Travelog for: Rico the Tiger

Hello daddy!
Today we went to the swimming pool! We were so excited!!
We went to the children’s swimming pool.



And then we took turns to use the inflatable seat. It was so funny!!






Ape Apina started to take a sunbath because he was the last to use it hahaha!!!

After this, we took a sunbath all together in the towel.


And we got hungry!! So we ate some chips and some olives!



Later, we went to investigate the place. Look! A wooden bridge!!


And a bit closer…


Where will this stairs take us? TezTez needed a little help of Doña Felisa to go up.


Wow!!! It’s a picnic area! A very big picnic area! Look how many tables there are!


Near from this there was a tennis zone with wooden benches.



We continued our way and then we noticed that somebody was spying us…


R-Hello!!!
Z-Come with us!!!
T-Don’t be shy!!!


A-Come closer!!!
D-We won’t hurt you!!!


???-Hi! My name is Vassily and I’m a tennis ball. Sorry for bothering you. I was living alone here since I can’t remember…

Ohhh!!! How sad it is!!! Vassily told us he was abandoned for his family because he couldn’t play with them anymore. Zero told him that he could come with us, he was sure his mommy don’t get angry if he joined us.
So I have a new friend!!!
Bye dad! I miss you!!!

Hi daddy!!!
Today we have visited Camp Nou!!! And Doña Felisa get one of hers life missions and Zero improve one of his!!!


We enter by one of the lateral gates. Can you see all that shields in the wall? They are from each “penya barcelonista”, a community that brings support to a football team, in this case, Barça.


This big truck is TVE, a national public television channel that will transmit live the match. Tomorrow there will be a Barça-Madrid match, the two most important teams in Spain. We have found a cartel that informed that.



This is the principal gate to the stadium, but you have to pay to visit it.


In front of this gate, there are some sculptures.




And this is me with Barça flags and Catalonia flag.


And finally, outside the stadium, you can see “La Masia”, it was home to the Barcelona youth squad.


Congratulations Doña Felisa!!! I hope you enjoy this visit!!

Hi daddy!!!!
This week are the festivities in the neighborhood of Sants. It’s typical to decorate some streets and we have visited two of them.
The first one we have found is decorated like a coalmine!!! We are in a coalmine!!!






And the second one shows us North Pole and South Pole.
North Pole…


And South Pole. Can you see us?


It’s all made with recycled materials: bottles, bags… It’s so beautiful!!
Bye dad!!!

Hi daddy!
Today I was drawing in a travelling notebook!!!! It’s a special travelling notebook because only Toy Voyagers can write and draw. This notebook will travel soon, so Doña Felisa and I wanted to participate in it before it continues its trip

Hi dad!!!
Today TezTez leaves us to continue his travel and Zero is very sad.

Z- Before to do your Check Out, I have to do the Rico the Tiger and Doña Felisa’s Check In
R-Rico the Tiger from Germany, 13th August 2012


D-And Doña Felisa from Austria, the same day…


Z-Now, TezTez is leaving today…


T-C’mon, Zero, don’t cry!!!


Z-We will miss you a lot!!!


T-Bye guys!!!
Z,A,R,D-Byeee!!!!

Hi daddy!!!
Today is Doña Felisa and her mum’s birthday!!!! So, as she asks in one of her life missions, we’re going to do a cake to celebrate it!!!!

These are the ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 yogurt (in this case, strawberry yogurt), sunflower oil, flour, sugar and baking powder.


First, we beat the eggs


Then, we add the yogurt.



With the vase of the yogurt we calculate the next measures. We add 1 measure of sunflower oil.




We add 1 measure of flour (x3)



We add 1 measure of sugar (x2)



And we add the baking powder.



We spread butter and flour in the baking mould and put the mix.



We preheat the oven to 170º during 10 minutes and we place the cake inside during about 50 min. We can check with a hook needle if it’s cooked inside.
Happy birthday Doña Felisa!!!! Happy birthday Doña Felisa’s mum!!!!

Hello daddy!!!
Today we’re going to a mini postcrossing meeting!!!! As it is celebrated in the city center, we will visit the place before the meeting. Although Ape Apina has visited it some weeks ago, he comes with us.

First, we stop in Passeig de Gràcia. This two buildings are so famous!!! On the right you can see Casa Batlló by Gaudí, and on the left, Casa Amatller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.


We arrive at Plaça Catalunya. Here will be the meeting, but we have some time to visit the city center!!



Les Rambles and La Font de Canaletes. There’s a story about those who drink from this fountain, fall in love with Barcelona, so Doña Felisa and I drink to fall in love with it!!




El Mercat de la Boqueria


El Liceu


This man is always sitting here. He lets us to take a photo with him, but is not place enough for all, so Zero it’s not in the photo.


Colón


Museu de Cera. Dad, can you see Superman and C3PO on the top??


Plaça Reial


And now, we come back to Plaça Catalunya to meet the postcrossing people!!! Then, we go to have something to drink and write a lot of postcards!!!!


We have had so much fun in the meeting, but now is time to come back home. After this, we go to Portal de l’Àngel, a very famous street due its big thermometer.


Bye dad!!!!

Hi daddy!
Today Zero will show us Sagrada Familia!!!! Ape Apina will come with us too, because he doesn’t want to stay home alone, although he visited it already.

Z-This is Sagrada Familia, an expiatory temple that means that this building it has been built from donations. You have to know that this temple is under construction, because it’s not finished yet!! Gaudí started to work on it but he died before the end of the construction. After this, many architects have continued the work. But you will see the differences…

So, here I am!! The old part…
Z-This is the original part by Gaudí. I think it’s so beautiful with a lot of details. It’s “Façana Naixement” (Nativity Façade) and explains with its sculptures the nativity of Jesus. It’s full of life (the same nativity and vegetals and animals).


… and the new part.
Z- “Façana de la Passió” (Passion Façade) by Josep Maria Subirachs. It represents the Via Crucis, reflecting the desolation, the pain and the death of Jesuschrist and it’s made withouth details and with austere materials.


Dad, if you want more information you can visit http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/index.php
Bye!!!!

Hi dad!!!
Today is a special day in Catalonia. Today it’s “La Diada Nacional de Catalunya” (the National Day of Catalonia). This day people remember when Barcelona was defeated during the War of the Spanish Succession on 1714. A lot of people in Catalonia want Catalonia to be independent from Spain and this day a lot of people go out to the street to express themselves.
We have studied a bit about this part of the History and we have seen the manifestation on TV.
Ahhh!!! And Vassily has joined us!!!!




Look how many people!!!



This is “Castellers”, a human tower, add to Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO on 2010.


It has been an interesting day and we have learned a lot!
Bye!

Hi dad!!
Today I will leave Barcelona to continue my trip. I’m sad because I had nice times here and because Zero is sad too, but I’m happy because I will discover new places

Ape Apina will leave too, so we have said “goodbye”.


Zero have written the date in his notebook…


… we have given us a very big hug…


… and they have wished us a nice and safe trip.


United Kingdom, I'm coming!

Hello!
I arrived safely in the United Kingdom! I was greeted by my new host and two other toyvoyagers, Rendolph and Ceryni. They both welcomed me with kisses.








It was such a lovely day out that my host suggested we all go for a picnic!
Here is an obelisk that we found on our way into Trent park.


It reads: "To the memory of the birth of George Grey Earl of Harold  son of Henry and Sophia Duke and Dutchess of Kent 1702."





For lunch we had egg and cress sandwiches which were very good.






Next we had a couple slices of ginger cake and walnut cake!






All gone!





Ugh, we don't feel very well... maybe too much cake!





We collected some unknown berries and came home.  We are now trying to identify them.  My host thinks that they are rosehips and maybe burdock.  Maybe this book will help?

Hello!
Today my host took me to a woodland carving trail in Broxbourne!







Giant Acorns!









Taking a rest with my new friend Rendolph.

















Time for a ride home!





On our way home we stopped off and did a little geocaching.  We got a nice big red plastic ant from this cache and left an American state quarter.

Hello! or should I say goodbye!? I am heading into my envelope now and will be taking a brief journey to a new exciting place, Russia!

Hope to make more updates soon!

Hi mom!
Wow, it was a really long travel, wasn’t it? I was sleeping all the time in my envelope and I must said it was so boooring…
But now I’m here and very hungry! So, my host has taught me, how to cook falafel - a deep fried patty made from ground chickpeas. She said that it’s a wonderful source of protein for vegetarians and that it’s a traditional dish for eaten throughout the Middle East. I tried to make as many photos as I could. 

First you must take ground chickpeas (near 150 gr.) and soak them in water over night the day before cooking. You can see, that they really change their size! I compare them with the dry ones. 

Then chop and blend ground chickpeas in a food processor until the beans are the consistency of fine bread crumbs.

Chop the green and slice the onion.



Put everything in large bowl.

Mold the falafel mixture into small patty on the spoon and drop into oil to fry to keep the color an even brown on all sides.



When they are a medium brown color, remove the balls and drain on a paper towel for a minute. Serve warm and fresh!

Hi, mom!
It’s New Year's Eve today and I’m so happy! Me and my host will celebrate this holiday at home with her family and close friends. You know, in Russia New Year's Eve is now celebrated similarly to Christmas, just without the religious aspect of the holiday. My host has been worked hard till 30th December, so we decide to dress up a fur-tree today! Hooray! 
First of all, let’s go and find the most beautiful tree ever! Good for us that a market is near our house! So, forget about snow and cold, let’s search some holiday mood! 

There are tens of trees inside and some of them are packed into a grid, for convenience of storage and transportation so they are very compact. 

Look at this one, it’s so small!

We have chosen this one, not so small and not so thin, perfect for our room. It’s my host’s father, Lev (Lion in russion), on the photo.

The fur-tree is almost free and becomes stout..

My host’s fur-tree toys are stored in box on the top shelf of a wardrobe. There are a lot of toys here, old and new, glass and plastic. My host told me that the oldest one - a toy glass alarm-clock, was put on a fur-tree by her great-grandmother! It is excellent tradition - to buy every year some new toys, but also to leave the old ones. You can feel proximity of generations. 

So, let’s start!

OK, now we should hang up electric garlands so the fur-tree will be sparkle beautifully in the evening. Oh, I’m a little bit confused... 

It’s look fantastic!

Wow! Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) have come to us for a party!
I already wrote that in Russia New year has no relation to religion, therefore Ded Moroz isn't similar to Santa Claus! My host has told to me that earlier, Ded Moroz was a wicked and cruel sorcerer, ruling over frosts. According to legend, Ded Moroz liked to freeze people and kidnap children, taking them away in his gigantic sack. Parents were said to have to give him presents as a ransom in return for their children.  However, under the influence of Orthodox traditions, the character of Ded Moroz was completely transformed, later adopting certain traits from Santa Claus.
And the modern Snegurochka is depicted as the granddaughter and helper of Ded Moroz. But in another story, she is the daughter of Spring and Frost, and yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like a shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms and she melts.
I wish you a Happy New Year! Happiness, good luck, love and more sweet surprises next year!