Update

I opened the drawer and instead of special stash of rubberbands I found this.  A. used his own money so I could have as many as I wanted.  On the one hand I appreciate his generosity, but on the other hand I no longer have the joy of finding a rubberband at the base of the kale or around the mail.

The day after I posted about the package arriving in October D. got a message that it was waiting in in the reception area.  Maybe it wasn't worth the 29-day wait, but it was great to have refried beans and I look forward to using the running clothing.

All the mail from the wet envelope dried out.  The running magazine is very thick now, but it is legible and that is good enough for me!

Stiff upper lip

I am trying to have a good attitude.  I loved the mail I got for my birthday and it is fun to see that one postcard mailed from Ohio 31 October arrives on 15 November, but a postcard mailed from New York City 14 November arrives on 18 November.  Maybe the difference is whether it has Spain in the address or only lists the region of Barcelona?

But some things have gone too far.  A friend mailed a package to D. at work and he had notice that it arrived 24 October.  He has filled out paperwork.  He has paid a lot of money.  And customs is still inspecting it.  I think the contents are a coat I left behind, some running clothing, a used book, and popcorn.  I hope they don't send it back.

And then there is the large envelope of magazines and newspaper clippings sent by mom on 1 November.  On 18 November I finally received a note that it would be waiting for me at the post office starting 21 November (I was home when the note arrived so this could have been avoided). Today I went to pick up the package. The person went to look for out. Came back out front. Asked for help. Disappeared for a while. And finally returned with a soaking wet partial envelope wrapped in plastic.  Today was the first day of rain in over two weeks so when did it get wet?  Where is the rest of the envelope?  All I want is my mail in a timely fashion.

Yes, that IS a special section of the Plain Dealer about Cleveland being in the World Series.
How could the mail carriers be so careless with something so rare?

Sigh.  I hope this is the biggest problem of the year.

p.s.  Just checked the mail.  For the whole apartment there was one form letter for a neighbor and six postcards and two letters for me from my younger sister, the trail end of my gift.  Okay, no more complaining.

Closed

Not only are stores closed on Sundays, they also close for several hours in the afternoon.  I assume this is based on the traditional idea of everyone going home for a hot lunch and siesta and in the evening there is only a lighter meal.  The fact that A. has 90 minutes for lunch and everyone has to eat a hot meal supports this idea.

 These signs show that the stores close for lunch and reopen in the afternoon.  Banks generally close at 14:30 but don't reopen!

 When places are closed there are usually some sort of gate that covers the doorway.  Sometimes there is art covering it.  We especially like the one on this newsstand.

 But sometimes there is just plain graffiti.

This is just a sample seen this afternoon when I realized it would make an interesting blog post.  If you visit we can walk around and look for more.

Futbol (or fútbol in Castilian)

The academic system here is made up of primary grades, then ESO 1-4, and then some people get a national baccalaureate degree (and a few people get an international baccalaureate degree). A. is playing with his school team (which is less competitive than the city clubs, but also significantly less expensive) which is broken into two groups, ESO 1 and 2 and ESO 3 and 4. The younger group had three goalkeepers (portero) and the ESO 3 and ESO 4 kids had none. Last year they simply rotated through putting field players in goal. The keepers for the younger team who have been here longer than A. were offered the chance to play up. Guess who is now the full-time keeper for ESO 3 and 4?!

A. is happy to be playing on artificial turn instead of on concrete, which is what we see at most schools. In the background you can see the semi-covered benches of each team, sitting side-by-side. That funny thing sticking up between the benches is a sprinkler, which is used to keep the turf cool so the players so get burned (I am guessing they don't use this feature year-round).

They applauded the parents and shook hands with opponents before the game.

We enjoy going to the games and talking to the parents in a mix of English and Spanish.  I am hoping the weather continues to cooperate on game days!

Stickers

Most fruit and vegetables don't have stickers, but some do.

One of these is not like the others.  See that the one in the upper right is just like what you see in the U.S.?  It is from a kiwi and has a bar code and PLU (price look-up code), which other stickers lack.

This is from something organic (maybe butternut squash, but I am sorry to say I forget).

"Product of our land"
I like the locally-grown stickers and put them on my phone.

Cruise

We had our first visitors!  We met about eighteen years ago when their kid was playing water polo and we would take our kid to games because they got us out of the house and nobody cares if your baby makes noise when everyone else is making noise, too.  We have kept in touch and one parent joined D. on his trip through the Grand Canyon.

There were about 100 people on their cruise, but they toured in groups of about twenty.

They were on a cruise that stopped in Barcelona for a bus tour and lunch. Afterward they had a bit of time before their next event so we headed to the docks.  It was easy to find and gave us a great view of the city.

We did not have much time so we walked to the Maritime Museum, which
is housed in the former royal shipyard, used in the 13th to 18th centuries.

In the window of the museum you can see the aduana, or customs, building.

Our friends brought us persimmons (called sharon,
different from the pointed caqui persimmon) from their tree!

After we said good-bye we took the scenic route back to the train.
This cat had been in different spots around town but has settled in the Raval area.

This is enclosed garden was part of a hospital and now houses institutes and a library (where we checked out seven books for free as long as we return them to a library that is part of the city's system).  It was a nice sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the area.

I tried to capture the beauty, only to be distracted by the graffiti in the center of the picture.

One of the institutes in the building is Institut d'Estudis Catalans,
which was having a microscopy neuro-images exhibition.

What really caught our eye were the tiles.
I think if you click here you it will take you to a link that
you can scroll through a whole 360º of the room.

We were mostly wandering by shops at this point and this caught our eye, too!

chök was in a beautiful old building with a bakery in the back.

And then it was time to head home.  Another good adventure!

Great to see in person

photo by A.

I know I wrote about human towers here, and I know people have posted more amazing pictures, like on this link from one of my sisters, but there is nothing like seeing it in person.  We watched for two hours as two teams (this one and this one) of castellers built towers in traditional but varying styles, accompanied by traditional music that communicates to the people on the bottom what is happening above them.

 Old and young, men and women, tall and short get ready.

 Musicians warming up.

Going up,

last one is up,

and then each layer slides down.

 Each group has its own set of musicians.

 Some kids are there to watch parents and some participate.

Here's the first stage, with the little kid in the foreground waiting to start,

almost to the top,

and hand in the air to signal the completion.

Here is a video D. took of the whole process (celebrating at the end is cut short). 

Then it is time to unwrap and head home.