Barcelona

Arrived Barcelona with sunny skies and weather in the 70s. Visited Gaudi’s Casa Milà “La Pedrera”. It is a building that embodies nature—a huge wave set in stone. It has many the same characteristics as Casa Batllo that we visited last time. We wanted to see it because it figures large in Dan Brown’s latest book, Origin 

We noticed many people wearing yellow ribbons and saw them painted on surfaces everywhere.  They stand for political freedom. You can guess that means support for Catalonia to split from Spain. 

And then we returned to Sagrada Família. Started in 1882, it is now projected to be completed in 2024!!  Construction always ongoing. Gaudi spent 43 years of his life on it. He died in 1926 as the result

of a tram aaccident, but his vision continues. 

Finished off the day with Spanish wine, Iberico ham, Spanish manchego and other cheeses, and Catalonian tomato toasts. Yum!!

I Believe.....

in Bigfoot, that is. Lots of tee shirts sport that slogan here. I could even bring a statue of one home with me!!

We explored the Olympic peninsula for a couple days with a visit to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. It was a beautiful day above the clouds. 

This was a light year for snow. They only got 417” of snow. The record was set the winter of ‘98-99 when they got 747” or 62 feet of the white stuff!!

The coffee culture is alive and well in Oregon and Washington State. Besides Starbucks, there are the cutest coffee kiosks everywhere. Especially liked this one. 

We crossed over to Victoria, BC, by ferry and enjoyed the city (and some golf). The parliament buildings are lovely in the evening. 

Sleepless in Seattle?

So much to do in Seattle—visits to many of my favorite places and a first time stop at Geocaching HQ—the geocacher’s mecca!

It’s always fun to stroll Pike Place Market. 

We enjoyed a walk through Pioneer Square before paying a visit to a favorite bookstore—Elliott Bay Books. And finally a visit to the flagship REI store that is gigantic!!  Finished off the day at Duke’s Seafood and Chowder on Lake Union where they serve the crab cake voted best in Seattle last year. 

On the Road Again..........

We ended our cruise at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers which then feed into the Columbia. We were so fortunate to have good weather the entire time—no rain. 

We then headed west, stopping at Spokane, second largest city in Washington. Then past the Grand Coulee dam. It is the largest producer of hydropower in the U.S.  

We then drove on to Wenatchee, self proclaimed Apple Capital of the World. Soooo many orchards, both apple and cherry. As a former beekeeper, I was impressed how the beehives are placed next to the orchards for pollination. They are in groups of 8 or 12 hives on pallets that can easily be moved from location to another. 

And every where there were crates stacked for the fall harvest. 

Many of the trees were blooming as were the wildflowers. 

Climate Change is Real

This evening we are passing through the third of eight locks on our way to Lewiston. We’ve already been through the Bonneville Dam and The Dalles dam, and now the John Day dam which will raise us over 100 feet. We have also gone from the rainforest environment on the west side of the Cascades to the dry climate east. The Columbia River Gorge changes  in character too. 

The guest lecturer on board is excellent—a wealth of information on Lewis and Clark and all things related to the river. He even dresses each day in authentic costumes. 

Most interesting is the epic story of the salmon and how they has been affected by alteration of the river. Obviously, the dams impact their ability to go upstream to spawn and then also for the young get to the ocean. But they are being successfully helped. 

At The Dalles is the Maryhill Museum of Art. It has eclectic collections, including many Rodins. It is in a house built by Sam Hill. He also constructed a complete replica of Stonehenge as a memorial to the fallen of WWI.  It is constructed of cement. 

By the way, before we left on the boat, we found the very first geocache ever placed in 2000 There is a plaque to commemorate it.

The Mighty Columbia

We’ve been on the Columbia River aboard the American Pride for five days. 

We first headed west from Portland to Astoria where Lewis and Clark wintered at Fort Clatsop. It was appropriately foggy and gray. 

In preparation for the trip, we listened again to Undaunted Courage. It brought everything to life. We could just imagine the Corps of Discovery paddling down the river 

We then turned around and headed east upstream. An excursion to Mount St Helens brought back the entire story of the eruption in 1980. What devastation, but 38 years later the forests are rejuvenated. Unfortunately, Mount St Helens was in the clouds. The river bed still runs gray from volcanic ash. 

The number one tourist attraction in Oregon is the Multnomah Falls. It falls 542 feet at the top and 69 feet at the lower falls. 

More Fun in Oregon

Monday, April 23

Spent a couple days in Bend with a high school classmate of Rick. They showed us some great scenery. Here is Mt Bachelor as seen from the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Note the lava fields in the foreground. 

The next day we visited Smith Rock state park that was teeming with rock climbers 

After our exertions, we refreshed at one of the many craft breweries in town. Bend has the highest number of breweries per capital of any place in America. A tasting flight was a necessity. 

On our way back to Portland to begin our cruise, we stopped at the Evergreen Air and Space Museum to see Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose. It only flew once in 1948 and then was in storage for 33 years. It’s quite a story on how it got from California to Oregon.  The plane is so huge that you can’t get it all in one photo. Men can actually stand upright inside the wings!!