Sunday 27 July 2014

A birth, a wedding, and a gargoyle

The Captain and I have been on the move over the last two weeks.  Diva is safe in the harbour in the Caribbean, but we have been on planes, trains, subways, buses and cars. We've visited family and old friends, and made some new ones along the way, like this friendly looking creature.

She lives on the Arc de Triomphe in Barcelona, Spain.
One of the important stops was in Cardiff, Wales, where the Captain met his new granddaughter for the first time. As you'd expect, Mom and Dad look tired but very happy, and the little one is off to an excellent start with ten perfect little fingers and ten perfect little toes and bright blue eyes.

The Captain meets Verity Scarlett Bella. 
We spent a few nights in Flackwell Heath (where the Captain spent his early years), to celebrate the wedding of Adam and Mandy. They own a great pub in the village where the reception was held and it went on and on and on, with plenty of drinks, food and even dancing.

The atmosphere at the wedding was thick with well wishes and joy for these two.
We got a lift from the ceremony to the reception in the back seat of an Alpha Romeo.
 Apparently it was the first time that four adults had ever been in this car at once.
Because we were already across the pond, darlings, we just HAD to spend a week in Spain, of course. Actually it was cheaper to spend a week in Barcelona than in London, and we ate well to boot.

Fountains in the Placa Catalunya.  It was hot in the city, so catching some spray from the fountains was a good way to cool down.
The city was full of architectural gems, so many doorways and courtyards lead to even more interesting things to look at.
La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that has been under construction for over a 100 years and it is still not finished.
 Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece.
We met up with fellow Jamaicans-by-choice and they introduced us to Spaniards-by-choice, who took us to a corner of the city where tourists never go.  After having been to the cathedral where tourists covered the entire block, half of it just people standing in line to get in, we were even more appreciative to hang out with the locals.

L-R, Nick, Marta, Georgina and the Captain.
The cedars on top of Montjuic were cooler than the city centre and smelled good too!
View over Barcelona commercial harbour.
One evening, a chance glance at my facebook feed lead to a lovely night out with Jayne Davidson, who we met in the islands of the San Blas, Panama.

"Look who we found!"
The National Art Museum of Catalunya, also home to the Magic Fountain, which was one of the highlights of the trip so far.

As usual, we ate well.  We toured the market on Las Ramblas, which had a gorgeous array of fresh and prepared produce, including things like whole skinned rabbits and sheeps' heads!

Delicacies at the market place cafe.
I stuck my toes in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time - much colder than I'm used too!
The Abandon Ship Tour continues in England for a few more weeks, fingers crossed that our luck with sunny weather holds!