summer

view from couch on up


close-up of hibiscus


first 'real' harvest, almost an entire salad (from left to right: basil, lettuce, parsley, and rucula)


Greek Salad with the ingredients above (minus basil)+ some

Girona Province

here are some photos from Girona for now, I'll add the descriptions tomorrow. Just for once, I'd like to 'send the postcards' before I get home...

Playing with the Giants at Sta. Maria del Mar

N and I played in an event last week at Sta. Maria del Mar. There were more than 3000 people there including the ex-president of Catalunya, Jordi Pujol. It was a part of the 300-year celebration of Queen Elizabeth Cristine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel´s
marriage to Charles VI, which took place right here in Barcelona.
As in most Catalan festivities, it involved many bobbing giants, loud cobla music, some type of a mass, and a human tower. I´m not quite sure how baroque cello music figures into all this, but ok, it was exciting
to participate in something on such a grand scale. Besides, I got some ice cream and slipped into a few stores for sales while waiting for the endless mass prayers and activities. I loved the feeling of being anonymously important, being both tourist as well as local, like a chameleon, knowing and not knowing, changing colors depending on the situation. Cool.







these giants are carried by ONE person. I was told the giants generally weigh near 50 kilos. This man (and all the other men) was not doing obscene things to the queen, but the only entrance into the giant is through the front pelvis area. What makes it worse is that they
need to look out from somewhere in there, so the natural place for a peephole (pun very much intended) is well, near the peehole...


we think this purple giant is the Giant from the near chapel, Sta. Maria del Pi (pun not intended). There is a great nursery song after this particular giant, which M loves.



view from the stage, I mean the altar, looking into the audience, I mean the congregation.

us

midsummer birthday plants

for my birthday this year, my mother-in-law gave me this amazing yellow hibiscus. It's so unusual, I love it. Merci, Montserrat!

Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) - this is an invasive WEED!!! I let it flower as long as I could, but I had to pull it out because it was drinking so much water!!!

but...they're so pretty...

Portulacas - a great low maintenance summer plant

great for hanging basket

I made this big pot of mixed plants for Tia Coloma's 90th birthday party

Coloma's surprise birthday party - Happy 90th!

N's aunt turns 90 this week, so the family decided to give her a surprise party. We housed the event, which means we literally housed the event. People brought food (ALL the food), plates, cups, drinks, decorations, etc...

the women

the men

downstairs, checking out (showing off) the veggie garden

M got some gifts, too

Coloma's arrival





crew

uncle Goel

Martina, a VERY apt juggler!!

Martina

Oriol


harder to light them than blow them out

pretty cake :-)

90 candles for 90 years

Indian princess

per molts anys, Tia Coloma

yes, the kitten is STILL here...anyone? anyone?

the indoor after-meal bar

the Palaus

the gang