Tiddly-pom
The more it snows…
Chilly boxing-day afternoon walk in the snow with my family on Leith Hill, Surrey.
Happy 2011, and keep those toes nice and warm!
Sometimes it’s just better to stay in
Cold, wet winter afternoon. Nothing better for cutting through the gloom than a huge bowl of popcorn, Bruce Springsteen on the stereo and a declaration of love scribbled on the steamed-up kitchen window.
100 Years On La Gran Via
View of Gran Via, looking west to Plaza de España.
100 years ago yesterday, waving a gold and silver pick, King Alfonso 13th inaugurated Madrid’s Gran Via. The principal avenue bisecting the city from East to West is an eclectic mix of architectural influences, from neo-baroque to art-deco to modernist and back again, and boasts Europe’s first skyscraper (the Telefónica Building). This morning it was closed to traffic and crammed with people hoping to get a glimpse of King Juan Carlos, Alfonso’s grandson, launch the festivities to commemorate the avenue’s 100th birthday. My route home from my morning class took me along Gran Via, but I was in a hurry to get back for lunch and didn’t wait to see whether Juan Carlos was waving a gold and silver pick like his grandfather.
End of the Day, Beginning of the Night
I took this picture last October, not long after we moved to Madrid, and it made the wall for the first Wall Project assignment: “City Life”. Madrid is full of quirky little bars, and the place in the photo isn’t exactly typical – in fact its a chain pub, one the 100 Montaditos franchise. The scene, however, is repeated on practically every street in the city, on every night of the week. Whether winding down at the the end of the day, or warming up for the night ahead, the evening ritual is the same: a cold beer, served more often than not with a complementary tapa to nibble on, and then its off to the next place to check out what’s going on there.
While the bars seem to remain packed despite the economic gloom, this year’s particularly persistent winter has emptied the pavement terraces, but the weather over last few days (though definitely not today…) suggests that the long overdue spring is finally on its way and these outdoor tables will soon be full again.
Starting Again (or Back on the Blog)
Doves at Dusk, Jardines de Sabatini, Madrid
It’s a new year (more or less). New decade too. Time to get back on the blog…
