Sunday, September 30, 2012

Spain

Following three weeks in the US, we weren't back in Italy long before we had another travel plan kick in.  I was scheduled to do a couple presentations at a conference in Spain.  Queen Bee had suggested that it would be nice if I would take her along on a business trip for once, so we added a few vacation days and made a trip of it.  The conference was in Valencia which is on the southern coast of Spain.  It is just a few hours further along the coast than Barcelona so we decided Barcelona would make a good stop along the way.  But Avigliana (our town in Italy) to Barcelona is still about 9 hours so we stopped in Avignon, France as well for one night along the way to Barcelona to break up the drive.  

Avigliana to Avignon took us through the Alps that divide France from Italy.  The weather was perfect for a drive through the mountains.  The route provided a lot of varied and dramatic views.  The topography gradually shifts from the rugged mountains and river valleys of Rhone-Alps Region to the southern Provincial hills around Avignon.  We only stayed one night in a B&B there but it was very nice.  It consisted of a single small guest house on the edge of the family property (I'd guess about two acres).  Their property is very nicely landscaped and inclides a swimming pool, which we took advantage of when we arrived.  

The next day we were off to Barcelona.  To be honest I was a little apprehensive how Barcelona would be.  We had one uncomfortable incident in Paris this spring, and I had the impression Spain was more troubled than France.  But we found Barcelona to be a very friendly city.  Our B&B was on the northern edge of the "Old Town" section.  It was easy to get around and we were able to walk to all the sites we intended to see by day.  In the evening, the taxi's were efficient and easily available.  People seemed nice and the whole thing went without a hitch.  We were only there two full days so we had to focus a little on the key sights.  Day one was devoted to two of Gaudi's most noteworthy creations.  

The first stop on our Gaudi tour was the Park Guell which is a fantasy land that merges art, architecture, and nature in an amazing way.   I is really impressive in its scale, creativity, and accessibility .  It is completely free and gives the residents of Barcelona a wonderful place to stroll for a morning or afternoon.  You could easily walk for hours without seeing the same thing twice.












The second stop (after a very good smoothy...) was the massive church by Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia.  It is simply the most moving and amazing thing, made by man, I have ever thing.  Clearly inspired by nature, the inner columns rise to incredible heights while giving the impression of being trees as they gradually produce limbs that curve through the upper reaches of space. In another sense the build looks like it could have been a set for a very elaborate science fiction movie (after seeing this it you have to suspect that much of what we see in movies is inspired by Gauid's creations including this church).  Surrounded by columns, spiraling staircases, beam of light from overhead, and the color of the stained-glass windows, you quickly become overwhelmed by the the place.  Gaudi really must have had a fantastic mind.  The exterior rises dramatically while giving the impression of being an elaborate sand castle.  From a distance the surfaces seem to be wet dripping sand as a real sand castle would look if you sprinkled water over it.  The outer surface are ornamented with sculpture of biblical scenes.  Very unusual, and as dramatic as the rest of the building.  Many of the characters are quite angular and foreboding but the whole thing is very moving.











Day two was a little more laid back.  We walked around old town working our way from our B&B along the major tourist/shopping street to the port then back through gothic section taking photos and doing a little shopping at the various regional craft shops.  We picked up some orange and red ceramic bowls that match the serving bowls we got in Provence a couple years ago.  We tried to visit the Picasso museum around lunch time but it was closed on Monday so we just carried on with our sight seeing.





That evening Queen Bee had us scheduled to have dinner and watch Flamenco dancing in the Montjuic portion of town.  Montjuic is a mountain neighborhood that overlook the bay of Barcelona.  It contains an old castle/fort and a range of other museum, sporting facilities, etc...  Apparently it was the site of an International Fair in 1929 (probably not a great year for something like that).  Amongst the other sites is a small village of historic replicas where you can see representative builds from various parts of Spain from a range of historic periods (photo below). Sort of a Spanish version of Greenfield Village.   Within the buildings are shops featuring traditional products and crafts, people doing handwork, and various places to stop for a glass of wine or a light meal.  Among the buildings is a small dinner theater where Flamenco dancing is performed following a traditional dinner.  The songs and dances tell a story.  Although we couldn't understand the tales behind the several dances we saw, we still felt immersed in the deep emotion of the performance.  I liked it much better than I had imagined.  It was really wonderful and I would attend again if I had the chance.


The morning we were too leave we found groups of people gathering along the street outside our hotel for a march in honor of National Day of Catalonia.  People were dressed in regional costumes and were carrying banners and flags associated with the region of Catalonia which has semi autonomous status within Spain.



Later that morning, we drove along the coast to Valencia, my vacation was done for the week but Queen Bee was free to do what she wished.  Valencia is a very nice modern town.  There is a historic section but the most noteworthy part is the new park that runs through the city where the river had been before they moved it out of town (sounds very expensive...  )  along the park is a series of very large and attractive building that house museums and other republic facilities.  The park was full of people riding bikes and jogging and gave the impression of a wonderfully fit population.


Talking to some of the locals, I got the impression that the park is really appreciated but the other structures are viewed as contributors to the huge debt Spain has accumulated.  But the city seems to be a very nice place to live in any case.  With three days on her own, Sharon quickly figured out how to get from the hotel to the beach which is where she spent her first free afternoon, sitting in the shade of the beach umbrella, reading, and taking an occasional dip in the Mediterranean sea.  Day two she spent shopping with some success including a dress she intends to use for an up coming wedding we will be attending.  For day three Queen Bee was back to the beach.  We may be back in the USA soon and she knew this might be her last chance to sit by the sea until we find another excuse to return to Europe.

After Valencia we drove directly back along the coast and the southern edge of the Pyrenees to Avignon (about a 9 hours).  We stayed in the same B&B we had on the way to Spain.  And end the day with a quick dip in the pool and dinner.  Sunday we took the opportunity to visit Avignon and the Pope's Place before hitting the road back to Italy.  


Saturday, September 29, 2012

Porcini City

A couple events converged last night.  First, it is the season for porcini mushroom hunting here in Piemonte.  Last weekend there were quite a few people selling them at the Saturday open market in Giaveno.  But the main thing, was the going away party for my friend Giovanni.  He has elected to leave Italy for more promising opportunities in Germany.  So about twenty of us gathered at Ristorante Cantuccio  in Giaveno to wish him well.  Actually this post is mainly to document the foods served.  It one of our better food experience here and I want to make a placeholder of good things consumed...

Antipasti
- Thinly sliced pressed octopus garnished with porcini mushrooms (you'll notice a continuing theme here)
- Warm seafood salad (muscles, clams, some type of large squid, some celery and oil)
- Raw beef garnished with greens, slice porcini's, and parmesan.
- Porcini torta (tort)

Primi (main course)
- For me, Tagliatelle (pasta) with porcini sauce (oil/butter)
- For Queen Bee, massive plate of deep fried porcini (really amazing and altogether too much! )

Desert
- Tiramisu (curtesy or Alberto's family bakery)

And of course the full range of beverages appropriate for the occasion.  A very nice evening.
On the way home Queen Bee mentioned that being in Italy has significantly increased the range of things she likes.  In the past, she would not have considered eating half the things on the list above.

Raining continuously today (Saturday) should be good for more mushrooms.  Yum!