Man of the year (2011) & I have an idea for a candidate for 2012, too

GHM (not giving real names here, plus the French love abbreviations!)

Newfound love(s)

1. Balconies (especially in Madrid) - new discovery

2. Historic bars & cafes (and the winner is - Marsella in Barcelona) - ongoing passion

3. Gothic Art in MNAC (Museum of Catalan Art that calls this art "Renaissance" - i would argue with that, but who am i to say, right?)

4. Cultural predisposition: what impressed me the most in Alhambra wasn't what you think....(but it's what i'm more used to, in the purest form)

5. 2 Eiffel's bridges in unexpected places & many many other things - could write in detail, but will never even try...oh well! it's all lost to the posterity!

Goya game

In a country full of Goya's work, it's fun to play the what i call 'Goya less-Goya" game: something that you (not me, of course!) could glance over & walk past without realizing it's the Master.

Of course I didn't stand a chance missing Goya in one of the most impressive buildings I've seen in all of Spain - Sevilla's Cathedral (size matters, once again!) - because I was looking for yet.

Yet once again, the little detail, quite similar to the one in Las Meninas in its touching naivete, attracted my attention - look at the lion!

(big) question num.1: why cut the most important details?

Violent emotions always take you by surprise (they aren't called "violent" for nothing, right?)

Never & then never did i think i'd be even mildly touched by Las Meninas in Prado. Well, little did i know....

Besides the fact that i had the rare luxury to find myself in front of it, alone, at around 10:15am (without planning to do so, it just happened), I never expected to like it because somehow the reproductions i saw of it never impressed me too much...

And now I know why that was & why in real life i was touched.

Somehow, most reproductions leave out the detail that was the first one i saw in real life & that changed my idea of Las Meninas forever....

I found proof of this unreasonable 'censorship' once again in my room in Sevilla.

Highlight num.1: 9 years went by, we changed, and yet....

Highlight of 2011: Anna, Irina, Barcelona!

Begin ...to continue

As always when you let so much time pass without writing, you feel awkward & don't know what to choose in order to highlight (especially considering that almost 3 week vacation was among this gap time & a lot happened there for sure!)

But i think you start with the most immediate concerns & moods & mine is very much up-the-air.

January 2, 2012: once again, we don't quite know what awaits us.

But it's not the first time. We are used to it. So let's just enjoy!

True or false? (but anyway of little importance)

All men are pigs??? Hmm, I don't know about that (plus i've never been a hypocrite, but rather an exaggerated person who loves to shock, or encourage possible avances, why not?)
4.5 hours of great conversation was exactly what i love. However, when later on he (in response to your "Actually, i really don't care about sex, all i want is a great conversation") says that it's the same for him & he's surprised that he even managed, somehow, to father 2 children, you don't know if you should take it seriously.
At the same time, do you think he believed what you said earlier?
C'est toujours un peu complique!