our last few days in Barcelona were rather busy and packed and now that we are in Lyon, i am unable to access the internet on my computer and am having to use our friends...so, since i cannot post any photos, i will have to write. and i am using a french keyboard, so if you see some bizarre typos, you can blame the keyboard. :)
we made it to Gaudi's La Pedrera, a beautiful building that reminded me of desert dunes, esp up at the rooftop, surrounded by the heads of medieval knights. we took the train south to Sitges where the beaches are supposed to be calm and less crowded than in Barcelona. the girls loved playing on the beach, but they complained alot about all the walking they had to do in the city. i did my best to find them some treats to help with the walking. we loved stopping for churros and hot chocolate. the hot chocolates are super thick and oh so delicious!!! i could have churros and hot chocolate for the rest of my life. :)
when i was reading up on Gaudi before we got to Barcelona, i remember reading that Gaudi believed Barcelona to be the best place for art because of the light. he believed that the sunlight in Barcelona was unlike anywhere else. it made me curious to see for myself. the light was indeed beautiful. the sun shone everyday and set really late at night. and perhaps the sun did make all the colours more vibrant. i don't know, but i do feel inspired to return home and paint.
will give an update on Lyon later...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Day with Gaudi
we started the day by going to Parc Guell. my poor girls. actually, my poor arms. i pushed Claire uphill all the way up to the park in 90 degree heat. but it was all worth it. it was worth it to buy the girls popsicles just so they'd be distracted from the heat. it was worth the endless, are we there yet?? i'd seen pictures of Parc Guell, but they couldn't quite convey the magical quality of the place. if you took away the heat and all the tourists (us included) :) Parc Guell seemed like a place for fairies and nymphs. how did Gaudi do it?
when i explained to Skye how Gaudi used broken tiles to create his mosaics, she felt quite inspired. i told her she could do the same thing, just substitute tiles for paper. i think we have an art project to do when we get back home!
while i was busy admiring Gaudi's work and taking pictures of the beauty around us, others were busy taking pictures of Claire. yes, she upstaged Gaudi! a mother with 3 teenage daughters thought she was the cutest thing and asked me permission to take pictures of Claire as she was pushing her stroller with her bear strapped in.
Gaudi's pink house in the background
in the afternoon, Phil and i went to the Sagrada Familia. i was truly impressed by some of the unexpected ways Gaudi chose to portray some of the very familiar and traditional aspects of cathedrals. first, as we entered through the Passion facade, i was struck by the cross of Christ sticking out horizontally from the facade, instead of hanging vertically. and then inside, the numbers of columns were dazzling, despite the ongoing construction. a placard explained that Gaudi was inspired by trees when he conceived of the design for the columns. he wanted people to feel like they were sitting in a forest. i couldn't imagine a better setting than sitting under trees for worship.
the cross of Christ hangs out horizontally
columns inspired by trees
while at Sagrada Familia, i was glad we didn't have our kids with us. there were several families there and all the kids were whining and complaining about the heat. i couldn't blame them. of what interest is Gaudi to them? :) my kids were with our sitter again. the other day, we went out in search of a playground for Skye and Claire and instead discovered something we have been calling "the water park." it is where the locals with kids hang out. we almost missed it - the entrance is a dark corridor in the middle of a block that opens up onto a courtyard surrounded by tall apartment buildings. this courtyard has a wading pool surrounded by sand. the girls had a great time jumping into the water and playing with the sand. Claire was so upset when we had to leave. i had to remind her she would return with our sitter. so that was where they were while Phil and i took off to catch some sights. :)
after Sagrada Familia, we headed over to Barrio Gotic. we saw sections of the old Roman wall. i was also hoping to wander around, looking for the bookstore from Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books, but unfortunately, we haven't discovered it yet. we found Carrer de Santa Ana which could be the Calle de Santa Ana from "The Shadow of the Wind", but alas, no bookstore.
when i explained to Skye how Gaudi used broken tiles to create his mosaics, she felt quite inspired. i told her she could do the same thing, just substitute tiles for paper. i think we have an art project to do when we get back home!
while i was busy admiring Gaudi's work and taking pictures of the beauty around us, others were busy taking pictures of Claire. yes, she upstaged Gaudi! a mother with 3 teenage daughters thought she was the cutest thing and asked me permission to take pictures of Claire as she was pushing her stroller with her bear strapped in.
Gaudi's pink house in the background
in the afternoon, Phil and i went to the Sagrada Familia. i was truly impressed by some of the unexpected ways Gaudi chose to portray some of the very familiar and traditional aspects of cathedrals. first, as we entered through the Passion facade, i was struck by the cross of Christ sticking out horizontally from the facade, instead of hanging vertically. and then inside, the numbers of columns were dazzling, despite the ongoing construction. a placard explained that Gaudi was inspired by trees when he conceived of the design for the columns. he wanted people to feel like they were sitting in a forest. i couldn't imagine a better setting than sitting under trees for worship.
the cross of Christ hangs out horizontally
columns inspired by trees
while at Sagrada Familia, i was glad we didn't have our kids with us. there were several families there and all the kids were whining and complaining about the heat. i couldn't blame them. of what interest is Gaudi to them? :) my kids were with our sitter again. the other day, we went out in search of a playground for Skye and Claire and instead discovered something we have been calling "the water park." it is where the locals with kids hang out. we almost missed it - the entrance is a dark corridor in the middle of a block that opens up onto a courtyard surrounded by tall apartment buildings. this courtyard has a wading pool surrounded by sand. the girls had a great time jumping into the water and playing with the sand. Claire was so upset when we had to leave. i had to remind her she would return with our sitter. so that was where they were while Phil and i took off to catch some sights. :)
after Sagrada Familia, we headed over to Barrio Gotic. we saw sections of the old Roman wall. i was also hoping to wander around, looking for the bookstore from Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books, but unfortunately, we haven't discovered it yet. we found Carrer de Santa Ana which could be the Calle de Santa Ana from "The Shadow of the Wind", but alas, no bookstore.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
First days in Barcelona
all in all, the flight here wasn't as bad as it could have been. we had to make 2 connections, something i as a former flight attendant shudder at - more connections means more opportunities for things to go wrong. we connected in Detroit and JFK and of course JFK is the important connection where things could go wrong. when we landed in JFK, we sat on the runway for over an hour before they finally pulled up some stairs and bused us to a satellite terminal. we made it to our flight to Barcelona just in time.
when we landed in Barcelona, we were all groggy from lack of sleep, but happy to feel the warm air outside. the apartment is in a central part of town called Eixample, just a block or two away from Gaudi's La Pedrera. can't really complain about the location or the apartment. with kids, it's been wonderful to have a kitchen and to be close to stores and the Metro line. we haven't made it in to La Pedrera yet, but Skye and i admire it every time we walk by. we hope to stop in soon.
so far, we've been trying to adjust to the time change. initially, we thought we should stay on US time since the Spanish eat really late and none of the restaurants open for dinner before 9 in the evening, but that got to be really exhausting. things do open up much later here. we went to the aquarium this morning - it was around 11 in the morning, but things were still opening up.
yesterday, Skye and Claire went to the zoo with Samantha, our babysitter from Madison. can you believe it? i couldn't believe it when Samantha told me back in May that she would be in Barcelona when we would visit! she is here taking some Spanish courses. Samantha watched the girls while Phil and i snuck off to the Fundacio Joan Miro. it was inspiring to see so many of Miro's works.
we have wandered down Las Ramblas, bought groceries at Mercat de la Boqueria, sat by the fountains of Placa de Catalunya, and gone up the funicular to Tibidabo, an amusement park on top of the hills looking down on Barcelona.
i have discovered that Barcelona is more like LA than NYC. in some ways, i had expected Barcelona to be convenient to navigate because it has a very good public transportation, but the city is sprawling. it takes quite a hike to get from one end to the other. but overall, the girls are handling all the walking quite well. we brought Skye's foot scooter with us and that has been helpful when we have to walk long distances.
oh, and i have had my shopping fix at Mango whose face is Penelope Cruz. :)
i'll post some more photos as i have time to upload, but here are a few.
aerial view of Barcelona as we flew in
church at the top of Tibidabo
when we landed in Barcelona, we were all groggy from lack of sleep, but happy to feel the warm air outside. the apartment is in a central part of town called Eixample, just a block or two away from Gaudi's La Pedrera. can't really complain about the location or the apartment. with kids, it's been wonderful to have a kitchen and to be close to stores and the Metro line. we haven't made it in to La Pedrera yet, but Skye and i admire it every time we walk by. we hope to stop in soon.
so far, we've been trying to adjust to the time change. initially, we thought we should stay on US time since the Spanish eat really late and none of the restaurants open for dinner before 9 in the evening, but that got to be really exhausting. things do open up much later here. we went to the aquarium this morning - it was around 11 in the morning, but things were still opening up.
yesterday, Skye and Claire went to the zoo with Samantha, our babysitter from Madison. can you believe it? i couldn't believe it when Samantha told me back in May that she would be in Barcelona when we would visit! she is here taking some Spanish courses. Samantha watched the girls while Phil and i snuck off to the Fundacio Joan Miro. it was inspiring to see so many of Miro's works.
we have wandered down Las Ramblas, bought groceries at Mercat de la Boqueria, sat by the fountains of Placa de Catalunya, and gone up the funicular to Tibidabo, an amusement park on top of the hills looking down on Barcelona.
i have discovered that Barcelona is more like LA than NYC. in some ways, i had expected Barcelona to be convenient to navigate because it has a very good public transportation, but the city is sprawling. it takes quite a hike to get from one end to the other. but overall, the girls are handling all the walking quite well. we brought Skye's foot scooter with us and that has been helpful when we have to walk long distances.
oh, and i have had my shopping fix at Mango whose face is Penelope Cruz. :)
i'll post some more photos as i have time to upload, but here are a few.
aerial view of Barcelona as we flew in
church at the top of Tibidabo
Saturday, June 20, 2009
My Neighbour Totoro
so i finally went ahead and bought the DVD of My Neighbour Totoro and my kids love it!! my girls rarely watch TV or movies because Skye gets terrified of things i wouldn't think scary. usually, if there's too much excitement or too much anticipation, she gets really worked up and can't watch. so, my kids hardly ever watch movies. but, i love My Neighbour Totoro and i took the risk of showing it to them. they ADORE it!! even Claire loves it. i think they immediately identified with the sisters, Satsuki and Mei (in fact, Claire reminds me alot of Mei) and they understood the humour.
so, as i get ready for our trip to Europe next week, i'm definitely packing My Neighbour Totoro! :)
so, as i get ready for our trip to Europe next week, i'm definitely packing My Neighbour Totoro! :)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Phil's birthday
here is Phil on his birthday with his girls, wearing the special party hat Skye made for him. :)
Phil's birthday was also Skye's last day of kindergarten. what a difference from her first day of kindergarten, when we were all emotional about the big step she was taking!
and Claire has learned to ride the tricycle all by herself! i think i showed her how to peddle once or twice, but the other day, all of a sudden, i noticed she was riding without any help!!
Happy Birthday, Phil! from slkim on Vimeo.
Phil's birthday was also Skye's last day of kindergarten. what a difference from her first day of kindergarten, when we were all emotional about the big step she was taking!
Skye's last day of kindergarten from slkim on Vimeo.
and Claire has learned to ride the tricycle all by herself! i think i showed her how to peddle once or twice, but the other day, all of a sudden, i noticed she was riding without any help!!
Claire learns to ride a tricycle! from slkim on Vimeo.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day weekend
this weekend officially marks the beginning of summer for us. the pool opens, the weather is (hopefully) warm, and...Brat Fest!! it was a busy weekend for us. as soon as the sun came out, we dashed off to the pool and the girls swam even though the water was ice cold. i refused to go in - just my toes felt the water. no matter how much i love my girls, i refuse to turn into an icicle.
warmer weather means friends outside, so my girls are forever asking, who's that? whenever they hear someone outside. then they rush to the window to see if one of their friends are out playing. it is almost impossible to bring them back into the house, but i suppose this is what summers are for.
every year, i forget about Brat Fest. and then it is upon us and we as a family collectively agree to go without thinking. in fact, i look forward to it. and then when we get there, i wonder what on earth i was thinking. the crowd is unbelievable. they charge so much money for the little rides for the kids. the brats themselves don't cost much, but everything else that comes with it does. Claire wanted the carousel ride. Skye wanted the gravity storm ride (please see the movie of her on the bungee cords). ice cream. etc, etc. BUT the girls love it for some reason and we go back every year. without fail.
warmer weather means friends outside, so my girls are forever asking, who's that? whenever they hear someone outside. then they rush to the window to see if one of their friends are out playing. it is almost impossible to bring them back into the house, but i suppose this is what summers are for.
every year, i forget about Brat Fest. and then it is upon us and we as a family collectively agree to go without thinking. in fact, i look forward to it. and then when we get there, i wonder what on earth i was thinking. the crowd is unbelievable. they charge so much money for the little rides for the kids. the brats themselves don't cost much, but everything else that comes with it does. Claire wanted the carousel ride. Skye wanted the gravity storm ride (please see the movie of her on the bungee cords). ice cream. etc, etc. BUT the girls love it for some reason and we go back every year. without fail.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Skye's Golden Birthday
it's hard to believe that my little girl is getting so big. i know people say this all the time about parenthood, that the first years fly by, but i can't help marvelling about it just the same. i guess because i'm not growing or changing at the rate my children are. i'm sort of walking along at a tortoise pace while they are hopping ahead like little bunnies.
while Skye's official party isn't until this saturday, we did manage to squeeze in some celebrating last wednesday. it ended up being a FULL day. Skye was the "Fantabulous Friend" at school last week and her teacher asked her to bring in her violin to play for the class. i was supposed to do that on tuesday but was sick as a dog, so i went in on wednesday. Skye was so proud of herself, to get up in front of her friends and play her many variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. then, after school, she had her ballet recital. they did the "Firebird" this time. i'll post some movies of their dance. it was lots of fun to watch.
personally for me, i had another celebration going on inside. i'd started my novel shortly after Skye was born. now, near her 6th birthday, i'm close to being finished with it. i have a final meeting with an editor and then i'll be sending it out to an agent. i feel really mixed up inside, sort of like seeing the children growing up. i'm happy that they are growing up so well and growing more and more independent, yet with each year, i'm letting them go more and more. and while i'm happy the novel is coming to an end, there's a sadness there too.
this saturday, we celebrate Skye's birthday at her ballet school with 10 of her friends. all the girls will dress up, dance and eat cupcakes. i did try my best to convince Skye to have a party at home, but she was quite firm about having her party outside this year. she wanted a fairy party, just the kind they have at her ballet school. :)
while Skye's official party isn't until this saturday, we did manage to squeeze in some celebrating last wednesday. it ended up being a FULL day. Skye was the "Fantabulous Friend" at school last week and her teacher asked her to bring in her violin to play for the class. i was supposed to do that on tuesday but was sick as a dog, so i went in on wednesday. Skye was so proud of herself, to get up in front of her friends and play her many variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. then, after school, she had her ballet recital. they did the "Firebird" this time. i'll post some movies of their dance. it was lots of fun to watch.
personally for me, i had another celebration going on inside. i'd started my novel shortly after Skye was born. now, near her 6th birthday, i'm close to being finished with it. i have a final meeting with an editor and then i'll be sending it out to an agent. i feel really mixed up inside, sort of like seeing the children growing up. i'm happy that they are growing up so well and growing more and more independent, yet with each year, i'm letting them go more and more. and while i'm happy the novel is coming to an end, there's a sadness there too.
this saturday, we celebrate Skye's birthday at her ballet school with 10 of her friends. all the girls will dress up, dance and eat cupcakes. i did try my best to convince Skye to have a party at home, but she was quite firm about having her party outside this year. she wanted a fairy party, just the kind they have at her ballet school. :)
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