A combination of modern ant art nouveau at the entrance.

He was playing in an alcove just outside the cathedral. The acoustics were great, though the music was not to my taste. I wish I could've gotten the woman waiting nearby with a cello giving him the evil eye. Apparently there is competition for this location.

I'll tell you a secret. Generally speaking I have no sustainable interest in the law or politics. Being a lawyer or politician sound like terrible, awful jobs to me. Presumably being an environmental engineer / hydrogeologist sounds equally horrible to them. However, somehow I have developed a deep love of the Supreme Court. Thinking about it, I can attribute the beginning of my interest directly to Emily Bazelon

I liked what I have previously read about Justice Sotomayor and I have heard her interviewed on NPR and been completely charmed. So when her memoir of her youth (life up to becoming a judge) appeared on sale on amazon the other day, I jumped on it.

Not surprisingly, Sotomayor is an inspiring woman. She came from a disadvantaged background and rose to well, the Supreme Court of the US. But the the book is not just a list of her accomplishments, it also includes very personal details of her struggles. The most obvious are from her childhood. She had type 1 diabetes as a child at a time when treatment was not well understood. Spanish is her native language, and schools were not well equipped for non-native speakers. Her father was alcoholic and died when she was in grade school. Her childhood best friend and intellectual twin becomes a heroin addict while she succeeds academically. But it also includes things from her young adulthood - looking for meaningful mentors, maintaining her career at the end of her first marriage, deciding whether or not to have children, etc.

The memoir was readable and engaging. Like in her interviews, I was charmed. I finished the book really wanting to be this woman's friend. I also liked her overall thesis in that innate intellectual ability and a healthy amount of luck are important, but the key to success is incessant hard work. Throw in humbleness and a commitment to being a lifelong learner and you'll do even better.

Long Story Short: If you've ever felt ill equipped to meet a challenge in your life, read this book.

Like so many gingerbread houses.

Lego building! Woot! This building seem more modern and functional than the "modernista" buildings by Gaudi. They may have been more fun, but this was more fun to photograph. Textures! Angles! Woot!

Scent of the Missing is a dear memoir. Charleson is grieving from her divorce and figuring out what her new life will look like. She finds two things - flying airplanes and search and rescue. Always a dog lover, working with search and rescue dogs is an easy fit.

It was pretty shocking to me to learn that search and rescue dogs and their handlers are an entirely volunteer organization. These people are not paid for their time or personal costs to train the dogs or perform actual SAR. I was also amazed at how much of a time investment it was. Charleson spent 3 years as a assistant handler before she was invited to train a dog. Then 1 year looking for the right dog, Puzzle, And finally 2 years to train Puzzle to be certified to search for missing people. Searching for cadavers as well takes additional training. They may be volunteer, but the organization is certainly professional.

Love it. Love the contrast between the old world fortress with new world artillery. Then add a layer of tourists spreading every which way with our ice creams and cameras. And then this one moment.

Not a bad place for a jog.

One of my favorite things about Spain was the paintings on weather/security doors on the old streets. A little bit of art everywhere showcasing the esthetic of Spain. Or at least hipster Spain.

What do you think he's checking out?