Monday 5th May 2008 Barcelona, Our Last Day. Casa Batllo, and La Pedrera, the architect being, Antoni Gaudi

Yes I know this has been a long time coming to finally post the last day of our vacation in Europe. We had breakfast in the little tiled dining room, which had a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, which somehow we omitted taking photos of.

We asked how to get to Casa Batllo, the architect being Antoni Gaudi, we were delighted to find that it was just around the corner. This is it.

Don't the mullions of this window remind you of leg bones?

I love this mushroom fireplace.

We all had our own audio to listen to as we walked around. Here is Rob.

The tile work on this central atrium, starts with a darker blue tile and gradually gets lighter as it gets to the glass top.

This is the roof that looks like a dragons tail.

This is the second Antoni Gaudi building we visited a complex of apartments he designed called La Pedrera.

Robert thought these chimneys looked like Star Wars, Storm Troopers.

One of the apartments has been staged as it would have looked when the apartments were first built and lived in.

This is the seamstresses room, for sewing and ironing. What do you think of the tiny stove to heat the irons on?

Children's clothes hanging in their bedroom.

We walked down to the Barri Gothic area. Quite near to the Barcelona Cathedral is this fascinating little pond with geese and turtles, so unexpected.

At the end of the day we had to find this coffee shop. Rob wanted a final coffee here. We had been here the previous evening and Rob fell in love with it and just wanted to come back. It had a very narrow front that opened on to the Ramblas, so it took us a while to find it, as we walked right by it and had to come back. What one does for one's child to conclude their trip memorably. We all enjoyed the ambiance.

This is a market that is off the Ramblas we totally missed it on Sunday, and just caught it on Monday as they were closing up.

Isn't the colour stunning the fruit and veg and then all those sweets.

A Pennsylvania Summer Picnic

A perfect summer day picnic. Isn't that what you long to have in the summer time. Just to relax take the time to enjoy friends and children. Well that's what Zi and I had on Tuesday. We drove to the park which is about five minutes from my house.

It was cool and peaceful down by the brook. Dragonflies darting around and birds bathing themselves, and just the hum of summer in Pennsylvania, which can be quite loud, with all the insects. A different sound to summer in England.


My friend Zi, we're enjoying the shade, coolness and earthy smell by the brook bank.

The boys are doing what boys love to do, which is anything to do with water.

Our picnic area. I don't know about you, but when I go out for a picnic, I'm always trying to find the perfect place to set up for the picnic. Since this park is so close to us, I know most areas, although it is quite large. So when we stumbled on this area by chance, after walking to a group of trees and then seeing this little picnic area, not clearly visible, we were delighted. What do you think?

Zi bought me my picnic basket which I love. We had very typical cucumber sandwiches, also turkey sandwiches with lettuce and avocado, so good. Followed by zucchini bread, made from zucchinis I grew in my garden, along with plum jam made by my friend Ali, harvested from her plum tree and to end jasmine rice pudding with mango puree and mangoes. I'll give you that recipe which I love. Along with this the usual cold drinks, water, iced tea and of course hot tea. Blackberry Summer with our meal and to finish when we were sitting in our chairs and chatting, a desert tea, Chocolate Strawberry.

Just must mention my camping stove. I first saw one of these in England, my sister had one when we went camping to Yorkshire, and I thought these are such great little stoves, but I had never seen them in the States. Then one day I'm at a Korean store Assi, and there they were, so I bought one. They use a gas container about the size of a hairspray bottle, and it has it's own self contained ignition. Packs away in it's own little plastic box. I love it.

Hope you are having a lovely summer.

Christy

A Thank You Note to Fieldy

Dear Fiedly,

I just received the Peg Bag in the Post/Mail today. I am thrilled with it. The colours in the Harris Tweed are lovely, and I will treasure it.

I said to my husband that I had won a Peg Bag and he said what's that? In the States they call them Clothes Pins.

It's so lovely I'm not sure if I'll use it for that or something else.

Thank you again for your generosity.

Christy.