Its better in barcelona..

Park Guell and Gaudi...lots and lots of Gaudi



Sagrada Familia in the distance


I know I am not suppose to choose favorites, but I can't help myself on this one.
I am in awe of all this city has to offer. Every corner offers some sort of eye candy. The contrast of old and new - the mixture of the young and the old - the energy here is vibrant and never sleeps.I feel like I have been welcomed by the city with open arms. The Spaniards are friendly, social people.. And their soccer team ain't' bad (looking!) to boot...



One of the many beach side gyms



Beach side gym with spectator seats. (We snuck back at night and worked on our pull ups)



We are staying in the Villa Olimpica area of Barcelona for our fifth and final home exchange. We are just up from the beach and the never ending boardwalk that connects all of Barcelona's waterfront. They have done a magnificent job here developing the waterfront, all thanks to the '92 Olympics. Lots of parkland,dedicated cycling/rollerbalde lanes, outdoor gyms, children's playgrounds,beach side bars and cafes... We were not expecting this to be a beach trip, but it is hard not to spend at least a couple of hours a day swimming and suntanning.Cruising the boardwalk is pure entertainment in itself. Five euro massages are also a very good thing..

I think we are most impressed with just how big this city is and the ease at which one can travel through it. 147 Km of biking trails throughout the city! Super wide,tree-lined pedestrian walkways course up the center of most streets and are full of people walking and riding. Every few feet there is some sort of bench or chair - 34,446 of them to be exact. All just waiting for someone to stroll by to stop and chat with a neighbor or watch the world go by.



Shopped out..

We are putting in 8-10 hour days wandering. I figure its good ironman training for Mike. If he can survive a day sightseeing, shopping and suntanning in 30 degree heat ..with kids in tow..-he can do anything. I am amazed that my children can go without food, water and bathroom breaks for hours at a time while shopping.Their shopping stamina is awe inspiring.. A "promised' trip to H& M or Zara gets unbelievable mileage out of them. A "promised"Gelato only gets me about 45min...it use to get me about 1:30hr . They are catching on..as the trip progresses the stakes get higher.Today I traded a new pair of skate shoes for a trip to the amusement park. I just couldn't deal with the crowds, the heat and cotton candy...


The kids trying to convince Mike to buy them a hamster on Las Ramblas



The beach culture is alive and naked here. Oh, to be in your twenties traveling....

Unfortunately we have also had our first encounter with crowds. We have heard just how crazy Europe becomes in the summer. It is not a lie.It is busy and it is hot! I consider us very lucky to have haphazardly chosen the spring for our travels. We were often by our lonesome in many touristy spots...made for perfect photo ops, but poor people watching.



Museu d'Art de Catalunya




The Majic Fountain by Buigas



We have had a blast here watching world cup soccer on the beach.Max is probably their most avid fan fully decked out in soccer attire most days (another bribe...). It will be interesting to see where our loyalties lie on Saturday...




Loving Barcelona!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Au Revoir

Endless country roads flanked by Plane trees - to keep the marching soldiers cool.

On our way to Spain!

This portion of the trip comes at a very good time. The end of our travels is in sight. I know Olivia has a countdown going on facebook. I do not need to count the days..I can recognize the changes in us. Mike has started to communicate more with work. Olivia is planning her social summer time activities. I am starting to organize/toss all that we have accumulated over the past months. Max continues as is...it is getting hard to keep up with his endless enthusiam.

Barcelona will provide us with a bit of culture shock. A bit of city to liven things up a bit. We have been in the country far too long! It will give us a chance to regroup as a family after a month of visitors and lots of social time.



We will miss the crooked, colorfulness of the Provençal way of life. Scented lavender,ancient plane trees, bluebird days,the drone of bees and crickets, daily markets and lots of rosé..

Au revoir xo

Images from our final days in France..





L'isle-sur-la- Sorgue - picturesque waterwheels, antique shops,ridiculously charming...



Another visit from our good friends Kelly, Darcy, Emilia and Anderson




Les Baux de Provence and the Château Des Baux
A fortified hilltop village and the ruins of the Château.



View from Château Des Baux



Is he on the phone??






I am having RDC whip me up some of these for my backyard at home. If interested, place your order now!



Cassis and the Calanques.
Cassis - "crowned port" not the liquer,
A very pretty fishing village surrounded by Les Calanques - drop dead gorgeous tourquoise coves with dramatic rock formations all along the coastline. A haven for boaters, hikers, swimmers and cliff jumpers.
My new favorite place!



No, thats not Mike. Chicken!!
Check out the climb back up!



Entry!



Exit!



At least he wont burn his noggin'...


"Sentier du Petit Prince" ...one of the many hikes through les Calanques



I like trees....

P.S.
Mike won the race!
Not one car passed us the entire trip to Barcelona...not even the little, yellow Ferrari...although he did play with us for a while.

Come along for the ride..

BMW Welt in Munich

Have I mentioned that I love our new car?
I havent.
I am feeling a bit guilty that I have not given it the attention that it deserves.

We were in need of a car..and in need of a car here for our travels. Mike thought it would be a fun adventure to get European delivery of our car to use now and have shipped back to home in Whistler after our travels.

I cant sing the praises of BMW Euro delivery enough! Feeling very lucky indeed..



We picked up this little beauty in Munich at the BMW Welt.Yes.. that is it above in all its glory..shiny and new. I know..the presentation is a bit over the top, but very entertaining. I was a wee bit uncomfortable about the whole thing until I reminded myself that we were only picking up a station wagon!! There were some very nice wheels driving out of there...
They totally play up the whole personal delivery process. We enjoyed every moment of our day at the BMW Welt. A spa for car lovers.. The lounge, the tour,the museum, the presentation, the driving simulation course.. was all over and above what we were expecting. My pictures will do it much more justice than my words....(see flickr badge to right there..click..pics in BMW Welt album)


..if only I didnt have a wife and kids....


..my fav..


Olivia's fav...


Max's fav..


It has proven to be a fantastic opportunity. We have already racked up 7000km to date. We have had the opportunity to explore every little nook and cranny of this country.



Unfortunately it has also allowed us to shop....I dont think this baby can hold much more! I have been relegated to the backseat (to avoid conflict) for 6000 of those km. Keep in mind that the Cervelo takes up the other back seat. I can only shake my head....

Unfortunately I have also not mentioned the time we spent in Munich and surrounding area.We only had a couple of days to spend in Munich. I would love to return again in the summer and spend a bit more time exploring. Max would like to go to the beer hall again..




Look how clean cut they are!!

Ahhh, it has been a while since I blogged. I think I may be coming down with a little something..... dare I say.. writers block. Or is it just that reality is lurking in the shadows and I am not quite sure if I am ready for it.. We are only 4 weeks away from home. I am having very mixed feelings about the final weeks of this trip..

I have come to enjoy my lack of communication with the world.For months I complained about my lack of internet access. Now I have access and I complain again.(The otherside always seems so much better.. ) Lack of it has offered a certain freedom that one doesn't normally have in the "real" world.. There is no responsibility to anyone , but those you are with. Some may say it is selfish. Others may say its avoidance. I say ignorance is bliss!!

All I really know right now is that we are very excited to return home BUT there is no doubt in my mind that there is going to be some sort of letdown a few weeks after our return. I give it two weeks...
We will definitely be in need of some friend therapy..



Aix en Provence



All has been good here with the family.We have all travelled together before so I don't expect any problems. It took a few days for Mike and I to get use to having others around.Lots of talking!! We enjoy it, but after months of just us, it takes a little getting use to again. The kids are in heaven. They love having their grandparents around. They are all sitting around a small coffee table puzzling/bantering right now. I don't think it gets better than that for family time. But trust me it has not been all fun and games..



We have had a busy couple of weeks touring.It has been very satisfying sharing our experiences with the others. We have revisited a number of the small towns we grew to love in the Luberon area - Lourmarin, Bonnieux, Aix. We have also discovered more beautiful places in the Bouches-du-Rhone area - Avignon, St Remy de Provence, L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue. The south of France is a little sliver of heaven with something to satisfy every whim.



I have to mention the "bluebird" days that seem quite typical here in the South. I know artists have been speaking of the crisp and clean light here for years. I understand now..I feel like I have hit the enhance key on my photo editing editing program.



The compound..enough room for everyone!



papa pontificating



The daily "chore" of picking cherries


Found in my mothers suitcase (which was found and returned from the airport absolutely tattered and beyond repair...)
A big bottle of gin,homemade irish soda bread and banana bread, a kg jar of peanut butter, archie digest comics...Bless her!



Buying different types of "bird whistles" from the Bird man at the Lourmarin market.





Nimes at night.
We had a fantastic evening out with our "home exchange" friends in Nimes. In fine french form...we sat down to dinner at 10pm. We found ourselves still wandering around town at 2am. The kids were thrilled to be out so late, my dad not so thrilled...



June 21st is the Fête de la Musique throughout all France. A night not to be missed. Artists of all ability and style scattered throughout the town.All streets are closed and there is a show of some sort around every corner.



The last sit down conversation I had with Mike was something about moving to Pemberton meadows and living in an airstream, grid-free.I am looking forward to re-connecting with him at the end of the month when it is just the four of us again...

And so it begins....

The grandparents are here. They have brought drama and bad weather with them!

Fantastic!

Their plane was late due to a mechanical failure, an onboard medical emergency and lost luggage. That would be my mom's luggage.....

They have jet lag and very swollen ankles.

We love that they are here despite all of the above. xo