Diversions

Last fall I bought this puzzle at a school rummage sale. I was not patient enough to finish it.

D. picked up this puzzle at a secondhand sale, but it was new and unopened.
We have already made significant progress.

The box contained two things of interest. One was a glue packet so you could
save your puzzle permanently after completion. We are not planning to use this.

The other thing it contained was a piece of cardboard designed to hold the lid so you could better see the image on the box lid. We are definitely not planning to use this either. Growing up I was NOT allowed to do a puzzle while looking at the picture and this tradition has definitely been passed down. Time will tell, but A. says he does not think he will continue it. 

Family outing

A futbol game at 9am was the only thing on the schedule so we decided to use some more of those coupons and take a trip to Montjuic and the botanical garden. We could have taken a train, metro, and funicular, but we chose a train and then a bus that would take us a little closer to the garden. 

We had a nice view of Plaça Catalunya and Banco de España
(one of the few places to see a Spanish flag in Barcelona).

I hope you aren't tire of laundry pictures. I love taking the bus and looking at laundry!!

The theme of the garden is, "All the World's Mediterranean." It has a collection from
places that share Barcelona's climate. That is why everything looked like Claremont!

Artsy picture with trash can, chairs, and parabolic curve made with straight wires.

bee hotel

The garden received a collection of bonsai trees, which I love to see.
A helpful employee answered lots of questions we had about them.

I think A. took even more pictures of the trees than I did and he would definitely like one of his own.

California Poppies and other wildflowers
photo by A.

Port Jackson Fig
photo by A.

photo by R.

photo by R.

Challenge

Last June I signed up to run the Barcelona Marathon.
The Zurich in the name refers to the insurance company that sponsors the event.

The route goes by a lot of tourist spots, which was fun for the runners
and maybe entertaining for tourists.  Or maybe a big pain in the neck.

I enjoyed being part of the pre-race expo and 

seeing where I would be on Sunday.

Bonus picture of scooters for my younger sister.

This is part of my loot. The women had orange shirts with a picture
of women and the men had grey shirts with an orange picture of a man.

I also received a magazine with all sorts of details and a bit
about mental preparation, like letting go of worries about weather
and "the shape of rivals".  It was like they read my mind.

And then came the big day! I had been training with a long-distance coach and felt prepared (nervous, scared).  I was grateful to have already achieved my first goal, which was to come through the training without an injury.

D. took his bike to Barcelona and found me on different parts of the route.
He brought socks, drinks, food, and sunglasses in case I wanted them.

I am glad there was entertainment for him along the way,
like this group running with the rolling giants.
I like that the giants' shirts match the runners' shirts!

Was this more entertaining for us than for the runner?

The energy from the drumming groups on the route was fantastic.

A. came to town to cheer for me and R. made dinner tonight.
It's great to have a supportive family!

This is now mine!
Finishing was my second goal.

The first half was exactly the pace I wanted and the second half was not. I did not meet my third goal (going faster than I did in Denmark six years ago). I was happy to finish strong and pass a few people who had passed me.

Now it is onto recovery.  Walking to the train was slow and going up and down the stairs was awful. It was nice to stretch my legs on the train instead of having to drive home. Cycling from the station was also slow, but better than walking.

I am trying to decide whether to train for a half-marathon so I can run for the cycle over the course of a year (almost).  I ran a 10K on New Year's Eve, a marathon today, and I am guessing I will run a 5K on Thanksgiving. Something to look forward to!

Highlights

We gave R. a few days to recover from her trip from Massachusetts (glad she got out before the bad weather!) before we headed to Vienna, which seemed like a good place to practice speaking German.

One highlight was reuniting with a friend I met at a youth hostel in 1989!  Having her guide us to places we would not have found on our own was a real treat.  It's hard to narrow down the other highlights, but here are a few.

Photo by A.
Beautiful snowy parks!

Easy-to-understand transportation.

Taking a tram tour of the Ringstrasse.

Seeing Klimt's notes at the MAK.

Enjoying Schönbrunn Palace without the crowds.

Exploring the Technisches Museum, which opened over 100 years ago.
What a great staircase for a Foucault's Pendulum!

Hard to choose just one picture from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which I first visited about
45 years ago and have the scar to prove it!  These are some of my dad's favorite pieces.

There are certainly fewer tourists when the weather is below freezing, but I could imagine visiting the city again when the weather is better for longer walks.