Sagrada Familia Light Show (Ode a la Vie)

Posted by Nora K ,
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Having seen incredible Casa Mila, Sagrada Familia was next on the sightseeing agenda. This breathtaking cathedral was Antoni Gaudi’s last project.  Gaudi died in 1926 and is buried in the crypt in the Sagrada Familia. The temple is unfinished and is a still evolving work in progress.  It is estimated that the structure will be completed around 2026, the centenary of Gaudi’s death.
Words cannot describe this incredible UNESCO World Heritage basilica.






I was fortunate enough to be in Barcelona during the annual Merce festival, which is held each year around September 24th.  As tradition dictates, a host city is asked by the city of Barcelona to participate in the festival and this year it was a Canadian city that held this honour.

 A Montreal based studio called Moment Factory was asked to produce an interactive light show depicting the creation of life on the facade of the Sagrada Familia. Was it merely by chance that I just so happened to be sporting the Canadian Olympic jean jacket (purchased at The Bay at 50% off, the day after the closing Olympic ceremonies)? I felt an immense sense of Quebecoise pride to be here in Barcelona, in a small way, representing all of Canada.

The “Montreal Signe Ode a la Vie” light show was an out of this world illumination detailing the exquisite reproduction of the Nativity of the Holy Family that was carved into the stone of the cathedral.








 

I couldn’t help but marvel at how Gaudi’s uncompleted basilica was continuously evolving and rejuvenating  and that this Spanish architect would have been as impressed and astonished at how future generations have interpreted his grand vision.

Perhaps that is why the Sagrada Familia has not yet been completed and remains a work in progress, giving current artists the gift of contributing their imaginative interpretation to Gaudi’s masterpiece. Since Gaudi’s original architectural drafts were lost in a fire, no one knows what his final vision for Sagrada Familia was supposed to be.

Wow!!!!!!!  Here’s a first!! I was so mesmerized and enthralled by the light show that it didn’t even occur to me to try and locate a shop of any kind. On the odd occasion, it is reward enough just to embrace the moment and savour the delight of experiencing a rare once in a lifetime moment.

Come discover the architecture of Barcelona with me....come travel with me.....

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A day in the life of Pink Sneakers on vacation

Posted by Nora K ,
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Reading about the life and works of Gaudi opened my eyes to the splendour of Barcelona. I now had to add sightseeing to my “to do” list, which had previously consisted of shopping, acquiring small leather goods, savouring the local cuisine and indulging in vino tinto! I vowed never again to sleep in until 11:00am and henceforth rise early with the chirping of the birds.

Luckily for me, I still had 12 more days to explore this magnificent seaside city and I vowed to set my pink sneakered feet not only in every shop but also in every tourist attraction out there. I just had to figure out on how to combine sightseeing, shopping, eating and enjoying vino tinto into a 24 hour day.

I require at least 8 hours of sleep a night in order to function as a human being and so that left me with 16 hours to play with.  Perhaps I should scrawl a prospective schedule in my brand new pink leather agenda. Purple pen in hand (see how nicely it matches), several glasses of sangria later, my new “pink sneakers on the go” timetable was complete.


5:00am – wait for the birds to chirp and get out of bed by 7:00am, at the very latest.

7:00am – make coffee (provided the coffee maker doesn’t explode) have breakfast, shower, find a chic ensemble to wear and head out by 8:00am.

8:00am – walk to the tourist destination of my choice.  I don’t take public transit or taxis when I’m on holidays and so my pink sneakers and I walk everywhere. Does majorly suck in the rain, though...

8:30 – 9:00am – arrive at the desired tourist attraction. 



9:00am to about 12:00 noon – tour, walk around the structure, sightsee, take pictures, locate the gift shop and find where the loo is.



 12:00 noon – start searching for somewhere to eat.  It has to be someplace that serves local cuisine, has ambiance, is budget friendly (10 to 15 Euros, including vino) and has outdoor seating so that I can watch the world go by.

3:00pm – Like what? 3 hours for lunch? Well, I am in Espana, where life is more slowly paced and where they enjoy something that is called a “siesta”. I’m fitting right in! Just one more glass of vino tinto, por vavor...

3:00pm or so – it’s time to head out for some serious shopping. My strategy is to look for the sale signs (las rebajas) and aim for the stores that are located off the beaten track, focusing primarily on the shops that are tucked away around the corner from the mucho expensive designer boutiques.


8:00pm - 5 hours for shopping? Like really? Well, it takes time to find that perfect handbag, so sprinting around town in pink keds requires an extra couple of hours.  One also has to factor in the waiting period for an available dressing room as well as having to navigate the long line ups at the cash register.  The wait can be especially long if there is a huge sale going on.

8:00pm to 8:30pm – My poor, exhausted pink sneakers, weighed down by numerous carrier and shopping bags, slowly march home.  The only thing that keeps them trudging along is the highly anticipated Epsom salt warm water feet soak renewal reward.


8:30pm – 9:00pm – Thank goodness I’m back in my Spanish rental apartment. Yikes!! Shopping really works up an appetite!! Gotta pour myself some vino, set the table with some olives, salmon, cheese, jamon, an assortment of tapas and just chill out and relax.

9:00pm – According to the new schedule, bedtime should be at 9:00pm but I’m nowhere near tired. I am exhilarated with the adventures of the day. I partook in a little bit of sightseeing, culture, savoured local cuisine, shopped for the current fashion trends and walked all over Barcelona! I deserve to stay up late, indulge in some vino, listen to Spanish guitar music and fawn over my new purchases.  Plus, I still have to plan tomorrow’s sightseeing adventures. ..

11:00pm – Still enjoying that vino...more please...

12:00am – Yikes!! It’s getting late. The jazz music serenading us from somewhere in our apartment complex is so mesmerising and intoxicating....

1:00am – Really should get to sleep as tomorrow is another long day of sightseeing, shopping , eating and indulging.

2:00am – 3 more hours until the birds start chirping. Well, really, maybe on vacation I can make do with 3 hours of sleep instead of my required 8 hours?  After all, I didn’t jet half-way across the world to spend my entire time sleeping. 

3:00am – It’s only 9:00pm back in my neck of the woods and I suddenly  feel the urge to use up all of the minutes on my Spanish SIM card and call all of my friends and relatives and yak.

5:00am – Really tired now.  Should get to bed and enjoy some shut-eye.

 Can’t believe that the birds are already starting to chirp!! Like, really? Don’t they ever sleep?  I guess that the saying “the early bird gets the worm” really means something or other...Yikes...it’s getting light out there...

Come enjoy planning the day’s activities with me...come travel with me...

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Discovering Casa Mila

Posted by Nora K ,
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One of the reasons that I love to travel to Barcelona is to immerse myself in the incredible art that this Spanish seaside city has to offer. The city is dominated by the incredible works of Antoni Gaudi, who was the visionary behind the creation of Casa Mila, Park Guell and the still evolving Sagrada Familia.

A girl can’t spend her entire vacation only acquiring small leather goods and indulging in sangria, so sightseeing was definitely on the agenda!

Our rental apartment was located in Gracia, about a 30 minute walk from central Plaza Catalunya. Sidewalks were littered with open-air cafes, high-end designer shops and pedestrians strolling leisurely along the tree-lined boulevards.

Casa Mila, which is also known as La Pedrera, is located on Passeig de Gracia, about a 5 minute walk from our residence. Even if you haven’t got a clue as to what or where Casa Mila is, the building is unlike one you’ve ever seen before.

Built in the early 1900’s, it is a showcase of the out of this world inventiveness of Gaudi’s modernist vision.

 

The fluid lines, the wrought iron balconies, the bizarre space-age chimneys standing guard on the rooftop were absolutely mesmerising. Momentarily forgetting the beckon call of the multi-coloured bolsos and zapatos in the shop vitrines, I stood transfixed, drinking in the essence of this riveting structure.

The only thought that crossed my mind was how can I get an apartment in this incredible building?


 
 

Paying my 16 Euros for a tour of the inside dwelling, my pink sneakered feet ascended the curvy, twisty staircase. An entire apartment had been preserved, replicating how it would have looked a hundred or so years ago. Old-fashioned would most definitely not be the adjective that first comes to mind!

 

The piece de la resistance was the jaw-dropping rooftop which was flanked by columns of chimneys that seemed to take on the appearance of futuristic medieval knights. The view of the city was spectacular and I was also able to glimpse the Sagrada Familia cathedral in the distance.



 








 Descending the stairs from the rooftop, I happen to stumble across the gift-shop. What a pleasant surprise! Not only did I get to tour a spectacular edifice, I also got to indulge in some retail therapy.

 

Exiting the building, laden with shopping bags stuffed with books on Gaudi, leather agendas, pens, pencils and souvenirs, I planned to devote the rest of the day to reading about this eccentric and brilliant architect. 

 

Come discover Gaudi with me....come travel with me....

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Shopping girl's tapas, paella and sangria adventures

Posted by Nora K ,
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Now that I've mastered the Spanish fashion lingo, thought I'd branch out and learn a little bit about Spanish food. After all, the term "shop till you drop" can really come true if you don't have any tapas or sangria to sustain you. Shopping is hard work! Not nearly as glamorous as the fashion magazines make it out to be. You have to run all over the city in your chic French pink keds, scout out the best bolso (handbags) and zapato (shoes) sales and sprint from shop to shop trying to snap up the latest bargains. Whew! I'm exhausted already! No wonder I wear les chic rose sneakers, as you certainly can't make that mad dash wearing les sexy stilettos!




 I’m absolutely famished. Carting those heavy leather good carrier bags around really works up an appetite and I need some sustenance now! Luckily for me, I'm in Barcelona, where there are fabulous dining options. Tapas, paella, tortillas, gazpacho, empanadas, tostadas, sangria and cava,  just a few of the edible offerings this spectacular city has to offer.

 
 

Taking a cue from my fashion mags, I figure that there will be pictures on the restaurant menus which will at least give me a clue as to what I will be eating. And voila....each and every tapas bar I go by has an extremely good looking fellow posted by the entrance, enticing you with a picturesque menu in hand.




I notice that the majority of the menus have something that is called "paella".

 
 

 Wow! The portions are huge! This will sustain me for at least a few more delirious shopping frenzy hours!

 

 The rice is golden saffron yellow, topped with gigantic shrimp, langoustines and mussels, just to name a few of the seafood toppings that are available. Did I read that correctly? A glass of wine is also included in the price!! Most lunch menus average anywhere from 10 to 15 Euros. This is my kind of fine dining establishment.....mouth-watering food....free vino tinto...good looking waiters....and look....I can also see the handbag shop on the other side of the street!!

 












Come enjoy paella and vino with me....come travel with me.....

 

Pink sneakers top 3 foods to have while in Spain:

 

Tapas – bite size snack size goodies, ranging from a plate of olives, jamon (ham) on bread, meat croquettes, shrimp, anchovies, the list of choices is varied and absolutely delicious.

If you can’t decide what to eat, just order a few varied tapas dishes, a glass of wine and enjoy!

 

Paella – steaming hot saffron based rice dish that is topped with fresh local seafood, vegetables or meat. One of the most popular dishes is arros negre (black rice), which combines rice, black squid, fish-stock, olive oil and an array of seafood toppings.  Paella is large enough to be enjoyed by two persons but there are individual portions that are also available.

 

Churros – deep-fried sugar-coated fritters that are dipped in warmed chocolate.

This is best for breakfast with a cafe con leche (coffee with milk), when you can walk off all of the extra calories during the remainder of the day.

 

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