Belly Update: 24 Weeks

I finally have moved out of the ambiguous  "is she pregnant, or is she just fat" phase, and have become more obviously pregnant. I'm thankful for the modern maternity wear out there (especially pants) to make me feel happy again about dressing up. They are just so expensive, but I was lucky to hit the good sales!

It's been exciting because I finally started to feel real baby movement at 21 weeks, especially in the mornings when I'm lying on my side. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm still in wonder by the fact that there's a living human body and soul thriving in my tummy. There's still so much nesting to do. Yay!

The Sands of Barcelona

Because the weather was so nice today, we took advantage and took the bus to the beach.

We went to two beaches right next to each other, Barceloneta and Nova Icaria. Much of this touristic area was developed for the Olympic Games here in 1992. This is one of the many art pieces that welcomes visitors.

Even though I was relatively layered, I was in such a good mood because of the long-awaited sunny weather. I'm a mild sufferer of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
I don't remember the name of this building, but it's one my favorites when heading towards the coast.

The Gas Natural headquarters include a glass facade representing the bite of an imaginary shark jumping out of the nearby Mediterranean Sea.

In several large cities in Spain, bike rental companies install various bike stations througout the city. You swipe your card, check out a bike, ride to your destination, and return it to the nearest station. In Barcelona, it's a flat fee of 6 euros, and subsequent years are 24 euros each.

Fernando waged a thumb war against this statue. Sadly, the statue won.

There's a good selection of trendy restaurants and cafes that line the Mediterranean sands like the one below.

Fernando rested on this wavy sculpture while rollerbladers whizzed by behind him.

Puerto Olimpico divides Barceloneta and Nova Icaria. Below is the marina. 

The walkway that connects the two beaches. Fashionably speaking, Barceloneses are more urban dwellers than beach goers. They are often very stylish but love wearing dark colors.

One of the first public projects of Gehry is the Barcelona Fish – a huge fish sculpture placed on Barcelona’s waterfront during Olympic time as well. The monumental fish sculpture functions as a major landmark.

A concrete ball is short of falling off the edge of this mini shopping center. Hotel Arts Barcelona, one of the twin towers, stands tall behind it.

I never realized there was a casino in Barcelona, which happens to be the only one in the city.

These complex structures line the wide Avenida Icaria, where we took the bus home.

I'm crossing my fingers for more sunshiny days. I vow to never take for granted the southern California sun!

A Day in Sitges

Originally, we planned to spend this past weekend outside of the city at a parador. But after much thought, we thought we'd save some money and take a day trip to Sitges, a beach town a half and hour train's ride away.

Photo from Wikipedia

The sunlight in this town was bright and energizing. We took a walk along the boardwalk, which brought a cool, refreshing breeze.

We didn't stray too far off this rocky pier.

Fernando pondered life and its meaning.

Me and my growing, yet much-loved mid-section.

For lunch, we shared a savory paella at Mare Nostrum, a restaurant that overlooks the Sitges boardwalk. (That isn't my beer.)

The seafood tasted as fresh as could be.After lunch, we took a walk toward the 17th century seaside church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, a major landmark with mountainous stone steps that lead upward to a wonderful view of the area.Climbing up the steps, we came across a cannon that overlooked the Mediterranean and protected the church monument.

We were led toward the historical area of Sitges, filled with centuries-old architecture whose settlement dates back to the 10th century.

I thought the carving of little people of this window decor was amusing.This weekend was Carnival, when locals dress up in costume and indulge before the Lenten season. Sitges is known to celebrate heavily. We were able to see some revelers move around about town.

This kind of scared me. We think it was for the Carnival parade later that evening.

Even though we love Barcelona, it was nice to get away from the urban smog and traffic that a large city brings. 

Our Humble Abode: Part II

We live on the sixth floor of our building. Here's more of our home. Step inside!

Photo from Google Maps

Aurora, the owner, is a fashion editor at a local magazine. She has various original works of art created especially for her. We admire and appreciate them.

This 1990 painting celebrates Merce, an annual holiday in Barcelona that lasts six days and honors the Mother of God of Mercy, the patron saint of Barcelona.

This original black and white photograph of the Christopher Columbus monument was taken among the fireworks during a Merce celebration.

Originally, we walked into a setup where our bedroom was the living room, and vice versa. But we switched the furniture. We like it this way so now we can wake up to the morning sun on weekends.

Outside our window is our laundry line, where we hang dry everything. Eleven a.m. is a good time to dry laundry because I can smell the freshly baked bread from the bakery on the ground floor. Below our laundry line is a tranquil view of the city. In the far-off distance to the very left, there are two towers which actually stand high on the shore of Barceloneta, Barcelona's beach.

Our very exposed wardrobe set, which must always look tidy. No hiding skeletons here.

The bathroom is modest but organized and functional. 

My family made fun of the showers in Europe because they said some hotels offered 3 x 3 foot square stalls. I present our shower. I love ours because of its blue-toned, miniscule tiling.

We only have two doors in our pad. The front door and the bathroom door. A sheer curtain slides over to separate the living room from our bedroom.

Our entertainment center is equipped with a TV, DVD player, DVDs, games, crafts, and comics. We never get bored.

Our home office/creative center/daydreaming table.

We sit here to relax, use our laptops, or catch up on movies and DVDs. With Fernando, the latter is a neverending task. 

Our tiny place is just big enough for the two of us. Before Baby Ruiz Ancheta comes mid-June, we'll have to transfer to a roomier pad for three!