Home Again

Took a German colleague who'd never been to Madrid before, for a quick look at the Plaza Mayor, and around. What a space, and what history - the first event there, in 1622, was the canonization of St Izidro the Labourer, who is the patron saint of Madrid. And then it was used for bullfights, and then hangings and burning at the stake during the Inquisition. And then, in the early 80's, a Leeds Uni student used to wander here, so impressed by it all... Anyway, today, a mobile sculpture by Janet Echelman was being installed; called 1.78, it refers to the number of seconds that the day was shortened after the Japan earthquake. She says:  Our surroundings affect how we feel and how we experience our lives - we are responsible for the way our cities look and function. These netted works work brings softness to the scale of the city. They are soft counterpoints to the hard edges of buildings, offering proof that we can interrogate the status quo - that the assumption that cities must be formed from hard materials and straight edges can be changed.

The extra: on the way home, the view of the snow covered granite Sierra de Gredos. My husband humoured me; we went off the route and drove up until we reached the snow. Crunched through some in my boots, so much beauty...