2011 "building.jpeg" "Saturday. Hotel 1898 in Barcelona." 2011 "underground.jpeg" "underground.jpg" "Underground pool." 2011 "rooftop.jpeg" "Rooftop pool." julia_bard maureen_bard barcelona 2011 "005.jpeg" "005.jpg" "My travelling companions enjoying the rooftop cafe." structure tossa_de_mar 2011 "024.jpeg" "024.jpg" "Sunday. Left Barcelona around noon for our drive up the coast to Aiguablava. Stopover - Tossa de Mar - a pleasant little seaside town with an old castle on a hill. Yes, that is the color of the sea." structure tossa_de_mar 2011 "027.jpeg" "027.jpg" "Cannon in the castle." structure tossa_de_mar 2011 "030.jpeg" "030.jpg" "More of castle." julia_bard maureen_bard structure tossa_de_mar 2011 "057.jpeg" "057.jpg" "Julia and Maureen exploring the castle." sign tossa_de_mar 2011 "035.jpeg" "035.jpg" "Interpretive center atop the hill near the castle." building tossa_de_mar 2011 "042.jpeg" "042.jpg" "Entry to Interpretive Center." plant tossa_de_mar 2011 "040.jpeg" "040.jpg" "Tree inside Interpretive Center." lighthouse tossa_de_mar 2011 "033.jpeg" "033.jpg" "Lighthouse atop Interpretive Center." building tossa_de_mar 2011 "5706.jpeg" "5706.jpg" "Found a promising restaurant. Right next to the beach, with gentle breeze wafting in off the sea." anonymous food tossa_de_mar 2011 "017.jpeg" "017.jpg" "Paella. Also, cava sangria." maureen_bard animal food tossa_de_mar 2011 "5459.jpeg" "5459.jpg" "Maureen and friend." food tossa_de_mar 2011 "063.jpeg" "063.jpg" "Bread." anonymous tossa_de_mar 2011 "5762.jpeg" "5762.jpg" "On our way into town, not understanding the signs, we started driving down these side streets. We couldn't seem to find our way off, and we could not back out, as another car followed us down the street. The streets got narrower and narrower, also more and more full of people. Great way to see the shops. Great fun - watching pedestrians plastering themselves to walls to avoid being run over." building tossa_de_mar 2011 "066.jpeg" "066.jpg" "Church in town." building tossa_de_mar 2011 "072.jpeg" "072.jpg" "Bell tower." building tossa_de_mar 2011 "075.jpeg" "075.jpg" "Back Street." clothes tossa_de_mar 2011 "077.jpeg" "077.jpg" "Time for some shopping." julia_bard clothes tossa_de_mar 2011 "5768.jpeg" "5768.jpg" "Trying on hats." clothes tossa_de_mar 2011 "074.jpeg" "074.jpg" "And shorts." sign tossa_de_mar 2011 "078.jpeg" "078.jpg" "Carrer Hou?" building aiguablava 2011 "parador2.jpeg" "After a hazardous but scenic drive along the wild coast (Costa Brava), we arrived at the Parador Aiguablava, strikingly situated on a peninsula near the town of Begur." building aiguablava 2011 "084.jpeg" "084.jpg" "Inside feels a bit like the Bar Harbor Inn - wide halls with creaky wooden floors." scenery aiguablava 2011 "092.jpeg" "092.jpg" "View of the town from my balcony." house aiguablava 2011 "094.jpeg" "094.jpg" "Close-up of house." scenery aiguablava 2011 "093.jpeg" "093.jpg" "Inlet below the hotel. I spent quite a bit of time sitting on my balcony, enjoying the weather (72 degrees, pleasant breeze), looking at the town, listening to the sound of birds and seagulls." boat aiguablava 2011 "095.jpeg" "095.jpg" "Boat in inlet below the hotel." maureen_bard aiguablava 2011 "097.jpeg" "097.jpg" "MRG: Did you go in the water? Maureen: Yes, why do you ask?" art aiguablava 2011 "102.jpeg" "102.jpg" "Creepy art at the Parador." building begur 2011 "159.jpeg" "159.jpg" "Monday. Excursion from Aigublava to nearby Begur - artsy, pedestrian-only village surrounding an old hill-top fortification." building begur 2011 "109.jpeg" "109.jpg" "" building begur 2011 "106.jpeg" "106.jpg" "" maureen_bard building begur 2011 "161.jpeg" "161.jpg" "Some nice houses." building begur 2011 "107.jpeg" "107.jpg" "Steep pathways." building begur 2011 "164.jpeg" "164.jpg" "Lots of narrow, twisty streets." building begur 2011 "128.jpeg" "128.jpg" "" building begur 2011 "131.jpeg" "131.jpg" "" structure begur 2011 "111.jpeg" "111.jpg" "Interesting architectural details." building begur 2011 "156.jpeg" "156.jpg" "" building begur 2011 "136.jpeg" "136.jpg" "" structure begur 2011 "158.jpeg" "158.jpg" "Cat cafe." building begur 2011 "118.jpeg" "118.jpg" "Hotel in town." building begur 2011 "110.jpeg" "110.jpg" "Upper Part of hotel." building begur 2011 "114.jpeg" "114.jpg" "Detail." sign begur 2011 "119.jpeg" "119.jpg" "'Made with love.' Sign on Maureen's future hotel." maureen_bard julia_bard photography begur 2011 "129.jpeg" "129.jpg" "Lots of scenes for avid shutterbugs." structure begur 2011 "142.jpeg" "142.jpg" "Potable water." julia_bard maureen_bard begur 2011 "126.jpeg" "126.jpg" "Town square in Begur." maureen_bard begur 2011 "157.jpeg" "157.jpg" "" structure begur 2011 "143.jpeg" "143.jpg" "Fortification on the hill in the center of the town." structure begur 2011 "147.jpeg" "147.jpg" "Atop the fortification. By, the way, that's the Catalan flag." julia_bard maureen_bard art tossa_de_mar 2011 "150.jpeg" "150.jpg" "Art on the hill." sign tossa_de_mar 2011 "153.jpeg" "153.jpg" "'The answer is in the wind - the words of love are invisible sculptures.'" building callela 2011 "175.jpeg" "175.jpg" "Later that afternoon, it was off to Callela on the coast for a look at a Botanical Garden at an old estate." structure callela 2011 "206.jpeg" "206.jpg" "Steps." building callela 2011 "174.jpeg" "174.jpg" "" building callela 2011 "176.jpeg" "176.jpg" "" art callela 2011 "171.jpeg" "171.jpg" "Artwork." art callela 2011 "172.jpeg" "172.jpg" "" art callela 2011 "194.jpeg" "194.jpg" "" art callela 2011 "180.jpeg" "180.jpg" "" plant callela 2011 "183.jpeg" "183.jpg" "Daisies." plant callela 2011 "201.jpeg" "201.jpg" "Cactus Garden." plant callela 2011 "196.jpeg" "196.jpg" "Another cactus." michael_genesereth plant callela 2011 "203.jpeg" "203.jpg" "Plant" structure callela 2011 "187.jpeg" "187.jpg" "Steps." plant callela 2011 "199.jpeg" "199.jpg" "Graffitti plant. No one knows how those markings grow there." julia_bard maureen_bard callela 2011 "191.jpeg" "191.jpg" "Enjoying the garden." anonymous boat callela 2011 "200.jpeg" "200.jpg" "Some folks messing around in a boat in an inlet below the Garden." callela garden 2011 "193.jpeg" "193.jpg" "Garden walk." michael_genesereth maureen_bard garden callela 2011 "5713.jpeg" "5713.jpg" "" callela 2011 "213.jpeg" "213.jpg" "Quick stop in the town of Calella." anonymous callela 2011 "211.jpeg" "211.jpg" "Time to relax with a cup of coffee at a shorefront cafe." building art figueras 2011 "museum.jpeg" "museum.jpg" "Tuesday. First up was a brief stop in Figueras to get a sim card for Maureen's iPad. Also a visit to the Dali Museum. One hour 30 minute in line, then 10 minutes inside, after which I got kicked out for carrying a backpack." building besalu 2011 "233.jpeg" "233.jpg" "Onward to Besalu, a medieval town to the West of Figueras." house besalu 2011 "226.jpeg" "226.jpg" "Yuppified house." house besalu 2011 "248.jpeg" "248.jpg" "House before yuppification." building besalu 2011 "217.jpeg" "217.jpg" "Shopping arcade." structure besalu 2011 "236.jpeg" "236.jpg" "Fortification on bridge into town." structure besalu 2011 "238.jpeg" "238.jpg" "Fortification at the other end of the bridge." building besalu 2011 "246.jpeg" "246.jpg" "Church tower." building vic 2011 "342.jpeg" "342.jpg" "Parador de Vic, our HQ for the next two nights. Clean, newish building." building vic 2011 "aerial.jpeg" "aerial.jpg" "Great setting on a mountain lake in the Pyrenees." building vic 2011 "behind.jpeg" "behind.jpg" "Quiet and peaceful." building vic 2011 "peninsula.jpeg" "peninsula.jpg" "Wednesday. Off for a 3.7 km hike from the parador (red dot on map) to an abandoned monastery (located on a bluff at the end of the peninsula to the North of the red dot)." building vic 2011 "monastery.jpeg" "monastery.jpg" "The monastery was a nice reward for the hike." building vic 2011 "284.jpeg" "284.jpg" "Monastery." maureen_bard building vic 2011 "295.jpeg" "295.jpg" "Maureen and her wine." building vic 2011 "296.jpeg" "296.jpg" "Monastery." maureen_bard building vic 2011 "305.jpeg" "305.jpg" "Interior of the church." food vic 2011 "326.jpeg" "326.jpg" "Quick stop at the monastery eatery before starting back. Maureen and Julia were even more entertaining than usual. (To tell the truth, I think that they were a bit tipsy from the Sangria.)" scenery vic 2011 "344.jpeg" "344.jpg" "View from my balcony." building vic 2011 "temple.jpeg" "temple.jpg" "Sadly, the food at the Parador was inedible. Not just unfamiliar or bland or uninteresting. I mean inedible. So it was off to the town of Vic for a dinner at El Bohemi, a Catalan tapas restaurant. Located in the shadow of an ancient Roman temple. Lots of very good food." map andorra 2011 "europe.gif" "Thursday. Excursion from La Seu d'Urgell to Andorra. Crossing the border a little spooky due to soldiers with machine guns and heavy chains." building andorra 2011 "overview.jpeg" "overview.jpg" "Andorra la Vella." building andorra 2011 "401.jpeg" "401.jpg" "Old government building." building andorra 2011 "404.jpeg" "404.jpg" "" maureen_bard andorra 2011 "405.jpeg" "405.jpg" "Maureen relaxing." building andorra 2011 "house.jpeg" "house.jpg" "House in Andorra la Vella." art andorra 2011 "410.jpeg" "410.jpg" "Art." art andorra 2011 "407.jpeg" "407.jpg" "Art?" sign andorra 2011 "415.jpeg" "415.jpg" "Stopped in hotel for rest stop. I thought the bowtie was a nice touch." sign andorra 2011 "414.jpeg" "414.jpg" "Not to be outdone by the men, the women had a nice touch of their own." sign andorra 2011 "412.jpeg" "412.jpg" "Maureen and Julia decided they needed to look in this store for some reason." airplane andorra 2011 "406.jpeg" "406.jpg" "Meanwhile, I watched a helicopter practicing mountain rescue operations above the city." building andorra 2011 "sant_cristofol.jpeg" "sant_cristofol.jpg" "Off to find a restaurant in Sant Cristofol, a sleepy hamlet up in the hills. All we knew is that it was near this Church, visible for miles around." building andorra 2011 "424.jpeg" "424.jpg" "No restaurant, but we found the church." julia_bard scenery andorra 2011 "421.jpeg" "421.jpg" "Julia at the Church with a view of the valley floor." andorra 2011 "429.jpeg" "429.jpg" "Back into the town to look once again for the restaurant." building andorra 2011 "427.jpeg" "427.jpg" "Found it! Known for good food. And also hugs given to customers by gay proprietors. No hugs offered on this visit. Fine by me." maureen_bard julia_bard building andorra 2011 "425.jpeg" "425.jpg" "We arrived at 2:59, and they closed at 3:00. Nevertheless, they were happy to seat us." building andorra 2011 "426.jpeg" "426.jpg" "Turns out the proprietors are English, and the place is more an English pub than anything else. Fish and chips and ale for me." julia_bard maureen_bard andorra 2011 "428.jpeg" "428.jpg" "Julia and Maureen on the bench outside the restaurant." scenery la_seu 2011 "432.jpeg" "432.jpg" "Back to Spain with nothing to do. So it was off for a hike in the outskirts of La Seu d'Urgell." scenery la_seu 2011 "430.jpeg" "430.jpg" "Church on a hill." building scenery la_seu 2011 "433.jpeg" "433.jpg" "Hiking along a stream." scenery la_seu 2011 "434.jpeg" "434.jpg" "Our destination." julia_bard maureen_bard la_seu 2011 "435.jpeg" "435.jpg" "Time to switch shoes." animal la_seu 2011 "438.jpeg" "438.jpg" "Horses." julia_bard building animal la_seu 2011 "439.jpeg" "439.jpg" "Photo op." house la_seu 2011 "441.jpeg" "441.jpg" "House." julia_bard la_seu 2011 "443.jpeg" "443.jpg" "Julia letting me know they are ready to go. Off to a restaurant just outside of town" julia_bard la_seu 2011 "445.jpeg" "445.jpg" "Julia at the restaurant." maureen_bard la_seu 2011 "449.jpeg" "449.jpg" "Maureen." maureen_bard animal la_seu 2011 "459.jpeg" "459.jpg" "Maureen flirting with Bambi." sign catalonia 2011 "460.jpeg" "460.jpg" "Saturday. Thinking of Maureen's mom." building solsana 2011 "470.jpeg" "470.jpg" "Solsana - lots of narrow, winding streets." building solsana 2011 "467.jpeg" "467.jpg" "More winding streets." building solsana 2011 "468.jpeg" "468.jpg" "A bit of greenery." building solsana 2011 "463.jpeg" "463.jpg" "Design Detail." building solsana 2011 "469.jpeg" "469.jpg" "Design Detail." building solsana 2011 "472.jpeg" "472.jpg" "I was struck by the wood carving and the curved window on this storefront." julia_bard maureen_bard solsana 2011 "473.jpeg" "473.jpg" "My companions once again." building 2011 "aerial.jpeg" "aerial.jpg" "Parador de Cardona, dominating a mountaintop 1000 feet above the valley floor. I would not want to be an invader trying to climb that terrain with 200 pounds of armor on my back." building cardona 2011 "486.jpeg" "486.jpg" "Entrance." building cardona 2011 "479.jpeg" "479.jpg" "" building cardona 2011 "478.jpeg" "478.jpg" "" building cardona 2011 "480.jpeg" "480.jpg" "Cafeteria on the patio." building cardona 2011 "patio.jpeg" "patio.jpg" "Patio." maureen_bard cardona 2011 "6348.jpeg" "6348.jpg" "View from the tower." michael_genesereth building cardona 2011 "6119.jpeg" "6119.jpg" "Tough guy on guard." building cardona 2011 "531.jpeg" "531.jpg" "Walk down to the village." building cardona 2011 "530.jpeg" "530.jpg" "Leaving Julia behind in the tower." building cardona 2011 "534.jpeg" "534.jpg" "The way back up." building cardona 2011 "537.jpeg" "537.jpg" "And up." building cardona 2011 "6254.jpeg" "6254.jpg" "Courtyard." building cardona 2011 "539.jpeg" "539.jpg" "Entrance to Dining Hall." building cardona 2011 "489.jpeg" "489.jpg" "Inside." building cardona 2011 "487.jpeg" "487.jpg" "Waiting area." building cardona 2011 "554.jpeg" "554.jpg" "Cathedral." building cardona 2011 "544.jpeg" "544.jpg" "Altar." building cardona 2011 "547.jpeg" "547.jpg" "Crypt." building cardona 2011 "545.jpeg" "545.jpg" "Tomb." scenery cardona 2011 "6182.jpeg" "6182.jpg" "Salt mine." julia_bard cardona 2011 "6177.jpeg" "6177.jpg" "Salt miner." maureen_bard cardona 2011 "6330.jpeg" "6330.jpg" "Another miner." structure cardona 2011 "6173.jpeg" "6173.jpg" "Support in salt mine." building 2011 "montserrat.jpeg" "montserrat.jpg" "Montserrat." car 2011 "funicular.jpeg" "funicular.jpg" "Funicular at Montserrat." building 2011 "above.jpeg" "above.jpg" "View from above." building 2011 "interior.jpeg" "interior.jpg" "Interior at Montserrat."