Aventura 33: La Ruta de Chocolate

That first cup of chocolate caliente way back when was the first the first domino of a whole ROUTE of chocolate that I followed with my friend Belén through Barcelona.  We travelled from café to granja to café, taste-testing all the best chocolate caliente we could find.  Although the chocolate changed - bitter, sweet, chocolate chunks, totally smooth, thick, thin - the laughs, comfort, and friendship only strengthened and la ruta chocolate quickly became something more than just a taste-testing exhibition.  It became a moment that I looked forward to every week where I got to pasar el tiempo with my wonderful friend, speaking Spanish while she spoke English, and laughing at everything.  We wanted to turn our route into a chocolate blog.  And not sure if it will come to fruition, but here is  my first entry about that first place that we visited together:

"You know when a memory is so good and wonderful that you can only remember it as if it were a dream? As a hazy image filled with brightly colored smoke and happiness?

Well, this is what happened to my memory of visiting el Public, a café outside of Barcelona that was our first stop on our Route of Chocolate.  This memory is filled with the green of the bright walls; the smell of coffee, chocolate, and flowers centered on the tables; and the happiness of sitting on the comfiest couch that you could only find in those tranquil cafés of the movies or of your dreams.

Yet I think the think that most added to this DreaMemory is the taste, smell, color and happiness of the hot chocolate.  My first time trying chocolate caliente in Spain and I have to say, it was incredible: so hot that you could warm up not only your hands but your whole body when you held onto the mug...a taste of chocolate so rich that you could only smile and sigh in reverence of the drink...so thick that you are drinking it for an hour...a hour full of laughter, interesting conversation, and great company.

This afternoon was when I first discovered the magic of Cataluña’s hot chocolate.  This drink can transform a simple moment of sitting in a café to a moment filled with conversation, happiness, laughter, warmth, comfort, and friendship.  It can transform a simple memory into a memory so great that it can only possibly be a dream.  But no, it’s not a dream - it’s real life.  It’s reality with the taste of chocolate caliente.

For this magic, we decided to create this blog, Colored Chocolate.  We want to share our adventures on our colored chocolate route so that everyone can share in this magic and the dream-like feeling that a simple mug of chocolate caliente gives us."

But even if this doesn't turn into a blog, the memories will still always be with me - along with the warmth of the mug and the taste of chocolate on my tongue.

Aventura 35: Toledo

Saturday. (of that weekend).

I'm staring at my keyboard right now trying to figure out how to write this blog post.  How to express through the internet, through the keys, through photos, through words - the magic that happened in this place - and yet magic isn't the right word even to use.  Well - maybe I can't find the word of what happened here, but something did.  I can't tell you why, can't tell you how, but this city took me so out of my world that it landed me in another one - and that other one has stayed with me since.

Toledo is a land of warmth, home, history, people, friendliness, laundry hanging on outside patios, churches, old stones around your fireplace, sunshine, smiles, ositos with chocolate, a sparkling river, and the birth of the best sandwich: mánzapan.

It's a small town where you can find traces of three religions, three cultures, living together and learning from one another.  A mosque that converted to a church but still retained all it's arabic structures.  Restaurants that serve foods that I've never seen before in Barcelona. A beautiful monastery where 

monks lived and ate and studied and prayed together.  Along with the little monk lizard who lives below the orange trees in the open-air, sun-light, thinking and talking and sharing garden.

But this intellectual curiosity also brings up difficult questions: why does so much beauty often yield so much violence and war? why would someone use a synagogue as a war barracks? what makes you happy? what makes you sad? what is that magic in traveling to a different place, even just a train ride overnight away? will it stay with you as you ride that train home?

I don't know.  I don't know if the "something" stays there or if we take a bit with us. How can you take a city with you? Especially a city guarded by walls, a river, and small hills? Can you really take some of the conviviencia of the city, of the love for other people and cultures, of the warmth of sun and taste of ham, cheese, and apples back to that huge touristy city?  Maybe you don't take it with you, but you are just affected by it and that stays with you.  Maybe when you go back to Toledo you will enter that sphere again, as you walk under the arches into the old part of the city or you board that train from Charmartín to Toledo, and enter that dream-like world again.

Or maybe, just maybe, Toledo has become more of a metaphor than an actual place, and so you can bring it with you...

...wherever you go.

Aventura 32: Consuegra

Remember that weekend with the barbacoa that is definitely on my top ten list? A ver, here is the Friday from it!

That magical combination of windmills, castles, and poetry....

Atrás de la manta de tierra de colors de vino, aceituna y salsa romanesco,

Atrás de la rompe cabezas de techos del pueblo,

Yo veo mis abuelos y mi bisabuelo:

Sancho

Chispas

Caballero de Vergabran

Rucio

Alcancia

Espantero

Se sientan tranquilmente, sin movimiento pero todavía viven, mirando los niños del pueblo y los partidos de fútbol, protegando todos.

Es probable,

      No, es cierto

que han visto muchos cambios en su vida:

un pueble pequeño creciendo

la construcción de las carreteras

el ruido de una ciudad lejana y el tren

la destrucción de la naturaleza

las guerras del castillo a su lado.

Un vecino que también ha vivido mucho cambio.

En su día fue un hogar para los caballeros y las monjas de la Orden de San Juan, una protección grande con reservas de agua

         cocinas

            terrazas

                secretos

pero ahora sólo les protega a los palomas.

A ver mis abuelos desde esta distancia, me fijo en la evolución de la vida.  Antes, ellos fueron lo más nuevos, eficientes y grandes-tan grandes que un caballero se los veó como gigantes. 

Ahora, soy yo quien es lo más alta, suave y eficiente-

he replazado mis abuelos.

Pero nunca voy a olviderles, estos gran sabios que tienen tanta historia y memoria adentro de sus puertas.  Memorias que comparten conmigo en estos día que hacen mucho viento.

    Los suspiros de los días de gigantes y soldados, de un pueblo pequeñito son diferentes hoy - pero todavía existen esas aventuristas, siempre vuelven, si es un hombre raro que luchó contra mis abuelos o unos chicos que se sientan con sus espaldas a mis abuelos, comiendo bocadillos, contemplando el mundo, imaginando sentarse en los nubes o volar con los colors de la manta -

las aventuras nunca acabarán.

Across blanket of land colored with wine, olives, and romanesco sauce

Across the jigsaw puzzles of roofs belonging to the town,

I see my grandparents and my great-grandparent:

Sancho

Chispas

Caballero de Vergabran

Rucio

Alcancia

Espantero

They sit calmly, without movement but still living, watching over the children of the town and the fútbol games, protecting everyone.

It’s possible,

No, it’s certain,

that they have seen many changes in their lives:

a small town growing

the construction of highways

the sound of a distant city and the train

the destruction of nature

the wars of the castle at their side.

A neighbor that has also lived through a lot of change.

In her day she was home to knights and monks for the Order of San Juan, a great protector with huge reserves of water

kitchens

terraces

secrets

but now she only protects the pigeons.

Seeing my grandparents at this distance, I think of the evolution of their lives.  Before, they were the newest, the most efficient, the largest - so large that a caballero saw them as giants.

Now, I am the one who is the tallest, smoothest, most efficient - 

I have replaced my grandparents.

But I will never forget them, these great wisemen who have so much history and memory inside their doors.  Memories that they share with me on those windy days.  Whispers of the days of giants and soldiers, of a tiny town different than today.

But still their exists those adventurists, they always return, whether it’s a strange man who fights against my grandparents or some kids who sit with their backs to my grandparents, eating sandwiches, contemplating the world, imagining sitting on the clouds or flying above the colors of the blanket - 

the adventures will never end.

Aventura 31: Barcelona through new eyes

"True adventure discovery isn't finding new paths...its looking with new eyes."

In the middle of February, Mommy and Katie came to visit me for a whole week! It was so fun to walk around with them and show them the whole city, and I realized that I began to see the city differently through what they noticed.  I had been walking every day by that graffiti painting so I didn't even notice it anymore; but Mommy and Katie noticed it right away and it turned into a funny work of art to point out while we walked by! Or we got to walk all the way up to the top of Parc Guell so they could see the view from there.  I had already seen a view similar to that at Parc del Guinardo - but because they were here we decided to walk up.  Although I had visited the parc before, I had wandered all the way up nor seen the Casa Guell nor seen the dog, Bianca! (Okay, I wouldn't have seen her before either, but still!)

This blog post is for my Mom and Katie - I'm so glad you guys got to come! You were amazing adventure buddies, and you helped me see the city in a different way!  And here are their photos that they took - so everyone can see Barcelona through Mommy and Katie's eyes!

Parc Guell

Lizard, Parc Guell

Palau de la Música

Parc de la Ciutadella

Playa de Barceloneta

Casa Batlló

Carnaval en el Born!

Barri Gótico

Incredible bakeries....

...everywhere you go!

The colorful fruit markets....

and the shining candies!

Can't wait for my new adventure buddies to arrive soon! *cough*MatthewDavidJeanneGagy*cough*

Aventura 30: Caminantes en Collioure

 

Caminante

Caminante, son tus huellas 

el camino, y nada más; 

caminante, no hay camino, 

se hace camino al andar.

Al andar se hace camino, 

y al volver la vista atrás 

se ve la senda que nunca 

se ha de pisar. 

Caminante, no hay camino, 

sino estelas en la mar.

It's hard to translate this poem, as it is all poems, so I don't think I'm going to try.  But the poet, Antonio Machado, writes of an adventurer, a walker, who can't turn back.  He looks back but his footsteps have disappeared - he can only go forward.  I remember memorizing this poem sophomore year of high school in Spanish class, and one interpretation of it was taking full advantage of life and your path and everything that is going on because you can't turn back.

After reading this poem with my group at the tomb of Antonio Machado, I discovered another interpretation - more serious, "muy heavy" like my friend Gemma says. Machado was poet exiled during the Civil War, fleeing to the refugee camps in France that were actually like concentration camps.  He died here in Collioure, and we visited his tomb a few days before the day he died.  He was a symbol for the many people who fleed Spain, especially the intellectuals and artists.  For Machado, he couldn't and wouldn't ever turn back.  He made that serious pilgrimage to France only to look back and see his steps erased forever.  

For the rest of the day, we became our own caminantes and adventures.  Wandering around with Katie and my mom (!) we found a summer village sleeping the winter but still brilliant with color.  A beach with a crepe place right on the water.  An old castle that we could wander around.  And the best part, from the castle I spotted a windmill, and we really started to walk, just in the direction we thought it would be.  Luckily for us, we our footsteps didn't disappear because we had to retrace our path a few times to find this mysterious windmill, but we finally reach it after hiking up a park full of olive trees!

Aventura 29: Restaurante teresa carles

I HAVE to give this restaurant it's own aventura.  I went twice when my mom and sister were here, they went three times, and I'm planning on going at least two more times before my time is up in Barcelona!

Enter the restaurant:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d2075668-Reviews-Teresa_Carles-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Look at the menu:

http://teresacarles.com/

Order for dinner:

Melon and Cinnamon smoothie

Pumpkin and Potato Croquettes

Heart-Shaped Homemade Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

Coconut-Tiramasu Wafer Tower

Order for lunch the next day:

Melon and Cinnamon smoothie

the freshest Minestrone Soup

Pasta with Eggplant Marinara Sauce

Save the dessert for the next time!

Return as soon as you can!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d2075668-Reviews-Teresa_Carles-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Dirección:

Jovellanos, 2

08001 Barcelona

Aventura 28: The Ultimate Adventure Headquarters

If you are ever looking for a seclusive cave to inspire artistic imaginings or a crazy adventure headquarters or a house that you will never, ever get bored of - look no further than Casa Batlló.  This house designed by Gaudí has everything you could imagine and you could never imagine.  The skin of reptiles on the walls.  A terrace that undulates like the waves of the ocean.  Stairs that go up, up, up circling around with a different surprise around everywhere corner.  4 swivel windows that are used like morse code to give signals to your comrades that the enemies are coming from the left - no, the right! Shadows that lurk here and there.....

Chandeliers that look like they were taken from a Dr. Seuss jungle or from an ancient artistic depiction of the sun, giving off shadows that strangely don't match the cut of the lamp itself.

Curves and forms like water or cell bodies or imaginary eyes.  Blue stained glass that changes the look of the world outside.

Bones from the skeleton of a dragon that help hold up the house.

Beautiful combinations of curves, circles, flower-like shapes.  There are barely any straight lines in this house.  

The main living room - or is it the top secret room for decisions made by adventurers?

A terraza that is a mosaic wonderland guarded by the ocean's gates: seaweed wrapping around the fence instead of straight-laced iron.

And if you talk about mysterious doors and windows.........

Combinations of windows, blinds, stairs? Mirrors? Are you looking up or looking down? You can get totally turned around in this house!

A sanctuary in the sky...in the middle of the house?

Or is it a sanctuary in the ocean?

Depends on if you are looking through the shields of glass or not....

It seems like that with this house.  That everything changes depending on what direction your head is turned: right, left, up, down, right-side-up, up-side-down, backwards, forwards, diagonal...

Tilt your head a little, and you will see the reptile skin on the wall shine brilliant colors.

Or walk upstairs and you will be inside the prehistoric reptile - or the vestuario of the greatest ancient athletes of the world.

Walk to the roof, and you will encounter a whole different world.

With crazy imaginings you've never had...

Like riding on the back of a dragon to the end's of the sky.

So you run back down the stairs, as if you are flying on that dragon, flying with the ideas and wonders and creations of this house that has made your wildest dreams actually a reality.