Convention and The Prime Tie Man

Our church convention in Barcelona is held about 1 hour north of the centre of Barcelona in a semi-rural suburb. There were about 150 people there from probably 20 different countries.

I was talking to a guy, Jay Sperl, who comes from Washington DC and is working in Spain for ABB, an international company that makes and sells large transformers. During the conversation he was asking what I did and I told him I was doing some work in Bangladesh. He said his wife had been over there in January of this year seeing her friend Kari Boettcher from Washington and Adele Janske in January of this year. (They are doing missionary work in Bangladesh) I said we had stayed with them in February.

Just then his wife, Nancy, came along and Jay was telling her that we had been to Bangladesh shortly after her and did some work with Paul Sarkar. She said "What do you do in Bangladesh."
I said "Paul Sarkar processes stocking off-cuts or toecli..."
Nancy exclaimed "Are you the Toeclip man!?" (Toeclips are what we sell as Prime Tie in NZ). She said "We hear about the toeclips that Paul was getting and we were wondering what anyone could possibly want with a container load of Toenail clippings!!!!"

It was hot while we were there - 37C in the shade one day. Fans but no aircon so it was hot day and night. The last day of convention (Tuesday) it rained which cooled it downa bit but raised the humidity.

After convention we stayed 3 nights in Barcelona. The highlight was definitely the Sangria Familia cathedral. Building started 1866. Completion maybe 2030 if funds allow. (Maybe that is quick for a cathedral!). Gaudi was years ahead of others in his engineering design and use of light and different materials.


Street murals in Barcelona

La Sangria Familia - the cathedral in Bercelona designed by Gaudi. Absolutely amazing and so different to every other cathedral we have seen. Started about 1890. Will be finished about 2030. Architecturally and structurally probably 50 year ahead of its time

Exterior detail in the Sangria Familia

Looking up into the ceiling of the Sangria Familia. The branched columns and the high level lighting were just two features so different with this cathedral design.

Joanne on La Ramblas, the most infamous tourist street in Barcelona. A pick-pockets dream at night.

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