When I go to Barcelona...

Cyn and I love travelling around in May.  The weather is spring-time perfect;  no cold snow and rain of winter yet too early for that oppressive summer heat.  So this May we decided to enjoy a great little jaunt across the Med to Barcelona, Spain.  Cynthia had been to Barcelona before many moons ago with her good friend Susan.  And while there the 2 of them stayed with a local Spanish artist named Javier.  As luck would have it Cynthia still had Javier's email address and we were able to hook up with him and his wife Candela during our weekend in Spain.
 
 

 I really loved the Barcelona vibe.  Unlike the cramped, labyrinthine streets of so many Italian cities, Barcelona's wide, ambling boulevards with their median strips filled with monuments and flowers were a welcome change.  We loved how relaxed the city was and how easy it was to get around, stopping in at little bars for tapas, coffee, or perhaps a little sangria.  Another great feature was the fine architecture that covered so many different artists and periods but is clearly showcased by Gaudi.
 
 
 
 

 
And although there was a large protest movement that had taken up residence in the middle of Placa Catalunya, we never felt threatened or unsafe.  The young crowd of students were using non-violent means to protest their countries dire economic conditions with unemployment rates as high as 25%.
 
Another serendipitous thing while we were there was that Football Club Barcelona was competing against Manchester United in the UEFA Champion's leage finals.  The boys from Espana won the match handily with their incredible passing and offensive control.  The city erupted with celebratory joy that spilled over into the next day when a massive parade featuring the winning team made its way around the city center, and right past our hotel.



 
Good Times!  See more here.

More Fun with Rick & Myra

As if Lake Bledd wasn't enough, it was just the start their stay with us.  The next big adventure was to run up north to the Trattoria all'Angelo for another afternoon of Italian cooking (and overeating).  The first stop was the garden to pick some fresh herbs.  Then we hit the kitchen to make a complete 4 course meal including fresh pasta.  Rick even busted out the uke and played a few tunes!!

Not content to enjoy the good life north of us, we headed to the little town of Este, about 90 minutes south of us for a sun-dappled day of roses and ruins.  We couldn't believe how ENORMOUS the roses were in the town's central garden.

ahhhh...  La Dolce Vita!

More Cooking Class Pics HERE!

More Incredible ESTE!

Ciao!
M

Back to Slovenia

Our good friends Rick & Myra capped off a wonderful European vacation by spending some time with us.  We knew they would love going to Slovenia, so we made some reservations at the Grand Hotel Toplice, loaded up the car, and headed out to Lake Bledd.

There are a lot of romantic hotspots around the globe, but Lake Bledd, Slovenia never fails to disappoint.  It was early May, so the weather was perfect although a little rain did fall on one afternoon.  The castle, the little island with the church, and the incredible fairytale atmosphere were all still there.  To make things a little easier, we decided to hitch a ride on one of the ferries, rather than relying on my rowing skills...

 


 
For something a little different, we decided to take a little trek into the woods to Vintgar Gorge.  A breathtaking nature walk that winds thru the Gorge's valley, several wooden bridges and pebble paths criss-cross the clear mountain waters

As always, the views from the castle were spectacular, although the air wasn't super clear.

We even had enough time to finish off the excursion by stopping in Llubjlana, the capitol of Slovenia.  It was a gorgeous city with great architecture and history.

Wanna check out more pics?  Here ya go!

Ciao,
Mike