Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

The Song of Casenets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqxJMCQxb_Q

I've signed us all up for classes, dress for a night of fun. Let's hear about your dance moves.

Talk about your adventures, your interaction with your fellow bloggers


Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. Pablo Picasso
Read more at:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pablo_picasso.html

Barcelona, Spain

Check in to the Grand Marine Hotel: OH!!!!!!.... Now I have to chose between touring Barcelona and spending all my time at the hotel. What a choice? This is a really picture perfect place to stay. Look at the view of the marina from the balcony. Princess Megan Rose thinks it’s special. She can be a true reigning monarch here. This is a good place to wear the dress she gave me on our Wonderful Magical Ship adventure. I brought it along as my one dress up item.

I tore myself away from the luxury of the Hotel and boarded a Hop on Hop off tour bus. One of the things I will save from this trip is the map from the bus tour. I hopped off all over Barcelona. Some of the places I viewed are La Sagrada Familial, La Pedrera, Casa Batillo and Park Guell.

Now my head is buzzing with facts poured in by the tour guides on the bus. I think I saw Elycia Lee get on this bus at another stop, let me just look up the next stop.

While we visited Park Guell there was a day for Acting Aging being held. The older people were participating in yoga, tai chi, ball room dancing, and listening to Jazz and Country Music. There were other activities all set up for active aging participation.

Celina a young Spanish dancer told me they also stage teaching days at Park Guell. Local students have an opportunity to gain access to the park and learn its heritage.

The top deck of the bus is the best sight seeing platform. What is that ruckus from the street below. Yes! It’s Elycia Lee getting off to meet up with some of the other members of the group. Princess Megan Rose, Neva, Kit-tiara, and Sandra Lyn are waving. I wonder if they thought La Sagrada Familia looked like it had a Demon’s face built into the stone work?

I have to get off the bus here so I can catch a special tour I booked. It is a photography tour on an electric bicycle. Like the Segway, I always wanted to try riding an electric bicycle. This turned into a long tour but very worthwhile. I took pictures of the Arc de Triumph, Aglear Tower and saw some beautiful beaches.

See I’m already on information overload and I’m just now entering the Picasso Museum. The virtual tour of this place was amazing. I had an exceptional view of the courtyard of Palau Agrilar. The architecture contains Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance periods. This is a 13th century structure. I did not realize how many art forms Picasso was involved in creating. He was ceramicist. He was also influenced in his early are by mysticism and mythology. This is seen in one of his earliest pictures, (Hercules) finished in 1890.

When he lived in France during WWI, he was only a few miles from the massacre that took place outside of Paris. They could hear the sounds of war from the city. French artists were called up to fight. Picasso was not French so he and a few other artists gave lectures to the public and maintained their Cubism styles to carry over after the war. This was actually considered a help to the war effort because they were showing that art mattered and needed to be maintained no matter what the circumstances of life. One of my favorite art works by Picasso is from 1904 when he painted “The Old Guitarist.”

The extra time on the bicycles made me late for rest but who couldn’t rest in this Grand place. So, I did manage to do some Yoga which energized me and rest for an hour. Now, it’s off to dinner, watch Flamenco and take a lesson.

The dancing was spectacular. I have always loved this dance. Celina Zambon is so passionate as she dances. I was surprised though, I missed the Castanets. In my ignorance, I just assumed all Flamenco was done with Castanets.

My brother had a friend when he was in the Navy (late 1950's or early 1960) that would come home with him on leave sometimes. This young man was interested in dancing and music. One time, when they came home for a visit, the friend brought me a set of Castanets he had purchased on leave, from the ship they were on; he also showed me a few hand movements; and how to use them. He taught me a few dance steps as well.

Now, the group is surprised, when I am able to ace the lessons and get into the rhythm. One thing I noticed as I viewed the Youtube video that Lyn gave us was the dancers hands. Even though she did not use castanets, in her passion of the dance, her fingers and hands moved as if she was holding the musical instruments. In place of the castanets, taps on the bottoms of the shoes beat the rhythm or people clap to accent the rhythm. In ancient times sticks were clapped together to accent the rhythm in music.

Leonardo Balada was born in Barcelona on September 22,1933. He attended Juliard and now teaches in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He wrote a concertina for Castanets and Orchestra.

Now, I hope someone will volunteer to accompany me back to the hotel because I can hardly move. There is a lesson on Youtube that teaches how to hold the castanets. Be Happy Dance!

References:

https://www.wikipedia.org
https://www.youtube.com
The websites recommended by Lyn the crazy travel guide (viator)
https://www.bnc.cat/museum,casso