TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

10:19 AM
Posted by jodi rose

so, thought I'd better log in and let you know that I haven't fallen under a freight train. Kept wanting to jump on when they stopped outside the house, but as it would only be a few hundred metres or so before going into a factory or warehouse didn't ever work up the energy.

now have swapped the trains rattling past for church bells, on the quarter hour from 7am, courtesy of santa maria of the sea. She has a lovely church, it's the venue de jour for hip young couples to get married in, so we have at least three weddings a day at peak times. wandered in to the end of one, the photoshoot was taking place at the altar, with groom in kilt and bridesmaids all carrying fans to match their dresses. at least two hens nights per bar going on when we ventured out into the evening, with lasses lining up the cheap cocktails and louche english lads lolling about. ended up in a tiny cute bar/cafe/library with the most decadent chocolate brownie nightcap and waiter with the sweetest smile I've seen in a long time.

slowly navigating familiar paths through a new city, although dodging the tourists takes a bit of getting used to, in this ultra groovy old district of barcelona. a small price to pay for having the best fresh icecream downstairs - mango sorbet exactly like frozen mangoes, chocolate completely sublime - barceloneta beach ten minutes away, and all those atmospheric bars and cafes tucked away in a maze of winding cobbled lanes. tommy tracked down the michelin restaurant vanilla slice supplier, after six months of trying to read the address before the savvy barstaff whipped the paper away, and the source is also literally around the corner - vilamala on languelles. delicious.

but it's not all pastries, sun and drinking, have finally clicked into a good work focus and cranking out the words for various proposals, residencies and articles. something about the heat - finally, summer! - is delicious and helps smooth away all those worry lines.

arrived to a beach party with mojitos and swim in the mediterranean at sunset, watching drag queens in purple wig and silver platform dance to the village people - that's going to put a smile on your face.
also finished reading tony hawks' 'playing the moldovans at tennis', which for a completely ludicrous activity (as a bet, to beat the entire moldovan football team at tennis) had a surprising depth and warmth. something about his optimism and sheer cheek, along with very humble and lovely worldview gave the story a lot of humour and humanity, and a very satisfying structure with a sudden twist at the end. Now that's what I need, something finite, not this endless wandering and meandering along different bridges. Just a little bit further now, just one more bridge, a little longer, you'll get there.

Definitely need an end point. A moment when I can go, yes I've done it. This is finished. Still working on that. And in the meantime, Barcelona is calling.