We rose with the sun this morning to get an early start for Barcelona, our body clocks beginning to adapt to the 6 hour time difference. After checking into our hotel near Camp Nou, the soccer stadium of F.C. Barcelona, we made a bee line for the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. This Roman Catholic Church, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí is one of the most unusual churches I have ever seen. I agree with the characterization of the architecture by Time Magazine as “sensual, spiritual, whimsical, and exuberant.” Less than 25% complete at the time of Gaudi’s death in 1926, and subsequently damaged during the Spanish Civil War, the project is not expected to be completed for at least another decade. Nicolai and Maya made a pact to return to see it when it is finished.
Our day started and ended on the beach. Although the water is far too cold to swim in for all but my sister-in-law Marie and her children, the setting was beautiful. Jeanine and I enjoyed a brief walk in the adjacent nature preserve while the kids fooled around and napped.
During the afternoon we returned to the city for more sightseeing and lunch before reconnecting with Aida and her family for an excursion to the port of Valencia. There we walked along the promenade for several miles. Nico juggled a soccer ball most of the way to tune up his touch.
The day ended with another extraordinary meal prepared by Aida and Andres. Their hospitality throughout our visit has made our visit to Valencia one of the most memorable of any vacation. We hope they will come to Boston one day so that we may reciprocate their kindness.
The City of Arts and Sciences, an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex, is situated at the end of the former riverbed of the river Turia, which was drained and rerouted after a catastrophic flood in 1957. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, the project underwent the first stages of construction in July 1996 and the finished “city,” including four uniquely different buildings, was inaugurated in 1998. When we encountered the plastic bubbles shown below I was unable to convince anyone else to join me in the fun. Standing up is MUCH harder than it looks and I was very tired when my ten-minute time allotment was up.
After our morning outing we returned to Aida’s apartment where we met her three sons before enjoying the most amazing chicken paellas. The dish originated in this region and one could not help but feel we were sampling the most authentic interpretation. For me it was the best food of the entire vacation.
After lunch we toured the old city on foot. Pictured below is a chapel within the Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia. Christian historians all over the world declare that all their evidence points to the Valencian Chalice, on display here, as the most likely candidate for being the authentic cup used at the Last Supper.
The architecture throughout the city is breath taking. There is grandeur around every corner and one could spend days taking it all in. The adults enjoyed a fine dinner at a restaurant specializing in mussels while the kids went out on the town with their second cousins.
Our connecting flight through London arrived Barcelona by midday. I rented a nice, if somewhat oversized for Spanish streets and parking spaces, BMW 5 series. All but the driver napped during our 3 hour drive to Valencia where my cousin Aida resides with her husband Andres and their three sons. Although travel weary, we were all in the mood to get out and do some walking. We briefly toured the downtown area before settling down to an alfresco tapas dinner at the customary hour of 9pm.
My uncle Jimmy has a beautiful summer residence overlooking the Mediterranean which he generously offered to our family for the duration of our stay in Valencia. Just 15 minutes from the city, a more perfect living space we could not have wished for.
The family, minus Kyle, is headed for Barcelona today for a combination family vacation and media event for Nicolai in conjunction with the work he has been doing with the Coca Cola company. To pass the time as we waited for our flight to board, Nico teaches Maya how to juggle a hackey sack. She is also pressed into sewing service when repairs on the tiny ball are required.
We welcomed a new member of the iRobot leadership team to the company as we said goodbye to another. The former over dinner at Strega Prime and the latter over lunch at the office. Beyond the dieting challenges created by these celebrations, it is both an exciting and sad time. It is great to infuse the company with new energy and talent but it is hard to say goodbye to a colleague you have fought in the trenches with for years.
If nocturnal teeth grinding to the point of fracture were an Olympic sport, I would be a champion This morning I had the gold crown pictured here added to my collection. When compressed air was used to dry the underlying tooth before applying adhesive, I experienced a level of pain not known to me in all my life. The dentist was surprised by my reaction but said it was not uncommon to have a hypersensitivity to hot or cold temperatures. If the 3-second blast of air had gone on for another second, I swear I would have lost consciousness.
Note to Children: Consistent use of a night guard will prevent subsequent misery if you suffer from bruxism (the official term).
I enjoyed dinner with my new boss, Paolo (pictured on the right), and several colleagues (not all pictured) at Papa Razzi’s this evening. Such gatherings help to create strong working and personal relationships, especially important given that Paolo is based in Pasadena.
Jeanine and Maya have decided to join Nico and I on our visit to Barcelona next week. Predictably, Maya’s passport has expired since her trip to India. In order to get an expedited passport for a minor, both parents must appear in person at a US Passport office. Fortunately, Boston has such an office which is where the three of us found ourselves this morning. Because it is a federal building, security is very tight. Before passing through the metal detector we were asked if we were carrying any weapons and to put all metal objects through an x-ray machine. We answered no and complied. Apparently, my 3 inch pocket tool (folding pliers, screw drivers, scissors, tiny knife, etc.) is considered a weapon and was summarily confiscated. During the ensuing “conversation” the only response I got was, “this happens all the time.” No kidding. Try posting a sign with pictures of non-weapons you plan to confiscate; problem solved. Maya and Jeanine wisely reminded me that I could afford a replacement tool and dragged me onwards. We arrived early enough to be at the head of the line as we entered the passport office and were finished with our business in less than 15 minutes.
Pictured above is the 5-story atrium where we enjoyed a light breakfast before heading to the passport office. The entire facade and ceiling are painted on flat surfaces. At first glance you would swear that all the details were real.
With only two healthy subs, my soccer team was lucky to walk away from our contest with Belmont this morning having secured a scoreless tie. Despite earlier forecasts to the contrary, it was cold with periods of steady rain. I sustained a cracked rib early in the match which did nothing but add misery to the damp, cold conditions. I collided with an opponent while pursuing a 50/50 ball. We both went to ground and somehow his knee wound up clipping me under my rightarmpitt. I have cracked several ribs over the course of my life and I know to expect agony any time I sneeze, cough, or laugh for the next several weeks. Fortunately, it should not prevent me from continuing to play.
Later, the day turned beautiful and I found time to give Maya, now 14, her first proper driving lesson. She was a surprisingly fast learner and by the end of an hour was driving confidently around our neighborhood. She feathers the brakes as if she has been driving for years and didn’t once forget to signal a turn.
Nicolai got his first exposure to sled hockey this morning when we visited the 10th Annual USA Disabled Hockey Festival at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough Massachusetts. We were invited by future Paralympian, Noah Grove, one of his teammates from the US National Amputee Soccer team to check out the sport. Noah, arguably the best player in the tournament, scored a total of 13 goals. He feels Nicolai would be very successful in the sport and is encouraging him to give it a try.
This evening, the entire family, joined by my mother and Jeanine’s sister, Susan, attended Open Table’s annual fundraiser. This is the first major event organized under Jeanine’s leadership as the recently installed President. The gala featured an Iron Chef style competition for appetizers and entrees and a Cake Boss inspired dessert contest. Distinguished judges selected winning teams while guests enjoyed food prepared by Open Table volunteers. The entire evening proved to be an overwhelming success and the charity brought in ~$20,000 for the benefit of those in our community who know hunger. I was the official photographer for the event, assisted by both Nicolai and Maya, and will be posting a full collection of photos in the coming days.
Adding to the celebration was the fact that today is Jeanine’s 51st birthday. You have never heard “Happy Birthday” sung by a larger or more enthusiastic crowd. I could not have planned a more perfect birthday party if I tried and all I had to do was show up with my camera.
iRobot has embarked on a facility upgrade project to transform our rather industrial-looking environment into something more modern and high-tech. To accommodate the associated construction, many employees need to vacate their current locations. I am one of a group that needs to make an interim move and then a final move in a couple of months. Today I packed up my things, removed my artwork from the walls, and relocated to the first floor. I have done some good work in this office and am sad to leave it behind.
Nico and Jeanine were in New York City today attending the Kicking + Screening Film Festival where Nico participated in a panel discussion and did a half dozen press interviews. The folks at Powerade submitted the 2m version of Nico’s Story to the festival which included it in their short documentary line up.
Among her many talents, my mother is a skilled calligrapher. This evening she set out to create place tags for the big Open Table fundraising event happeningthis weekend. There can be little doubt about which parent was the source of my manual dexterity and sense of style. Maya also contributed to the effort through her clever idea for an ad hoc light table.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
