Temps de Flors

Things have been so busy! But finally, a brief update...

In 1954 the people of Girona decided to celebrate the arrival of spring with an exhibition that showed off the artistry of flowers. The exhibit was at one of the local historical sites and a new site was chosen until they decided to unleash the creativity and the festival and exhibits took over the entire Barri Vell neighborhood. My first Temps de Flors was back in 2011 and I thought it was so fantastic. And I still do. Well, the exhibits are quite fun. However, the number of tourists doubled this year and that was not as much fun. Our neighborhood was packed with people from morning to night and sleep was difficult to come by. Things wrapped up last night and I was happy to see peaceful streets full of Catalans this morning. Sorry, French and Dutch people.

I did venture out to early one morning to see the exhibits, so I shall share a few photos of the festivities.

This first photo is of our balcony. The festival began last Saturday and on Friday evening Eston decided we should decorate the balcony. I decided he was right, so we quickly made some tissue paper flowers and used pipe cleaners to tie them to our balcony. The kids loved it. And yes, my balcony garden is going bonkers. Carrots, tomatoes and cilantro can be seen in this photo.

 Aurelia was particularly taken with this exhibit. The headless piano player intrigued her to no end. We visited this exhibit each day on our walk home from nursery school.

Sant Jordi Day

April 23rd is Sant Jordi Day here in Catalunya. This day is only celebrated here in Catalunya, so it is a big deal. I know I have written about the books and roses before, but each year I learn a bit more about the legend of Sant Jordi.

Back in medieval times there was a Catalan village who had to deal with a ferocious beast of a dragon. The dragon lived right outside the village walls and had to be fed, otherwise he would eat one of the villagers. Each day the people of the village would take food to the dragon. A spare hog. A sick chicken. Leftover stew. A dead bird, perhaps. This dragon ate everything in sight and eventually the people ran out of food to give to the dragon. The king decided that someone had to be sacrificed for the good of the village. Everyone wrote their name on a small piece of paper and these were placed in a box, which was taken to the king. Imagine the king's surprise and horror when the name he drew was...the princess. That's right, his very own daughter. Gasp! Now, the princess was a brave girl and she was ready to take one for the team. She marched out towards the dragon as the king cried. She reached the dragon and was preparing herself to be his next meal when a knight rode up on a beautiful white horse. The knight slayed the dragon with his sword and the dragon bled to death. His blood lay in a puddle and strangely enough, a rose bush with shockingly red roses began to instantly grow. Sant Jordi gave one of the roses to the princess and rode off to carry on with his adventures. The village was saved and from that day forth, the day was known as Sant Jordi Day, where all the men of the village would give a rose to their loved one.

Fastforward to modern day and the day is huge festival here in Catalunya. La Rambla is full of florists and the day is also el dia de los libros in the rest of Spain, so that is where the book tradition began. More books are sold on this day than all other days combined, so you can imagine the frenzy on La Rambla as people walk from table to table buying flowers and books. The entire city is packed and it is difficult to get anywhere. It is basically the Valentine's Day of Catalunya, times 10 (because we take holidays and festivals to the next level here in Catalunya!)

My Sant Jordi Day was fantastic, though Rory was in Belgium. We left for school a few minutes early, knowing there would be a bit more foot traffic. Eston purchased roses for his teachers and Aurelia was not about to be left out, so she bought roses for her teachers as well. The teachers were absolutely delighted as it is such a fun day of love and friendship.

Setmana Santa

It is Tuesday morning and life has returned to its normal pace. My parents departed for California on Friday evening and Rory left for Rioja and France on Saturday morning, so the children and I were left with a quiet Easter weekend. 

Before my parents left, we toured the cathedral and surrounding area. My parents had visited before, but it was a beautiful day in Girona and we enjoyed walking around. I do think the cathedral is a good place for kids over the age of four. Eston loves looking at the tapestries and hearing the stories of what happened here over the years.

 My dad purchased Eston a sword on his last visit, so this time around he took Eston to the shop to choose a shield. This purchase made his week and he has been playing with it non-stop as he begs me to tell him another story about the history of Girona. We have a huge history book about Girona and I am slowly (very slowly) reading it to Eston. The book is in Catalan, but thankfully it has some great pictures as well, hahah!

 There are several parades during Setmana Santa and we usually attend the ones that begin a bit earlier in the evening (8pm) instead of the 10pm parade. The kids love seeing the soldiers and horses. 

 On Easter morning the kids were so excited to run around the apartment in search of eggs. They were even more excited to discover the eggs held a jellybean or two! I let them have a bit of candy freedom and they were thrilled. We decided to balance it out with a long walk through town.

The walk tired them out, so we stopped at a cafe for their favorite drink--cafe con leche, sin cafe. Yes, just steamed milk. They go nuts for it. I think they just like the grown-up cups and the process of sitting in cafe and having conversation over "coffee." I had a cup of tea as they ran around the square in front of the cafe.

 We were thrilled to discover that one store was open on Easter. Very odd for Spain, but that's okay. The garden center was open. Kaitlin joined us for a trip out to the garden center, which actually has a bit of everything. The kids love looking at the fish and the ponies. Yes, I told you it has a bit of everything! We spent some of my birthday dough on new plants for the balcony. Eston picked out a ton of veggie plants and he is convinced that we will never have to buy food again. I hope he is right.

We spent the afternoon planting and re-potting things. It took us nearly two hours to get everything the way we wanted, but it was worth it. I am so thrilled with my lemon tree.

Cadaques. Just Go.

Cadaques is one of my favorite spots on the Costa Brava. There is just something about this particular place that brings a smile to my face. I love walking around the town and popping in to various boutiques. It is just about an hour from Girona and located on the gorgeous Cap de Creus peninsula. Many famous artists often visited this ancient fishing village, including Dali and Picasso, which adds to the charm of the rocky streets. Cadaques is now a tourist destination, so I will only visit September through April. The rest of the year the streets and beach are packed with vacationers and it takes away from the character. Visit in the off season if you can!

We left Girona by 9am and made it to Cadaques just a few minutes after 10am. The road to Cadaques is quite narrow, even for European standards, so I like to take my time. It was the perfect day to visit because the sun was strong and the wind was not! It can get quite windy here, so I was grateful for the reprieve. 

Eston and my dad explored the beach and surrounding area while my mom and I did a bit of shopping. Aurelia was at nursery school, so she missed the fun excursion this time around. We enjoyed a nice lunch on the water and then picked up a few fun things for family members back in California. The wind began to pick up at lunch, so I was glad we had arrived in the morning. The drive out of town was just as spectacular, though it was quite busy with tourists coming in for Setmana Santa.

The Volta Catalunya in Barcelona

The Volta Catalunya finished on Sunday in Barcelona, so we decided to make a weekend of it and spent both Saturday and Sunday exploring the city. My parents are visiting from California and we enjoyed a fantastic weekend in the city doing tourist things and watching the bike race.

Where to begin in the city when you have young children? Though we have visited Barcelona many times, I was keen to do something new with the kids. I found a walking tour that caters to families and it was such a great experience! Runner Bean Tours does a great job with their family tour and I highly recommend it. Our guide, Ann Marie, kept all of the children incredibly engaged and the three-hour tour flew by quickly. I learned several new things about Barcelona and it would be a great starting point for any family visiting the city. Eston loved our guide and the tour and asked to do it again.

The port area opposite the Barri Gotic neighborhood is also a fun place for kids. On the weekend there is an artisan market and my children loved wandering around the port and looking at magnificent yachts and sailboats. There are street musicians everywhere and on a sunny day it is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy some live music. Kids can run around the large sidewalk a bit and get out some energy while parents enjoy the views. 

The Barcelona Aquarium is located in the same Port Vell neighborhood. I have mixed feelings about this aquarium, probably due to the fact that we have been to some of the best aquariums in the world. I think this aquarium is a nice option for a rainy or extremely hot day, but I probably would not go otherwise. I think it is a bit expensive and small, so don't feel compelled to go to this aquarium when visiting Barcelona.

The Parc de la Ciutadella is a gorgeous park where kids can roam around and expend a bit more energy. The Barcelona Zoo is also located in this park and is worth a visit if you have an extra morning or afternoon. I struggle with zoos at times, but this one is not half bad. The kids love the dolphin show and there are lots of grassy areas to enjoy a nice picnic. Wear the kids out at the zoo and then take a walk in the El Born neighborhood!

The last stage of Volta Catalunya was in the Montjuic area. This is another fun area where kids can roam freely. The magic fountain is here and my kids watched it for ages. It is particularly lovely at night if you have the time. The Montjuic Castle dates back to the 1600's and kids will love climbing the various steps near it. 

We spent the entire day in Montjuic. The kids were thrilled when Rory arrived on the team bus and then we spent some time wandering around as we waited for the race to come back to Montjuic. We watched the urban downhill and walked around the castle before settling in by the fountain to cheer for Rory. Thankfully the race ended early and we were back in Girona by 5pm. Bike racing makes for long days with children, but it is always easier when it is in a nice area with things for the kids to see and do.

I have really only scratched the surface of things to see and do in Barcelona, but hopefully this post gives visitors a few suggestions for planning!

Dolmen de la Cova d'en Daina

Last Sunday I was going to take the kids out so Rory could rest, but he wanted to join us for a short hike and see how his body reacted. We were happy to have his company and drove about 25 minutes away to visit the Dolmen de la Cova d'en Daina.

I will let you read the little blurb about the Dolmen here:

 The kids enjoyed seeing the cork trees and walking around the Dolmen. Eston understood what it was, though Aurelia is a bit young to truly grasp the concept. We thought we would get a hike in before the rain arrived, so we set off up the hill. Aurelia is keen to hike, so I alternated having her in the pack and having her walk, which gave my back a break. We hiked for a few kilometers before turning around and heading back to the car and it was nice to be out in the woods after weeks of doctor’s appointments, therapy, gym, etc.

We made it back to the car just as it began to drizzle! The dolmen was truly an amazing sight and definitely worth seeing if you are in the Girona area and have a car.

El Agua Mágica

Eston loves his futbol team and it is so fun to watch them play because the kids are having so much fun. However, injuries are part of any sport and kids are bound to get a scrape or scratch somewhere along the way. Now, I don't know how things work in the USA when younger children are slightly hurt during a soccer game. I am not referring to a broken leg, but instead a scrape with a bit of blood. Here in Spain we have...el agua magica.

Yes, the magic water. I did not have a clue about the magic water until Eston started playing and now I see it everywhere. Allow me to explain. Last week Eston collided with another player and somehow received a cut on his arm.  ?? I have no idea how this happened, but oh well. A little blood, but not much. He immediately ran over to his coach, who grabbed a bottle from their team supply and doused the arm with water. Eston ran back to his position and carried on like nothing had happened. This is what occurs anytime a child has a pain or a bit of blood. Enter: el agua magica.

I sit with the other moms during the game (well, I try to sit as I chase Aurelia) and last week one of their children took a pretty good hit to the head. I love the moms here because nobody freaks out--they stay seated and let the coach deal with it, but they keep talking and cheering. The kid was rubbing his head, obviously in a bit of pain, and when he ran over to Victor, our coach, his mom said, "Oh yes, the magic water. That will take care of it, no problem." In Catalan, of course, but it made me laugh. 

Eston and I like to watch the FC Barcelona games, though we usually watch them on youtube on the weekends when we have a bit more time to talk about the details of the game. He has taken a liking to playing goalie and he likes to replay the good saves so he can learn some new things. I now notice that the professional players do the same thing with the water. Blood, bruises, pain...no pasa nada. El agua magica will cure all.

I do appreciate all of the well wishes for Rory. I picked him up at the hospital this morning, though I was there last night from 8:45pm-10:45pm so I could speak with the surgeon. I didn't get to see Rory at that time, but the surgeon said everything went very well. Rory was allowed to leave this morning and I am busy making sure he is as comfortable as possible.

We are back on the futbol field tomorrow for some more action and el agua magica.