TWO SNEAK PEEKS

I have a color-mad work-in-progress on my table right now, that's taking much longer than I expected. It's just one small page in my travel journal, so I thought I'd whip it out in a single day. However, instead of just slapping some paint on, as I usually do, it involved sorting through stacks of paper to choose just the right pieces in just the right colors...

then tearing all those papers into itty bitty scraps...

sorting them by color...

and fitting them together like a jigsaw puzzle, before gluing them down.

Here's a sneak preview.

I've never done much collage, so it's been a learning process. I started with craft store paper, having the most color choices there, but it was so thick and stiff that I hated the way the edges jutted up when they overlapped. However, I tried using a paper napkin and bits of tissue paper down in the lower left corner, and absolutely loved the way they layered and fused. Happy dance! Well, except for the fact that I will now feel compelled to collect more kinds of paper, which means finding places to store them in my wee little bedroodio. Sigh.

For your second sneak preview, how about a peek at the wonderful little hotel we stayed at in Barcelona? Definitely a keeper!

We much prefer staying at little privately-owned hotels with a bit of history and character, rather than big fancy chains that look much the same in every country. What you lack in spaciousness, you make up for in charm!

Unlike our earlier Europe-On-$10-A-Day travels, however, I do now insist upon an elevator, a private bath, and a bed that doesn't have such a huge dip in the center that we both roll towards the middle and end up crashing into each other all night long.

A Most Beautiful Elevator

You just couldn't beat the location of this one -- just a half block off of Las Ramblas, the wide pedestrian thoroughfare leading down to the harbor, and a five minute walk to Placa Catalunya, the main hub from which all tours and adventures seem to begin! The only thing we will do differently, if we ever go back, is that we will not opt for the hotel breakfast inclusion, as the streets around us were positively teeming with much better options!