Having a blast in Barcelona

What beautiful sights and interesting shapes mark the city of Barcelona. Never before had I seen so much artitsic architecture all in one place! The color, the textures...it was fantastic. It brought out the art lover in me.

After our week on assignment photographing picture perfect rooms while sailing across the Mediterranean on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, we disembarked in Barcelona. We three Asians (Tuan, Dennis and myself), and Melanie and Pam got ready to have some fun on land. Hooray!

We followed Dennis across downtown Barcelona, leading straight to Placa Catalunya.

Then, we steadily marched down Las Ramblas, enjoying the myriad of vendors, newsstands, and street performers.

We headed to the famous el Merkat to check out the fine chocolates--of all shapes and sizes--the colorful candies, and fresh squeezed juices.

Despite the reminder to hold our purses tighly, despite all the chaos and the bazillion bodies crammed into that tiny space, it was easy to get absorbed in the beauty of the market. The shapes and colors and variety of objects were just gorgeous in my mind.

Before long, we had wandered into the Gothic district, finding an pair of musicians camped out behind the Barcelona Cathedral. The woman was in tune with her punjab and the man played an unusual instrument made of a desk lamp, aluminum cans, and rubber bands! He's calls it the biotlata. Listen here:

This was one of the things I love best about travel: stumbling upon greatness. Bravo!

Our crew soon found a neighborhood more my style...El Born (and upon great recommendation by a dear friend, he was right, I just loved it). It was remarkable that what first appeared to be a dark alley lined with graffiti-covered doors soon became a humming artist neighborhood beyond the hours of siesta.

There were dozens of artist studios and shops tucked away along the alleyways. I enjoyed chatting with the artists while browsing their work. What a fun way to shop...

Meanwhile, all that walking made us hungry, which reminds me of another great Spanish tradition...TAPAS! Pam and I sampled the gamut...from microwaved croquettes that looked like dog food to extraordinary plates with crab--and who doesn't love tomatoe con pan!

Tapas are kind of like Korean banchan (side dishes) except you get to pick and choose what you want (and you have to pay for each dish, too). And, it's impossible to try them all.

And while we heard the true great Sangria is down South, we very much enjoyed a little vino to cleanse the palate.

And yes, the chocolate filled croissants were delicious! They sure are tasty when they're all warm and gooey, but they're not half bad cold, either!

(we hear they go well with milk. Moooo).

One of the most famous sights to see in Barcelona is the Segrada de Familia. We hurt our necks trying to stare up at the ceiling too long. It is quite impressive.

Did I mention what a great photographer Pam is? http://www.pammclean.com/

She really does great work. Her website makes me want to go somewhere. Look at her working hard and lugging around all that heavy equipment. It's never as easy at it looks.

  

We had a blast checking out Casa Batillo. The architecture was truly stunning! How would you like to live in a house like this?

We also checked out Casa Mila, another Gaudi inspired creation.. The rooftop structures were super cool. I could look at these sculptures for days.

We also had a nice picnic at Parque Guiell, and we got some great shots for the scrapbooks...

We thought the pillars underneath the structure were far more interesting than the famous lizard.

We had a ball on our trip to Barcelona. Why can't all work be this fun? Everyone photographer!

See you next time, Barcelona!!!

Cruisin' Along

 
The journey of a thousand miles begins in Orlando, with 17 pieces of luggage, a bloody mary and an old colleague named Pam.  Pam and I last worked together taking pictures of snowmen and cute snowball fights and snowshoeing scenes in Vail.  This time, we were headed overseas to set sail on the Mediterranean.  The cruise ship would be our next subject of beauty.

We met in a frenzy, trying to get thousands of dollars of photographic equipment accounted for on the carnet.  We slid past security with just enough time to hit the Delta Sky Miles lounge and toast to a good trip.

We met the rest of our five-person crew at JFK in NYC, on our way to Rhodes, Greece, where we would hop on board the cruise ship.  I made friends with the friendly Greek man sitting next to me, who kindly taught me a few Greek survival phrases.  Many a time I've had this same encounter while flying over the ocean...I met the Shims on my way to Seoul and Mr. Adams on the way to Cape Town. Every time, it's a pleasure.

We had a one great meal in Greece before we boarded Regent's Seven Seas Voyager, a magnificent SHIP (do not call it a boat).  We were greeted with beautiful rooms with great ocean views, plus a bottle of chilled champagne.  Not a bad way to start the work week.

 

We got straight to work, unpacking our 27 bags of gear, scouting locations and casting models.  It was our job to stage and shoot every type of room, plus get some great service shots to showcase the little things: delicious chocolates on your pillow, champagne in your room, and perfectly positioned patio chairs.  There was lots to do...  We had to prep vases of fresh cut flowers, style the rooms, and, the hardest job of all--ironing out every last wrinkle on the beds!  Photoshop can only do so much... 

 

Just like all production days, we worked hard and raced against the clock during daylight hours, enjoying beautiful views of Greece and Turkey and Malta through the window.  The hardest part?  Not leaving the ship, once!  That's right, there was no time to venture off to the ancient library in Ephesus or the historic castle in Rhodes.  By the time we wrapped each day, we were already at sea again!

We made friends with the cruise crew.  It was refreshing to be surrounded by so many foreigners all in one place.  Employees were from the Philippines and India, and from the Netherlands, Spain and Ukraine.  What a joy to meet so many interesting people from all over the globe!  It reminded me of the old days in Vail when the ski and snowboard staff was extremely international.  I had friends traveling from Hungary and Scotland and Australia to come to Colorado to make some turns.  Those days are nearly gone, but the international melting pot is alive and well on cruise ships.  What a great opportunity to see the world!

And while we didn't see much off the ship, we got a pretty thorough taste of life on the ship.  I was amazed at how convenient cruising can be.  You wake up in a new city everyday...and you don't even have to pack and unpack!  They have everything you could ever need on board--haircut, internet cafe, pool, come on!  It's probably the easiest way to travel, and it's a great way to see a lot in a little time.  While it's not really my style of traveling...I've gained quite an appreciation for cruising...especially on such a cushy cruise line like Regent.  It was pretty top notch.  The ratio of employees to guests is remarkably low, so the level of service was surprisingly high.  

And, speaking of luxury, the food was pretty fantastic.  It's quite awesome to run around the ship drinking and eating everything in sight, and not even having to open your wallet.  Nope, and on this cruise, you don't even have to tip!  We had the choice between 24-hour room service, all-you-can-eat buffets and world class dining options.  It's hard to hold back when you get to have a 5-course meal AND a 3-course dessert option.  Hell yeah.  Everyday, they had at least 10 items I wanted to try.  If only there was enough room in my belly!  haha.  I kind of loved the little amuse-bush was well--an appetizer before the appetizer!  

 

 

(this was my Thanksgiving dinner...Mmmm)

  

And with food as the highlight, the sea might be the low light.  I'm not sure I fell in love with sailing.  I've always been kinda a land-locked gal, so, being at sea is kinda strange.  And, since we never left the ship, I might have felt a little cabin fever, literally!  I couldn't help but notice the gentle ebb and flow of the ship rocking back and forth while on board, but the weirdest part was when we got off the ship...I felt reverse sea sickness! It's so strange to be walking around on land and suddenly feel the world sway.  

That said, I still think cruising is pretty darn cool.  It might not be my first choice of travel at this point of my life (plus I think you need a few more dollar bills than I typically budget for travel), but anyone who gets to go on a cruise is pretty darn lucky.  It's a pretty comfy, convenient way to see the world.

Here's to a great crew...Pam, Tuan, Dennis and Melaine...LOTS OF FUN!

Up next...Barcelona!  Time to play.