatable) I finally wandered back up to my room at 2:30 or so (also debatable) and shock of all shocks didn't awake until 1:45pm the next day. I think that was the last of the remaining jet lag. I feel really good today, even though the day is half over.


At some point I'll start writing? (my novel)

 Self-portrait getting ready for mischief.

The "best blues band in Spain".


Tonight we are going out to dinner in town since the chef isn't here on Sundays. Later, I have to figure out how to get to Toulouse next weekend to visit my friend Mimi.

Looking Up

I have to make this a quick one because I am catching the bus to El Bruc, but I wanted to post some pictures from the last 24 hours. This has been such a whirlwind adventure, and I've only been here for 48 hours. I covered a lot of ground, met great people, ate delicious food - and now I am off to the countryside.


It seems to me, Barcelona is best experienced while gazing upward. There is so much to see overhead. Yesterday I took the metro to the Sagrada Famillia. When you exit the subway this what you see. It is stunning, and a work-in-progress. Gaudi buildings startle me. They are so grand, imposing, kind of creepy, whimsical and just so bold. The line to enter the church wove around and around, and with limited time in Barcelona I didn't want to waste over an hour standing in it, so I experienced the church from the outside, walking around the entire block with the other gawking tourists too hot and impatient to wait. Hopefully I will get back to this one within the month.

Next I took a local bus to Parc Guell, a failed gated community of sorts developed and designed by Gaudi. There is nothing "failed" about this place. It is so imaginative, creative and whimsical. Here are a few pictures to try and capture it. I have hundreds, I think. As I said yesterday, Gaudi's works are so photogenic! Every way you turn there is a photo op waiting to be captured.

Looking up at the tile work in what would have been the market stalls had the community actually been built.

Archways, tile work, views of the city, the water, more archways, more tile work. Absolutely breathtaking.

After a few hours wandering around the property, I took the bus and then the metro to the Picasso museum, which was a thrill. I spent three hours there. I knew about Picasso's Blue Period but not his Rose Period. He was already a master painter by age 14. The museum houses his early works. He spent his formative years in Barcelona before moving permanently to France.

My feet were absolutely aching after my day, but the museum was in the old quarters of town and I just couldn't stop wandering, until I magically wandered back to my hotel. 

Last night I had plans with Melissa and Daniel. Melissa met Jen Kagan in India at the Iyengar Institute in Puna and they have stayed in touch. We met at the Barcelona Contemporary museum for a drink and then later went to a dance performance in the theater. There is some sort of world dance festival here, and shows pop-up at various sites in town. I can't even explain the dance show, but let's just say there were many dancers in wheelchairs - I'm unclear if they were really confined to wheelchairs or it was part of the schtick, but it was pretty amazing. Melissa's boyfriend Daniel met us there, and after we wandered through the Raval to a Tapas place they frequent. Dinner started at 11:30pm and went til 2am. What fun! They were the best and I loved hanging out with them, so thanks, Jen!!! (Connections Kagan?)

Okay, that took longer than I thought. I'm off to El Bruc now - oh wait, one more tidbit. Apparently the town of El Bruc is famous for standing up to Napoleon!? I need to some research on this, but allegedly that is the case.

Adios for now.

Ramblas Ramble

Hola from Barcelona! It is always so surreal traveling abroad. After two long and bumpy plane flights I arrived this morning an hour earlier than scheduled. The hotel staff sort of giggled when I showed up at 9am. I checked my bags and starting wandering the Ramblas, which is steps away from this hotel. I don't think I've ever been to a more vibrant city in my life. There is something about Barcelona... the energy is infectious.


I ate an egg tortilla at La Boqueria market and washed it down with fresh watermelon juice. By 1pm I was starting to see double so I found my way back to the hotel intending on taking a 2-hour refresher nap, which of course morphed into a 4-hour power sleep. By 5pm I was wide awake and ready to explore. 

 Hanging meat - so not my style...

Ahhh, rows of fruit cups. Now that's more like it!


Grateful for Palau Guell's summer hours, I bought a ticket and took a tour. Guell was the man who basically hired Gaudi for most of his career. The home was stunning and so astoundingly photogenic. I'm attaching a mix of pix so you can see the flavor of the decadent place.

 Detailed ceiling, stained glass windows, striking light fixture...

View looking up - Gaudi played with light in so many ways.

Gaudi chimneys/phallic symbols/broccoli stalks on the roof of the home.


Later, I wandered around the cobblestone alleys. I followed some locals into an interesting looking building only to realize it was just a post office. Later on my walk, I followed another local crowd off the beaten path into a building and it turned out to be an art show at an art school. It was sort of like the Otis Senior Show! I stayed for close to an hour looking at the student work which was really good. Stalking the locals, I followed a few more into a restaurant and ordered some Tapas. It was only 8pm so I guess I had the earlybird special. It is now 10pm and while the city is coming even more to life, I'm back at the hotel trying to get on some sort of functioning sleep schedule.


Tomorrow is the Picasso Museum, Sagrada Famillia, Parc Gruel and plans with Jen Kagan's friend Melisa. Thank goodness for friends-of-friends! Saturday I head out of Barcelona and into a farm house north of here for a month of writing. I kind of can't believe it. I hope to come into Barcelona at least a few more times while I'm in Spain.


I'm in Spain?