A quick note...

...regarding comments!

Hi there! Right now we are sitting in a laundromat and access to a couple of computers and a good internet connection is helping us to pass the time. We wanted to thank eveyone who is taking the time to post comments to us...we love to get them! Unfortunately, for a reason unknown to us, sometimes we are unable to pulish some of your lovely comments. Recently we have had comments from our dear friends the Jodi&Josh, and Bet0&Chris. Also, we have often had trouble uploading pictures. It seems that maybe we didn´t choose the ideal site to help us share our adventures. That being said, please keep trying and we will do the same at this end.

Love you all!
Maggie&James

A weekend in Barcelona...

Hey, here's a look at what the Stuhans are up to this weekend in Barcelona:

On Friday night we went to an outdoor movie screening that is held on Montjuic, a hill in the middle of the city that straddles the ocean. It was part of a film festival of sorts, with movies selected from around the world. We saw a French film, The Barbarian Invasions, that we had already seen but we were really there for the ambience. There was a concert before the film, and the movie itself was projected onto a screen that covered the side of the old fortress wall. We are going to go back on Wednesday to see Everything is Illuminated (an excellent movie that everyone should see, thanks Chris!), a film which is based on a book of the same name that we both read this summer. There are buses that run from the plaza below and carry you, your food, your wine, and anything else you can't live without to the top. We could get used to this...

We also went to another of Gaudi's creations during the day on Saturday, the famous Parc Guell. It is a large park that overlooks the city and includes more of the modernist touches for which he is famous. There is a long, undulating bench finished in colorful tiles that runs along an upper vista, and a former home of the architect that has been turned into a museum. The pictures speak for themselves:






Tonight, we are going to see a Brazilian dance show that is part of the summer cultural festival going on throughout the city. It looks like it will be a fantastic show and has gotten great reviews. We also wanted to go see a flamenco performance with Paco de Lucia but the only tickets left were incredibly expensive, maybe next time.

As always, we hope that everyone is well and we hope to post again soon!

¡Hola desde Barcelona!

Hello everybody, we hope that your summer is going well and that it´s a little cooler than it is here. Other than the heat, however, this city has much to offer. We visited Gaudí´s masterpiece in progress, La Sagrada Familia, over the weekend. The picture above shows the general shape of the cathedral, but you really need to see it up close to appreciate the detail. It is in many ways a great cathedral like those which were constructed hundreds of years ago, complete with arches, buttresses, stained glass and all the rest. Nevertheless, it is the revolutionary design inspired by nature which truly captivates the visitors who come from all over the world to see it. There are columns shaped like trees, towers capped with fruits, and animals crawling down the sides of the exterior. It is being built in the old tradition, using only anonymous donations--i.e. visitors´ fees--for financing and skilled artesans for hand-crafted artistic touches. Construction began at the end of the 19th century and is exptected to be conplete in the next 60 years or so (estimates vary).

So, this is where we are living. Currently we are staying with a single woman who rents out two of her rooms to students, and who provides us with breakfast in the mornings before we set out. We bought a fan for our bedroom and can now sleep through the night as we enjoy natural AC--sweat + breeze = cool. Everyone says that the city is experiencing an unnatural heat wave, so hopefully things will be better soon. It sounds as though the weather is beautiful the rest of the year, similar to Phoenix.

Well, we´re off to have lunch in the public market and enjoy an afternoon drink. We wish everyone well and hope to post more entries soon!

A new update...at last!

Okay, so we´ve been a little lazy. Here´s the update for those who weren´t in the loop. We left Ireland for Chicago at the end of June and spent a week with Maggie´s family in the Kanakakee area (hi guys!). We had a great time and, as always, I was overwhelmed by their hospitality. It was nice to take it easy and have a leisurely visit. We ate well and were able to enjoy a beer outdoors during the cool evenings--we were lucky with the weather this year.

Afterward, we set out for Chicago with Frank and Leanne to spend a little time in the city. We visited the Art Institute, the Field Museum, and even squeezed in a performance of Wicked at the Ford Center. Also, the view from the observation deck of the John Hancock Building, recommended to us over that of the Sears Tower, was spectacular! Of course, it was no accident that Taste of Chicago was going on at Grant Park. We stuffed ourselved on BBQ ribs, fried okra, and various ethnic delicacies before finishing it all off with some of Eli´s famous cheesecake.

Of course, we are now in Barcelona after an uneventful series of flights and are happy to report that we are safe and sound. Our first entry focusing on the current locale will follow shortly, and we hope that everyone is well! Also, a warm welcome to new visitors in one horse towns that straddle the border...bienvenidos!