Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites.
All posts by She Seeks Serene
Cover Preview: Barron’s Magazine – April 11, 2022
Walking Tour: Pike Place Market In Seattle (4K)
The Pike Place Market has been a defining Seattle icon for more than a century. Considered by many “the soul of Seattle,” the Market spans nine historic acres in the center of downtown where everyday locals and tourists alike shop, visit, eat and discover.
Founded in 1907, the Market is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States and is brought to life by the hundreds of farmers, crafters, small businesses, and residents that call it “home”.
Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London
Emma Nelson and Stephen Dalziel delve into the Saturday papers. Plus, Guy De Launey on news in the Balkans and our contributing editor Andrew Mueller discusses the week’s stranger stories.
Front Page: WSJ Weekend Edition – April 9, 2022
Previews: Science News Magazine – April 9, 2022

COVER STORY
How do we know what emotions animals feel?
Animal welfare researchers are studying the feelings and subjective experiences of horses, octopuses and more.
Diamonds may stud Mercury’s crust
By Nikk Ogasa
This fabric can hear your heartbeat
New Zealand Home Tour: Mahuika – Waiheke Island
Blending into the black of the bush, Mahuika is a private island house that embraces the external environment. Faced with a challenging site, Daniel Marshall Architects (DMA) uses the unique building context to infuse Mahuika with a sense of legend and soul, crafting a secluded home with a fiery past.
Video Timeline: 00:00 – An Introduction to the Private Island House 00:32 – Mahuika – Fire and Renewal 01:09 – Utilising Natural Light 01:35 – Remote and Private 01:55 – The Pool 02:24 – The Kitchen Appliances 03:12 – Bathrooms and Bedrooms 03:55 – Challenges of the Build 04:18 – The Materials 04:43 – What the Architect is Most Proud Of
A private island house, Mahuika is located on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. After a shocking incident that saw the project burnt just weeks before it was initially due to be completed, DMA named the home after the Māori Goddess of Fire. The timber-framed structure is designed so that the living room occupies the architectural cantilever, shading the pool below whilst bedrooms spread across different levels of the home.
In both surrounding context and brief, Mahuika presented DMA with obstacles to overcome. The changeable nature of the Auckland climate meant that the interior design and architecture of the private island house had to complement flitting natural light and striking external scenes. In addition, the design of the house had to be conducive to minimal visits to the shops during the week.
DMA convincingly responds to the difficulties proposed by the project, finding beauty within innovative solutions. The practice embraces the environment as part of the reality of living in a private island house, applying floor-to-ceiling glazing to the architecture of Mahuika in promotion of an authentic lifestyle.
In the kitchen, a generous whole foods storage system meets the requirements of the home whilst the sleek surface of Fisher & Paykel appliances reflects the view of the bush and sea. In Mahuika, the Auckland climate has the ideal subject. DMA designs the private island house to gracefully accept the ever-changing natural elements and vistas, welcoming them as defining features and reflecting them back out as parts of itself.
Island Views: La Digue In Seychelles, Indian Ocean
La Digue is an island in the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean off East Africa. It’s known for its beaches, like Anse Source d’Argent, dotted with granite boulders, on the west coast. To the south, isolated Anse Bonnet Carré Beach, with calm, shallow water, is accessible only on foot, as is Anse Cocos Beach, in a protected bay on the east coast. La Digue’s diverse wildlife can be seen in the Veuve Nature Reserve.
Science: New W Boson Particle Measurement, Marine RNA Viruses
On this week’s show: A new measurement of the W boson could challenge physicists’ standard model, and an abundance of marine RNA viruses.
Staff Writer Adrian Cho joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss a new threat to the standard model of particle physics—a heavier than expected measurement of a fundamental particle called the W boson. They chat about how this measurement was taken, and what it means if it is right.
Next, Sarah talks about the microscopic denizens of Earth’s oceans with Ahmed Zayed, a research scientist in the department of microbiology at Ohio State University, Columbus. They talk about findings from a global survey of marine RNA viruses. The results double the number of known RNA viruses, suggesting new classifications will be needed to categorize all this viral diversity.
Walking Tour: Alicante In Southeastern Spain (4K)
Alicante is a port city on Spain’s southeastern Costa Blanca, and the capital of the Alicante province. Its old town, Barrio de la Santa Cruz, has narrow streets, colored houses and a nightlife scene. From here, an elevator or a steep climb leads to medieval Castillo de Santa Bárbara, set on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Mediterranean coast.
