[ nik ]

Madrid Bike Tour 2008

nikko — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:45:03 +0000

We signed up to participate in an early morning bike race today with 5,000 other people…60 euros for lots of gear, including the bike. Here are a few pics.

Halloween ‘08

nikko — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:59:04 +0000

To follow-up last year’s political theme when we were Hillary and Obama duking it out, this year we went as political charicatures. I was Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Manuel was Obama with all of the (incorrect) sterotypes. Bruised and battered Hillary and Obama made another appearance because Jorge didn’t have an outfit. Ashley’s party was full of devils and other creatures and then we went out dancing where I ran into another Ms. Alaska. Much fun.

Time for Tapas and Knitting

nikko — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:48:32 +0000

Ok, it’s always tapa-time, but lately more so than usual. With Becky and Myrna’s visit we had tapa-style breakfast and tapa (and wine) filled days. I’m a bit obsessed with knitting hats now.

Beaucoups of Art

nikko — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:15:32 +0000

Here are some shots of us wandering through the Rodin Museum gardens and attempting to see as much of the Louvre as possible. It’s beautiful and tiring. And HUGE. If my online research is correct, the Louvre is 60,000 square meters (compared to the Prado’s 16,000). In theory, I like the presentation of newer works alongside older ones – there is a giant wall piece and two sculptures by Anselm Kiefer that I really liked. But sometimes it’s a bit too much. Classy is classy and contemporary is at times, well, tacky.

The Elusive Eiffel Tower

nikko — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:32:00 +0000

The tower is magical in many ways; for us, it kept getting farther and farther away as we walked towards it. Please excuse our multiple chins from the vertical shots.

Ooh la la, Paris in the Summer

nikko — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:19:32 +0000

Here are the shots from Paris – Notre Dame, the Sacre Ceour Church and it’s view of the city, the Tulileries park, and a ton more touristy sights (see the Eiffel Tower in the next post). We lucked out with the weather and walked until it hurt.

Chateau Hopping in France

nikko — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:09:47 +0000

We went to see Deb and the kids in a town just south of Paris. They used to live there full time, but now just spend a few weeks in the summer there. Boissettes is a beautiful, tiny town, close to Melun and Fontainebleau and many fancy chateaus. We went to the Chateau de Fontainebleau where Napoleon said his famous goodbye on the staircase. We also went to another one that was shunned because it was designed by the same architect as Versailles and thought to be competition to King Luis (the something).

The Circulo de Bellas Artes

nikko — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:40:06 +0000

I’ve long been a fan of Madrid’s Circulo de Bellas Artes - they have cool art functions, concerts, a great cafe and bookstore, plus movies. I went with Ashley to an awards ceremony called 2008Culturas – Alfredo and Carmen gave us their invitation because they were out of town. The best part was the after party on the roof with a great view of the city.

The Littlest Neighbor

nikko — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:17:35 +0000

Here are some pictures of our newest neighbor, Ketu. We went to a wedding near Segovia with them to help take care of Ketu when he was 5 weeks old.

Curry in Your Thirties

nikko — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:36:53 +0000

Madrid-side, we celebrated my birthday and Ami’s with a big curry dinner at Curry’s and lots and lots of amigos. The food was great and the service spectacular. Whereas last year I recieved lots of incense, this year was the year of soap, bath products and things with which to relax with. Super nice, though it was more important for me to see my friends since there just aren’t enough days in the week to see everyone! In a birthday package from the states, I recieved a handmade Xmas stocking from my aunt Madallynn which may or may not have some hidden catnip – the cats went nuts playing with it. It’s now safely stored away!