Barcelona

So we took off for a few days, taking advantage of EasyJet's easy web booking system and inexpensive flights, from Basel - within 2 hours we were in the beautiful, laid back, elegant, artistic, musical, tasty, well-dressed city of Barcelona. Because of our Servas contacts we stayed in the home of a woman about Evi's age who teaches French to adults, sponsored by the government.

Barcelona is a walking city, and even though it was "winter" there (about 5-10 degrees C), streets were packed - especially around dinner time, about midnight, when night life begins. The city is full of beauty: cozy, warm cafes and not too expensive restaurants, interesting street layouts (which evolved naturally over the centuries), museums, concerts, Christmas shopping, and of course rambling on La Rambla.

But to me the highlight of the city is the amazing architecture of Antoni Gaudi, who since the late 1800's has had a hand in designing and constructing private residences, apartment buildings, public offices, and churches, all over the city. His architecture is so natural, so whimsical, so mathematical, so colorful, even humorous, that it's impossible not to fall in love with his creations. Most significant to me was the Sagrada Familia Temple, the world's only Gothic Cathedral still under construction (since 1883, with about 20 years to go). Of the cities I could live in, Barcelona is one of them.

This weekend Melanie is flying in from London, and Gadiel will be spending his last week before returning to the arduous rigours of the last two semesters of college. We will go skiing next week in Leysin, our old stomping grounds (where we lived for 4 years in the 70's). And tonight it's snowing, so watch out!

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