The Crane & The Cathedral
Friday, March 23, 2007
workshop time!
Just got back from the first day of the second workshop. This one is with a group of folks who work with Vilanova's department of culture, in the City, public libraries, museums, etc. Fun group, and despite the fact that the theme of the stories was left completely open, they all chose to do stories about travel! I think I'm going to get to see a lot of fun European photos (plan my summer vacation) next week.
Andrew came along to help get the computers up to par, and on the way home we stopped off at the gelato place conveniently located halfway between the train station and our apartment (right after climbing all the stairs). It's been closed since October. Question of the day: How do ice cream parlors in Boston manage to stay open year round when they close for 5 months here in sunny Tarragona? I will ponder this over my next few gelatos.
Andrew came along to help get the computers up to par, and on the way home we stopped off at the gelato place conveniently located halfway between the train station and our apartment (right after climbing all the stairs). It's been closed since October. Question of the day: How do ice cream parlors in Boston manage to stay open year round when they close for 5 months here in sunny Tarragona? I will ponder this over my next few gelatos.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The perils of the wind
What is the correct thing to do with a pair of someone's underwear that have landed on our roof? A few months ago, in our other apartment, we lost a pair ourselves when hanging them out to dry and when we came home they were hanging on our doorknob. Don't ask how they knew they were ours. But these, we have no idea whose they are although they're rather pretty.
Monday, March 19, 2007
RENFE and me
I've been avoiding this post, not wanting to complain too much, but I'm afraid the time has come. RENFE is the Regional bla bla bla, basically, the public train system here. And while yes, it can get you almost anywhere you want to go, there's no guarantee it will get you there in time. And it just seems to be getting worse. A few weeks ago, frustrated commuters finally stood in the tracks blocking other trains until someone came out and told them that a train would indeed take them home. The problem has been compounded around Barcelona lately, where they're building the new high speed station and working around the airport as well. It's all kind of a blur to me, but every time I've gone to either Barcelona or Vilanova lately, I've had to wait 30-45 minutes. And then, there's the fact that during rush hours they consistently seem to put on the shortest trains, with only a few cars. This leads to what I call the "Who is the most decrepit?" game where if you are lucky enough to get a seat for the 1.25 hour ride, you must be constantly vigilant, making sure there's not a tottering old woman nearly passing out in the aisle, too proud to ask you for her seat. You can try glaring at the teenagers in the next seats, but that's not too effective. It's just about 20-25 percent of us who keep an eye out, evaluating our own exhaustion and guilt factor with those poor souls standing in the aisle, we've all been there. And then, of course, sometimes I just fall asleep, and I become the most mentally decrepit of all, and I lose the game. It's tough, but somebody has to play it.
I've been avoiding this post, not wanting to complain too much, but I'm afraid the time has come. RENFE is the Regional bla bla bla, basically, the public train system here. And while yes, it can get you almost anywhere you want to go, there's no guarantee it will get you there in time. And it just seems to be getting worse. A few weeks ago, frustrated commuters finally stood in the tracks blocking other trains until someone came out and told them that a train would indeed take them home. The problem has been compounded around Barcelona lately, where they're building the new high speed station and working around the airport as well. It's all kind of a blur to me, but every time I've gone to either Barcelona or Vilanova lately, I've had to wait 30-45 minutes. And then, there's the fact that during rush hours they consistently seem to put on the shortest trains, with only a few cars. This leads to what I call the "Who is the most decrepit?" game where if you are lucky enough to get a seat for the 1.25 hour ride, you must be constantly vigilant, making sure there's not a tottering old woman nearly passing out in the aisle, too proud to ask you for her seat. You can try glaring at the teenagers in the next seats, but that's not too effective. It's just about 20-25 percent of us who keep an eye out, evaluating our own exhaustion and guilt factor with those poor souls standing in the aisle, we've all been there. And then, of course, sometimes I just fall asleep, and I become the most mentally decrepit of all, and I lose the game. It's tough, but somebody has to play it.
