Barcelona 1

And after Rome, it was off to Barcelona to stay in our friend Peter's apartment in the wonderful neighborhood of Poblenou.  Less than one block from the neighborhood's charming small rambla, or pedestrian walkway, and also only a few blocks from the beach. It was so bloody hot in Barcelona, the first thing I did even before buying groceries was to purchase to FANS!!  Even the beach was so hot, I didn't go until 5 or 6pm.  Small complaints, of course, as my gosh but what a fantastic city this is! My first time here was for the USk Barcelona Symposium back in 2013.

High on my to-see list was an iconic building we studied in architecture school, the famed Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe.  It was wonderful to meet a fellow sketcher, whose work I just LOVE, Norberto Dorantes, a Mexican architect who lives in Argentina and often teaches at the Urban Sketchers symposiums. We met here one afternoon and sketched.

Here is my only decent sketch of the pavilion...my favorite part of the drawing is the flag!

I also got to meet someone whose work I have admired, the amazing sketcher who goes by the pen name, Lapin. I dedicate an entire spread in the back of my book to his sketches in which he stretches perspective and adds so much humor. 

We met in Poblenou and sat on the rambla enjoying an horchata drink from the famous horchateria nearby, and I got to look through his sketchbooks...my gosh, but what an amazing talent!!!

And then, he bestowed a HUGE honor on me -- he pulls out his pen and looks at me very seriously, and... 

Looks entirely too realistic... but what an honor to occupy one of the pages in one of his incredible sketchbooks. Gracias, Lapin!!