SURVEY QUESTION for the well-cultured and/or well-traveled

While in Barcelona, Spain we viewed the spectacular Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, more simply known as La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family). Did I say it is spectacular? It is. You come up the stairs from the Metro to street level and there it is in all of its jaw-dropping wonder.

Its history, too, is facinating--just the fact that the first stone was laid in 1882 and a completion date of 2041 is expected. (At least according to the guidebook, though a postcard we bought stated 2025.) The architect Gaudi (who died in 1926) referred to it as "the last great sanctuary for Christendom." The guide book states: "Its spindle-shaped towers represent the apostles, the evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ. The latter of these is the tallest, though not as tall as the nearby hill of Montjuic, for Gaudi believed that his work should not surpass that of God."

Now here's the thing...the guidebook makes some pretty huge claims about this structure. It says "it is the most popular sight in Barcelona." Fine. "It is also the most awesome--in the truest, jaw-dropping sense of the word." Okay, I agree with that. "It will stop you in your tracks." Yes. Yes, it did. But then it says this: "It is not an understatement to say that this is the most famous building in the world."

What?

I personally had never heard of this structure until seeing it mentioned in the guidebook. There's the Taj Mahal, Buckingham Palace, the Salt Lake City Temple :D, all those other famous ones I won't mention here, but this brings me to my question...

Have you heard of this building? Before you see the photo of it below, do you know of the La Sagrada Familia? Leave a comment and let me know.


Sadly, the picture doesn't do it justice.

[Quotes taken from SPAIN by Moon Handbooks]

The best idea ever!

I saw this recently in the London airport...a vending machine filled with books. Awesome!

Right next to it was the Ben & Jerry's vending machine.

A novel + some Chunky Monkey = Heaven

Get your Spain fix

When we arrived at Sky Harbor airport to fly to Spain (well, okay...to fly to Chicago, then London, then Spain) my husband said, "We better take a picture so we can blog about this."

I love him.

Go to ourvisittospain.blogspot.com to check out the photos and commentary!

Sorry--no blogging, I've been busy

Torre de Oro, Sevilla Spain



Plaza de Espana, Sevilla Spain



The Cathedral--third largest in the world, Sevilla Spain

Time to jet...

It's going to be an adventure.

I'll keep you posted!

Sightings at the recent ANWA Conference & Book Signing

Authors Joyce DiPastena and Donna Hatch

happy to talk about their books!

Children's Author Cindy Williams with something important to say.

Author Janette Rallison lending a listening ear.

Excited Karen E. Hoover with her new book

The Sapphire Flute--

set to be released in 2 weeks!!!

Peon writers begging for photo ops with

famous author Aprilynne Pike.

If you're on the ANWA board you may have to do things like this...



...but you also get to do things like this...

dinner with presenters after the conference!
(some skipped out before photo op)


And cake. Yummy chocolate cake!



Thanks to all who planned, presented, attended.

It was an amazing day!

Courting Miss Lancaster

Another great offering from the prolific and cute Sarah M. Eden, author of Regency romance.


Harry Windover adores blonde, green-eyed Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman's hand. To add insult to injury, Athena's brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding the gentleman of her dreams. But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed, and utterly ridiculous.

Athena can't comprehend why she is having so little success meeting eligible and acceptable gentlemen. Indeed, her circle of admirers couldn't be less admirable--nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she's found in Harry.
But how long can Harry's scheme be hidden? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry's deception?

If I don't win the book here, then I will definitely be going here for purchasing information. Can't wait to have Sarah as a guest on my blog...once I read the book. Be watching for that.

And a note about blog contests and winning. I'm really on a streak here. I've won several books, I've lost count, but one more arrived today. I won a photo image on a cake that I need to find an occasion for, I've won a gym bag, and just yesterday was informed I won the Targus laptop backpack in Sue's contest I talked about in my last post. Could I have just won the Compag Mini Notebook?...well, that would have been nice.

But be afraid all you blog contest enterers, be very afraid!