Hi there Everyone! My name is Cath Conroy and I met Pia recently as a fellow Aussie girl in Amsterdam. Boy it was nice to hear a familiar accent and discuss our love for photography and travel.

In April this year I took a 5 month round the world trip with my partner. I’m a photographer so it was a delight to capture all the beautiful things I saw and Pia asked me to share some of those experiences here. Since its ever raining here in sweet Amsterdam I’ve been craving some sunshine. Care to take a trip down memory lane with me? These pictures make me feel like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. Click click and off I go to warmer horizons…

Barcelona is a city with soul. Step out onto the street and you can’t miss it. Colourful buildings, the tiny tapas bars, the sizzling heat, flirtatious locals and the sound of glasses clinking punctuated by vibrant Spanish voices drifting out onto the street. Barcelona is often coined a party city and its easy to see why. The energy is palpable.

Not only is the vibe relaxed but the city itself is well laid out and easy to get around. The streets are wide and rambling in places (ok I had just come from Paris so space was a novelty) and full of tiny alleyways and local squares when you step off the beaten path. Take your time, prepare to get lost and step out of the heat into one of the tiny bars and cool yourself down with an icy cold cerveza – beer – and tapas. Its no wonder the people are always smiling.

Of course one of the main reasons to visit Barcelona is the late great architect Antoni Gaudi and you can’t get far without reference to one of his great buldings. Posters, postcards, books – every corner store has hordes of Gaudi mania. The first building we visited was Casa Mila a residential building completed in 1912 by Gaudi for a wealthy couple. The flowing form and beauty of this building for its time is simply amazing.

The second visit was to the unfinished masterpiece Sagrada Familia. This Catholic Church has been under construction since 1882 and its not due to be finished until 2026! This begins to make sense when you get a glimpse of the sheer scale of the building. Although covered with cranes and construction its still a breathtaking site. I did feel tinged with sadness that he died before seeing his greatest work completed!

Gaudi’s love of nature and his clever way of referencing this within the building is beautiful and the detail is just mind blowing. The inscription of letters on the doors were a highlight for me.

What’s really evident whilst wandering around the streets of Barcelona is just how much art and architecture really have made their mark here. The influence of Art Nouvea mixed with modern street art and graffiti are a colourful melting pot of ideas and somehow this eclectic mix seems to work.

All that walking and inspiration will definitely build an apetite and there’s any number of food options to try. One of our favourite outings was to wander the markets.

You can buy cheap fresh local produce and take it back to your apartment and whip up a casual meal. Or if that’s not possible there’s plenty of food stalls, tapas bars and local restaurants within the market area. The large markets La Boqueria can be somewhat touristy but lots of fun all the same. The display and quality of the produce was amazing. After a while we realized all the locals were coming in from the back alleys rather than the main entrance.This is where you’ll find the quieter bars and restaurants!

After a relaxing week in Barcelona walking, eating, taking pictures, going to the beach and exploring, last on my wish list was Gaudi’s Parc Guell. This park complex on the outskirts of the city was a highlight. I am obsessed with Gaudi’s tile work and so this was a highlight for me – it didn’t disappoint. The detail in them is simply stunning. The flowing design of the park make it an easy and relaxing wander and the architectural elements everywhere are a subtle homage to nature. Gracias Mr Gaudi!

all photographs and text by Cath Conroy.

…so romantic. and no, I still have not seen the movie. I promise I will. For now, there are hours of procrastination to be found on the production site of bright star, right here. x

This is the view I see  everyday while I sit at my desk and type away. As the boat windows are below street level I can glance up and see people coming and going with their bikes, chatting, etc. All the while I sip my tea and get back to the words on my screen. The words are getting plentiful now, I’m on a roll. And rolls are good.

I shall not digress, but I just wanted to stop in and say hi.

xx

PS I did digress a little though, and posted in the library what I’m reading now, it’s a really good book.

PPS For Amsterdammers, there is an upcoming event organised by a friend of mine. It’s called swap and the city where you can exchange your perfectly good items that you never wear for fabulous fashion finds. There are heaps of fun things organised for the afternoon too. Sounds pretty cool, read more about it here. It’s on November 29 from 2-5pm so gets your tickets soon if you plan to go!

I’m currently reading don’t sleep, there are snakes written by daniel everett.  I’m not going to tell you anything about it (there are a tonne of reviews on amazon if you want to know more) because I didn’t know a thing about it before I read it – just took it off the shelf at Waterstone’s, read the back cover and a beginning paragraph or two, and hoped for a good read. It’s a great read. A little theoretical toward the end which – considering it is his life’s work it is to be expected – would only be of interest if you are a linguist yourself or heavily interested in linguistic theories but beside that, really, it is wonderful. I feel like Daniel has revealed answers to long asked questions in my mind about life (thanks to the Pirahas), and he also confirms many theories and ideas that I’ve spoken about over the years.

So, if you are interested in other cultures, ancient cultures, the development of language; or wonder what it’s like to live in the Amazon with native Amazonians; or if you question devout methodology  then there is something in this book for you. I have bookmarked lots of pages, circled lots of paragraphs and will be recommending it to family and friends.

An Hoang’s oil on canvas, Lavender Light

As part of the Art Walk NY (which is a benefit for the coalition for the homeless), my friend and artist An Hoang has donated one of her beautiful paintings called ‘lavender light’ for the auction. You can view all the works in the auction online (click here) and if you’re interested in bidding but can’t go to the event which is on November 17 in New York City, you can still place absentee bids by contacting the organisers (check details online here).

I love An’s work, and this painting is one of my favourites. Whoever wins Lavender Light at the auction will be one lucky soul, with a discerning eye for fabulous art.

xx