Meanwhile.... back in Dublin, the new house is coming along in leaps and bounds! With the windows and doors in, the wiring finished and the plastering done, the inside of the house is really starting to resemble the real thing! This is a view of the sitting room... complete with fireplace and lots of light!

Maria came to visit us the other day before heading back to her home in Mallorca. Maria is a nurse and recently came back from a six-month stint in 'Angola with Medicos sin Fronteras'. She was full of diverse stories and colourful memories of here time there.

Liam digging into a dinner of 'acelgas'... a stew made from a vegetable called a 'swiss chard', combined here with potato and some diced ham... mmmmm

My dentist's practice is in that very quirky tall skinny orange building over there... in the Pla del Palau.

things are looking up!

Safely on the bike path as the pedestrians and buses file by...

Trying to take yet another self portrait with the boys... but forgetting the zoom was on!!!

My view from behind as Malachy munches on a mid-afternoon goodie!!!

me and Malachy

Liam in his bike seat

By the marina...

This other rusty old vessel (the ship... not Jaime!!! ;-)) had just sailed in from Turkey. According to the two Indian men who got off it and chatted to us whilst we were there, it had been sailing for over 30 years and was about to sail it's last voyage to the the south of Spain for scrapping. Believe me, it looked like it was about to either fall asunder or sink! When we asked the Indian sailors if they weren't a little wary of sailing on her, they said "no, but only because we have faith in god"... and you'd really want to to set foot aboard that crock!

We went for a cycle around the Barcelona port and shipyards the other day. Liam and Malachy were highly enthralled by this huge articulated body poised on the back of this big orange ship. So were we!

...!

Taking refuge on their island, waiting for the lake to be refilled....

... this is why they love these bushes so much! They're hollow on the inside! Make great hiding places!

frolics in the park on the weekend!

the boys beside their favourite bushes...

row, row, row your boat, gently down the.... ooops!

The rowing boats have been left sitting on the bottom of the empty lake! Liam was delighted to have give them a dry run!

No, that palm tree is not growing out of the top of my head!

Jaime and Malachy

The ducks and geese are a little disconcerted due to the lack of water though....

The lake in the park has been drained for cleaning. This weekend it was full of cyclists and walkers making the most of the extra space and the new view of the park...!

He's good buddies with Cadi's rider too!

Cadi... one of the police horses that patrols the Parc de la Ciutadella.

Cadi and Liam are good friends!

Malachy testing out the audio!

At a photo and video exhibition on Carrer Montcada

... and then heading home...

sliding together!

horsey, horsey, don't you stop...

bouncing together...

close-up.... too close!!!

like my pink ball?

A family bike trip to the park. Liam has a rear seat on Jaime's bike and Malachy has a front seat on mine...

Swinger

One of the towers Liam, Malachy and Daddy built... just before Malachy's runaway train demolished it!

at the park

In keeping with its theme, the Circ d'Hivern (winter circus) was predominantly white... there were flying skiiers, giant snowballs, snow showers and all kinds of acrobatics and entertainment...!

El Ateneu Popular de Nou Barris is an alternative theatre, concert and circus venue

On the metro going to Nou Barris to see the Circ Rod�...

Malachy at the library

On the last day of the kid's Christmas holidays (Sunday 8 Jan) we went to see the Circ Rod� Winter Circus

Visiting the fountains in Plaza Catalunya on a winter's evening...

dancing with daddy!

Daddy "animating" an animal tale for Malachy at the kid's corner in our local library!

changing faces... smiles...

... and melancholy gazes...

!!