Parc Guell - a second look

At the hilltop there is this tree... 

         Here are more pictures of our visit to Parc Guell. The part of the park which is free leads us up the hilltop and one gets a panoramic view of Barcelona to the south.To get there take the Metro to either Vallcacra (no disabled ramps, so its impossible for people requiring assistance) or Lesseps. Once there follow the signs which are in both Spanish and English. A funny anecdote I can relate, when we reached near the top of the hill, we saw signs directing us to either the hilltop or Parc Guell. There was a cartoon picture of the Donald Trump with the words "idioto" (idiot) below it ! His name has spread far and wide and creating all kinds of new emotions and outlooks, possibly aspirations. Love him or hate him, he is now the new POTUS (President Of The US).   

The steep road leading up to Parc Guell

      The view from the top of Parc Guell is simply stunning, the city is well laid out and you can view Mount Montjuic in the distance. To the south there is Barcelona beach and the Mediterranean sea. I would say that Barcelona is fascinating for many reasons. The famous architectural works of Gaudi and Miro, plus works from Picasso (there is the Picasso Museum) and  the fabulous tapas. (Wacth your waistlines folks ! I ran 2 times in the early morning just to burn off all the added kilo). The latin spirit and culture is very strong as reflected by their Flamenco dance as well as their football (tika tika ; Barcelona football club is amongst the world's best). 

View from the top of the hill at Parc Guell

      Spain is still recovering from the 2008 world financial crisis while there are homeless people and plenty of petty thieves, the ordinary folk still have a strong resolve to carry on with life. Catalonians are famous for their business industry mainly in F and B. The leather goods industry is still humming for Spain and some of their boutique designs have become global brands (Camper, Zara and Desigual to name a few). The typical Catalonian is very proud of his heritage, and the welcome is very hospitable. 

      Regarding the petty thefts, I was the victim of a phone pickpocket, and tourists like us stand out like beacons so visitors are well advised to a) separate their money and credit cards to several places, perhaps keeping threequarters in the hotel safe  and carry only a little and 1 card like I did  b) bring along your old phone (if it is still working). Youtube is  full of videos and stories of 25 to 30% of all tourists having their phones and wallets lifted by professional thieves. c) Wear a waist pouch and keep it hidden under your vest at all times. 

d) where possible, stay clear of Al Fresco (open air) dining where my phone was swiped from under my nose after I placed it on the table for only 2 minutes !  e) Never put your wallet at the back pocket or carry a handbag ; these are open invitations to thieves to come and take it ! f) Keep your passport, most cash and most credit cards in the hotel.  g) Always be vigilant ; if you drink, drink in moderation as they can spot a tipsy tourist a mile off and then you are targetted. The thieves work in teams of 2 to 5 so be warned. 

Washerwoman motif in Parc Guell 

     I personally saw 2 incidents where the victim was chasing after the thief, 1 pair ran right next to me just one feet away. And the next night I became the victim.  

    So, in a nutshell, Barcelona is beautiful and charming. But watch your valuables 110%.

With the new US President - welcome to the new normal

      

The  'Bubble Man' at Hotel de Ville. The 'bubble' pops in no time

        4 days ago, the 45th US President, Donald Trump was sworn in at Capitol Hill.  There have been numerous articles and posts on the disruptive President who capitalised on the US citizen's anger at the effects that globalization has on US workers and how standards of living has dropped over the last few decades for the American citizen. The so-called American dream has become a nightmare for many, and Mr. Trump has promised to "Make America Great Again MAGA"

     Such talk has alarmed the world's political leaders. References of Trump's administration to the Nazi Germany National Socialist party are uncalled for. One great switch in outlook in my humble opinion, is that the US President appears to be inward looking and talking trade protectionism whilst President Xi Jing Ping has now started championing globalization (at the Davos World Economic Forum ; tagline : to make the world a better place)  and its good effects in alleviating poverty worldwide. 

    We truly live in uncertain times. Populist Governments pursuing populist policies for short term benefits will be detrimental in the long run. I am just a small fry but the New World Order or whatever it is evolving into is not comforting to me and many hundreds of millions of people in US and all over the world.

   May 2017 be a watershed year. Sacred cows will be slaughtered, the international press may not be independent after all. 

Super Talented Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill.

What more can I write that has not been written about this young man. He is class personified. True genius. I hope he stays true to his musical gifts which he is so blessed with and continues to enthrall us mere mortals with songs such as these.

Bodega La Puntual - El Born, Barcelona

The rather unassuming entrance to Bodega la Puntual 

Carrer de Montcada 22,

08003 El Born

Barcelona

Tucked away in the El Born district lies the gem of a tapas bar and restaurant, the Bodega La  Puntual. I can wax lyrical about this all day, but the food there is simply, excellent. For the price of about EU 40 for 2 persons, you can dine very comfortably with 5 tapas and a couple of vermouths. 

We tried the following 'house specials' which were in a word fantastic. We came back for a 2nd round the following night, it was that good !. Spain is famous for its Iberico 'black pig' (they take about 2 years to rear, and then they are slaughtered and the meat is cured for up to 5 years! ) and the ham is really exceptional. Do try the following specials :

* Bellota cured ham hand cut   EU 16.70 for about a dozen slices

* Iberian cured ham croquette  EU 2.00 (for 2)

* Rice with Iberian pork

* Vermouth 

* Bodega Salad

* Coca bread with tomato 

Coca Bread with tomato and the Croquette 

Dinner is anytime from 7pm onwards although the Catalans like to dine later. I would rate this 4.5 stars out of 5 for the taste, 4 stars for the service, 4.5 stars for the ambience and overall satisfaction 4.5 stars out of 5.

Fried potatoes with spicy sauce

Will we go there if we are ever next in Barcelona, definately ! The vermouth while very dry is sweet and the Rice with Iberian Pork dish is something to remind us of home. Salt content is definately on the high side, so it is best to treat ourselves to gems like these only once every few years.  

I'm having an 80s moment

     The '80s for me was in 2 words, independence and freedom. I had turned 21 in the early '80s and while the Singapore economy was booming from the late '60s till the early '80s, I played no part in it, as I was still a 'dependent' and living off my parents' goodwill. To be honest, I lived a very fortunate life, having had additional exposure to music at a young age (I was taught the piano for 8 years), was disciplined through swimming training  at the Singapore Swimming Club (for 6 years), as well as taking part in rigorous martial arts of karate (at the Palmer Road YMCA) for at least 5 years. 

     The funny thing is that, I have revisited my 'hobbies' of my early days and now am playing tunes on my Yamaha piano, practice karate at least once a week and occasionally swim. I am grateful to my parents for imbibing in me, through these hobbies, a sense of truthfulness, perseverance, and a love for music which is another whole sphere of language - which is universal - and a never say die attitude. 

    Seize the Day.  

     

Take it to the Limit - My Favourite Eagles song ; In memory of Glenn Frey

There are times when I question my mortality and the collective conciousness which shaped my growing up years all of the people, the activities and music of the  70s and the 80s. It seems like so many of them are gone in a flash. A real wake up call to all of us Baby Boomers. Life has been good, but let us reflect and see what we have truly contributed to this world, it could be children, some good you have passed on to the next generation, some art works, music, the list goes on. I rarely remember the many good acts, small and large by people and the nasty behaviors of people stick out. My 2017 goal is to be more magnaminuous and look beyond the petty. 

Money is nothing more than a commodity for us to live and exist.   More of it may improve our happiness and the lack of it will surely impinge on our so called 'quality of life'. Stop and look around you. 

Are you alive ? 

Barcelona La Pedrera

The magnificent La Perdrera at Placa Catalunya 

The La Perdrera is the centerpiece architectural work from Antoni Gaudi at the turn of the 20th century. He was a brilliant architect who eschewed (see I learned how to use this word !) the clean lines of the minimalists such as Frank Lloyd Wright and many others and worked his brilliance by fusing nature and the wavy lines all in one building. Built at the turn of the 20th century, La Perdrera was supposed to house one family, that of his benefactor, but in the end, because of cost overruns, it housed several families.

The inner courtyard of the building which let in natural lighting

     The layout of La Pedrera is that of a building complex and every corner does not end in an apex. So, it is rectangular but not rectangular owing to the wavy curves with no start and end. On top of that he infused alot of plants and plant like sculptures together into the building facade to create some kind of cave outlook. I cannot adequately describe it owing to my architectural illiteracy but the end result is something out of this world from the outside yet homey on the inside.

    Capped at the rooftop are these foreign looking structures from Star Wars (I am sure George Lucas took inspiration from this to form his storm trooper helmets !) but are no more than the traditional chimney with an out of space chimney top !  Inside the building there are rooms fitted out in the 19th and turn of the century 20th century furniture, cups, saucers, pictures, place mats giving the person a walk-through time machine. 

   There is a museum showing Gaudi's works and life as well as his influences and end days. He was an eccentric man who died while attempting to cross a busy street. He was hit by a passing tram and was brought to the local hospital where he stayed for 3 days in the poorest ward because nobody recognised this great architect from the ordinary peasant farmer. He was recognised by Barcelona mayor who immediately transferred him to the best ward and best doctors but it was too late. He died soon after, and the whole city, and Spain mourned for the great man who was just left to die on the street and he did not complain or protest for his mistreatment. What a tragic irony

   My rather stoned looking face after almost 14 hours of flight and our first day in Barcelona

   The rooftop of the building (at the 6th storey) housed these strange Star Wars looking chimneys which are one of Gaudi's signature pieces of work. Again, he eschewed the straight lines of the typical chimney and created these fluid rather alien looking chimneys.The building has many curves and there is never a straight line where one can take any reference from. The view from here to the Sagrada Familia is also one of the main talking points for all tourists.

    I will show more in the next posts.