Adios Barcelona

Had I been able to keep up with the blog day-by-day, I probably would have more to say about wrapping up our time in Barcelona.  However, writing this 2 weeks after we left leaves me forgetful and not really knowing what to say.  It feels like a lot has happened since leaving.  

Here are some pictures from a fall festival:

Sponge Bob's mouth would open and close up into a slide.
If you look closely at Liam's face he is terrified as the mouth is closing.

We loved the neighborhood we lived in as there were nice playgrounds just blocks away.  It also seemed that every time we went to the playground we found other English speakers to converse with.  We went to the playground frequently as our jobs were keeping us very busy and long excursions were not possible.  The neighborhood also had a "what's mine is yours" attitude.  Children would bring toys to the playground and then everyone would share.  Amelie and Liam enjoyed playing with other children's motorcycles, scooters, sand toys, etc.  I loved the community atmosphere.  Children played while adults were engrossed in conversation.  It definitely made me long for real community for us.  

Another favorite that we discovered about a week before we left were churros with chocolate.  Near our metro stop was a little Churros shop.  We went a couple of times to enjoy this delicious fried snack. On our last visit, the workers played with the kids for a while.  Pulling out an animated bird that repeated what you said and making small talk. It is a good thing that we didn't discover this right away as we would definitely be pounds heavier as a result! :)

Barcelona was our shortest stop.  We barely scraped the surface of seeing the city.  However, what we did see we really enjoyed.  We were impressed by the friendliness of the people who lived here.

Lighting a Candle and Saying Goodbye

You know that feeling when your blood turns to ice with the apprehension that something is wrong, really wrong?  On October 25th, Bobby received multiple messages on Facebook from his sister, Sarah, as well as many of her friends to contact Sarah as soon as possible.  In talking with Sarah we learned that his stepmother, Karen, had been hospitalized.  She has battled a chronic lung disease for years, but was working on getting accepted for a lung transplant.  When we first heard of her hospitalization, we were worried but were hopeful that she has been such a fighter for so long that she would continue to fight and recover.  We were able to talk with her over the phone a couple of times while she was in the hospital.  On one occasion, being a devoted Catholic, she asked Amelie to light a candle for her.

On October 28th, we went to the biggest Catholic church in Barcelona, the Barcelona Cathedral.  We have been to this Cathedral many times.  It is one of our favorite cathedrals that we have been able to visit during our travels.  We headed for the cloister with small chapels, gardens, fountains, and even geese.  We purchased the largest candle available.  Amelie and Bobby, with Liam watching closely, lit the candle for Karen at the Maria of Lourdes chapel, the patron saint of the hospitalized.  We sat on the steps and prayed for Karen as a family.   

The cloister was beautiful.  We knew Karen would love where we chose to light the candle.  Although it was very hard being so far away knowing she was very sick, she continued to cheer us on and encourage us to continue living our adventure and travel.

As we left the church and were heading towards home, we happened upon a violinist playing in a small area outside of the church.  Amelie and Liam ran around while Bobby and I sat deep in thought.

One of our doubts about traveling for a year was confirmed on November 3rd when Karen passed away. She has been a part of Bobby's life for 25+ years. Although she will be sorely missed, there is peace knowing her pain is over. We are taking comfort in knowing we'll meet again some day.

Her funeral is to be held this Friday, Nov 8th.  Here are the words we would have liked to share with her at her service:

"You were an amazing woman!  Your perseverance in the presence of hardship is not easily matched.  Thank you for always being so welcoming of me.   Your example of a peaceful attitude and acceptance with your circumstances has taught me a lot.  You will be missed.  You will not be forgotten.  I am thankful that you are no longer in pain or are suffering." ~Kelly

"One of my first memories of Karen was when I was seven.  We were at my dad's for the weekend, and I was hanging out with my future stepbrothers.  At that age, I was aware that I knew pretty much everything there was to know.  So, when the boys approached me to see if I knew what sex was, I knew that they were making it up.  When they then explained it to me, I was 100% certain they were pulling my chain.  We immediately ran to Karen, and either Stephen or Daniel said, "Mom, tell Bobby that sex is a word."  I'll never forget how ghostly pale her face went, but two seconds later she said, "Yes, but ask your father."  The reason I share that with you was because it is a great example of what a lady Karen could be.  There are so many more answers she could have given, but the mannerisms exhibited when answering me stuck with me all these years. 

If that side of my family is like a bicycle wheel, Karen was the hub and we all were the spokes (dad included).  I have a sister, three step-brothers, and a half-brother, and we have known each other almost our whole lives. We all share a past, but our personalities are quite diverse. At different times, as life has gotten busier, we just like spokes have moved further away from each other.  But the common link that has always brought us all back together has been Karen.  Our hub may be physically gone, but this event and her memory has already forced the spokes close together again.    Karen loved every single one of her "spokes", even, and especially, when we didn't deserve it.  In fact, each of us have had times where it may have been close to impossible to still love us, and yet she did it.

Karen was a devout Catholic, and the Catholic process of sainthood includes having heroic virtue.    If loving this rugged band of misfits called my family doesn't count as heroic virtue, then I don't know what does.  Thanks for the love you have given throughout the years.  We love you Karen, and we'll miss you." ~Bobby

Tibidabo in the Fog

In thinking about what we would do on Saturday, Oct 26th, we remembered that we had to go to the top of Tibidabo to view the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).  This was our last and only chance to have direct transportation to the top.  

Arriving to the T2A bus in the Plaza de Cataluña, we were surprised that we had the bus to ourselves.  We also noticed that the metro was very quiet for a Saturday afternoon.  Once we hopped on the bus, Bobby realized were everyone in Barcelona was.  They were at or watching the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid soccer match.  The bus driver had the game on his radio so he and Bobby talked about the game and team for our ride up the mountain.  Amelie, Liam, and I saw many large screen televisions set up outside on restaurant's patios with the game broadcasting as we drove through the city.  People had on their jerseys with their flags wrapped around their backs.  If the ticket wasn't so expensive, Bobby would have definitely loved to join in the action.  Instead, he was going to visit a church on top mountain with me.  I am glad he loves me so! :)

The church was only open to the public from 18:30 to 20:00.  As we drove up the mountain, the clouds started rolling in and becoming very dense.  One of the draws to Tibidabo are the amazing views.  Unfortunately, we could not see more than 10 feet in front of us.   The kids loved walking through the fog, and were not put off in the least.  This was another chance for me to practice being flexible when the events were not occurring as I had envisioned.  

With a height of 1680 feet, Tibidabo marks the highest summit of the Collserola mountain range that borders the city to the north.   The Temple of Tibidabo's silhouette can be seen from all over Barcelona.    It's Barcelona's version of Sacré-Coeur in Paris.  I like saying Tibidabo.  I learned that the name derives from the Latin Bible verse, Matthew 4:9.  "…et dixit illi haec tibi omnia dabo si cadens adoraveris me" — "And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."  This is because Catalan legend claims Jesus was tempted by the Devil here on top of this mountain.

A 100 year old amusement park neighbors the church.  It was odd hearing the sounds of the rides without really being able to see any.  As any child would, Amelie really wanted to visit the amusement park.  Instead, she was able to walk around the interior of the crypt of the church.  :)

The clouds would part intermittently revealing Jesus.

Can't Miss Out on the Barcelona Beach Action!

Waking to a warm sunny day on October 25th, the Walker's decided we needed to try out Barcelona's beaches.  We exited the metro near Port Olympic.  We checked out Barcelona's fish sculpture, known as Peix in Catalan.  Facing the sea, it is large and eye catching.  We checked out the harbor, and then started walking down the beach towards Barceloneta Beach.  We found a Thai Noodle place that was cheap and delicious for our lunch.  The food reminded us of Doc Chey's in Athens.  After eating, bathing suits were pulled out and beach walking commenced.  We walked all the way to St. Sebastià Beach.  These beaches are the city’s oldest and most traditional beaches which is why we chose to visit these over the others in the city.  We had a wonderful afternoon enjoying the sun, sand, and water.  Amelie and Liam are definitely beach babies and loved the cold water.  Bobby worked with Amelie on learning how to swim.  As I sat watching them, I couldn't help but think how crazy it was that she was learning how to swim in the Mediterranean Sea!  I love the giggling and squealing that happens when we are at the beach. They are too funny!

Changing Plans Worked in My Favor

On Thursday, October 24th, we headed to Plaza de Cataluña to catch a direct bus that drives straight to the top of Tibidabo Hill (Bus T2A).  After searching around the square without any luck of locating the bus, we then finally sought help at the Tourist Information booth.  We found out during winter months the bus only runs on Fridays and Saturdays.  Bobby and I contemplated for awhile about getting as far as we could by public transportation and then hiking the rest of the way to the top.  The two girls in the booth advised us that it was not a good idea and very steep (especially lugging up two little ones).  In addition, it would be 3 transfers (metro, tram, and then funicular).  After deciding that we did not feel like making such an effort, we headed to the center of the square to allow Amelie and Liam to chase pigeons.  Well, actually Liam escaped his stroller while we were finishing up our conversation and had already begun chasing the pigeons before we technically gave them permission. :)  

Being at the top of La Rambla we decided to go for a stroll while enjoying the nice weather.  We decided to walk by the Güell Palace since we were nearby and it was something I wanted to see before we left Barcelona.  After deliberating with Bobby for a while about whether we wanted to pay to go inside, we decided that Amelie (who was free) and I would go inside while Bobby and Liam would do something else for an hour and a half.  It was not our original intention to split up, and I was very hesitant about spending 12 Euros for the tour.  However, I am very glad that Bobby encouraged me to go ahead.  As I stated in a previous post, I have been really interested in architecture especially regarding to Gaudi.  

The tour included a free audio guide for me, and kid version for Amelie.  It was awesome to have descriptions and details in English as we walked around the palace.  Before we took the tour, I had read that one of the special features of this palace built in 1888 was that it had stables in the basement.  In addition, it had an entrance and an exit that the carriages were intended to use which can be seen in the picture below.

Amelie and I were very interested in the basement stables so that is where we headed first.  The round mushroom shaped pillars were important for allowing the horses to move around without getting hurt.   I will not bore you with all of the details, but we loved our experience touring the palace together.  Amelie loved pointing out everything fancy and I enjoyed the dialogue about Gaudi and his designs.  I felt like by doing this tour I could justify not going inside any of his other works.  This was the most cost effective way to learn about Gaudi and his works in my opinion.

This stainglass window was designed by Gaudi with inspiration of the Catalan flag.  

We have noticed the Catalan flags being flown from balconies all over the city.
We had even thought about bring home a Catalan Independence Flag as our representation of our time in Barcelona, but we never found one small enough that would make sense for us to carry around with us.
In the end, we actually didn't buy anything in case you were curious. 

We both loved seeing the pictures of how the rooms looked when inhabited.

Another favorite part of our experience was the roof.  On Casa Batlló, there are a number of really neat chimneys.  I was a little bummed that I didn't get to see them.  However, when I stepped out onto the roof at the palace I was delightfully surprised that there were amazing chimneys!  The sun was setting over the city as we walked around rooftop.  We had so much fun looking up close, admiring the mosaic tile work for each chimney.  The sunset over the city was also beautiful.  Overall, this was a super fun experience!

National Art Museum of Catalonia can be seen in the distance.

After about an hour and a half, we met up with Bobby and Liam.  Our meeting spot was the McDonalds on La Rambla.  You will never guess where we ate for dinner. :)  Dinner was fun as we both shared of our fun experiences from the hour before.  Bobby and Liam had walked to the harbor area and through the local market, La Boqueria, to munch on food.  We ate at the outside tables directly on the Rambla so it was also fun eating at dark when everything gets busy.

So, a change of plans ended up working in our favor today!  I am continually reminded how important it is to be flexible and to go with the flow.  It is a little against my nature as I am a planner and like it when things work exactly the way that I plan them.  This trip has been good for me in that I have had to relax on of my stronger personality traits.  I still have to work on my attitude at times when things are going amuck, but one way to improve is to practice.

National Art Museum of Catalonia

As we discussed what we wanted to see before leaving Barcelona, Amelie suggested the National Palace.  We have admired this building on many occasions.  When she learned that it was an art museum, she was a little put off but still wanted to go.  On October 23rd, with Amelie's approval for a museum day, we raced to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.  The National Palace was built from 1926 - 1929 for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.  I found out that it was meant to be temporary so cheap materials were used in the original construction.  The city loved this building so much that later renovations have been done to replace the materials with more substantial substances.  I found this to be particularly interesting at it is a massive building to be constructed for a temporary purpose.  

We started our visit in the Romanesque Collection area that contains works from the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.   Many of the works here originally adorned rural churches in the Pyrenees and other sites in Old Catalonia.  They set up the rooms to look like the churches.  They also had pictures of the churches from which the murals originated in.  I really enjoyed this area.    

Bobby and I like playing the "what is this painting about" game.  
There was some strange art throughout.  To us this looks like a person is being zapped by eggs.
I am not sure why this would be in a church.

Amelie really likes taking pictures.  I allowed her to use my phone again.
Here she is taking a picture of different ways martyrs have been tortured....Nice....

We walked through the Gothic Collection, Renaissance and Baroque art collection, Modern Art Collection, along with collections of different aristocrats.  It was an expansive museum.  With small kids, you move through these museums at a fast pace.  You cannot sit and scrutinize the works of art.  You glance and you move.  

This was a 3D (hence the 3D glasses) simulation in which you looked a specific features of a church/monument.  Amelie enjoyed using the controls to zoom in and change the day light settings to view the different shadows and more.

Around half way through, we took a snack break is a large concert room.
Amelie and Liam were free to run with no art work being present.
Liam at one point ran to the stairs furthest from us and then sped up to the top before we could stop him.

I liked this portion of one of the paintings.  It made me laugh.  The woman looks exhausted.
What is the baby wearing? Devil horns?  Moms for centuries have been tired. ;)

This painting is from the early 1900's with the construction of Sagrada Família in the background. 

The two pictures at the bottom of the page remind me of something I have been thinking a lot about lately. That is perspective.  I am learning how perspective can be a game changer for outlook, attitude, joy, and so much more.  I began thinking about this while washing the dishes.  The Barcelona apartment did not include a dishwasher; well it did and that was me. Ba-dump-tish!  Seriously though, I started thinking about how I would not complain about unloading the dishwasher when we had one once again.  I would be grateful for the chance to load a machine that did the laborious task of cleaning all of the utensils and dishes that my family went through in a given day.  Loading and unloading the dishwasher seemed very trivial after standing at the sink for at least an hour each day.  I then began to ponder how long would I actually appreciate a dishwasher once I had use of one again.  Would this appreciation last a week, a month, a year?  What other areas of my life will I be more appreciative of once back in the States?  

I have participated in a number of mission trips during my high school and college years.  After coming home from these usually week long experiences, I was always refreshed with new perspectives on life, God, and relationships.  One truth I always walked away with was the joy of those who had so little.  However, within months of being home I feel like I would begin to take for granted the things I promised myself I would not.  I think this naturally happens as life starts to creep in and cloud perspective.  

In talking with Bobby, we think putting ourselves in different experiences periodically throughout our life will be important to help with perspective.  This includes all areas of life: our marriage, our family, serving others, our culture, etc.  I know the example I gave above is a very trivial example, but it helps me see very clearly how important it is to ensure my perspective is where I want it to be.

I also want to be very careful that I am portraying an accurate view of life to my family and friends.  I want my relationships to be deep and meaningful.  I believe this can only be done by painting an accurate picture.  These pictures of Amelie in front of Picasso made me laugh when I saw them.  Amelie was in fine spirits all day (she really liked taking pictures with my phone).  But one of the pictures looked like she was not having a delightful time at all.  This could definitely work the other way around too.  The perspective I portray is important to me.