Monthly Archives: August 2008

viveros casa batlló

21 Thursday Aug 2008

Posted by in animals & pets, home, photos, plants, sevilla, spain

≈ 10 Comments

Yesterday I went back to the viveros to 1) find out the name of my mystery plants and 2) get some baby cacti for the bathroom. Nog and I took the rental bikes and when I stopped to take a photo of the entrance I noticed for the first time that it was called Casa Batlló, just like my favourite house in Barcelona.

As soon as I walked in the woman who sold me the Portulaca (which is indeed its proper name, and does not start with a ‘b’) looked up from cleaning a window and said to me by way of a greeting – “It was an orange one!”. Ha! And I told her the second ‘yellow’ one she’d chosen for me also turned out to be orange and we had a good laugh. Guess you had to be there. Anyhow, I then asked about some baby cacti and chose three – again, one euro each. Weirdly, the man who showed me the cactus section (I think the husband of the woman I’d been talking to) also showed me a type that he said people buy to put next to their computers because they absorb static or something? A quick google has come up with this. Maybe I’ll get one next time. Meanwhile, here are the three I bought (well, two cacti and a succulent) …

Afterwards I wandered around the viveros looking for gatitos and found way fewer than on my previous two visits (figures, since I wanted to take pics of them). And it turned out that the proprietors were also camera shy – a real shame because they were both so charming and would have made for a great photo together with their plants and cats. Perhaps I’ll be able to convince them next time (I have a feeling I’ll be going back again).

Below are a few pics showing the general ambience of the place, including a few cats…

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travel scrabble

20 Wednesday Aug 2008

Posted by in friends, fun stuff, games, hospitals

≈ 7 Comments

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Isn’t this great? It’s a present that Pipocas brought me back from the States. I’m planning on taking it with me on all future hospital visits, especially for chemo days and during my hospital stay after surgery. Unlike reading or watching a dvd, it’s something I can do with the friend who is with me.

It’s a great design – very compact (just folds over and zips up in its own carrying case), has clip-in letters, and the little tile trays also can be stored with the tiles in them so you can continue a game whenever you like.

Of course, Pipocas might regret giving me this when I whup her sorry scrabble butt next time we’re hanging out in the oncology waiting room … 😉

[note to manufacturer: iniative??? ]

casa de pilatos

19 Tuesday Aug 2008

Posted by in friends, home, photos, sevilla, spain

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On Tuesday afternoons between 1-5 pm the Casa de Pilatos (House of Pilate) has free admission. So after spending a lovely couple of hours this morning with Pipocas and the Kidlet – finally back from holidays – I met Nog to have a wander around and take a few photos, especially of the fabulous azulejos (ceramic tiles) …

~ Casa Pilates azulejos photos 46-75 ~

And below are a few more pics of the palace …

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any idea …

18 Monday Aug 2008

Posted by in home, photos

≈ 17 Comments

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,

. . . what sort of plant this is?

The day before my last chemo session I went back to the viveros that Nog & I had seen while out for our Sunday snack – at the time we were on the rental bikes and had no way of carrying 6 plants home. I’d been looking for some sort of sun-loving flowering plant to replace the gitanillas that I used to have (which all died from a moth infestation) and the woman at the viveros showed me these guys. And yes, she did tell me what they were called, which I promptly forgot, but I think it started with a ‘B’. I’m not sure what a viveros is called in English – perhaps a garden centre? A nursery? This one I went to was basically a huge greenhousy type garden with tons of cats all over the place.

Anyhow, finally got my new mystery plants repotted and I think they look very nice. There are four white ones on the two living room balconies (in blue pots) and on the bathroom balcony one yellow and one orange (in plain clay pots). And the best part was that they only cost 1 euro each!