... from Gaudi to the ice age ...

5.

Days 48- 50 ... Canet de Mar through the Pyrenees to Engravies and surrounds

Photos

1, 2 and 3. La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's unfinished cathedral in Barcelona)

4.  For Maudy

5.  The pool...Engravies

6.  This morning's breakfast

7.  No photos allowed inside the caves...this was from the exhibition at the entrance to the caves

On Monday we caught a train to Barcelona .  Then we walked from the train station to a cathedral designed by Gaudi a famous architect (who died in a car crash ).  The windows were made of stained glass........they looked really cool.  One of the doors was full of religious words on it and one of the words in gold spelt Gracies.  So Mum got out her camera a took lots of photos of me next to it.  After we got a lift up the nativity tower up a few steps across a little bridge then down near the bottom we got to go down spiral stairs............ I felt like I was going to fall through the middle.  When we finished looking around the cathedral we went looking for lunch.  

Yesterday we drove from Canet de mar to Engravies.  We stopped at a little cafe on the side of the road.  We are staying in a B&B.  The lady who run the B&B's name is Sarah...........she's really nice.  

Today we drove up to the caves on the way we stoped at a little town called Mirepoix .........it was really pretty.  It took about an hour to get to the caves from Mirepoix. When we got there we all put our puffs on (and go to the toilet ).  We had to wait about half an hour for the tour to start. In the cave it was really slippery.  We got to see some of the drawings that the people in the ice age drew. The drawings were of animals like bison and horses.

Grace

Chased out of Spain with the abdicating King, Juan Carlos , due to the stick figure confusion. My only defence is that I had just seen Salvador Dali's art and that does make your mind do funny things.

The pleasure of the quick exit was the drive through The French Pyrenees back into France, with snow capped mountains, waterfalls and ski slopes covered with grass.

And some great tunnels;Europe does the tunnel perfectly!

The arrival back in France delivered two unexpected delights. Domaine Thompson , a B and B run by a entertaining Scottish lady, Sarah, who provided a prefect oasis . Great food, a log fire and a swimming pool. Sarah also recommended the second highlight, Grotte de Niaux, an unforgettable experience of ice age artwork.

It is great to be back in France( on the way to Italy).

David

Yesterday we drove from Barcelona to Mirepoix in France. The drive went through very tall mountains and on some of them there was snow.

Today we drove to The Grottes de Niaux and before we went in the caves we had to get the torches.Then we went into the cave with a big group and it was very dark. In the cave there was graffiti from hundreds of years ago. There was a black chamber where there drawings of animals that were from thousands and thousands of years ago.

I liked how they drew the bisons.

Jack

I like France better than Spain....it's prettier and neater (and we can put the children to bed earlier!)

Today's excursion was fabulous. The Grotte de Niaux are one of the few painted caves you can still visit ...I felt like I was with Ayla and Jondalar...who else remembers those books?

The paintings are about a kilometre inside the cave system...through slippery floors, narrow openings and muddy puddles. We had torches to guide us until we got to the main salon and there the guide darkened the space completely and illuminated small groups of paintings at a time - to oohs, aahs and gasps. 13900 years ago is not a number easily grasped by 3rd generation Australians. 

Tonight we are cosied up in a French farmhouse ... in front of the open fire in the room where the dairy cows used to be kept. We've had aperitifs, a 3 course home cooked dinner (all local produce and home grown fruit/veg) and I know there are croissants for breakfast ...really not sure I'm leaving tomorrow. 

On Monday we went to see the Gaudi cathedral. It was so amazing almost every window had stained glass on it. It looks funny, the new bits of the building against the old. There was a mini model near the entrance that showed what it was going to look like when it was finished. It looked quite impressive. Mum said that we had to do a quiz about the  cathedral to get an ice cream at the end of the day. All of us won a nice cream with a little bit of help from others. 

Yesterday we drove to back to France through the mountains. Jack said some of them had snow on them but Mum and Dad weren't so sure. We did get to see snow on the mountains in the end. I think Dad was a little bit scared of us being so high up. We stopped for lunch at a sandwich place that looked like it was closed but he let us have sandwiches. 

According to Dad's amazing French pronunciation we are now in Mirapoo (Mirepoix). We are staying at a nice B&b place with a pool! We had a swim in it, it was cold when you got in but nice afterwards. Today we drove to a cave. We went in with torches in a big group. The drawings and signs on the walls on the rock were amazing. We had to turn of the torches in the black chamber where all the drawings were because they were warm and the heat might damage the drawings. My favourite drawing was one of a horse.

Lily

... catching up ...

Day 36 - Day 42 (San Sebastián - -> La Guardia --> Ruidabella ---> Canet de Mar)

(lots of excuses  - the best one being that castle walls were not built for wifi to go through)

(oh - and a warning - everyone's got a lot to say)

Yesterday we went on a train from near the camp ground to Barcelona.  It took an hour.  At Barcelona we had a walk then we went to a big market.  In the market I liked the look of the lollies.  At the end we got to choose our own lollies.  Mine was a rainbow sour strap.  In the market we ran into Mrs Woody..

After the market we went into a shop called Desigual.  In the shop I wanted to buy a top that said "grrrr".  When we coming back from Barcelona it was pouring.  There was thunder.  When we got back we had to run home in the rain.  I stepped in a big, muddy puddle and splashed Lily.  When we got back all our washing was dripping wet.

At Ruidabella we were staying in an apartment in a castle with 3 bedrooms.  In our apartment there were 5 rooms.  Outside the castle there was a jacuzzi.  It was very warm - it was 34 degrees in the jacuzzi.  Lily, Grace and I didn't want to get out.

Jack

It's been a busy few days.  We've driven through the "badlands" between La Guardia and Ruidabella - forlorn, abandoned towns in arid, bland desert country (reminiscent of bad cowboy movies and roadrunner cartoons), seen thousands of wind turbines sitting quite majestically atop hills (50% of Spain's energy is from renewable energy sources - Australia could learn from that!) and thousands more vineyards.   We've screeched to a halt several times as we come across stunning fields of poppies.  Jack's voice is ever present in the back seat - "it says 50 daddy, you need to slow down, way down" "its the third exit daddy"  "she said left daddy" and Margaret remains patient as she repeats far too often "if possible, do a u-turn".  The girls are silent as they power through Harry Potter on their ipads.  We've found less gelati and more ham.  We've bribed the children with lollies to walk  - round walled towns, along country fields to yet another closed for business Spanish town and through Boqueria (the most amazing market we've seen).  We've stayed in a castle with impenetrable walls, an 800 year old hotel with the most enourmous wine cellars and a campground.  We're drowning in wet washing, Iberian ham, indecipherable menus and our own stories.  We miss our pillows, our cats, our friends, real milk, proper breakfast and Asian greens (ok - that's just me) but we're still having a ball

Al

On Thursday for our last day in San Sebastian daddy's plan was to go up the funicular to an 100 year old amusement park. It would have been amazing if it was open. Apparently according to a lady running a souvenir shop it was only open on weekends. Not that it bothered to say that on any of the signs that we saw. So we bought a packet of chips each and ate them. Then we went down the funicular again and walked slowly to the merry go round. Then we payed a visit to mummy's favourite coffee shop. After a potato and egg roll at home we wandered around in search for dinner. Grace managed to find paella which made her happy. I had ravioli with 4 cheese sauce. 

On the Friday we packed up and got in the car for La  Guardia. We wandered off exploring after stopping for lunch . It was nice lunch but we got lost and couldn't find the car. When we did get back Jack said he knew where it was all along. 

La guardia is a great place and it's 850 years old this year!! Jack found his new best friend. A man who worked where we were staying kept calling Jack Skippy and giving us lollies. It was funny. 

On Sunday we drove to castle Ruidabella. In the car we ended up eating the remains of my Easter chocolate to get us going, which was all we had until we found McDonald's. Jack was in heaven. 

The castle was quite big with thick walls and terrible wifi. After getting comfortable we walked a long 4.2 kilometres to Vimbodi under false pretence. Daddy said that if we walked all the way we would get some lollies. We all still think he knew there would be no lolly shop. We managed to get an ice cream at a man's shop who by the looks of it was just about to close. The best thing about the castle was the jacuzzi, we were in there for ages. Saying goodbye to the castle after a tour of it which was really interesting we hopped in the car to Canet de Mar. 

We only had a few stops for photos of poppies and wind turbines. Mummy's certain we aren't related to her because of a few moans from the backseat. 

At the campground we tried the pool which was cold when you got in but quite nice afterwards. Grace and I raced the length of the pool and back and Grace  who had stopped to check her toe hopped out of the pool ran to the other end jumped in and swam the rest! After we went to the playground next to the bar which was the only place you could get wifi so mummy was up there a lot. 

At Barcelona after the one hour train trip we went to a huge food market. It had almost everything. At the market we ran into Mrs Woody, Rhys and Josie. Then after we went into a shop called Tiger and also had a look at a building by Gaudi. We only knew that we were catching up with them because Daddy let slip accidentally that we were going to meet them in Barcelona. Before buying lollies we all chose something kind of healthy. I got a pineapple and mango smoothie. It was yummy. 

We finally got back to the camp ground after running through big puddles and getting really, really wet. We were glad to be somewhere dry and warm. 

Lily

I will have to visit Spain next time I come to Europe as we have only had time to visit the Basque region and Catalonia.   They are not in Spain apparently (both are chasing independence).  And we thought North/South parochialism is bad in Tasmania.
I am though impressed by how much of their  power comes from renewable energy - 54%.  Whoever sees Mr Hockey next please tell him wind turbines look much better than coal powered power stations.
Gobsmacked by Barcelona market and could not stop smiling at childrens faces when all the crabs, lobsters started moving and they asked what the tongue, tripe, brain, sheep eyes were.
DK 2721km  to AT 0 but great navigation.
Yes I do have blue nail polish applied poorly to large toenails!
David

On Tuesday evening we walked down to the beach.  To get down to the beach we had to walk through a channel and under the road.  Lily, Jack and I were sliding down the side of it.  It was hard to climb up the side of the channel. Then we had to run to the parents.  Then Lily and Jack started playing a game near the water.  I kept doing cartwheels and falling over.  Then I joined in.  I tried not to get my feet wet but in the end I got them wet.  Our feet started to hurt because instead of sand there was pebbles.  Lily, Jack and I found another channel to slide on.  Jack left after a while.  Lily and I tried sliding down the edge with our eyes closed.........it was fun.  After the walk on the on the beach our feet felt really soft.  

Yesterday we caught a train from Canet de Mar to Barcelona.  We had to stand up all the way to Barcelona.  It took about an hour to get there.  As soon as we got there we started walking one way then Dad said we were going the wrong way.  So we started walking the other way.  After a while Dad admitted we were going the wrong way again.  For lunch we went to bakery.  I had frankfurter croissant.........it was yummy. 

We found a food market........it was really big.  As soon as we walked in we past all the lollies....they looked really delicious.  In some lolly stands there were some lollies made out of marzipan.......they looked really cool.  Then we walked through all the fish stands (they stank).  Just before we left saw a stand with brains, hearts, heads  and tongues (it made me feel sick just thinking about it).  When we were leaving we got to choose a lolly......... I chose a long rainbow sour thing with white stuff in the middle........it was delicious.  

When we were going home it started raining.  We were lucky to get a seat on the train.  When we got to the train station it was still raining.  So we had to run in the rain all the way home.  We had to go through big puddles. When we were nearly home Jack went in a really big one and Dad had to pick him up and run with him.  In the camp ground a few meters from our cabin my pants fell down.

Grace =)

Photos

1 and 2.  La Guardia - celebrating 850 years of being an impressive walled town

3. We screech to a halt every time I see one of these fields

4, 5 and 6.  Castle Ruidabella - we stayed in a turreted tower like real princes and princesses and looked out over vineyards and farms.  The entrance was not so impressive!

7 and 8.  Canet de Mar beach on the night we arrived

9, 10 and 11. Iberian ham, fresh fish, marzipan and chillis at the market in Barcelona.

13.  The day ended in an impressive thunderstorm.  We were dripping as we got home.

14.   i-travelling

....days in the Basque Country ...

Day 34 -35 ... Basque Country

On Tuesday we drove to Guggenheim Museum which is in Bilbao. The Guggenheim Museum is a bit like MONA. I liked looking and going though the sculpture called the matter of time made by Richard Serra.  The sculpture is made out of iron. 

Lily Jack and I got to go though a little maze made of glass ( you had to take you shoes off ).The point of it was trying to the middle of it and pick up the phone inside.  Jack and I banged in to the wall.  The man who went in after us got to the middle and pick up the phone.  

My favourite sculpture was the wish tree. You were allowed to write one.  Mum, Lily and Jack wrote one but Dad and I didn't. After we finished looking at all the sculptures we walked over the road to the park.  It was really big.  A few minutes before we left we got a ice-cream.  We ate it while we were playing ( Jack got his ice-cream all over the slide). 

On Wednesday Mummy found her new favourite cafe it's called GOGOKO GOXUAK.  I had a donut....... It was delicious.  

After we drove to Hondarribia.  We found a park to play at.  When we were leaving Dad drove the car along a bike track (he said he was just checking the car fitted in it).

Grace😄

On Tuesday we drove to Guggenheim Museum which is in Bilbao. We went to see a museum that Mummy said might be a bit like MONA. At first we couldn't find the entrance and when we asked a couple of people where it was they said it was back where we started. 

The first sculpture was called the matter of time. It was a few iron sculptures moulded into tunnels and spaces that you could walk into. It was fascinating looking at them and listening to the audio guide. 

Another really good sculpture was called tulips. It was stainless steel shaped like tulips and in different colours. 

My all time favourite thing was the wishing tree. It was a smallish tree with lots of slips of paper with wishes on them hanging on its branches. Jack, Mum and I made a wish. 

Another of my favourites was a glass maze that you could try and get to the middle. All the kids went in. As soon as we turned the first corner Jack took a wrong turn and ran into the wall. It made a loud noise and was quite funny. It was so loud the whole museum basically shook.  But we didn't get to the middle. When we went in for a second time it was Grace who ran into the wall. 

There was a park next to the museum so after when we left we had a play in the park. The parents said if we stayed in the park for five more minutes we could get an ice cream. Unfortunately Daddy was a bit unfair and said we had eight minutes left and that we had to go back to play. But then he gave in and gave me the money for ice creams. Jack managed to get his all over the slide and himself. Yesterday we went to Hondaribbia. We found an awesome park so we played there for a while. It had huge climbing frames and we played chasing for a bit on them. 

Back at San Sebastian we found Mummy's favourite coffee shop. Grace and I had a doughnut and Jack had a chocolate croissant. Mine was delicious. 

Lily

We drove to the Guggenheim museum. At the museum there was a maze that was made of glass. In the maze me andGrace  crashed into the walls. At the front of the museum was a giant puppy that daddy thought was a cat. Outside there was a playground. 

Jack

I love Spain...I love it because when you get to the end of a toll road there is a man to hand your ticket and money to...a man who smiles, does not reject a genuine euro note, will take any credit cards and is not even interested in Medicare cards. 

I also love Spain as being here means I do not have to deal with Medicare co-payments or the media and therefore everyone can see the stellar media performance by Bastian.

David

Photos

1.  3

2.  Wishing Tree (Yoko Ono)

3.  Puppy (Jeff Koons)

4.  Tulips (Jeff Koons) 

5.  They belong in a circus 

... rest day ...

Day 31 - San Sebastián 

Daddy drove down a road you weren't allowed to. Then he nearly got a ticket. 

Today we had a kick with the ball at the beach. Grace and I ended up swimming in our clothes. We were soaked. 

Jack

No comment or I could blame Margaret.

David

Serious i-business, soccer training on the beach at 7pm (we're keeping Spanish hours already) and a group selfie for Sarah. 

We're liking Spain so far (after we got over the whole driving down the pedestrian mall thing).

Alison