wish i was the moon tonight

mike, my editor when i wrote for L.A. Youth/mentor/friend/indie music fiend/overall awesomeness, sent me this live recording of neko case's, "i wish i was the moon." it's a beautiful nighttime, rainy day lullaby (as it is here in treviso, italy), soft yet fiery and filled with so much passion. my kinda music.

i've never seen neko case live, but with this recording i think this is as close as it gets. i get the sensation of sitting front row in my own private concert. and while traveling alone, struggling with foreign languages, pushing through crowds, wandering, getting lost (a many times in thought), this song captures so much power and feeling. it came to mind when i was strolling around the moonlit venetian canals.



it was about a few years ago when mike introduced me to neko's esquisite vocals and i'm still tuning in. hope you will too.

missing my mama; reflections on madrid

Madrid is one of those cities that surprises you every time, and an example of what a metropolis should be like--super navigable via your own two feet. I visited Madrid on three separate occasions, and loved it more each time. The first time, I was coming from Granada and shocked by the big city feel, but after a slice of tortilla española and glass of vino blanco, I was quickly comforted.


While volunteering at Pueblo Ingles, I made many Spanish friends who invited me to stay with them while traveling in their cities. Those have been my favorite and most memorable experiences--the first was with Lola in Madrid. I think her name says a lot about her. A remarkable, chic and classic Almodóvar woman. To the right her is dog, Cuba. Adorable, no?




After Portugal, I flew back to Madrid and spent a few days with Paloma's family. The English translation to Paloma is 'dove' and I don't think there's a better word to describe this woman. Always smiling and ever so patient, Paloma is a sweet Madrillena of many generations. She picked me up at the Metro and we had a beautiful afternoon-into-the-evening walk around El Retiro park, caught the Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus' discovery of the America's celebration) parade by surprise, and finished the evening with gourmet tapas and vino.

el retiro park

 

tapas in the plaza: camembert cheese sauteed with a little bit of sugar and topped with a slice of roasted red pepper; manchego and spinach salad with salmon; fried rolls stuffed with cheese

One of my fondest memories is of hanging out with her teenage son, David--we spent the entire afternoon at the shopping mall searching for a replacement battery for my cell phone, munched on candy-store bought popcorn and stoppped to talk to everyone he knew in town (I'm convinced he knows everyone in Madrid!)

Another memorable moment--hanging out with CSer Jose. He introduced me to one of my favorite parts of Madrid, Lavapíes. Lola calls it the worst and best place to go in the city. Lots of alternative bars and restaurants (had a very filling Lebanese din din), street dealers and alas in Spain, some ethnic diversity. That night we went to hear a friend of a friend's terrible rock band play followed by some strong shots of rum or something of that nature. Check out this pizza we made using all fresh ingredients found in Madrid...a Spanish pizza!

How fitting as I write this while in Itay where I've eaten one too many slices of pizza, plates of pasta and scoopfulls of gelato. That post and more to come.

i think it was fate that brought me back to barcelona...

This morning I missed my train to Montpellier and then caught the wrong one from Girona to Barcelona. What a pity. I'm sitting here drinking suave Pilsner Urquell, munching on bar nuts and thinking about what an unbelievable time I have had in Spain. I'm just not ready to leave.

Before Girona I was in Barcelona couchsurfing with Elvira and then stayed with my Pueblo Ingles friend, Gloria and her wonderfully generous family for nearly a week.  It was like living the Catalan life-- playing fútbol with her son, 8-year old Marcel, listening to Albert sing, browsing the markets. indulging in the pasteries across the street, laughing over family dinners. That was my favorite part. Something about sharing meals is so simple and yet so special. My last evening I cooked for the fam and made my green curry specialty.

Barcelona is one of those places people rave about and you don't quite understand until you've experienced it for yourself. It's intoxicating. And I love it. Why?  For one, the tapas.

 I don't even know how to begin to describe the deliciousness that were these tapas. A shmear of blended cheeses and sprinkled with surprises. My favorite was the walnut one with a little cinnamon sugar and walnuts bits, both sweet and savory. Another I enjoyed (really, I enjoyed them all) was layered with a slice of tomato, a triangle-sized mozzarella and the best part, topped with a pesto salsa and bits of green and red peppers.  Above, the stuffed red pepper glazed with a little alioli and sprinkled with little shavings of cheese and parsley was like a little party in my mouth.

Barrio de Gracía is my favorite pocket in the big B. Not just because it's where Gloria's family is from, but because it's got this small town feel with a massive outdoor market with fresh produce and everything you can imagine to the freshest seafood available, a library, galleries, bookstores, pastries and bread shops, and more shops of fresh cheeses, shoes, clothes, everything, restaurants and cafés, all within a 2-second walking distance. Why leave Barca?!

(note: i started this post thursday, oct 22nd. i made it safely to Montpellier, had a nice if not sad two days (because i lost my camera),  then a day in Nice (gorgeous beaches in an expensive town) and am now in Roma where I find the Italian accent so, so sexy.)