Sienna Moonfire Designs

Instead of a complete webtrip to Europe, I offer here a taste of Barcelona. I fell in love with the rambling, flowing city & the pictures I took there show it more than my other pictures (yet could never fully catch it). Maybe I had just gotten up to speed with the whirlwind of colorful places, peoples & foods. The words & pictures don't even tell the story of how Barcelona changed me. You'll just have to go.

Barcelona is gorgeous. I was enjoying Spain (the food was incredible, with Spanish Style Gazpacho everyday), but I just knew I wasn't going to like Barcelona. I hate cities. One of my big peeves is how people say Seattle as if it's the same as saying Washington. Seattle's okay, I'm just not a city girl. Barcelona is mind-blowingly huge. Full of people & hurry, but also delight -- wonderful nature-inspired buildings, so many trees they almost interfered with the pictures, & even some of what might be best about Europe's deep history: car-free roads.

It was all about Gaudí for me, but I sure wish we had such a market here in Oly. With a style of presentation to rival any US supermarket, the Mercat San Josep had entire stalls dedicated to gorgeous olives; to glittering, chewy candy; to hams & salamis the likes of which you have not seen unless you've been to Spain. Bob traditionally gives his brother-in-law a great big salami for Christmas & I can't tell you how much I wished I could have brought one home for Bob this year.

...& the seafood? Wow...

Mmmm...I love markets. I've seen a lot of markets -- fishy wet-floored day & night markets all around the Pacific -- & I'm not saying they should be squeaky clean & set out like a supermarket, but the market of Barcelona is one I'll walk through in my mind for years to come. Wish I could go there right now.