7 Dec 2016 Placa Catalunya and La Rambla

At  Placa Catalunya 

The Centre of Barcelona like in any major city is the Main Bus and Train Station. Called the Placa de Catalunya, it is somewhere at the middle of the town, and at the start of La Rambla. To the north, that portion of the city is called Eixample. To the right, Barri Gotic,to the left, El Raval and Montjuic and to the south, the Waterfront.

Where we stayed is right smack at the waterfront and our hotel has  a lovely view of the Marina and the Mediterranean Sea.

 The Waterfront view from the Hotel along Passeig de Colom

The walk along Placa de Catalunya to La Rambla is a truly unforgettable one. The street is lined with pushcarts, there are lots and lots of pickpockets (I was one of the unfortunate ones who had his phone stolen literally right under my nose !). The pushcarts or pop up stalls sell everything from hamburgers, hotdogs, Barcelona FC T shirts (fake ones) and all manner of trinkets.

We stopped and went into the Jamon Museum where we saw how the pigs are reared happily for their meat and for how long are the meat cured before they are sold in the open market. 

The highlights of this first visit must be the La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell which I will write another couple of posts on. We were getting pretty familiar with the place and I recall putting on my running shoes early one morning and running all the way along the Waterfront road Passeig  de Colom to past the World Trade Centre to some highway and return. Such was my passion those days that I brought my running shoes with me for our holidays and I tried to run everywhere we went. 

Statue of Christopher Colombus pointing to the Western shores. 

Mirador a Colom 

Christopher Columbus was in fact of Italian origin. He was commissioned by Queen Isabella to go West and discover new worlds, in the late 15th century and he is credited in 'discovering' the Americas. Actually, there were already the inhabitants in the Caribbean Islands whom he thought were Indians.

The design should be that he is pointing Westward. The travel guides like to joke that he is pointing to the Red Light District of Barcelona !!   

 

Street Artist along La Rambla 

I was setting goals since 2003 or 21 years ago. Here are 2012 goals

 

A Leather Bound Diary for a Stubborn Bricks and Mortar Man 

Good Goals - are so hard to achieve in one year 

I guess the burning question you who read my posts are these. Did I hit the goals of 2012 ? Well yes and no. I did hit hit most of those goals but nor as quickly as I wanted them (in 2012), but the key this exercise each and every year is this ; Set these goals. Set lofty goals. Keep them always in your mind.

Out of the 5 goals, so far, the Flying License and the 2 marathons per year are not fulfilled.

Am I ashamed I did not achieve them ? Well they are lofty and I am rather thick skinned. 

So only I am accountable to my lofty goals.

Set the goals, Yearly, 3 Yearly, 5 Yearly and break them down to quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily and DO THEM day in day out.

There is no other way.

Else I will have deemed myself as an abject failure with aimless motives in my life. 

5 Dec 2016 Day 2 Barcelona La Sagrada Familia

 

Picture taken from La Pedrera 

Designed and built with a team of top engineers, La Sagrada Familia is the stunning symbol of the city of Barcelona. Anthoni Gaudi was born in 1852 and studied in Barcelona's School of Architecture. His principal patron, industrialist Eusebi Guell commissioned to design the following iconic places and buildings 

a) Palau Guell

b) Parc Guell (we visited it and pix in later posts)

c) La Pedrera

d) La Sagrada Familia

In English the La Sagrada Familia is known as the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, which he embarked at the age of 31 or 1883. To date, it is still not finished, and there are vert few sharp or pointed edges of the Temple. The expected date of completion is 2026 

In 2010, the Nave was coveted and consecrated in an elaborate ceremony with Pope Benedict XVI as the chief guest. 

Inside the church you will be awestruck at the opulence and marvel at the engineering feat of creating the huge domes, which used counter weights and reinforced buttresses. A major engineering feat of the late 19th century then.

Inside the church you will see a huge statue of Jesus at the cross, and this is apparently the only one where he has his legs up and knees bent. The significance of this design is lost on me, but I recall with awe how the lowly shepherds and the poor working class in those days would take in the entire interior of the church with absolute gratitude and compliance. 

The fact that it took decades to finish and that the poor architect died a pauper's death (he was knocked down by a tram in 1926), when he was knocked down, no one knew this was THE Gaudi and he was not given any special treatment, as the story goes.  

5 Dec 2016 Day 2 Barcelona La Sagrada Familia

 

The awesome La Familia Sagrada Church 

4 Dec 2016 Day 1 Barcelona La Pedrera and Bodega la Puntal

 

La Pedrera 

The world famous La Pedrera is shown as above in a model, with all of its alien looking chimneys at the top. Originally slated as an apartment complex, it is now a mix of museum, boutique shops and some apartments and people from all nations come here to pay homage to one of the great architects of the 20th century. Mr. Antoni Gaudi.

At the street side below La Pedrera 

He was an eccentric man, from all accounts and died a rather tragic death. Apparently he was knocked down in the street (which was quite a miracle) by a street tram on the road. It was in the late 1920s then and no one recognised the Master when he was brought to the hospital.

He died of his injuries, or what we have been told by the tour guides.

He always kept a steel comb in his pocket and was prone to priming his long beard ever so often. This is another urban legend from the tour guides.

My rather tired half smile atop La Casa Mila.

Bodega la Puntal is a tapas restaurant beside the hotel. It served pretty decent tapas, and as is the custom in Barcelona and in all Spain, people of all walks of life will come and meet friends after work, have some wine, a Sangria or a Vermouth schnapps (I kind of took a liking to this drink) and a couple of small tapas snacks and chit chat about the day or week's happenings. 

The interesting thing about Spanish culture is that between 12 - 2 pm most of the boutique shops are closed, for their siesta, so if you feel the need, do make plans to eat during that period and then shop. All the places of interest, by the way are open during the daylight hours.

A famous tapas place bar none. 

To be honest, this was practically our first time trying Spanish tapas in Spain. I had only been to Spain once before in my undergraduate days, so this was quite the experience for us. The dishes were small, tasty and oily. They were  the croquetts with Jamon ham and potatoes as well as some anchovies and small other forgettable bar bites. 

                                                                          Tapas with a View 

4 Dec 2016 Barcelona Day 1 La Pedrera < Casa Mila >

                                                             La Rambla Vendor 

We arrived by Air France to the first of 3 cities of our annual holiday, Barcelona, which is in the Catalan province of Spain. Rather sleep deprived, I managed to book the hotel below for 5 nights based on a 9 rating out of a possible 10. We were not disappointed ! The hotel is along Passeig Colom or the Colom Passage. There is a rooftop bar as well as a small pool which probably can cater to plenty of parties in the summer. The hotel is also facing the waterfront and the marina, which leads to the Mediterranean Sea. What a gem of a hotel !

                                                    Dequesa de Cardona Hotel

                                                    Paseig Colom, 12 Cuitat Veila

                                                    06002 Barcelona Spain. 

In my notes, I did remind myself that there is an Aerobus which departs from the airport and the stop to exit is Placa de Catalunya. 

                                                                        La  Pedrera

First stop, La Pedrera or Casa Mila (1906-1912), designed by Antoni Gaudi no less, this magnificent building stands out because it has no sharp edges and some people describe it as a 'petrified wave'. There is a magnificent inner courtyard and you walk up the 4 flights of steps. Located in Barcelona's Eixample district, it certainly stands out from all of the other commercial buildings around it. 

Known as La Pedrera for its rough outer appearence, it is reminiscent of an open quarry, with sinuous curves and forms inspired from nature. Gaudi planned the building at the height of his career at 54, and it was his Magnus Opus apart from La Familia Sagrada. UNESCO declared the building a World Heritage in 1984 on account of its extraordinary universal value.  

Designed as an apartment complex for families, it stands out in that there are numerous wavy structures on the outside resembling a wave. There are also lots and lots of windows, so it can easily house 40 apartments.

                                                Inner Courtyard La Pedrera

The inner courtyard looks magnificent with ample lighting to give it an airy feel and you can sense the stylishness just by standing inside it. Its a must visit for any visitor to Barcelona in my opinion.

                                                    Rooftop Chimneys La Pedrera

At the rooftop, instead of the normal pathetic looking chimney funnels, you see all these alien looking structures with holes peeking out, so these are the chimneys as dreamt out by Mr. Gaudi himself.

The Rambla is a wide expansive walking street which is world famous. Be careful of pickpockets !!!! 

Gum disease - floss floss and more floss. There is hope in Dental Implants.

Yesterday I had my right molar taken out. It took the dentist a whole one hour to execute the procedure. So, at a ripe young age of 61 I have lost one of my key teeth. Painful, yes, but not overly so.

The fact of the matter is that I have been suffering from gum disease for some time. Therefore,  when the gum gets infected by years, no decades of poor dental health, the accumulation of food deposits, harden and become plaque. My poor or spotty record of visiting dentists and hoping against hope that somehow I would be able to live to a ripe old age with all my teeth intact is a pipe dream.

Many people are in that denial mode. The faster you can come and realise that regular brushing of teeth is INSUFFICIENT and that the following are necessary 

Daily

Brushing 2 times minimum

Flossing x 2 between teeth. - I use an interdental brush which looks a little like a miniature bottle brush only that it is easy to push it between the teeth. For the premolars and molars, its more difficult. 

Every 6 months

Visit my dentist

I have been recalcitrant here, so I will try not to repeat my mistake again. 

My gum disease was first detected in 2019, preCOVID and now a good 5 years later, I have lost 1 tooth to it. I am determined to keep as many of my teeth till my old age hence I will study and take all the necessary health supplements and do the necessary oral hygiene daily and 6 monthly and hope for a good outcome for the years ahead.

Growing old is inevitable, growing old with the best quality of life is totally up to you.

Set Clear Big Goals, then Break Them Down to Smaller Pieces, Move on the Smaller Pieces.

I am no great achiever of anything, but I am determined to make my mark in the Laboratory Test space for Biomedical Products manufactured in S E Asia. That is the space I have identified for my fledgling business since 2015.

QRA LAB TESTING FOR BIOMEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Hence, with that goal in mind, we set out to seek opportunities to test for major biomedical manufacturers in S.E.Asia and we identified what exactly we need insofar as test equipment was concerned. We identified that we needed to procure

a) Stability Test Chambers

b) A convenient location to house the test chambers

c) Ample electrical and cooling area for the heat to be dissipated from the Lab, either through convection cooling or through air conditioning.

Then we went on a major marketing campaign which is ongoing to secure long term testing contracts with major players - but that did not go according to plan.

The world is such that even "the best made plans of mice and men, often go awry" - Robert Burns 

We  therefore need to ADAPT to the circumstance. Meaning which major manufacturer would happily give you long term contracts even though you have a decent sized Lab set up at their doorstep.

Who indeed ?

We knocked on many many doors and sent numerous emails. The trick is adapting and looking out for opportunities, scrounging for any lead, until you hit paydirt.

That pay dirt may never come !

Persistence

Perseverance

Luck

Contacts 

Likeability

Even with a dose of all of these, you may and likely will fail.

MOST IMPORTANTLY set clear goals from Day 1, break them down to smaller bite sized pieces and get moving.

If you are a fisherman and the fish have swum to other waters and you are still in the same lake. Then what ?

a) Close shop

b) Row or Sail to where the fish are ; if only 20 % remain where you are currently what do you do ? Can you split your boat into 2 or get another boat which will add to your operating costs and even then there is no guarantee that the new lake will be as bountiful as the original one which fed you and your crew.

There are so many unknown unknowns in this business world  !.

Im still fishing , if and when I do reach the shore with either

a) empty boat 

b) a boat overflowing  with fishes. 

only I and my immediate crew will know it.

 

 

Accelerated Aging for Biomedical Devices.

 This is not a long post. Essentially, every product which values its brand name and wants the 'quality' mark associated with it should have its products aged for studies in long term performance and degradation of their flagship products.

Just like our seamen of old, seafarers who were on the decks of their ships were always aging before their time. This is because of several  environmental factors such as :

a) Sun

b) Heat

c) Humdity

d) Salt 

Similarly, the products which QRA INTERNATIONAL ages undergo similar accelerated aging tests for biomedical and medical companies internationally.

For every 10 C increase in temperature, ages the product 2 x so, by putting the products in stability chambers and ovens, we are able to ACCELERATE AGE the samples quickly, as much as 4.5 months when kept at 55 C for a product which ordinarily has a shelf life of 3 years or 36 months.

For further information, please contact 

QRA INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD.

Email : mark@qra.com.sg

Tel     : (65) 6795 1486. 

 

 

Vision and Goals - QRA INTERNATIONAL

 

QRA INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD.

21 Toh Guan Road East

#04 - 02 Toh Guan Centre

Singapore 608609 

Day 12 11th Dec 2023 Chiuggia Last Day of Trip

 

The last day of our lovely trip. We made the bus trip to Chioggia which is slightly over 1 hours bus ride from Santa Lucia station. When we arrived, we were shocked and pleasantly surprised that we were the only tourists in this picturesque town.

There being not much else to do, we went around the town looking for some decent lunch. We were not disappointed. 

Ristorante Bella Venezia

Ravagnan Roberto (Proprietor)

Calle Corona 51

30015 Chioggia

Venizia.

The food, as in many places in Venice, was unbelievably good. We had the Tortelli Rumbo which looked a lot like the stuffed dumpling in our wanton noodles. In addition, we had the seafood platter and some espresso to top of the five star food at 3 star prices.

Readers, if you do visit Venice one day, DO visit Chioggia. You will find it a mini Venice without the hustle and bustle of the tourists and souvenir shops. It is still a fishing village and its proximity to Venice makes it worthwhile for a half day jaunt to get a flavour of everyday Italian life. 

Me at the entrance stairway to the Doge's palace. 

This is the final post of our unforgettable Italian holiday. The unfortunate incident aside, I am very pleased to say that this is a truly hospitable country, even with its relatively unsafe and security issues.

The country has a long and fascinating history, with periods of wars, Roman occupation, early Christian influence and the Renaissance period to embellish its good image throughout the 2 millenia.

Thanks for the ride. Time for some new adventures in possibly East European or South American shores.  

Day 11 10th Dec 2023 2nd Last Day

Venice ; Weather : Overcast all Day  

3 days left and I am raring to go ! We had planned a trip to Chioggia today but Marco at the front desk advised against is citing unfavourable weather.

Our alternative plan then was to cover the 2 musuems as well as the St. Marco Basillica.

1. Museo de Cornee

Situated at the far end of Piazza St Marco 

2. St. Marco Basillica 

It is world famous because it houses the presumably the remains of Mark the Apostle in one of the pillars. It is a church secret as it was done so to hide it from the invading Ottoman soldiers.

We had a lovely lunch at a small cafe near the Hugo Boss and Gondola station.

In the afternoon more sightseeing and we went to the world famous Rialto Bridge across the Grand Canal, also called the Lover's Bridge. We had some wefies for rememberence and then walked to the nearby cafe for coffee and some tarts. I had a hilarious conversation with the Bangladeshi head waiter about where were 'orginally' came from. For censorship and diversity compliance reasons I will not post it here or on any social media platforms.

Finally the shot for the trip, which we will keep for our old age memories. This will be the second last post for our wonderful Italian holiday, and the very unfortunate event which occurred to me on Day 13 Dec 12th 2023 has already been posted previously. 

  We also were mesmerised (is that the correct word ?) by the sewage dump boat, which literally comes every day to take the sewage in containers from all the establishments and homes on a regular basis.

Venice, is a fully functioning city, with cinemas, post offices, supermarkets, gyms, administration offices, theaters, restaurants, museums, boutique shops and lots of other entertainment venues just like in any major city. This aspect of city maintenance and cleaning on a daily basis is often overlooked or not even given second thoughts.

Truly a city for all seasons and reasons to visit. 

Day 10 9th Dec 2023 Venice Post 4

There is reference to the city of Venice being built on an Upside Down Forest. As shown below, the millions upon millions of Oak Pylons which have been petrified over decades will lead to their solidifcation and thus is perfect to be a solid non destructible base for the city or numerous islands.

The embankment and shoreline is made from Istrian stone.  Andreas also brought us to see the leaning tower of Venice (haha) which has been supported by stone buttresses (reinforcement structures). 

 
In 2023, due to global warming and climate change, Venice is particularly affected by the ice caps melting and the rising sea levels. They have engineered a solution whereby 68 air ballasts in the 3 open waterway points will be made. 

Costing a cool EUR 60 billion, they will rise up when activated to stop the water inflow, much like our Marina Barrage, except that this 68n ballasts will be in the open sea.

It is a stark fact that Venice is indeed sinking, and there is no apparent permanent solution in sight.

Teatro la Fenice

 

Our last stop for the day is the Teatro La Fenice. It is one of the finest WOODEN theatres in Italy and has the dubious distinction of being burned down twice in the past ! Electrical malfunction was the culprit.

For dinner, we went to the fabulous "Trattoria Agli Artisti Pizzeria" which is as 

Via Calle Rimpeto la Sacretia and Calle Castanga 

We again had a magnificent meal of 

a) Bruschetta

b) Squid Ink Ravioli

c) Fried Seafood Plate.

Bruschetta

Squid Ink Ravioli 

Fried Seafood Plate 

Day 10 9th Dec 2023 Venice Post 3

 Weather : Sunny 6 - 10 C 

Taken from my diary ; Wake up with a smile on my face. After toiletries, we head up to 3rd floor for simple American breakfast, the 8.30 am slot. Meet the tea lady there and another couple who are Europeans and also on holidays.

10.30 am Walk around St Mark's Piazza and went to the Doge's Palace.We bought the St Mark's Pass which entitles the holder to the Doge's Palace and a couple of museums around the Piazza.

We enter the palace after a short wait and we are amazed at the size of the meeting hall which apparently is the largest in Europe ! 

There are numerous frescos depicting all the Saints and all the wars fought by the Venetians in the yesteryear. To say we were awed by the room is an understatement,

We crossed over the Bridge of Sighs, which meant for the prisoners, the last time they would ever cross over and never going to come back across alive, hence the name. There were the prison cells which were surprisingly brightly lit.

 
Another picture of my wife across one of the bridges and with gondolas in the background.

Lunch was a rather bleary affair, I daresay the worst of the entire trip, at a streetside pizzeria. We went to out meeting point for our walking tour. 

3pm 

We went on a fascinating walking tour led by the interesting guide Andreas. He gave a fascinating insight into how clever the early Venetians were in the past. They were active tradesmen, craftsmen, sea farers (Marco Polo was a Venetian), engineers, artists and warriors.

The paintings at the Doge Palace depict wars with the Ottomans (Turks) in the late 15th Century. Suleiman (12th century) and the Gauls (French). All these magnificent wars were carried out over the last 1000 years and the Renaissance was right smack in it too !

We walked to the Grand Canal and were taught that Venice is actually one big lagoon with 3 'islands' protecting if from the Adriatic Sea. Lido island is the largest of the 3 islands comprising Venice.

We also walked to certain precints, and saw he disused wells where the early Venetians gathered rainwater and filtered  the rainwater through sand. A brilliant engineering concept which also catered for excess water overflow. I guess there are pumps in the overflow tanks when the dry season came.

Finally, all of Venice is laid on millions upon millions of petrified oak pylons. Petrification takes place when there is no oxidation od the wood and the structure solidifies, like concrete. Brilliant engineering concept applied again !

The banks and the shores of Venice are made of Isthian Stone, whatever that is.