Barcelona Chronicles, Itinerary

The day we landed in Barcelona, we hit the most famous tourist attraction in  Barcelona – La Sagrada Familia. It’s an unfinished architectural marvel by Antonia Gaudi, who had taken inspiration from nature to build the church.  The construction began in 1882 and is expected to complete in 2026. Yes, you read that right, the construction is still ongoing. Imagine that! 

The place was fairly crowded, so we were glad that we had booked the tickets in advance. I would have loved to go on a guided tour but the tours with english-speaking guides were sold out. The audio tour was fairly comprehensive. There were two towers and we took a tour of the nativity tower and the facade was quite stunning. You take the elevator to the tower but climb down by foot, which we didn’t quite appreciate in our jet-lagged and sleep deprived state. 

That evening we went to Park Guell, a park built by Gaudi… it was a fairly long walk from La Sagrada Familia. Poor Ram was completely depleted and so was I.  Let’s say we toured the park dreaming of our room and hotel beds. Before heading to our hotel room, we got our dinner from the boqueria market… and what a treat it was to all our senses…! That night, we all crashed at 7:30 and slept like there was no tomorrow. 

Next day, we woke up nice and early, and hit the streets after a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel. We covered the rest of the Gaudi sites – Casa Mila and Casa Battla. They were quite delightful and we indulged in virtual reality tours here, which was a different experience from the earlier day. Each site took about an hour or so, so it was not draining. The kids were Gaudied-out after a day and half of checking out the monuments. So we explored the market, did some window shopping and soaked in the experience that the city offered. 

The following day, we went to Camp Nou, Barcelona football stadium. We did not purchase tickets in advance but were at the opening time, so it worked out well. Then we headed back and explored the alleys and the marketplace, and generally hung out in the city. 

On the final day, we went to a place called Montserrat, which is a Christian monastery. This place was unanimously voted as the best part of our trip. It is about an hour away from Barcelona and reminded me of Ooty and Kodaikanal back home. There is a beautiful Madonna statue and the place felt very divine and serene. Unfortunately, Da was unwell so we did not hike but it worked out well because doing less was certainly more in this place. By evening we were back close to the hotel. Da rested while the three of us went out for some window shopping and memento purchasing. 

That was all we had the time for! 

The Barcelona Chronicles, First Impressions

8:30 PM 

We wanted to mark Hari’s senior year with a get away and our only option was Feb. break, that too only for 4 to 5 days. Given that every inch of our mindspace was occupied with the college application process until the beginning of January, we scrambled at the last minute to make the trip happen. This was our criteria – no beach, we will not be going to a place colder than where we lived, and if the stars align, somewhere outside the US would be nice. 

And that’s how we landed on Barcelona as our choice. It was off-season but the winter in Barcelona was like spring for us. Barcelona has beautiful beaches but it was hardly beach weather so no such temptation. Finally, the place got us excited with its architecture and the culture. The people that we had talked to raved about the city. 

We travelled from Wed. to Sat. which included the travel days. We stayed in the heart of the city, a few feet away from La Boqueria. On the day we landed, as we walked closer to our hotel, I was mildly disappointed when I saw that we were surrounded by all things we would see in our own home city – Taco Bell, McDonald, Uniqlo, H&M…. of course, we were in a European city, not someplace exotic, what was I thinking to begin with? Then it hit me, I came here looking for novelty, instead what the city offered was familiarity. Once I accepted that, the place had more to offer.  

Some first impressions of the city…

  • We took the metro bus from the airport to the city and were impressed with how easy it was.  We could purchase the tickets with a credit card just as we boarded the bus.That is, no advance purchase needed. The bus itself was state of the art with outlets to charge your cell phones and free wifi. 
  • The locals speak Catalan but language was not a barrier as most people that we interacted with knew english. When we went to Costa Rica, I felt like we came back feeling like the culture and language rubbed on us and I found myself telling muchas gracias back home. But the abbreviated nature of the trip and the limited interaction with locals, left us bereft of that experience. 
  • We were warned that the city is known for theft and robbery and that we should hold on to our belongings… In fact, there are several YouTube videos that give tricks and hacks. We were cautious and were mindful of our belongings but overall the city did not feel unsafe to us. 
  • On the first day, we walked and walked, while being jet lagged and sleep deprived only to realise that cab fares were fairly cheap especially if you considered that the ride was four of us. Lesson learnt! But we did walk a lot on purpose because that was the best way to explore the city.
  • I chuckled a bit when I saw everyone bundled up with winter hats, warm jackets when the weather was in the upper 50s… strange that this is coming from someone who is wearing two layers inside the house in winter. 
  • There are plenty of cafes and small coffee shops that are quaint and delightful. And the hot chocolate there was liquid chocolate… delicious! 
  • That brings us to the topic of food. While we could not take it for granted that every restaurant had a veggie option, it was not challenging to find vegetarian food in general. Our dinner was something that we looked forward to. The kids feasted on empanadas and us on paellas from the La Boqueria market every night we stayed there.
  • And oh the spread of cooked food, fruits, nuts, olives, cheese and chocolates was such a visual delight at the La Boqueria market. 
  • Did I forget to mention how beautiful the small alley ways were…? I could not get enough pictures. 

Those are some first impressions of the city… more to come!

Random updates

We had a gorgeous spring day today. It is hard not to fall in love with this time of the year except of course if you have seasonal allergies. It’s fascinating isn’t it how something that is delightful for some is a nightmare for others. The paradox of life! 

Sharing some random notes from my life…

  • We have budding Anumpam Kher fans in our house. Courtesy, New Amsterdam on Netflix. This show has been the latest indulgence for Ram, Hari and I. The show itself is so so and makes you want to roll your eyes but the characters are growing on us, especially Dr. Kapoor. 
  • The family took a trip to Barcelona during the winter break. I was itching to write all about it but life has been jam packed since then. Let’s just say that I was looking for novelty but ended up with familiarity, and it was equally delightful. 
  • Ram climbed up the ranks in Boy Scouts or rather got his first boy scout rank. I feel very grateful  that he is part of a giving Troop community. He is now what they call a Tenderfoot. 
  • Hari went to his first music concert with his buddies. He had the time of his life! I am glad he is squeezing in some fun here and there every now and then. 
  • All the things that I wanted to do – read, walk daily, workout etc. have gone out of the window. Balance, discipline, and consistency are elusive for me. 
  • Tired of trying to get me to read his short story, Ram got creative to grab my attention. He changed my personal desktop screen with this message, loud and clear, “Please read my short story…” This kid!  What can I say, he knows me too well. And yes, the story was a delightful read.

On that note, have a fabulous week ahead.

Milestone

The adult child of our house cast his very first ballot today in the town election. Quite exciting! We moved in to this town when he was two and a half years old. It feels like a full circle moment. The folks who were in charge of the ballot today made him do the first-time voting dance to mark the occasion. It can be whatever you want it to be and our child did a goal scoring victory dance. It made the special occasion even more special.

Little Moments Thursday

Hiya folks! How is your February coming along? Mine is going ok. Just hunkered down, keeping up with day to day stuff. Every once in a while I get the winter blues but now that we are in the second week of February, spring feels around the corner. That will keep me going. Let’s recount our little moments of wonder and joy, shall we? 

  • The temperatures dipped to -9 degrees in our part of the world last weekend. After ages, we turned the fireplace on… I can’t tell you the magic of huddling together close to the fireplace. It’s quite something, almost making the subzero temperature worth it. 
  • The temperature soared from -9 to 43 on Sunday… and it felt so good to hear the chirping of the birds. For the first time I wondered how very dull, boring and lonely the universe would have been if it were only made of human species. The chirping and tweeting made me so happy!
  • Trader’s Joe has been methodically adding one Indian snack after the other – first it was garlic naan crackers, then came an avatar of murukku and mixture, and guess what I found today? Papadam. Needless to say, they cost a boatload of money but what is not to love about mainstreaming Indian snacks. 
  • I am doing a one month meditation challenge. Truth be told, it is not a challenge, rather a pleasure that I look forward to. Very low-key 5-min activity, a pocket of calm that I so cherish. 

Alright take care, would love to know what little moments filled your week.

Karate

Ram has been learning karate for the past few years and he loves it.  His teacher offered a complimentary one-month session for parents. As someone who is utterly clueless about the martial art form and what my offspring is learning, I had to make use of this opportunity. 

Over the past month, I have learnt a ton about karate and saw so many parallels between this martial art form and bharatanatyam. Like how in bharatanatyam, you pay respect to the stage, the teacher, the powers above, and the audience, in karate you treat the Dojo with sanctity, you do not wear footwear, and you bow every time you enter and exit. Once you are in the Dojo, you leave the outside world behind and keep your mind clear. Each movement has a purpose, and is designed to defend or attack. Maintaining the right form is critical and it takes years to get it right. You learn the katas through observation and repetition (no recording!). Students at different levels and skill sets learn together, so there is a sense of camaraderie. 

Given all my prior commitments, I know I cannot afford to add 3 hours of one more activity to my plate. So sadly, I chose not to continue but I would be open to the idea of resuming once my bandwidth eases a bit. The thrill of learning a new skill is quite something, not to mention the bonding experience with Ram. I have a new found respect for what he is learning and couldn’t be happier that he has taken to it.

Margazhi Highlight

Some people celebrate margazhi with kolam, others recite thiruppavai. I told myself that this year I will celebrate margazhi by internalizing two Andal dance items I have learnt – Andal kauthuvam and Varanam Aayiram. 

When I set that intention, my desire was to wake up at the crack of dawn and start the day with my dance practice. It did not quite pan out that way due to a combination of weather-induced lethargy in the mornings and a knee that stated in no uncertain terms that it is due for some TLC. However, I did make partial progress. I have built muscle memory for the kauthuvam. It is going to take me longer to internalize and practice Vaaranam Aayiram. With the amazing enabler that technology is, I have a recording of the workshop from last December and it has been such a treat to  review the lessons again and again and again. Except that my own impatience is coming in the way of learning the item. I want to devour it in one gulp rather than savoring it bite by bite. I need to tame my mind. Teach it to slow down and do the work that matters.

Word for the Year

I wanted to pick a word that captures the following themes swirling in my head. 

  • To meander along without stagnating when there are stumbling blocks
  • The quality of being immersed in something
  • Acknowledge the transcendent nature of our lives

The word that I picked for this year is Flow. 

With my habits when I have a setback, I tend to stagnate. Setbacks are bound to happen. When they happen, I want to flow around the stumbling blocks with ease. 

If there is one thing I want to do more of, it is to read. Read like there is no tomorrow. Read oblivious to my surroundings. I know between my need to be productive and the fulness of my days, I will need to start small and build momentum. I hope to get to a state of flow this year when it comes to reading. 

I realize that there are so few things that are within my control. Be it people, circumstances or just life. I want to flow along the path that life takes me trusting the journey ahead instead of dreading over things that I have absolutely no control over.

Best wishes to you as you set your intentions for the new year.

Happy 2023

As you ring in the new year, here’s wishing you the grace to accept who you are, the willingness to learn and evolve to your potential, the time and energy to nurture your spark, the faith and courage to hold you steady in turbulent times, acts of self-care and kindness to others, your undivided attention to the present moment, tiny interactions and little moments to brighten your day, unconditional love and non-judgmental relationships and a community that you feel deeply connected to. Wishing you excellent physical, emotional, mental and financial health.

Onwards and upwards! Happy 2023.

2022 – Year in Review

Taking stock of the year that is drawing to a close. Things that stand out are: 

  • Summer adventure with Ram visiting neighboring libraries. A touch of whimsy!
  • Visiting my brother Satya and family. A bundle of togetherness!
  • Hari travelled out of town multiple times for debate tournaments. Flight of independence!
  • Ram not only spent a week away from us but did so camping outdoors. You go Ram!
  • Ram’s covid symptoms showing up during a hiking trip when he was away from us. My poor baby!
  • Hari turning an adult. Always my baby!
  • Da’s 50-year milestone birthday. The same old kid at heart!
  • Performed for the first time for an audience since covid. Pumped up and energized!
  • Peak Mind by Amishi Jha is the book of the year for me. Your life is what you pay attention to!
  • A Slight Change of Plans by Maya Shankar is the podcast of the year for me. Touched my soul!
  • Schitt’s Creek is the show of the year for me. Laughter and lightness!
  • College visits accompanied by trip to local ice cream shop. Our college adventure!
  • Review college essay after essay. Respect for the child’s tenacity!
  • Ram transitioning to middle school year. And the juggling continues!
  • Ram and Hari saturday morning visits to local bagel shop where they spend time discussing geopolitics I am told. Sibling-ness!
  • Handwritten notes for midterm elections. Better than doing nothing!
  • Helped organise Diwali. Belonginess!
  • A brand new batch of kids to teach at Indian Heritage school. Loving every moment of it!
  • Helped organised programming events at the library. Good to be back!
  • Visit by childhood friend. Truly special! 

And so much more. 

Between the two milestone birthdays in our household, the fleeting and paradoxical nature of time has never been more real to me. I also learnt that even when I thought I was fine working from home and having minimal social interactions, I found myself much happier and energized when I met people. So I need to make conscious attempts to make it happen as succumbing to inertia is the natural instinct.  I also realized how the things that burn me out can have a strong hold on me and I need to deliberately and actively peel myself away from it and carve out a routine and set of habits to help me stay grounded.

The word of the year Galvanise was the most part showed up in my birthday planning for Da. It showed its head here and there, did not define my year as I thought it would. I did somewhat ok on my habits and self improvement goals in the first quarter of the year. Since then it has been a steady downfall and I have not picked myself. It’s getting harder every time to pick myself up so I need to learn from my failings and tweak my methods. 

Regardless of all my lapses, I am thankful from the depths of my heart for the year that has been!