daniel – Dan & More

More Champagne Comedy

Quit that racket kids. No, turn it off and come over here. We’re supposed to be remembering old Stan today, it’s his big day and tomorrow there’ll be plenty of time for Tick-Tockin’, Row-box or whatever foolishness. Come over here and I’ll tell you a story. No, over here. In a circle.

You see that box over there, no the big one. There. Quit it Sally, I don’t have time for shenanigans. Stanley’s in there, his is body anyway. Yes, really. I thought that’d make you clam-up.

Now I seem pretty old to you and I am. I’ve seen 52 summers and am proper old. But when I was your age, anybody over 16 was a grown-up and that’s how I knew Stan. Stanley was my oldest brother and on the day I was bawlin’ while mother dropped me off for my first day of school he was already put out out to work.

What? I guess he was (one, two three four…ten, twelve) about 14. Yes Sally, that’s too young to work in a factory these days but that’s how it was back then. Pappy ran off and left our mother with five boys to feed and Stanley quit school to keep the rent paid and his brothers fed. Fed most of the time.

The Barcelona Trilogy in Six Parts

It’s been a good two years since Mrs Sachie and I did this trip but the writing is done and I’m pleased to present each of the bits of our Barcelona trip in September 2023 for your amusement.

Barcelona in Stunning Colour: The Final Chapter

This post is part of a series. It starts with Barcelona in Black and White, Barcelona in Black and White Again, Barcelona in Stunning Colour, Barcelona in Colour II and Barcelona in Colour III: Gaudi’s Revenge.

Thank you for sticking with me so far. The Barcelona trip was not especially long but a lot happened. Today we are on another trip out of town to tour Mrs Sachie’s Jerusalem, the Frexinex factory.

See you later train. After you pass, what’s the view from the platform?

Ah, here we are. Mrs Sachie and I are proud consumers of the product of this vineyard/factory. This is where Freixenet sparking wine originates, yes all of it. They are Spain’s biggest cava producer and one of the biggest in the world, and claim to be the biggest, so they have a truly massive cellar.

Barcelona in Colour III: Gaudi’s Revenge

This blog post is part of a series. There are Barcelona in Black and White, Barcelona in Black and White, Again, Barcelona in Stunning Colour and Barcelona in Colour II. This is the third part.

Some of you may recall seeing this place, around the corner from the hotel:

That’s Casa Batlló Gaudi, which in English means ‘Batlló’s Gaudi House’ because Mr Batlló commissioned him to make a nice house and this… Walt Disney mushroom-dream is what he got. We didn’t go in but apparently you can.

People in the windows at of Casa Batlló Gaudi — “Hello?… I’m in the Gaudi House!… What?… Nahh, It’s rubbish!”

Barcelona in Colour II

This blog post is part of a series. There is Barcelona in Black and White, Barcelona in Black and White, Again and Barcelona in Stunning Colour, of which this is the second part.

Oh god it’s early. We have met up with our local friends and we are on the train to Girona. As explained to me, this place is famous for:

Being in some Game of Thrones episodes.
Being a cycling hub, apparently for Lance Armstrong, before his self-inflicted humiliation. Perhaps after too.
Being stunning beautiful in both situation and architecture.

I can attest to all three. We caught an early train to go about 100km out of town.

You can read a little more about the place in Barcelona in Black and White elsewhere on this good blog.

It’s Catalonian National Day, so the streets are decorated with yellow and red, which explains this at the breakfast buffet.