Barcelona: The food post!

 Casa Delfin: This place was the first spot I ate on recommendation from my great hosts I stayed with. After looking at the daily specials, and not seeing any lamb as recommended by my hosts, I asked, "What is good?" The waiter pointed to "Fish soup". Well, being from the desert.... it did not at all sound good. But I said, when in Rome, oh I was in Barcelona, so when in Barcelona do as the locals do. I did, and it was fantastic!

 Winding around the Market in the Gothic quarter I saw fish stalls, fruit stands and meat stands. Just walking around made me hungry. The quality of the food was apparent, as was the pride and enthusiasm  of each of the vendors. Smiling at me as I walked by, I became more and more accustomed to the strong fish and meat smells. I had enough, I had to eat at this place!  Again with recommendations by my hosts, I tried to find a restaurant they suggested. Well on the corner with a large, u shaped wooden bar, and many small wooden tables I sat down and started to order. My limited spanish was very little help, as I did not need to find the bathroom, or describe where I was from as I would normally do when speaking my adopted language. I started with vino tinto, or red wine. That was easy, but now for some food. I decided on a tactic of pointing at different tapa's on the menu. The bartender sent my order to the kitchen, and then started to carve some cured ham. What I ended up with was the picture above. The ham is on the right, with bread spread with olive oil and tomato sauce in the middle, with grilled squid in olive oil and sea salt on the left. What a great meal, and three very different tastes.

Do you like chocolate? Well I do and another recommendation was Cacao Sampaka. In the upper Ramblas area it was beyond belief. Rows of chocolate bars, drops, and a wide assortment of chocolate with different percentages of coco. In the back was the real surprise. A small restaurant with a bar that served the most amazing thing, hot, thick, drinkable chocolate! The intense smell and taste as the "Cocao Azteca" hit my taste buds was overwhelming, and satisfying. It truly was a one of a kind treat!

Going gaga for Gaudi

I made my way out of the depths of the subway, which by the way is one of the easiest to navigate in Europe in my opinion, and up towering above and behind the trees was Gaudi's masterpiece, Sagrada Famila. It is still 20-30 years before they "think" it might be done. The facade is like one big carving out of wax or some other substance resembling nothing like any other church in the world. Inside as I was walking under its tree branch like columns I noticed  all forms of nature, and it is nature that Gaudi works from. As I navigated the forest I gazed up in wonder. Was this some futuristic alien designed place of worship? Could this actually be alive?  Perhaps it was a living, breathing space craft from another world.  This was worth the flight over here, it is truly that amazing.

Barcelona

Walking around this park with all of the strange and interesting designs, patterns and unique use of tile, one can see the strange world of Gaudi unfold as unreal as something a child may have made. A closer look will have you astonished at the detail, but still leave you feeling you are in an altered world!

Hitchhiking for a long time.

I 40 and its interesting people you meet along the way!

Dinosaurs and mannequins

After a morning hike on the white house trail at 7am, I returned to Thunderbird motel to pack up, ate breakfast, and hit the long road back to Flagstaff. The long and somewhat boring route when one gets to highway 40 must have been the reason so many strange, somewhat alarmingly bizarre roadside attractions were placed here in the first place. As I came over the ridge of another part of the dreary highway the madness appeared. Giant dinosaurs sort of crappy looking, with mannequins hanging out of their jaws, other mannequins posed by rusted out cars and school busses. It was creepy and bizarre and somewhat cool.

Canyon de Chelly

Escaping the desert heat I drove and drove up through Phoenix, and into the cool pines of Flagstaff. I had some great pizza, coffee at an interesting coffee house and just enjoyed the cool weather. I then broke free of the huge population, 50,000 or so of Flagstaff and hit the road East into the Navajo Nation. Heading East on interstate 40 for about 50 or so miles, I then made the turn North onto 191 further into Navajo land I ventured, until I reached my destination. Canyon de Chelly is a natural wonder that is so breathtaking even my photo will only give the viewer a glimpse or suggestion of its true beauty

Plain of the six glaciers trail

I had come near the end of the trial. After the tea house about one more mile and then time to turn around. This shot is on my way back, snow receding now and in the distance the famous Lake Louise. The 8.4 mile hike was rewarded with views that only can be described as breathtaking. Actually at some uphill, snow and ice filled trail areas I was breathless! What an extraordinary, visually sensational area this is. Banff National Park, just west of Calgary in Canada is a true wonder, I hope to go back.