Famous Potatoes

This blog post was going to be about the random things I saw at the Boise Airport.  And I did see some random things.  But, in researching the random things, I realized that Boise has changed quite a bit in the years I've been away.

First of all, Idaho has a state fruit: the huckleberry.  A fruit I've never seen before in my life.  

But by the looks of all of the huckleberry products at the airport, you'd think the state was lousy with them.  I don't think I've ever eaten a huckleberry.  I may have had some huckleberry ice cream.  On the waterfront in Seattle.  Maybe.  Potatoes I've seen.  Potato fields, yup.  But huckleberries, I wouldn't even know where to find them.  

An then there is the Cultural Ambassador:  the Trey McIntyre Project.  I was going to mock the random dancer guy that is our cultural ambassador.  Seriously?  What does ballet have to do with Boise?  But then I looked it up.  And couldn't stop following where each article took me.  I was enthralled.  And completely surprised that no one in Boise had mentioned this guy and his dance troupe to me at all.  

I'm not at all surprised at the friendliness of Boiseans that is mentioned in the articles.  Or that Boiseans are so giving of themselves.  In Boise one smiles at everyone and greets those that pass them on the street.  I miss that.

This one made me laugh.  At the other end of this concourse you have the opportunity to stand on a patch of The Blue (Smurf Turf) with Buster Bronco.  And here, the University of Idaho is giving free Internet to everyone at the airport.  It's like they are saying:  Hey!  There's another public 4 year university in Idaho, it's not just Boise State.  It made me laugh.  Poor Vandals.

Merry Christmas Redux

From

Downtown

Boise

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

from around

Downtown

Seattle

Sofa woes

I purchased this sofa a few years ago.  I purchased it because I've always wanted a red sofa.  And it was inexpensive.  Turns out it was uncomfortable as all get out.  The back cushions didn't come off.  Which made it less roomy for overnight guests.  So I took the batting out and bought a bunch of pillows from IKEA.  Yeah, that didn't add any comfort to it.

Then I put my knee through the corner of it.  So anyone that sat in the corner would sink down a few inches.  I think I liked this sofa all of 5 days before I started to dislike it.   I'd finally had enough last month.  I posted it on Craigslist and tried to get $100 for it.  No bites.  I lowered it to $75 then $50 then free.  Finally at free people wanted it.  

Some high school kids picked it up to use in the lounge area of some dance they were in charge of.  The sofa is tall and awkward to maneuver through my tiny apartment space.   It took them a bit longer than anticipated to get it out of my apartment.  And they almost took out the hall light in the process.

I now have a comfier sofa.  It's not red, but it's also not a pain to sit on.  Yay for comfy couch-potatoe-ing.

A Fall Day in Seattle

Fall in the Pacific Northwest is especially beautiful due to the large amount of trees we have.

These leaves covering this little hill and patch of sidewalk just epitomizes Seattle Fall:  coldish, dampish and colorful.

How all place settings should be:  Here's your napkin and silverware in this mason jar, which, by the way, is your cup for any beverage you choose to consume during your meal.

And to this all I can say is:  You and me both, honey.

Barcelona and me

Barcelona is beautiful.

This is near the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.

It is a really nice area.

With lots of architectural details.

And my phone.  I showed up here with my phone in my front pocket and when it was time to leave I no longer had my phone.  Someone else had it.  They had turned it off or taken the SIM card out of it.


Word to the wise:  spend the $30 on a phone protection app.  I'd gladly trade $30 for the hours I spent on the phone/computer in my hotel room later that night frantically changing passwords in an effort to protect my identity.

Liquid architecture

Apparently the owners of Marques de Riscal winery in Elciego, Spain, after seeing the Guggenheim in Bilbao, contacted Frank Gehry and asked him to design new office for them.  

During construction the decision was made to turn the building into a hotel instead of corporate offices.

There are 43 rooms, at least two restaurants and a library.  The food was yummy, the library was cozy.  

And the view?  The view was spectacular.

Palacio Real

When I go back to Madrid, I'm going back to Palacio Real.  And probably more than once.

We did a couple of drive-bys.

Enough to see that everything is gilt with gold.

And these super cool statues with the umbrellas of passersby.

On Wednesdays there is a changing of the guard.  I'd like to see that.  And the inside.  I can imagine the furniture is impressive.

Capital cities are great cities to visit.   

Moves like Jagger?

Lynda and I attended the Dance with Matt in Barcelona.

Along with about 300 of our new friends (some travelling from as far as Dubai to be there).  (Lynda danced while I precariously straddled a fountain and filmed the event.)

Matt learned the Sardana, the regional dance of Catalunya.

As it turns out, my trip to Spain and me?  We've got a song.  "Moves like Jagger" was ubiquitous.  In stores, on public transit...EVERYWHERE.  And now when I hear it, I think of Spain.  Thanks Maroon 5.  Also:  Adam, please put a shirt on.    

Idiosyncrasies of the Baño

We stayed in a TINY 2 bedroom apartment in Madrid that entirely met our needs as a home base while we explored Madrid. The bathroom had some FANTASTIC features.

Feature number one:  You could sit on the toilet and brush your teeth.  We're talking lean over and spit into the sink while you're doing your 'bidness.'  Who wouldn't want to do that?

Feature number two:  The shower had a window in it.  The window had some wavy semi-privacy glass in it.  I was fairly certain people could make out the outline of me while I showered as they walked by.  I woke up one morning to find Lynda had taped some paper towels to the window.  Stewart ingenuity at its best!

¡Mirala!

After the Flamenco show we headed over to Cibeles and walked down to Puerta de Alacá to get some nighttime photos.  

I've been wanting to see la Puerta de Alcalá since high school.  

King Carlos III had it built in 1778 as a new gate to the city of Madrid.  

The lights went out immediately after I took this photo.  

This song, "Puerta de Alcalá" by Ana Belén and Victor Manuel, is why I wanted to see the monument.  They are singing about all of the things that the monument has seen in all of the years it's been standing.  Much like Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," except several years before that song.  What a cheesy video this is.  I absolutely love it!  ¡Viva los 80!

Coges la manzana...

While exploring Plaza Mayor and the surrounding area, we happened upon a free walking tour of Madrid with Mark (which was great).  At the end of the tour he told us about a flamenco show where we could get a deal.

With their coupon, we would receive a 10 Euro discount each and a free beverage - which ended up being a great deal because a bottle of Aqua Panna sin gas was 6 Euro(!).  

Never having seen a flamenco show before and having nothing to compare it to, it was pretty entertaining.  Lots of good music and interesting dancing.  All of the dancers sang and clapped along with the two guitarists and two male singers.

There were three women and one man that danced.  The man seemed a little to obsessed with showing off his booty bounce for my taste.  And he kept opening up his jacket...as if he was trying to sell us some knock-off Rolexes or something.  

When we were planning the trip, Lynda said she wanted to just happen upon some flamenco dancing as we walked the streets of Madrid.  I laughed and laughed and laughed.   First of all, flamenco is from the south of Spain, not Madrid.  And second, expecting people to be dancing flamenco on the street corners in Spain is like coming to the western US and expecting to see people  riding around on horses and buggies.  Sure you can see it if there is a parade or some sort of holiday but not just...casually...I mean, seriously.  :)  

I told my friend, Juan Antonio, about her desire to see street flamenco and he helped her create her own.  Such a great guy!

¡Para hoy!

11/11/11 was bound to be a big day for la ONCE, the National Organization of Spanish Blind folks - in Spanish the first letters of the name of the organization spells ONCE, which means ELEVEN in Spanish. 


The people selling the lottery tickets stand on corners and scream at you to buy their tickets.  I wholeheartedly believe that this yelling by blind folks is what caused non-blind folks to assume that the best way to communicate with blind folks is by yelling at them...because it is not only their sight that is impaired, but their hearing as well.  

¡Once MILLONES!