I still heart SF

Ok, so the traffic down the Peninsula can be really annoying, but with this sort of stunning weather, sunroof open, blasting Wolfmother, drinking the lovely hot quadruple latte Thomas makes me every morning, life can't get much better.

all Gaudi, all the time

Friday in Barcelona we did the full Gaudi tour: Sagrada Familia (absolutely incredible-first time I'd been inside as well), then Park Guell (got tip is to take bus 92 which drops you off at the back near Gaudi's house so you don't have to trudge up the hill from either the 24 or worse yet-Lesseps metro. Walking down the hill afterwards was bad enough...), and finally La Padrera.

pets on Las Ramblas

A row of outdoor set stalls sold everything from fish to rabbits to reptiles to an incredible assortment of birds including pheasants, parrots and an array of chickens incl a massively huge breed with Clydesdale-style feet. They also had rodents including these adorable little guys: chipmunks! I had fantasies of smuggling one home on the plane. Indubitably, I still want one!

wed is Avignon

We spent our last few hours in Avignon on Wed wandering around the Palais du Papes before heading to Perpignan to catch our train to Barcelona.

let's get awesome!

Crazy taxi at the train station in Perpignan, where we finally arrived after a 3 hour ordeal looking for the rental car return in that town...