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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

" Calle de Petrixol "

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This charming street beside Sta. Maria del Pi church, which I have posted awhile back,
is a narrow alleyway, lined with old houses, garden balconies, antiques and paintings.
But what lead me specifically to this street were its nice, decorative tile designs
with some cute but funny catalan slogans.

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I don't speak their language so, too bad, I can't translate what it means.
they all look the same from afar, but if you notice closely,
each tile is different from the other.

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and then, there's the fascination from reading Carlos Ruis Zafon's = Shadow of the Wind,
which maybe, one of its inspiration while writing the book.

A good way to start Calle de Petrixol is from the church of Sta. Maria del Pi,
You'd find the house of Solingen on your right,
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there's a house number #1 with a plaque that reads Entrada and walk your way towards the end.
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As for me, I couldn't stop taking fotos from left to right.
The historic feel of this path was an interesting treat.

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But I should've warned you before reading this post,
this is overload!
sorry, can't decide which to post. ^0^
I wish I had more info to share, but you get the picture. ^0^

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this was a random shot I got from someone else's roof.

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and to end our short walk,
our good ol' boots infront of a plaque.

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

" Picasso street "

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Haven't got the chance to visit Picasso's Museum,
but lucky enough to have caught this street sign.

btw, here are some things you need to know about him,
he's a painter, a sculptor, an engraver and a ceramic artist.

ps: that blurry one on the right was a passing pigeon.

* where was this *
Passeig de Picasso
infront of Ciutadella Park-BCN

Sunday, August 26, 2012

" Vous Êtes Perdu? "

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~ are you lost?

Paris is filled with street signs and 'you-are-here' maps,
yet at times, you'll bound to get lost and be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Best advice is to ask someone for directions,
look for the nearest Kiosk (newspaper stands),
any reputable establishments ( restos, grocery )
or hotels/hostels.
In my experience, don't ask from a ticket vendor,
they'd give you this long, boring stare and a snubby look, with a phrase like
"Non, Je ne sais pas"- (no, i don't know).
They're basically too tired to tell you where.

2nd, I'm partial when it comes to randomly asking strangers on the street,
you'll just have to go with your instinct.
During our 2nd night in Paris,
we got lost near La Madeleine, we were heading for Champs ELysees,
which is literally at the heart of the city.
I think it's sheer exhaustion from all the sightseeing.
My sister and I, when we're already arguing,
we're like two parrots in high pitch, just yapping.
we couldn't decide which direction to go,
because we're literally walking in circles.

Luckily, a nice french lady approached us and asked if we needed any help.
we instantly said "No! " thinking, she might be a thief pretending to be nice
while someone tries to steal your belongings. ^0^
haha! really paranoid.
Sensing that we're a bit unsure, she sincerely said, " It's just I want to help you both. "
well, we finally gave in and asked her how to get to there.
She was kind enough to point us towards the right path and
even what bus number we should take.
sometimes, the kindness of strangers isn't expected.

* where was this *
Pont Neuf
1st arrondissement
Paris

Friday, August 24, 2012

" Repose "

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taken early in the morning...
would've been nice to have a cup of coffee and watch as people go by.

* where was this *
infront of Cafe Zurich
Plaça Catalunya -BCN

Thursday, August 23, 2012

" Gare St. Lazare "

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A trip to this arrondissement gave us another facade that is not often seen.
It's actually just a few walks from the touristy Opera Garnier and the fame Printemps and Lafayette mall.
This is your ordinary parisian neighborhood, the middle-class kind,
a walk around this part has a less exagerrated feel to it.

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A french architect, Jean Juste Gustave Lisch,
designed this 2nd largest train station in Paris known as Gare Saint-Lazare.

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It recently had this huge makeover inside out,
more inviting and less shifty.
I wasn't able to get inside though,
We had no train to catch and from the outside looking in,
still a lot of sketchy characters (i.e. homeless people, vagrants),
yes, i know in Paris, esp. in train stations they're plenty of them. ^-^

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He also designed the main line of the railway station.
sadly though, some parts has been roughly vandalized.

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* where was this *
8th arrondissement
Gare St. Lazare - Paris



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

" Mairie de Fifth Arrondissement "

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Right infront of the famous Le Pantheon in Paris is this imposing structure,
not sure what this is, forgot it already and can't seem to find it in my notes.

There's a small plaza at the center also.
will show more in my next post...

* where was this *
Pl. du Pantheon
Metro: Cardinal Lemoine
5th arrondissement
Paris

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

" Bar Davos "

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A typical spanish comida ( meal) will surely fills an empty stomach.
But where in Barcelona would you find a suitable lunch that suits your taste and budget ?!

well, it took us 4 days to find one.
The 1st few restos we had were not up to par and because we don't want to waste too much time on eating,
we had too much unhealthy fast foods here and there.
I swear, those fattening foods made me instantly gained weight. ^0^

It was exactly Christmas day, almost all the shops were closed, even the museums.
So, we had a leisure walk along Passeig de Gracia instead.
It was already past 2 in the afternoon and my stomach was already churning.
we head to Bar Davos and saw their Menu del Dia, not too many options but much cheaper compared to
those along Las ramblas.

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We decided to give it a try, but was skeptical at first,
we're not expert when it comes to finding the right resto. ^0^

In a nutshell, great ambiance, nice interiors inspired by the famous football player Davos,
and the food was just ultimately divine !

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a nice cold beer.

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here's what we had:

I had: Canalones Gratinados

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heavily baked with loads of cheese, but delicious.

My sis had: Piña con Jamon Íberíca

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very light and juicy.
but that's just for starters.

For the Main course:

I had: Pollo a la Mostaza

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My sis had: Entrecot a la Parilla

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and because we're light eaters,
we decided to skip dessert as
we were already full. ^0^

Overall, It was so far the best (12.95 euros) meal we had.
simply said...
so glad we gave it a try.

* where was this *
Carrer d' Aragó, 217
L'Eixample
Barcelona