Posted: July 24th, 2024 | Filed under: Out Of Town
Barcelona and a day trip to the Dalí Theatre-Museum and Girona in Catalonia at the end of April.
For Barcelona, get a Hola Barcelona Travel Card, which affords you unlimited travel across the various transport options in the central part of the city, as well as local bus fare to and from the airport. You can buy them online and scan a code at the ticket machines in the airport.
April 24, 2024
The local bus from the airport drops you off at Plaça d’Espanya:
We spent a little time up at Parc del Turó del Putxet before we could check in:
Thus began a day-long journey to stay awake, starting with La Rambla:
Mercat de la Boqueria:
And the Barri Gòtic/Gothic Quarter:
The Barça Store Canaletes is on La Rambla in the former Hotel Montecarlo, and retains some of the building’s former glory (so worth it to see even if you aren’t interested in Barcelona FC gear):
April 25, 2024
Barcelona is dominated by works from architect Antoni Gaudí and the Basílica de la Sagrada Família is at the top of the list:
Eixample:
Bar El Velódromo:
Avinguda Diagonal:
Rambla de Catalunya:
Another Gaudí, the Casa Battló:
April 26, 2024
Elsewhere in Gaudí, La Pedrera-Casa Milà:
Bar Mut:
Passeig de Gràcia:
Got souvenirs for the folks back home at Caganer Banys Nous:
And learned about the nougat-making process at Torrons Vicens/Museu del Torró i la Xocolata de Barcelona:
April 27, 2024
Cementiri de Poblenou/Poblenou Cemetery:
Nearby La Barceloneta:
El Born:
Bar Boqueria, Mercat de la Boqueria:
April 28, 2024
A rainy side trip to the Dalí Theatre-Museum and Girona leaving from the bus terminal Estació del Nord:
The charming Girona:
Visitors are meant to kiss the “cul” (ass) of La Lleona de Girona:
Except this stopped during covid . . .
The medieval cityscape was used for a lot of scenes from Game of Thrones, and the tours reflect that!
In Figueres the boffo Dalí Theatre-Museum:
Back in Barcelona, Arc de Triomf is near the bus station:
April 29, 2024
Avinguda del Tibidabo:
Museu de la Ciència CosmoCaixa:
Bar del Pla:
FC Barcelona vs. Valencia CF at Barça’s temporary home, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Parc de Montjuïc:
April 30, 2024
Montjuïc:
Fundació Joan Miró:
The Gaudí-designed Casa Vicens:
Exceptional sardines at Lluritu:
Gaudí’s Park Güell:
Bar América:
The stunning Palau de la Música Catalana:
May 1, 2024
And back to Plaça d’Espanya, on the way back to Barcelona-El Prat Airport . . .
Posted: June 2nd, 2024 | Filed under: Out Of Town
February 16, 2024
6:11 p.m.:
6:31 p.m.:
February 17, 2024
7:15 a.m.:
Mormon Trail in South Mountain Park & Preserve:
The Hidden Valley Natural Tunnel:
Fat Man’s Pass (there are pictures online of people squeezing through this — we didn’t try!):
February 18, 2024
7:24 a.m.:
Cotton Lane Citrus U-Pick, Surprise:
6:36 p.m.:
February 19, 2024
7:14 a.m.:
February 20, 2024
Tombstone was the first stop on our side trip through Cochise County, in the southeastern corner of the state:
“Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” reenactment at the O.K. Corral:
Big Nose Kate’s Saloon:
February 21, 2024
Kartchner Caverns State Park just south of Benson (where photography is prohibited to protect the bat population):
Mi Casa Restaurant in Benson:
There are seeming countless billboards for The Thing? all along Interstate 10:
February 22, 2024
Copper Queen Mine Tour in Bisbee:
Here is a toilet:
Other methods of mining at nearby Lavender Pit:
The story behind the evocative name is less exciting:
Quaint Bisbee:
This was shortly after the Valentine’s Day fire on Main Street:
Arizona State Route 80 was once part of US Route 80, the trans-continental highway connecting Savannah, GA and San Diego, CA. Interstates 10, 8 and 20 replaced this highway, which the Wikipedia article notes rivaled US 66 in terms of “American highway folklore.” This was Arizona State Route 80 about ten miles north of Bisbee on the way back toward Tucson:
Sonoran hot dogs at El Güero Canelo in Tucson on the way back to Phoenix:
February 23, 2024
6:17 p.m.:
Posted: May 24th, 2024 | Filed under: Out Of Town
This visit to Mexico City came two years after we first visited there. Then, in August 2021, a lot of things were off-limits or restricted: We couldn’t see the Diego Rivera murals at the Secretaría de Educación Pública and Palacio Nacional, for example. The stunning lobby of the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México was for guests only. The children’s museum, Papalote Museo del Niño was closed. You couldn’t even climb the pyramids at Teotihuacán. So this trip filled in a lot of gaps.
When stuff *was* open in August 2021, it was often at reduced capacity. That was the case at Estadio Azteca and Arena México, the famous lucha libre venue. For example, here’s 2021:
And this was 2023:
Also, *everyone* was wearing masks in August 2021. I recall their vaccination program was in the middle of being rolled out, so maybe that was part of it, but people were even masking outside (which seemed to be winding down in the States by that point, or at least it seemed to me):
And many shops took your temperature and limited the number of people:
So suffice it to say, this was a much different experience!
August 25, 2023
Got in from Oaxaca and enjoyed some chicken from El Pollo Leñero near where we were staying in Hipódromo/Condesa:
August 26, 2023
A Club América Match Estadio Azteca/Aztec Stadium. There are no belts allowed, but there are ad hoc belt check options outside the stadium:
August 27, 2023
Woke up to find that our AirBnB was on the Mexico City Marathon course:
We noticed the line at La Esquina del Chilaquil the day before and returned to try the tortas:
August 28, 2023
Secretaría de Educación Pública:
We checked in at Pastelería Ideal and Dulcería de Celaya for requisite yummies:
El Gallo de Oro:
Capilla de la Inmaculada Concepción de Salto del Agua:
August 29, 2023
Papalote Museo del Niño:
Elsewhere in the Segunda Sección of Bosque de Chapultepec, LagoAlgo:
August 30, 2023
Always love riding the Cablebús:
Palacio Nacional:
Like I mentioned, we caught up on seeing all the Diego Rivera murals we missed out on in August 2021, so we took in many. It was fun to see him insert images of himself and his friends in the murals, but this example — if the guide is to be believed (and I couldn’t immediately confirm this detail) — is, to me, Peak Rivera: he apparently painted himself as the baby here, according to the guide, a symbol of Mexico’s mestizo mixed-Indigenous/Spanish heritage. I have to say, I laughed out loud at this point, having seen him appear in so many of his murals:
Everything is turkey-themed at El Rey del Pavo in Centro Histórico:
August 31, 2023
Museo de Arte Popular, where we saw many types of crafts we encountered in Oaxaca, for example:
Alameda Central is supposedly the oldest public park in the Americas, established by the Spanish in 1592:
La Opera, Centro Histórico:
September 1, 2023
Castillo de Chapultepec/Chapultepec Castle:
On the way back we took a taco walk and scooped up two of the three we were going for (this Eater link was a good guide):
Taquería El Greco, Hipódromo:
Lucha Libre at Arena México:
Then post-match street tacos at Taqueria Los Amigos and El Parrillon de Cortes Argentinos y Mas in Roma on the way back to where we were staying:
September 2, 2023
Jardín Ramón López Velarde and its excellent Monument to Rock:
Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez:
Both and Jardín Ramón López and Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez, just across Avenida Cuauhtémoc on the edge of Colonia Doctores, were established as open spaces after the 1985 earthquake, which damaged the buildings on each site.
Romulo’s serves great seafood, including almejas chocolatas, or chocolate clams:
September 3, 2023
Palacio de Bellas Artes:
Lunch at Restaurante Taquería Los Cocuyos, which features tacos of seemingly any conceivable animal component, including eyes, brains and gizzards. The restaurant expands on the original window stand, located just next door:
Gran Hotel Ciudad de México:
Fresh jugo in La Merced:
September 4, 2023
Ciudad Universitaria:
Jardín Botánico del IB-UNAM:
Ciudad Universitaria was built on an ancient lava bed, and the lava reveals itself all over the area on which the campus sits:
You can get a cheap meal at the student cafeterias on campus. This was at the School of Architecture close to the main administration building:
Went back to Restaurante Taquería Los Cocuyos for one final meal, and did take the plunge to try the eye taco (top taco pictured):
Skateboarders get priority seating on Mexico City’s subways:
And one last chance to grab a sombrero on your way out of town:
