I’m currently participating in the new teacher training for my new job. They call it the ‘Odyssey’. So far I haven’t met any cyclopses. However, I have finished this, my first ever math puzzle! I’ll explain more in the next post, but I just had to get it up because, despite it being a fairly simple problem, it is a huge milestone in my lesson planning. One of the projects I’d like the kids to do is to come up with their own geometry puzzle so we can create a book to self publish on Amazon.com. I was mildly freaking out that I was assigning them something far, far, beyond their capabilities, but I managed to do this one in about two hours. I’m going to give the kids six weeks plus two months of skill building so they have the appropriate tools to build their own puzzles. I think they may just be able to do it.

So without further ado, my first modern day Sangaku! If I haven’t made any gross errors (which is entirely likely) requiring me to take it down and fix it, I’ll post the answer to it in a week or so. Feel free to try it! (Unfortunately at this point it does require a calculator at the end unless you’re a wiz with non standard unit circle trig identities – over the next few weeks I’m going to try to alter it so no calculator is necessary.)

Angles of Grace

Here are a few last photos of France. We stayed at La Madone and recommend it highly. The owners, Nathalie & Jean Bernard, were lovely and we have fond memories of appartifs in the garden with our hosts and the various guests. We stayed in the Appartment Contemporain. Très cute.

Archway in small provencial village.

River

Evening sky from the car.

Gourdes, Provence.

Windows and a small bird.

Stream weeds.

Ruins.

More photos from rambling drives.

Above: one of the many old farm houses dotted throughout the fields of the Luberon Valley.

A group of young horses were skittish before a small rain squall.

We’re staying at a gorgeous ex-nunnery in Apt, Provence. The town, and for that matter, the entire Luberon Valley, is stunning in its unpretencious contentment. Plants ramble, buildings crumble, everyone smokes, and life continues in outdoor cafes as it has for eons.

Above: the view out of our living room window.

Above: the church in central Apt. I believe it is Ste. Anne’s Cathedral.

Above: our afternoon activity station.

Above: a gloriously blue bench.

Even though we’re now in Apt, Provence, I’ve finally figured out how to get larger photos to display on this site and have a few favorite images from Barcelona and Cadaques I’d like to share. Click on pictures below for a larger view.

Our Apartment in Barcelona

This is a shot from the apartment we stayed at in Barcelona. The ceilings were wonderfully high, interesting nooks and crannies were hidden behind every door and it had a central meditation room. I wish American architecture was a few  hundred years older.

Barcelona Kitty

Barcelona and I had a lot in common, including our respect for the wonderous feline genus.

Casa Mila

One of the most notable historical figures from Barcelona was Antoni Gaudí, a noted architect of the Art Nouveau movement. Above is one of the ornate balconies of the Casa Milà, a private commission from 1906 -1910. The final building of Gaudi’s legacy, the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, is still under construction, even though Gaudi himself died a pauper in 1926.

Graffitti

This was one of my favorite things in Barcelona. I haven’t the foggiest idea who he is, but he seeps character.

Owl

This amazing owl, much like a really fantastic cake topper, was a block away from our apartment. A fabulous landmark to be sure.

Cadaqués, Spain

On the way up the Mediterranean coast on route to Provence we came across this stunningly gorgeous village. Of course it was chock full of tourists, but still, worth a picture.

Cadaqués Boat

Tomorrow Provence pictures!