more on teapots...

My teapot was fired for the first time and a crack appeared in the handle of the lid. Paula, my instructor said that glazing it may make hold together better or push it apart. No way to know until we glaze it. I chose a greenish glaze and only glazed about three quarters of the way up from the bottom and a similar percentage of the top of the lid. The unglazed color will be the same as below. This is the teapot I'm still working on. I was hoping to get it finished for my friend, Diana's visit last week but I wasn't able to...still, making progress on it.

This is the neighborhood that my pottery class is in. It's called Clot. It's really not a touristy area and holds a lot of charm. I recently bought a book with some pictures from Barcelona in the early 1900's. It says that Clot was the area they kept the cows for dairy...just an interesting tidbit I thought I'd throw out there.

The market...

Some days there is a street market as well. And the week I took this there were bunyols finally at the corner bakery. Bunyols are little sugar coated anise donuts...really bits of heaven, that are only available during lent. Being of a Catholic upbringing when Lent was all about sacrafice and giving up I find it hard to reconcile saving such a sweet treat for this time of year but I'm not complaining.

On this particular day I went to the Farmacia on the way home and walked past the old church in town. This is the detail on the gate.

And a doorway with an interesting knocker.

Last week I had an extra special visit. My friend Diana and her daughter Jessi came here for a week. We had a great time exploring the city. I finally got into the Barcelona Cathedral and we made a day trip to Girona...I'll try to post those pics another time. The weather was cold and rainy though...so not the weather everyone expects when they come here. I can't complain though now that I read through my 1900's Barcelona book...three separate years there was snowfall enough to blanket the ground and stay...I figure that winter had to be worse. ;)

Nick is still looking at boats to buy. The one dealer he was working with had a new boat we wanted to see so he agreed to take us out on it. Andrea was studying and Alexa wasn't feeling well so it was only the J's and us...and the pups.

The view of the city from the sea...

Another view...notice the mountains in the background. I love when the sky is clear, you can see so far...and the geography is simply amazing.

Jess...

Our pups...who were not the seadogs we thought they'd be. Poor Rascal shook the whole time. They couldn't wait to get back on dry land.

After our short but fabulous boat ride we opted to have lunch at one of the pier-side restaurants. It's also Calcots season, which I am not spelling right because my keyboard doesn't have the spanish c with the little tail at the bottom. But they are large onions that are prepared by throwing them, dirt and all onto a grill. You peel off the charred outer leaves and dip the soft cooked inside into a Romesco sauce...Mmmm so good.

Love you all!

Bren