I haven't had time to process. I realize that even with digital technology to help speed things up, I still like the speed of film and time to process. Not having had my own space for some time now, my mind is just jumbled with external information. Maybe living quietly in the country would suit me. Just me and Meta. Though I am recognizing the desire for a partner, I am also recognizing that finding an good mate might be a life long challenge that only fate can arrange. Openness on my part is what I can control, but the rest...Meanwhile, I have started my search for alternative life plans.
For now, here is my basic itinerary from my trip to Barcelona.
Day 1: Friday, 4/12/09
Arrived early in the morning, after about 7 hours in the air from JFK.
Aerobus to the center of town at Plaça de Catalunya (approx. 30 mins)
Missing my intended stop at Plaça de la Universitat, I back tracked in the beautiful morning light towards Carrer de Muntaner and my Barcelona apartment. Instructed to walk "up" Muntaner, against traffic, I finally arrived at my destination: 93-5-3 Muntaner. And by fifth floor, I mean 7 flights up with luggage. Not fun, but the apt is very special. Like being on my own little boat with small boat-sized compartments, bathroom and bedroom. The apartment belongs to a photographer named Darius. Upon arrival, I was amused to see so many similarities in choices of books, films, ways of organizing...
Generally, I find male photographers to be organized, clean and able to plan ahead. Darius is prototypical. The only difference is there are many photos of nude women laying around the apt, while I just have the one of a young boy, casually left unframed on the shelf in the kitchen. After acquainting myself with the shower and hot water situation here, I joined the masses in siesta! Set the alarm to wake me for the Modernist Building walking tour and crashed. Cold and tired, as close to the electric heater as I could safely manage.
Missing my intended stop at Plaça de la Universitat, I back tracked in the beautiful morning light towards Carrer de Muntaner and my Barcelona apartment. Instructed to walk "up" Muntaner, against traffic, I finally arrived at my destination: 93-5-3 Muntaner. And by fifth floor, I mean 7 flights up with luggage. Not fun, but the apt is very special. Like being on my own little boat with small boat-sized compartments, bathroom and bedroom. The apartment belongs to a photographer named Darius. Upon arrival, I was amused to see so many similarities in choices of books, films, ways of organizing...
Generally, I find male photographers to be organized, clean and able to plan ahead. Darius is prototypical. The only difference is there are many photos of nude women laying around the apt, while I just have the one of a young boy, casually left unframed on the shelf in the kitchen. After acquainting myself with the shower and hot water situation here, I joined the masses in siesta! Set the alarm to wake me for the Modernist Building walking tour and crashed. Cold and tired, as close to the electric heater as I could safely manage.
I woke up a bit late and my hair was crazy. Tried to tame it and get out the door as fast as I could. Didn't have time for a leisurely stroll toward the Placa Catalunya Tourism Office, so had to hail a cab. It's always hard to know what the protocol is for hailing cabs in different cities and countries. As a New Yorker, I just raised my hand and stood by the nearest intersection. It took a few rounds of lights, but got one! 4 euros later I was back in Plaça de Catalunya looking for 17S, not knowing yet what "S" could stand for. Asked a uniformed man where the office was in my best Spanish and he pointed toward the center of the plaza and said go down the stairs in English.
Found the right desk, but no attendant. Ran outside and found the group, but the guide told me to I had to turn in my voucher first and get the program. Needless to say, they left me while I waited in line to talk to someone about the damn voucher. Pretty lame. At least I left with the pamphlet and map of the tour. Heading out, I tried to "catch up" to get something out of the 12 euros I had spent, but alas, I was meant to walk it alone. Blessings in disguise. So, after a bit of fumbling and orienting myself to the map, I wandered up Rbla. Catalunya, passing number 2 on the tour, Casas Pon i Pascual, at the corner of Pg. Gracia.
The Official Tour Book lists these sights:
1. Palau de la Musica Catalana
2. Casas Pon i Pascual; Cases Antoni Rocamora
3. Casa Pia Batillo
4. Editorial Montaner i Simon - Fundacio A. Tapies
5. Mansana de la Discordia, Casa Batllo, Casa Amatller & Casa Albert Lleo Morera
6. Casa Vidua Marfa
7. Casa Pere Milla i Camps "La Pedrera"; Casa Ramon Casas
Day 2: Saturday, 5/12/09
Jet Lag. Woke up at 4 am and planned the trip to Cadaques. Fell back asleep and woke up around 4 pm. There goes the day. Good thing I'm in Barcelona, where the night is just as important as the day!
Met Barry for a coffee. Spent a few hours catching up! Things are going well for him and he has done some really fun things since I knew him in Athens, GA.
Will post some links to some commercials he stared in. Every artist has a day job at some point in the trajectory. Looks like he has been having fun! And much more lucrative than my non-profit work and even the editing/production work. I'm considering getting into voice work...
Day 3: Sunday, 6/12/09
Katie P arrived
I began to loose track of things...
Day 4: Monday, 7/12/09
 00073 TALGO | 08.37 | 10.24 | 1 h. 47 min. |
We missed the train, but were able to catch one a bit later. In order to keep the promised pick up time with out hotel in Cadaques, we had to skip the Dali Museum and head straight from Figueres Train Station to the Bus heading for Cadaques. All worked out in the end, but we were off to a shaky start. Travel is all about being able to react quickly to unforeseen events. Part of the adventure.
BARCELONA-SANTS
Renfe Train to Figures (€18.60 round-trip
Estació de Renfe-Figueres
Autobús Figueres - Cadaqués (Sarfa Bus to Cadaqués 60 min, €4.75)
Arrive in Cadaqués
Car from Hotel waiting for us...Cadaqués to Port Lligat.
Check in to Hotel Sol Ixent, Sant Baldiri, 10, +34972251043
reserves@hotelsolixent.com
Walk to House-Museum Salvador Dali
Cala de Portlligat - 17488 Portlligat
TICKET PICK-UP
Tour Portlligat (50 mins)
Dinner at the Hotel Sol Ixent. (approx $60)
Day 5: Tuesday, 8/12/09
Woke up before dawn and walked out toward the edge of the cliff by the water to watch the sun rise.
I needed this alone time and felt grateful for being able to see a sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea.
Breakfast Buffet then Check out
Self-guided tour the natural surroundings of Cap de Creus and town of Cadaqués
Sarfa bus back to Figueres (60 min, €4.75)
Arrive in Figueres
Walk to Dali Museum
Renfe Train to Barcelona (approx 2 hours, $30 round trip)
Arrive in Barcelona
Dinner at Made in China, just across the street. Really nice spot and very good food.
Bonus: wifi (pronounced wee-fee) libre!
Bonus: wifi (pronounced wee-fee) libre!
Day 6: Wednesday, 9/12/09
Days back in Barcelona, started off slowly.
I headed out leaving Katie in the apartment.
CCCB had an amazing show of photo journalistic images.
WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2009
International professional photojournalism exhibition
WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2009
International professional photojournalism exhibition
For the fifth consecutive year, Photographic Social Vision Foundation, in collaboration with the CCCB, presents World Press Photo 09. The World Press Photo exhibition - a collection of the winning entries in the World Press Photo Competition - is internationally recognized as the most important touring exhibition of photojournalism in the world. As well as displaying the best photographs of 2008, it is also a historic document of the main news events of the year.
MACBA had a couple shows up: John Cage and other conceptual artist influenced by Modernism.
Without working cell phones, it was hard to know what to do in an event that one of us missed a meeting time, so after waiting for an hour and a half, I decided to find lunch and go ahead into MACBA, but i rushed through worried about Katie and what had happened. I walked around the Rabla Area until I found an internet computer station, where it cost me 2 Euro for and hour. Finally, was able to reach Katie through email and find out she was in the apt. Locked in...A comedy of errors. But actually she was happy to stay in and get some work done. I rushed home and we went for dinner at Los Caracoles in the old Gothic Area. After dinner, we went to Club Pippa, which is off the placa Reial. A place I had learned about through researching Barcelona prior to the trip. It was a pipe smoking club by day and an bar by night. THIS is the night I got my phone stolen! Walking after dinner from the Gothic are across to lower Raval, in search of the absinthe bar. Everything after dinner, was a bad scene.
Day 7: Thursday, 10/12/09
Exterior of the Sagrada Famila (in time for night lights)
Walked to the Gracia Area and found Cal Boter, which was recommended by McKendree.
Lovely neighborly place.
We walked back and wandered into a neighborhood pub called the Philharmonic where we met Rob, the bartender and sound technician from Glasgow Scotland.
Day 8: Friday, 11/12/09
-under construction since 1882...
a location for one of my favorite films: Antonioni's The Passenger (1975)
Back to Sagrada Familia to go inside and up the tower on the lift.
Evening Mont Juic for the Magic Fountain Show and see the Mies Van Der Rohe Pavillion.
Ai Weiei had performed an intervention in the pool, filling it with a milky substance, transforming the clear water plane to a white opaque filled object. At night, the fountain and light show reflected on the glass walls of the pavilion, making it even more magical that I could have imagined. This is the place dan told me he didn't pay to go inside because he didn't see the point, when he could just look inside the glass walls. He has no idea. After seeing it for myself, I can tell you it was more than worth the 4 Euro to enter and walk through the space and experience the space from within.
Dinner at Napolian's south of the Mont Juic area.
Day 9: Saturday. 12/12/09
Carrer Gracia in Eixample Area
Tour of a couple of Gaudi's most famous buildings:
Carrer Gracia in Eixample Area
Tour of a couple of Gaudi's most famous buildings:
El Born Area at night
Picasso Museum on Montcada to see special exhibit
English Pub called Palace
Dinner at a recommended pan Asian around the corner...
Picasso Museum on Montcada to see special exhibit
English Pub called Palace
Dinner at a recommended pan Asian around the corner...
Day 10: Sunday, 13/12/09
Chinese for lunch in the neighborhood
Barry's Party...lost then re-directed to Lebanese Dinner
Day 11: Monday, 14/12/09
Early Morning cab to the airport.
Was just the right amount of time. Worn out and missing Meta and my home...
Was just the right amount of time. Worn out and missing Meta and my home...
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