Barcelona’s Casa Batlló: Gaudí’s Glorious Ode to the Sea

December 9, 2019Spain

If Park Güell is the gingerbread fairy-tale world of Hansel and Gretel, then Casa Batlló is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. Walls and ceilings seem to swirl in their stillness; enchanted-looking doorways tease the imagination with what lies beyond; ocean-blue tiles morph from pale tones to the boldest shades as they … Read More

Beautiful Barcelona: The Land of Gaudí & A Day at Park Güell

December 3, 2019Spain

“Every building you see is the image of a man you do not see.” ~Louis H. Sullivan, Kindergarten Chats and Other Writings It’s hard to imagine a city and a man more intertwined than Barcelona and Antoni Gaudí. And it’s even more difficult to envision what Spain’s Catalonian capital would look like had this visionary … Read More

San Sebastián & Saint-Jean-de-Luz: Seaside Dreams of Summer

July 11, 2016France, Spain

San Sebastián, Spain The air was still crisp with the cool lingering temperatures of late May, but in a way it felt like summer. Our tour bus had crossed into San Sebastián, Spain, and was making its way up a winding road to Monte Igueldo, a viewing spot overlooking Concha Bay. Thick cloud cover was … Read More

Bilbao, Spain: The Glorious Guggenheim & A Surprise of a City

July 5, 2016Spain

I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautiful. We were in Bilbao to see the Guggenheim – which was as wonderful as we had imagined – but it was the rest of the city that took us by surprise: Interesting sights on both banks of the Nervión River, oh-so-walkable and simply stunning architecture. We were … Read More

When Accidents Happen: Falling Hard for Aix-en-Provence

January 25, 2016France, Spain

“I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven.” ~Deborah Kerr, An Affair to Remember  Like the character from that classic film, I wasn’t looking where I was going. I was too engrossed in the way the sun was splashing across the beautiful old limestone buildings, with their green shutters and wrought iron balconies … Read More