http://www.monalia.com Observations on a New Life in Spain Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:27:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have been documenting some of the tangible signs that the global crisis has hit my own little neighborhood of Gracia, and I say with sadness that Mark and I are part of the trend of what can only be described as the changing of the guards. We are lucky ... http://www.monalia.com/tangible-signs-of-the-crisi-global-in-gracia-barcelona/ When our microwave oven started acting up recently we knew it was time to buy a new one. But first I had to try the experiment "for the sake of art" to find out if indeed, an egg will explode in a microwave oven. So before throwing out the old ... http://www.monalia.com/microwave-experiment-in-the-name-of-art/ HAPPY NEW YEAR! Holiday decor, downtown Florence Quixote posed in front of Ponte Vecchio, Florentine Cristmas Tree Happy 2010 from Florence Fireworks over Ponte Vecchio On New Years Eve it was raining, but it did not stop the show from going on... The 2 weeks we spent in Florence ... http://www.monalia.com/christmas-holidays-and-new-years-in-florence-italy/ Click to hear drinking fountain sound The ubiquitous drinking fountains of Barcelona are unique to this city. I am surprised there is not more information easily accessible on the subject. Don't drink from this fountain unless you want to come back to Barcelona in the future. When Mark ... http://www.monalia.com/the-drinking-fountains-of-barcelona/ My morning begins with espresso. I love this sound. We normally get up around 10 am, sometimes earlier sometimes later. Until I here this sound, I do not consider myself to be awake: After coffee and a doggie poo walk we open up our comfortable, air-conditioned Partners in Rhyme headquarters. ... http://www.monalia.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-mona-lia-soundscape/ Tonight my best friend Nicole came out to Gracia to have dinner with me and take in a bit of Festa Mayor. Its good to go out into the festiities early like we did (around 9:00) because a different aspect of the festival is more apparent - the traditional, multi-generational ... http://www.monalia.com/festa-mayor-2009-part-2/ 1) Quixóte posing on the mermaid street sculpture. 2) A close-up from my favorite street. This year's Festa Mayor de Gracia is all about making music and meeting new musicians to play with. Every night we find ourselves jamming with someone new. In the last 3 days we have ... http://www.monalia.com/art-club-barcelona-and-festa-mayor-de-gracia-2009/ When I was four my dad used to read the Divine Comedy out loud to my sister and me as a bedtime story. He would chuckle to himself at who Dante chose to throw in hell, while we listened in terrified silence. We'd try not to look at the frightening ... http://www.monalia.com/dantes-inferno-by-romeo-castelucci-festival-grec/ 1) Mark's perfect dive caught with my iPhone 2) C'est moi!... Je rève. When Mark, Nicole and I made plans last year to meet with our friend L., who lives in Bordeaux, at the villa he had been renting for many years it seemed like a fabulous idea. The three ... http://www.monalia.com/mallorca-2009/ In this first goal for Barça you can hear a few boos as well from the token POMS in the nighborhhood Mass jubilation, cheering, singing, horn honking Barça chant "We are the champions of the world" Horns, screaming, laughing, singing, jubilation Fireworks, screaming ... http://www.monalia.com/barca-2009-victory-soundscape/