All things EARTH...

[Anita Latte]

Dinner was right on the corner...the OTHER corner of the hotel.

 

 

Notice the clipboard in the upper left corner of the photo...that's the menu. Notice all the pages...again for Catalan, English, and Spanish.

 

Fun atmosphere in this slightly loud and busy, busy place:

 

 

There was a large open bar to our left...

 

 

Everyone got their own first course...I ordered the goat cheese salad...which featured fried goat cheese...mmmmm...love me some goat cheese!!:

 

 

And we shared chicken fajitas:

 

 

Another interesting item of note regarding food service in Barcelona...

 

If your entire table isn't actually AT the table...you will not be approached by the server to order anything. There is none of this...order this dessert for me while I excuse myself...

 

If you aren't sitting at the table...you will NOT be served. There is no come back to the table to find your dish sitting there at your empty chair.

 

The lack of working for tips really makes eating out a much nicer experience than what I've become accustomed to in the States.

 

There is NO RUSH.

 

You can just enjoy yourself...and sit all you want. How refreshing that is!

 

We had a light meal...because we were saving room for dessert...

 

Can you say, Gelato?

[mousey]

Melody,

 

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery!

 

Laurie,

 

I forgot to mention that I love the pictures of you and your hubby! Love your glasses too!

 

Anita,

 

I don't know about white legs...mine are brown! It's from the Cuban blood of my ancestors floating around in me...LOL! I get my coloring from my Dad's side of the family. Mom's side, although her ancestors are also Cuban, but they originated from Spain so she's way lighter complexioned than Dad, my brothers, or I. She definitely has "white leg" syndrome. LOL!

[mousey]

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!

 

Counting down the days...19 to go until the DS is back home in the good old USA!!

Edited July 3, 2015 by mousey

[laurspag]

Hello, all! I'm home today because I somehow ended up with a cold. In July? I never get something like this in the summer. But I'm happy to say that it appears to be short lived one so even though I felt like I had been run over by a truck this morning, I am already feeling much better.

 

Anita, I am learning to love my glasses, and that particular picture. I think it has to do with the fact that I've never had glasses like this, and I am having some trouble getting used to them.

 

I'm used to my white legs, just not used to seeing them next to a white background, lol.

 

I love seeing a lot of wood. Pub atmospheres are something I very much enjoy. I like a lot of different things, but if my husband and I are going to get something to eat, I tend to lean towards a pub style restaurant.

 

I'm not 100% certain if that particular room was considered part of the Safari Club, but that is what the sign said going into that area. I would say that the name felt a little misleading. In any event, I loved that room.

 

It's interesting, because it was a 6 day cruise and rather port intensive. There wasn't a lot of time to just relax and enjoy the ship. Other than the day we boarded, there was one sea day.

 

I find that church fascinating, Anita. I love all those details. I'm fascinated with architecture and home design. I love to see the work and artistry that going into so many older homes and buildings.

 

Your sneakers are cute! I think you found a way of incorporating them into an earth wardrobe, from what you have described. I think the earthy green creates a way to tie them into your wardrobe really well.

 

Margaret, I like the coverup (dress) you found. I've been looking for a new swimsuit coverup for quite some time. I currently have a brown knit one, but I've been wanting something a bit lighter weight, and a different style. Everything seems to be black or white. I found this chiffon shirt type thing in the latest Avon catalog that may work. It's a little earthy, and a lot...not?

 

My brown swimsuit is too big now, but the swimdress with white, teal and brown seems okay still. The animal print swimdress still fits, and actually fits nicer because it was a bit tight before. The skirt part seems a bit long though. Normally, I would never try taking in or altering swimsuit fabric as I don't have a serger. But this is just a hem on the skirt part, so I may give it a try.

[laurspag]

Melody, I hope you are feeling better! It sounds like your surgery went well, even if they found more than what they were expecting. Get well soon.

 

Mousey, I'm sure you must be excited to have your son coming home soon. I think all the college stuff is help us get used to them being off on their own, you know?

[laurspag]

For whatever reason, I can't find the post I had saved for our last day of the cruise, so I will recreate it now.

 

As I stated previously, leaving San Francisco late meant an altered itinerary.

 

Instead of arriving in the morning and leaving early evening, we were to arrive in the evening instead. We were scheduled for an excursion and then planned to wander on our own, but the change in timing meant that the tour would take up most of the time we were to be there.

 

The tour we took went through some gorgeous areas, with beautiful homes and fantastic landscaping. I love flowers and the like, so it fascinates me. I can never keep up with the weeds the way these homes did. Of course, they may have had pros come in and take care of their lawns and gardens for them.

 

The second half of the cruise was to Craigdurroch Castle. I'm not sure if I got the spelling right on that. But this was perfect for my love of architecture.

 

I had a jacket on over a cardigan and another shirt. I thought that if I pulled the inner jacket string tighter, it would look better. Not exactly. But I loved wearing the scarf, and feeling that the jacket was part of the outfit instead of something covering the outfit, if you know what I mean.

 

 

We were not able to get any pictures of the homes from the moving bus, but we got a lot in the castle. my pictures are so-so,, but it will give you an idea of the beauty contained on the inside and outside of this incredible building.

 

The outside:

 

 

And many pictures of the wonderful inside:

 

 

Looking down the staircase:

 

 

From one of the upstairs windows:

 

 

[laurspag]

 

 

This pictures gives you an idea of how extensive the woodwork is inside. I fell in love:

 

 

 

And this is pretty much it. We got back on board, and unfortunately, they had closed up the windjammer early and we were not able to make our dining time, so we had pizza in the solarium. I would say that was really the only thing I wasn't happy with on the cruise - that they did not leave more eating options available for us with the adjustment to the itinerary.

 

But it was a wonderful cruise! I'm already looking forward to the next one.

 

I will at least have a weekend in Lake Placid for this fall to look forward to in the meantime.

 

Margaret, you noted wearing more orange these days. I have to say, I have a lot of orange! For me, some of it is earthy and some is more fire, but there is a lot of it. Part of it comes from me being a very loyal fan of Syracuse University, home of the Orange!

[awhfy]

Laurie. Look at Athleta for a swim coverup. They have a beautiful RED hooded SPF50 coverup that's calling your name

[ChollaChick]

Is this the coverup? I love this.

http://m.athleta.gap.com/product.html?dn=ap906170152&dv=1&sdkw=wick-it-wader-coverup-P906170&kwid=1&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athleta.com%2FcommonDomainFrame.do%3FtargetURL%3D%252Fbrowse%252Fproduct.do%253Fpid%253D906170152%2526vid%253D1%2526locale%253Den_US%2526kwid%253D1%2526sem%253Dfalse%2526sdkw%253Dwick-it-wader-coverup-P906170%2526sdReferer%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.athleta.com%25252Fproducts%25252Fbeach-cover-ups.jsp%26sem%3Dtrue&locale=en_US&sdReferer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athleta.com%2Fproducts%2Fbeach-cover-ups.jsp&pid=906170152&sem=false&vid=1

[Anita Latte]

I looked up that castle...fun. It is so difficult for normal cameras to really capture the size of things...I was surprised to see that the castle was over 25K sq ft. WOW. It didn't look so big from the outside...I bet that was great fun to see inside!

 

Sounds like a bit of a bummer for the ending of your vacation, the way that the itinerary was affected and the way that the ship dining venues didn't seem to adjust to the altered state of the schedule for the port...but I'm glad that it didn't taint your overall feeling of your cruise vacay.

 

It sounds like you had a really good time. Thanks for taking the time to share it all with us! I know how time consuming it all can be...

 

We had a fun Independence Day weekend. I think I've shared before DH's 9/80 work week...so Friday was an Off Friday...we had a sort of impromptu party on Saturday. We are getting to know the family of one of DS' friends...and we had them over. We had gone to Alabama to get some very fun fireworks...and they had gone to Tennessee.

 

I'll just say that we pretty much put on a show for the whole neighborhood to enjoy...OMG...we had a lot of fire power in our driveway.

 

Good times.

 

Saturday was our 18th wedding anniversary...which was slightly dominated with taking DS to his first overnight camp.

 

So we are without DS until Thursday.

 

It's pretty quiet in the house today...more like a school day than a summer day...

 

DH took yesterday off work too so that we could have a leisurely evening Sunday and just a relaxing day yesterday...

 

I've almost completely my KonMari of my kitchen and after entertaining on Saturday...and all the cooking that involves...I can say that my kitchen rocks! The ease of working it and cleaning it seems greatly improved...nothing like going to bed with an almost spotless kitchen after entertaining. That's an achievement.

 

Especially after cooking all morning...

 

Anyway...

 

Very cute swim cover up! Athleta is a favorite store/brand of mine...my rash guard is that red color...it's a bit on the bright side and a bit on the muted side...my rash guard has that tone on tone texture blend...which is why I think it kind of works for both Earth and Fire.

 

That cover up has more of a solid look to the material...it would be worth a try Laurie if you liked the style...that red may be Earthy. Or Earthy enough.

[Anita Latte]

We had just finished our dinner...

 

And we were ready for dessert...

 

It was evening time...the sun had set but there was still the lingering light...

 

Here is the terrace of the Bar Lobo restaurant. The floors above with the mini-balconies are Hotel 1898. This little courtyard is on the backside of the building if the front side were facing La Rambla (the big tree lined street):

 

 

The Hotel 1898 is the corner building across La Rambla. There are no balconies over La Rambla or the side street:

 

 

The little buildings lining the middle pedestrian area are all little shops and businesses. The one that we have been staring at for two whole days now...directly across from Hotel 1989...is Jijonenca:

 

 

A feast of Gelata goodness for the eyes:

 

 

 

And for your tummy!

 

 

My picks were "Coco" (Coconut) and "Fresa" (Strawberry)...

 

As tasty as it looks!

 

We took our Gelato to the Hotel 1898 lobby to enjoy...

[Anita Latte]

It was time for packing...

 

It has been a long day...

 

But we had one more sight seeing mission...Mom headed to their room and Dad and I went up to the 7th Floor of H1898...the Pool and Terrace...basically on the roof top of Hotel 1898:

 

 

There is a whole new world up on the rooftop...where you can enjoy a cocktail...or two...and some Tapas:

 

 

And literally lounge in the Terrace Lounge:

 

 

There are nooks and crannies all over this terrace...places for gathering and socializing...all while enjoying the amazing view:

 

 

Not a great picture...but you can see the spires of the Barcelona Cathedral:

 

 

And, of course, La Rambla from above:

 

 

No matter how much we may have wished otherwise...it was time to repack what little I had unpacked...and somehow pack all my new fun Desigual clothing.

 

We would be flying home the next day...

[awhfy]

Is this the coverup? I love this.

http://m.athleta.gap.com/product.html?dn=ap906170152&dv=1&sdkw=wick-it-wader-coverup-P906170&kwid=1&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athleta.com%2FcommonDomainFrame.do%3FtargetURL%3D%252Fbrowse%252Fproduct.do%253Fpid%253D906170152%2526vid%253D1%2526locale%253Den_US%2526kwid%253D1%2526sem%253Dfalse%2526sdkw%253Dwick-it-wader-coverup-P906170%2526sdReferer%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.athleta.com%25252Fproducts%25252Fbeach-cover-ups.jsp%26sem%3Dtrue&locale=en_US&sdReferer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athleta.com%2Fproducts%2Fbeach-cover-ups.jsp&pid=906170152&sem=false&vid=1

 

 

Yup, that's it, on sale for $49. Isn't it cute! I bought it in the turquoise just before that sold out

[awhfy]

Anita, that's a beautiful hotel, have really enjoyed your travelogue! Thanks for sharing your adventures. Melody

[laurspag]

I think I would wear that coverup. It doesn't look too heavy and it sounds quick drying. I LOVE that color!!

 

I have really enjoyed your trip report. It is very inspiring to me. My husband and I were just talking earlier about a travel bucket list. I have Alaska on it and a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I have a lot of US territory I'd like to see too. But to do a transatlantic, and then spend a few days abroad like you did sounds like so much fun!

 

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[Anita Latte]

Our flight plan home was a short hop from Barcelona to Paris and then a direct flight from Paris to Atlanta.

 

IIRC, Mom said that checked bags are included on international flights. I did everything I could to put everything I possibly could into my checked bag. There was NO AIR in my checked bag. I have the largest possible sized carry on roller bag with a single zippered extension to make the bag bigger. It is not a heavy bag to begin with...it has no fancy pockets or support or extra wheels. It's a very cheap piece of luggage to tell the truth.

 

It weighed 40 pounds.

 

Yep.

 

NO AIR.

 

I wore yoga pants...the wide waist band kind. I also wore knee high compression socks and my trusty sneakers that I had been wearing all over. I wore layers on top...a tank with an overlayer of some sort.

 

Comfort was key.

 

We took a taxi to the airport.

 

Here's a different view of the streets of Barcelona...most of the stores were still closed at this time:

 

 

La Rambla from the taxi:

 

 

I do not know how unique the Barcelona airport is internationally...it was very different from any US airport in my experience.

 

First...the airlines do not have permanent check-in counters. The check-in area of the airport could be described as the Dewey Decimal system meets flea market booths.

 

Each check-in station is an individual booth which are all set up in rows facing each other...just like a flea market or trade show. The "booths" are each numbered...the first row are the 100s, then the 200s, etc. There is a board for the check-in booths that lets you know which airlines are working which booths.

 

The concept is similar to finding your Gate for your flight.

 

Find your booth for your check-in.

 

I believe we were in the upper 700s.

 

Security for travel within the EU is very easy. I don't think I had to remove my shoes for instance.

 

When you reach the terminal area...you get to wait...because they do not assign Gates early. Not like in the States where you can see the gate assignments for the whole day...you have to wait in the common area until however many minutes before your flight...checking the board for when they assign your gate.

 

Fortunately...you are waiting in something of a mall.

 

We had quite a bit of time...we like reduced stress travel as much as possible...so we arrive early with a large cushion (or margin of error my DH says). So we could enjoy all these stores...

 

Of course we had to revisit our beloved Desigual:

 

 

Uterque was a new store for us:

 

 

Fringe!

 

[Anita Latte]

We have talked about Zara before:

 

 

I wouldn't think to tuck in a shirt with these flowy printed pants...

 

 

 

Nothing especially special about jeans and a white shirt...but I like seeing the accessories too:

 

 

[Anita Latte]

Massimo Dutti is a store we admired in Malaga...but we were focused on food then and did not venture within...

 

So this is the one that we ventured into here...

 

More FRINGE!:

 

 

 

The leather jackets felt like butter...(Frazier anyone?)...and were surprisingly affordable...IIRC, they were $189 Euros...give or take:

 

 

The colors in these photos is a bit off under the artificial light:

 

[Anita Latte]

When we finally went to our gate...I couldn't resist the display in the gate area...

 

It's Zara again...I'm pretty sure...I was just excited to see great Earth colors:

 

 

 

MORE fringe!

 

 

Our short connection hop to Paris had complementary wine:

 

 

Paris was COLD and RAINY...OMG.

 

Talk about a drastic change in weather with the short flight north.

 

The airport was very clear in directions. We were already in a secured area, being in the gate section...but it felt a LITTLE like going behind the scenes for us to walk over to the other terminal section to get to the international flight to the States.

 

We did have to show our passports here...and I got a stamp the second stamp in my passport book here!

 

And then we were headed to our gate.

 

There was not a lot of time here...however there were just as many shops...the most important shop, however, in the Paris airport is Laduree. OMG...LADUREE!!!

 

Armed with a small box of macaron bliss...we decided to go inside one and only one store...but there was no time for pictures.

 

If you ever read the Vivienne Files...then you have read over and over again about Hermes scarves...

 

There was a Hermes store in the Paris airport...and I had to go in.

 

WOW. Hermes scarves are beautiful. They are works of art...I totally get it now.

 

They are HUGE!

 

But we needed to get back to the gate...

 

Our layover was not long at all...and the next thing I knew...I was sitting in my seat with my very fun and entertaining personal screen of assorted entertainment...and I couldn't resist this early photo:

 

 

Adult beverages are included international flights...so I indulged:

 

 

The flight passed surprisingly quickly.

 

We stood frequently and often walked to the furthest restroom aft to have a bit of a stretch...

 

Staying awake on the short flight to Paris was difficult. Funny how that was...but staying awake for the long flight wasn't difficult at all. Movies made the time pass...I finally saw Frozen and 2 other movies, I think...playing little mind games (Bejeweled anyone?) made the time pass...

 

Eating.

 

I think we were fed 3 times on the flight...

 

I completely understand the appeal of the Eastbound TA and then the Westbound flight.

 

I don't believe I suffered any jet lag.

 

That travel day was a very long day...we gained 6 hours...but I was excited to be home with DH and DS...and I'm pretty sure that I was up until at least midnight...

 

And THAT'S pretty much the end of the trip...

 

Any questions?

[awhfy]

I think I would wear that coverup. It doesn't look too heavy and it sounds quick drying. I LOVE that color!!

 

I have really enjoyed your trip report. It is very inspiring to me. My husband and I were just talking earlier about a travel bucket list. I have Alaska on it and a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I have a lot of US territory I'd like to see too. But to do a transatlantic, and then spend a few days abroad like you did sounds like so much fun!

 

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

 

 

Laurie, it isn't too heavy, dries like a bathing suit & has SPF50 protection. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita& Laurie , I loved the reviews. The made me want to travel more . I am looking forward to my first TA . I have done land trips to Europe before but this is a first by boat . So far the cost has been less than I expected . Of course my three nights in London will really up the cost but I love London .We will be packing in a lot of sight seeing intermingled with Pub visits. I usually do not shop when I travel but may shop on my stop in Spain or Portugal .

[Anita Latte]

For the longest time...I keep trying to get "fun" hair. I wish my hair would be fun, messy looking, layered out and kind of sassy hair. I never really love it enough to maintain it...

 

I was thinking about that...and don't believe the haircut I keep trying to have could honestly be described by my style statement. So I went for the opposite this time...smooth and sleek...which my hair absolutely LOVES to do...

 

So here we go...see how fast my hair grows? (Can you believe I had a long pixie earlier last year?)

 

 

 

 

My hair is also undercut in the back. I didn't know what that was...but it's when they use clippers to give you a not quite shaved section in the back. If I were to lift the back of my hair into a pony tail (if I could) then you would see the "shaved" part.

 

Some people put designs in their undercut.

 

Mine isn't huge, but because I have so much hair, it makes a huge difference in how it lays back there and in how cool, literally, temperature wise, by head feels with less hair on it and my neck more exposed!

 

Ah.

[awhfy]

Anita - love the new style (of course, it's the same that I wear). Exceptionally becoming (& easy to maintain)

[MJC]

Anita& Laurie , I loved the reviews. The made me want to travel more . .

 

Me too!

 

 

 

I love the Zara outfit with the gold jacket and the flowey pants. I've seen the pants a lot with tanks and t's, which is a bit too casual for me for city wear. It reminds me of pajamas a bit. That outfit has a nice balance of tailored/casual that really dresses them up nicely, so they have more of a long skirt effect that I actually could see myself in.

 

Anita, love the hair, love that color on you.

 

Has anyone been to this website? It's an online thrift shop: http://www.thredup.com

 

I was surfing and they have some great bargains, I think:

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/Nicole-Miller-Collection/11/6062306

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/London-Times/10/5903417

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/Donna-Ricco/10/5797281

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/Calvin-Klein/7/5587227

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/Weston-Wear/7/5517627

 

https://www.thredup.com/shop/women/Cocktail-Dresses/Max-Studio/7/4974563

 

I went to this exhibit at the Met today, and it was glorious. There are some great photos on the website of some of the clothing:

 

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/china-through-the-looking-glass/exhibition-galleries

 

I loved this paragraph from one of the galleries:

 

"By integrating references to the Manchu robe, qipao, and Mao suit into their fashions, designers engage in a form of romantic Orientalism that emphasizes the role of dress as a performative act. Their clothes—like those depicted in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Orientalist paintings—allow the wearer to fabricate an alternative identity through a process of cultural displacement. While some may perceive an implicit power imbalance in such costuming, designers are driven less by the logic of politics than by that of fashion, which is typically more concerned with an aesthetic of surfaces rather than the specifics of cultural context."

 

Some of the Tom Ford gowns for Yves Saint Laurent were works of art themselves. Stunning.

[MJC]

The Valentino Shanghai collection from 2013 is all in shades of red. You can see the slide show on the website:

 

http://www.valentino.com/us/women/fashionshow/shanghai-pap_section

 

All the gowns are at the end. They had six or seven of them at the Met. Yum.