Barcelona pics

I feel that the monument photos don't really do justice to the experience. We actually didn't take any pictures of the "ordinary" beautiful architecture -- and the Gaudí buildings, you can probably get better pics of online than any we took. So here are a few family shots. The last three are of a sculpture near the railway station that had two enormous slides as part of it. What fun!

Illumination

After twenty some years of reading about the Cathars and the occult mysteries surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau and the Jesus conspiracies, I finally got to go to the heart of it all; The Occitane. We went to the small town of Esperaza in the Aude valley. From our B and B we could see Rennes-le-Chateau on a not too distant peak. All around were castle ruin after castle ruin that almost a thousand years ago were the strongholds of the Cathars. Although most sites were either closed for the season or due to inclement weather I was still able to go on several hikes.

The land is rugged and beautiful and I understand why any group of people might pick this place to set themselves apart both geographically and spiritually. The mysteries of the area go back a lot further than the middle ages. It was at one time a tropical sea and is a treasure trove of dinosaur bones and prehistoric shark teeth.

On my first hike, to Rennes-le-Chateau, I flushed a wild boar from the bush and down my trail. Foothills give way to snowcapped mountains and fish filled streams run through the valleys. From different angles of the same vantage points, several ruins can be seen.

In the end I saw much less of what I had planned and seem to have walked away with much more.

Barcelona

Barcelona is absolutely stunning. I do not have enough adjectives to describe how delighted I was. I walked around for four days with my eyes looking up and my jaw on the ground. Yes, the Gaudi buildings are spectacular. But so are so many others.

One of my favourite family moments was at the Miro Foundation. I confess, Miro doesn't do much for me. I appreciate the colour, the lines, the playfulness, but I don't feel that I connect. But watching my four-year-old in the museum brought it to life completely. While I looked at a painting thinking "what's that?", he went up and said "Regarde maman, c'est un ecureuil." And of the three enormous nearly blank canvases that each had only a straying black line on then, he said, "Mais non. Il y a rien la. On peut les toucher, parce qu'il n'y a rien dessus."

The glorious weather certainly contributed also. Yes, we've been sitting outside for coffee in Collioure. But in Barcelona, we sat out for long lunches and were actually warm!

I have fallen in love and told Jeff that if he comes home and doesn't see me, to check the trains to Barcelona.

Cute kid words

Dad: "Behave"
Declan: "I AM being hayve!"

Yes, I will put up more pictures of Carnaval.

But we've left Collioure for a few days and are in the land of the Cathar castles, south of Carcassonne. Yesterday, Jeff hiked to Rennes-le-Château. It was a bit far for Declan, so I stayed with the boys and went to the wonderful dinosaur museum!

In the afternoon, we went on a hike in the mountains. Declan is proving to be a great walker. He sometimes gets bored, but if you can give him a task, he quickly forgets the boredom. Sometimes he finds his own tasks: on yesterday's hike, post dinosaur-museum, he had a stick and stopped every few metres to start digging a hole (excavating). It was slow, but he didn't complain — a trade-off I can live with.

The castles are mostly closed in this season, so we're taking in the scenery more than anything. And it's beautiful. Although much is cultivated, there aren't many buildings, so it feels very wild. Also, no tourists in February. And although the castles aren't really visitable, they are certainly visible and you can turn a corner on a hiking trail and see a tower atop a crest in the distance. It's quite spectacular!

I will post pics on our return to Collioure.

Carnaval

samples

Sometimes, when I go to the pharmacy here, they give me a tiny tube of a sample product. To date, I have been given the following:
• Crème maman bébé visage et corps
• Pulpe vitaminée émulsion énergisante
• Crème anti-rides ultra-nourrissante
• Emulsion moussante au camélia extra hydration qui «nettoie en douceur et respecte la fragilité de la zone intime»

seriously

on the other hand

there were some spectacular waves today

Happy Birthday to Me

When Jeff and I first met, the story goes, I told him that I did not need a lot of gifts on my birthday, but that dinner out was pretty much a requirement. Then I added "in the Caribbean." Well, Collioure is not the Caribbean, but I decided it would do... not as warm, but gastronomically a tad superior.

Hier, on a fêté mon anniversaire en famille, chez ma sœur, qui demeure à Banyuls-sur-Mer pendant six mois (9 minutes en train). On était 7 adultes et 6 enfants et on a passé une journée magnifique. Il pleuvait, donc on était plus ou moins obligés de rester à l'intérieur toute la journée. Et on a réussi à n'avoir ni crise, ni accident, ni malentendus... Elles nous ont servi des huitres, suivi d'un plat de sanglier dans une sauce aux champignons et aux olives, une salade verte, un plateau de fromages et une charlotte aux framboises pour terminer. On a passé trois heures à table -- avec bien sûr des parents qui se levaient pour s'occuper d'enfants, mais moi j'ai choisi une place d'où il m'était très difficile de me lever... et j'ai laissé à Jeff la charge des enfants. (En plus, j'ai reçu de très beaux cadeaux.)

Aujourd'hui, le jour même de mon anniversaire, on fêtait ça plus intimement. Declan mangeait pour la première fois à la cantine et on avait donc toute la journée. La sortie au restaurant était prévue pour le repas de midi. Une fois Declan à l'école on a traîné un peu, puis on est parti prendre un petit café au bord de l'eau. À peine l'avait on commandé que le téléphone sonne. «Allô?» «Allô, c'est N.... D..., la maitresse de Declan.» Oh, non, pas maintenant! Je ne savais pas s'il s'agissait d'un accident, ou qu'il faisait une crise parce qu'il ne voulait pas aller à la cantine... «Oui, je regardais Declan pendant la récréation et j'ai vu qu'il se grattait la tête...»

Alors la journée de repas tranquille suivi d'une promenade le long de la côte s'est transformé en visite à la pharmacie pour un traitement contre les poux, et une journée entière de lessive pour être bien sûr que tout y passait -- les draps, les taies d'oreiller, les bonnets, les couvertures, les manteaux avec des capuches. Bref, 9h du soir et les enfants étaient enfin couchés dans des lits propres et avec (on l'espère) la tête propre.

For those who don't read French at all, I will just say that my birthday day was hijacked by a pack of head lice residing on Declan's head. (This was to be his first day staying for lunch and thereby giving us a whole day with just a very portable baby.) Well, his first day of school, a few weeks ago, was hijacked by a stomach flu bug so we're getting used to it.