BCN --> MAD

On Sunday, we spent the whole day at the beach in Barcelona. The sun was bright, the water was blue, and the people were out vacationing in droves. It's not quite the same experience as a Florida beach, but the Mediterranean provides enough sun and sand for an entire day of fun. We had dinner at a small street café for a good price, and we had our first of two large Sangria pitchers for the night. If Spain had a national drink, it would be Sangria. If Sangria had a standard size, it would be pitcher at smallest.


Later that night, Stephen and I returned to the Plaça de Espanya to catch the light and water shower at the Font Màgica. This brilliant display of color and lights took place at the base of the National Art Museum, and it was very difficult to capture its awe in photos. See the pictures below for my best efforts.


On Monday, we trekked up a large hill in Barcelona to see another work of famous architect Gaudi, Park Güell. Situated with a great view of the city, the interesting architecture and design was definitely worth the 200 meter hill climb. Plus the park entrance was free. Later in the day, we stopped for lunch at, where else but, McDonald's. I was really happy because I used French to order my food because the cashier spoke it a little, so I did not have struggle in Catalan. After some light shopping (mostly for the air conditioning in the stores), we made our way to the airport. Our flight to Madrid was over an hour late, the second time so far we've had late departures!


After landing in Madrid, we took the city's clean and efficient metro to our hotel from the airport for just 2 euros. Our hostel is centrally located at the Puerto del Sol in the center of the city. Before calling it a night after a long day, we had a quick bite to eat at a turkish restaurant and finished off a 3 litro tube of sangria. mmm. Off to see the sights in Madrid today, ADIOS!

Basilicas and Beaches

Our first full day in Barcelona was amazing to say the least. After sleeping in a little, we had a jam-packed tourist day.


After a quick visit to the National Cathedral that is under massive renovation, we started off at the Familia Sagrada, a church that has been under construction for over 100 years. The work of a famous Barcelonean architect by the name of Gaudi, the massive structure is still under construction today and should be completed by 2026. In fact, it is the world's most visited construction sight.


After seeing the interior and exterior of the massive art-deco church, we took an elevator ride to the top. The views of the 8 completed turrets (10 more to go!) and the skyline of Barcelona were breathtaking. It was a little frightening to walk all the way day from the towering heights, but the pictures were more than worth the stress.


Next, we went to the National Museum of Art of Barcelona. This castle-like building is on the top of a hill at the Plaça de Espanya. It was built in the 1920s for a world exposition and has been a museum since the 1930s. We saw a few Picasso and Dali paintings there, among the works of many Spanish artists. It has been a little tricky dealing with the language here. In Barcelona, they speak Catalan not Spanish. It is a strange mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, and French.


Finally, we ended up at the beach. The Mediterranean was beautiful, and we will be spending the entire day there today. We ate at a chic restaurant called Attic for dinner, with a mix of traditional and modern foods. We went to a very unique and interesting bar in the local Wax Museum, filled with dim lighting and cool decorations. Before calling it a night, we joined in a music festival outside our hotel. We really didn't have much of an option considering we could hear the loud music and people from our room anyways. Off to the beach, adéu!

Au revoir, Paris. Hola, España!

So, Stephen finally arrived in Europe! It was a long trip coming, but now there is a little St. Catherine/Jesuit/New Orleans reunion on the old continent. We spent our first 3 days in Paris, and it was quite the whirlwind. Since I have grown used to living there, it was easy for me to show him the city in a very quick manner. We saw the Louvre (Mona Lisa included), Eiffel Tower (climbed it), Arc de Triomphe, Sacré Coeur, Montmartre, Concorde, Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and had plenty of good eats (crepes, fondue, croque madames). Overall, it was a fun little tourist visit to Paris, but I was more than ready to leave the City of Lights behind.

After a long day on public transportation and airplanes, Stephen and I finally arrived in Spain! We landed in Barcelona about an hour behind schedule, but we eventually made our way through the city to our hostel. Thankfully, we have our own room and space, and we quickly settled in. Before we knew it, it was 11:30pm and we had not eaten dinner. No worries, because in Spain dinner has barely started by that time. We had a wonderful American dinner at, none other than, the Hard Rock Cafe. We are pretty exhausted, but we are spending a full day seeing the touristy sights tomorrow. Catalan and Spanish are difficult for us, but luckily lots of the locals know some English. Viva Barcelona!