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Out and About in Albayzin

Out and About in Albayzin

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Albayzin is the old Moorish section of town. You remember the Moors, right? They were the Arabic folks who nipped over from Africa to bring arts, sciences and Islam to this area. Then the Christians came, destroyed all the mosques and build churches on top of their remains. So goes
Barcelona Leftovers

Barcelona Leftovers

Before we left for Granada, i had a look through the photos I’d taken in Barcelona to see if there were any stragglers worth sharing. The answer to that question is up to you, I guess.

Above is Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, built for the 1888 World’s

Gaudiland

Gaudiland

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OK, it’s not really called Gaudiland. That’s just me being a smart-aleck.

It’s really called Parc Güell, named for Eusebi Güell who was Gaudi’s patron. He dreamed of developing an English-style garden city on a hillside overlooking Barcelona. Gaudi’s job was to dress it up

Apartment Life

Apartment Life

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Late in life, Gaudi devoted all his time to the Sagrada Familia. So much so, that he lived in his studio in the building. But as a younger man, he was just another working architect, albeit a famous one. Gaudi, build me a mansion. Gaudi, build me a private compound.
A Palace of Music

A Palace of Music

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The Palau de la Musica Catalana got its start early in the twentieth century because a local choral society wanted a place to perform. The result is a world class venue that offers concerts from Baroque to Rock. A lot of them. The hall is active over 300 nights a
Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

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I’ve wanted to see this place for quite a while. When I first came across photos of this crazy church with its fruit-topped spires and wild colors, i knew that it was a something to visit before shuffling off the old mortal coil.

Before Gaudi, i guess the big

Boots n’ Saddles

Boots n’ Saddles

We took a day trip to Wikenberg, an historic Arizona town. Some say that the old town center is the main attraction. Perhaps so. But the major organized attraction is the local museum.

I planned to write a post about the museum as a whole. Then I realized that the

Good Job!

Good Job!

Still, it’s nice to know that they’re trying to protect us from the ducks. ????????????
Art and…

Art and…

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We visited an exhibit of South Asian art a few nights ago. It was interesting but I wasn’t moved to take any photos until I found a dark little room with three Buddha figures.

Bonus! While looking through my photos, I found a door in Roussillon, France. Whatever you

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Seattle had a rare dump of snow a few days ago. We walked up the hill this morning to see what some clever people had done to “improve” the well-known sculpture Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi. That inspired a short end-of-year post to share a few holiday themed photos.

Here’

A Trip to the Zoo

A Trip to the Zoo

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”Hey, let’s check out the Holiday lights at the zoo.”

”What if it rains?”, said no one in Phoenix ever.

There’s nothing special here, just a holiday light show at the zoo. Lots of cities have them, Seattle for example. The difference is being able to stroll the

Indian Schools

Indian Schools

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A look at the arrogant, misguided program to “improve” indigenous people by eradicating their culture.
The Ol’ Dixie Mine

The Ol’ Dixie Mine

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If you put your hand on a hot stove, then do it again, most folks would think you’re a slow learner. On the other hand, they say if you get tossed off of a horse, you should jump right back on.

Where does that leave hiking?

We decided to

Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2

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”Where is Biosphere 1?”, people ask. Unless you’re an astronaut or a billionaire, you’re probably standing on it. Yes, the Earth is the first and original biosphere known to humankind.

So, what’s Biosphere 2? It was an experiment conceived in the 1980s and executed in the early

Only One Mistake

Only One Mistake

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Let me begin by denying that we would ever plan to lunch at a bar frequented by real bikers. Our bar, in Cave Creek, AZ is favored by the more genteel kind of biker, the one who buys a new Harley, adds $15,000 of extra chrome, and never, ever