Animal Attractions

This guy was worth the little hike to the top of Parc Güell.  All he could sing was "Happy Days" and "Light My Fire" in broken English.  Over and over.  Classic!  Worth every euro, too.

Look at this handsome lad.  Mark had to have his picture taken by Gaudi's famous lizard friend.

Speaking of friends, Nico made one at the Aquàrium.

And Emma was not to be outdone with her whaley amigo.

This street performer earned his in a whimsical, stilted ensemble.

The Casa-Museu, where the Gaudi lived for 20 yrs. of his life.   It's one of several "gingerbread" houses in Parc Güell, very funky.

This is Marina's elephant face.

And this is the King of the Jungle welcoming us to his crib.  Yes, he's taking a dump.  Sorry, but everyone got a kick out of his nonchalant greeting.

Parc de la Ciutadella's lovely Cascade Fountain.  So long Barcelona!  Next time we're going to so catch a Barca game at Nou Stadium (in our dreams :)

Sagrada Familia

As promised (and about three months later), our visit to Barcelona's #1 tourist attraction:  La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí.  First stone laid in 1882.  Completion set for 2030 if donations continue.  Wow.  That's what you say as you regard this massive cathedral, but not for it's grandeur, more for it's split personality design and detail.  Everywhere one looks there's something else to see and discover, and for that reason my children managed to enjoy our visit.  Really.  This is a close up of the front (or what is now the main entrance), more modern and almost cubist in design.

General view upon arrival.

Jesus overlooking the construction, making sure all is well.

Inside, hard at work and getting closer to completion.

Blurry photo of stained-glass.

Hardhats for the guys from the head office.

The statue of Jesus first confused me as I thought it was some avant-garde version, at least from far away.  I eventually realized he's wrapped for protection and will be unveiled from his spiderman prison in due time.

Very cool ceiling and columns, designed to appear as trees bend and support.

Color variation, nothing here is "normal," or expected (I guess you could say).

The rear of cathedral, much more gothic-looking and detailed to the max!  I forgot to take a picture of the famous Nativity facade, but it's in there.  You could spend hours just staring and straining to see all the work.  Good I Spy material.

Looks like it's haunted or melting even.

A rare picture of the kids and I.  Yay!

Mark and Nico strike a pose.

Managed to get all our heads in this one, but I am seriously lame at DIY photos.  Nevertheless, we had a great time and spent one of the most interesting days learning and laughing together.

Whilst touring and descending the top of church, one can wander through giant sculptures of fruit and veg.  Gaudí had a true sense of all things organic.

View of the city from the top.

The old botanical cross.  As mentioned, Gaudí loved nature and incorporated into his architecture--everywhere.

Cranes, cranes go away.  They ruined my lovely shot but they're everywhere, what can you do?  We took an elevator up for a small fee and the stairs down for free.  It was the only way, so there were lots of silent prayers that my children (i.e. Nico and Emma) would survive the spiralling descent since neither railings nor safety features existed to keep them from plummeting to their deaths.  Phew!!  We made it.  That concludes our visit, my next post will be a wrap up with some random photos from the rest of our trip, and then on to Israel.  It's my hope that I will soon return to regular blogging and include more meaningful events like birthdays, matches, concerts, etc.  Crossing my fingers!

La Pedrera

We had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Barcelona for the kids' October school break.  We've been wanting (or rather, I have been wanting) to visit for a very long time.  Mark had been here several times for work, and this was a wonderful week of eating, wandering, exploring, running/walking, shopping, insert your own verb here.  Family time is a luxury and we've been blessed to experience it in some very cool places.  So, as architecture is one of Barcelona's many highlights, we begin with a walk down Passeig de Gràcia.  We strolled past many a modernista building and enjoyed the Casa Battló by the famed architect, Antoni Gaudi, with its colors, textures, and especially the balconies sculpted in the form of carnival masks.

Casa Batlló

Down the street, at la Pedrera, we wondered over the wavy, iron balconies.  Inside are apartments, a clothing store, a museum, an exhibition room, and of course, the obligatory gift shop!

La Pedrera rooftop view.  It's a park full of sculptures with chimneys that resemble medieval warriors and huge ventilator ducts twisted into bizarre organic forms (not to mention the great views)!  Do I sound like a tour guide?  Because I am quoting our Top 10 Barcelona guide in order to make this the best blog post ever.

L.P. atrium

More of Gaudi's funky design . . .

How about this?

Refugees from the UK descend

Gaudi's Masterpiece, la Sagrada Familia (rooftop L.P. view).  More on this later.

Marina ponders life in Barcelona

Nico just wants a nap

All's well that ends well in another beautiful L.P. foyer.  I loved the painted floral ceilings with lovely lit stairways and ornate staircases.  Special thanks to Stephanie Boyd who mercifully explained how to upload pictures much faster :)

Beautiful Box Hill

This weekend we've enjoyed listening to the wonderful messages of our church leaders during General Conference. It's been raining, a lot, so it was great conference weather. Sunday the kids were a little stir crazy from being inside all day, and in the afternoon something inspired happened . . . there was a break in the skies and the sun peeped through the clouds for a few hours. Mark decided to take us on a ride to Box Hill, an area set on the highest point in Surrey. He also rides his bike there, thus he wanted to show us his 'hood. It's a lovely place with some trails and a pretty lookout point. Of course, Mark forgot to tell us he wanted to walk around and failed to mention we would be doing more than standing at the scenic overlook.

Cue the mud! Ok, it was fun but all I could see was laundry piled here and there :) Did I mention Marina wore a skirt? Fashion victim at age 11.

Autumn is Bustin' Out All Over!

The thrill of finishing your first xc race!

Colorful marche stalls

The thrill of completing your first olympic triathlon!

Looking good on the course

Perigueux Marche (animals optional)

Marina's 11th Birthday

Cathedral de Perigueux

Wow, time flies when you're not a hardcore blogger! This post was originally to be titled June is Bustin' Out All Over (complete with a summary of said-month's/summer's highlights and as a shout-out to Susie), however, it was not to be. I did post a few pictures on facebook since it seems to be much easier for a lazy gal like me. I get discouraged with how long it takes to upload pictures on here. Is there an easier way? Why am I so techno challenged? This is why I should stick to my journal format. It's for the grandparents, I tell myself. Grandparents, are you out there? I have included a few photos from our quick trip to Perigueux for David Ramos' wedding (the weekend before school began).

So school is back in session and life marches on . . . we are also in the throes of autumn which means colder temperatures, wind and rain interspersed with sun. And football, volleyball, x country, music, seminary, churchy stuff, insert your own activities here, etc. Mark finished his first olympic triathlon which made us ALL very happy. He did a great job. Let's say the training alone causes one to be obsessed and stressed (which added to a crazy work schedule complicates life a bit). Now we're enjoyed watching the kids try new things and I am looking forward to attending Olivia's wedding soon in mid-October. It was strange not to "go home" to the U.S. for a few weeks this summer, and I am excited about doing some necessary and maybe not so necessary shopping. How much can I cram into two days, including the wedding and reception? Hah.