Costa Brava

We felt brave heading out to the "Brave Coast" when we woke up to a thunderstorm on the day we had scheduled for sea kayaking. But our guide, a Brit named Daniel from the same company that had led us on the Pyrenees hike, was confident we would find some way to entertain ourselves on the Costa Brava.

However, no matter how far north we drove, and how many kayak rental companies he called, kayaking along the rocky coves of the Costa Brava was beginning to look grim: One rental company thought the seas were too rough, and another, even after the weather did begin to clear, thought nobody would be renting so there was no point in opening.

We decided to head out on a hike along the same coast, a hike we were assured would take us along beautiful views and uninhabited coves for swimming and snorkeling. This was mostly true, but Daniel also seemed a bit lost and forgetful along the way. (At one point, Arthur noted that we could have bought sandwiches and gotten lost on a hike on our own, for a lot less than 90 euros each.) But the thunderstorm had cleared the air and lowered the temperature, so that the hike was quite spectacular. Here are some pictures:

Closed kayak-rental stand.

Empty beach: a rare sight on coastal Spain. Only on a day that started with thunderstorms.

Dan, our fearless leader, ordering sandwiches. (Anna was a little cold and wrapped herself in a towel. The rest of us thought it was sacrilege to complain of the cold, after so much heat!!)

They got the perfect spot. Does the crystal sparkle of the Mediterranean come through in this photo? It was spectacular. Almost wish I had arranged this version of the tour of the Costa Brava.

But this version was also fun: a beach full of (mostly French) tourists, snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing (but do all the women here have to look like supermodels? Tan, thin, beautiful, AND topless??!!! Fat, white, and American feels a bit out of place here).

Alex and I started out small, by climbing onto, and then jumping off of, the clump of rocks to the left. But once Dan returned with more supplies for our by-the-seat-of-his-pants, alternative-to-kayaking tour, he and Alex climbed up to the tallest rock on the right.

Here they contemplate the wisdom of jumping....

and jump!

By the time I swam over, they had both agreed the highest spot was nerve shattering, and maybe this lower spot was more sensible.

I agreed, so I jumped, too!

There goes Alex again.

Anna snorkeling. There were a few fish to see, but not what you would find in Hawaii.

The real reason it is called the "Brave Coast" is that the rocks and wind made it so dangerous for ships.

At last, a return to civilization...

...and well-earned treats.

I had thought perhaps I was projecting, on the hike with the two Australians and the Russian-Israeli-Spanish guide, that I had heard a sigh of relief when we noted that we are Obama supporters. But there was no room for speculation with Dan, our British guide on this trip---I think he actually said, "Oh good." Remember the hope in 2008 that Obama could improve the view of the U.S. around the world, after the Bush years? There is no doubt for me that he has.

Gramma and Alex depart tomorrow. I am so relieved I still have several days left. I'm not ready to go home.

Montserrat

So, where the hell was Alex (see below, for Alex's "where the hell is Matt" dance)? He was at Montserrat, a monastery poised upon a cliff about an hour northwest of Barcelona. Pilgrims have flocked to this spot for 1,000 years, although the monastery there today is of more recent vintage. The draw for pilgrims (aside from the amazing view, which you would definitely want as payoff for the climb!) is the black Madonna, known as La Moreneta, or the dark lady, a wooden sculpture of Mary and baby Jesus, whose face and hands turned black, probably from the lead paint originally used, and then painted black on purpose.

There is still a long line today to see her, and we are the Waits; we don't like to wait. So I captured a photo from afar:

Although the statue itself is made of wood, the monastery now has the funds to display her in the most ornate setting, on a silver throne. She holds an orb in her right hand, apparently representing the universe, and pilgrims touch it and beseech her for a miracle (here's someone else's close-up, swiped from the Internet -->).

And that would be great for some people---but that's not the only reason to come to Montserrat. The monastery itself is about 2500 feet above the plain below, and luckily tourists today can take the cable car up. And to climb among the cliffs, there are also short funiculars to get you even higher. Here are the shots of our amazing day at Montserrat.

Cable car ride up.

Then we took the funicular up higher...

...and looked back down at the monastery below.

One of the goals of our hike: a small chapel. To the right, you can see the remnants of old monastery buildings, largely gone now but for some stone walls.

Alex, Arthur, and Eloise continued on up higher. Anna and I stayed below and ate potato chips.

(After all, she had carried that bag of potato chips the whole way, and it looked about to burst from the elevation change. It would have been a shame to waste them!)

All of us on the hike (plus the potato chips).

Alex higher up.

The amazing rock formations (and a cross out at the edge).

Montserrat has it all: amazing landscape, terrifying cable car ride, beautiful church, gorgeous hike, and even an impressive museum. We spent nearly the whole day (until about the time I discovered that I had lost my debit card somewhere between buying the train tickets and turning in my audio guide. But I canceled it once we were back at home, and there was no unauthorized activity. My lucky-unlucky streak continues!).

Anna took a 5-minute video of the whole ride down in the cable car. If I ever get a better Internet connection, I might upload it. Suffice it to say, we were really &%$#! high!

Where the Hell Is Alex?

Alex does the "Where the Hell Is Matt" dance:

Hiking in the Pyranees

Our first guided tour of the trip: a hike in the Pyranees, to see cliffs, waterfalls, and medieval villages. Gramma had found this wonderful "small group" tour company, and the group consisted only of the five of us, a couple from Australia, and our Russian-Israeli-Spanish Guide, Alex (born in Moldavia when it was a Soviet Republic, moved to Israel when he was 6 and still an Israeli citizen, but has lived in Spain for 6 years; he speaks about six different languages!). 

We have been wilting in the heat and humidity of Barcelona, and we had hoped for relief in the mountains. It was still hot, but the humidity was much reduced, so we were very happy about that!

Here are a few of the better photos (wish Arthur had brought his really good camera):

The trekkers, with the village of Rupit i Pruit in the background.

Houses along the cobblestone streets. Many had stones over the door with the year of construction carved in. The oldest we saw were from about the 1610s and 1620s. But some are also new, built to fit in with the older stone buildings.

Out on the hike: Alex, our guide, and Arthur talking politics and the global economy.

Most of us posing on a rock overhang.

 

There's Anna. Now she's willing to pose for the camera.

Alex and Alex looking down the sheer cliff face, both turned when I called: Alex!

Anna had control of the camera. I promised to post this picture of a bee.

Looking over the waterfall, except it doesn't flow this time of year.

About to cross the rope bridge that connects two sides of the village, with a creek running down the middle.

Imagine Alex doing the voice of Donkey from Shrek across the whole thing.

La Sagrada Familia

This beautiful, incredible cathedral-in-progress (since 1882) probably speaks for itself, and has been professionally photographed by many others, so I'll only share a few of my amateur shots.

I was here in 1989, so on this visit I was baffled why almost none of it looked familiar. The only part I remembered was the "Nativity Facade," the side that Gaudi himself worked on before his death. I had no memory of the amazing, stunning, tree-like columns of the interior. Photos and timelines at the cathedral museum confirmed that much work has been done since 1989, but this photo I found from 1988 shows that the interior essentially did not exist back then: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Familia_Construction_1988.jpg. That's why I didn't remember it! This one from 1993 shows the tree-like columns being erected: http://www.gaudiallgaudi.com/images/1993d.JPG. They are so incredible. Absolutely mind-blowing.

Here is what I was able to capture of this incredible place:

I have to begin with the tree-like columns, because they are absolutely amazing. They are a Gaudi creation, but he never lived to see them realized. He knew the cathedral would take decades more to complete, so he left detailed plans for his vision. What a vision.

Looking straight up to the ceiling of the cathedral.

Today, the team funding and leading the continued construction are creating and installing stained glass, slowly, slowly, around the entire cathedral.

Here you can see the completed windows next to the ones that are not yet completed.

This is the "Nativity Facade," that was completed back in the 1930s and on which Gaudi himself worked most directly, before his death in 1926.

The Nativity Facade depicts Jesus's birth, whereas the "Passion Facade," which is newly complete, depicts his death. Hence, on this side the wise men, but also many symbols of life, abundance, growth...

...and on the Passion Facade side, the starkness of death and suffering. 

None of these sculptures were mounted on this side when I was here in 1989. The first sculptures by Josep Maria Subirachs were mounted in 1990. Some say Gaudi intended the Passion side to be more stark and harsh, but some dislike the Subirachs sculptures and find them anachronistic with their hint of Cubism. I absolutely love them.

The towers of the Passion Facade were complete in 1976, 50 years after Gaudi's death. But you can see that work continues even on this side.

Work continues all around the site, funded today largely by the tourist entrance fees.

The largest components that remain are a huge tower in the center and a third facade, the Glory Facade, promised to be the largest and to become the main entrance to the cathedral when it is completed. It is intended to depict humanity "within the general order of creation." Three doors on the facade will depict charity, hope, and faith and seven columns will symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here are a couple links to models of the future Glory Facade, scheduled to be complete around 2026, 100 years after Gaudi's death. I'll have to come back then!

http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/simbologia_b2.php
http://www.gaudidesigner.com/uk/sagrada-familia-original-gaudi-model-for-the-glorys-facade_320.html

and how it looks now, under construction:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia_Glory_Facade_2011.jpg

I'm sitting here imagining that in 1989, I was about to turn 21. Now I am about to turn 44, and the city of Barcelona has nearly completed the interior of this astounding building in those years. What the heck have I done?

Los Juegos Olímpicos

We were finally able to watch some swimming live last night. Apparently, swimming is not something Spain excels in, and it has not been featured much on the two main stations carrying the Olympics here. But Spain hasn't been excelling at any sports this year. When an Olympic news round-up came on, there was one word I heard over and over: perdido, perdido, perdido.

We did catch the end of the Spain-Honduras soccer match, and although I couldn't understand the Spanish announcer (and I don't understand soccer in general), it was painfully obvious that the team was furious at the officials. And after having won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship, this was a big loss for the Spanish team (though not the exact same players). From an English summation of the local news coverage:

"El Pais daily said the Olympic team's performance in London, and the players' behavior towards the match officials, had damaged the image of Spanish soccer.

"'Football has never gone well with the Olympics, but with the soccer brand that currently sets the country apart it was the right time to return the sport to the summit it scaled in 1992,' the paper wrote, a reference to the gold medal triumph at the Barcelona Games.

"'But it not only fell off a cliff, it did so verging on the ridiculous against opponents of little pedigree like Japan and Honduras. A total failure.'"

Yikes. And Team Spain hasn't done well in other sports (and Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Olympics with an injury). No medals for Spain yet in the medal count. Spain's basketball team is still in it, though (Pau Gasol---so that's who that enormously tall guy was carrying the flag for Spain in the opening ceremonies). Maybe Spanish TV will let us watch some basketball now.