Barcelona, Spain......Party of Six

Barcelona, Here We Come!!!!

After staying a night in Bristol, we made the short plane ride to Barcelona, where we were going to start our first of eighteen days on Spanish soil!  We met Phil and Debbie in the Barcelona airport (as they flew in from Paris) and the four of us made our way into the city centre, and ultimately our hotel.  Once checked in and comfortable in our modern apartment, we decided to venture out for the rest of day to get a feel for this brand new city.  We took the metro to the Barcelona waterfront and took a nice stroll along the promenade where we saw a working marina, hotels, restaurants and apartments.  We decided it was time for our first taste of Spanish cuisine…..and we were not disappointed!  We ate outside where we each had a delicious dinner of authentic paella and sangria.  After an evening of food and catching up with Phil and Deb on their trip to Paris, we decided to call it a night. 

Saturday morning was a mixture of relaxation and excitement as we had nothing planned for the day other than meeting Dad and Rhonda at the train station later that afternoon.  Yes, you have it correct, we had an overlap of two nights in Barcelona with both Phil and Deb as well as my Dad and Rhonda!  As Phil and Deb were finishing up their almost two weeks of visiting and European travel, my Dad and Rhonda were flying over to begin their almost two weeks of visiting and European travel.  So began the two day overlap with parents that was beyond a success! 

National Art Museum of Catalonia Steps

So back to Saturday morning!  Phil and Deb decided to go on their own for a bus tour and John and I spent a lazy morning at the hotel trying to recoup from a crazy past couple of weeks.  Once late morning hit, we knew it was time to go explore more of the city.  We strolled through Plaza de Espana, stopped for the best churros we’ve ever had, sat on the steps of the National Art Museum of Catalonia listening to live music and ended eating a beautifully two hour long tapas lunch outside in the sun.  Life doesn’t get much better.

Dad and Rhonda have arrived!

Once late afternoon hit, we headed straight for the train station to welcome Dad and Rhonda to the amazing city of Barcelona.  I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my Dad in a train station in Spain.  Never in my life would I have guessed that my Dad would make the journey across the world to travel alongside John and I in Spain.  Luckily (for him and us) he has a wife who pushes him to try new things and she was able to get this man to take time off work and make the journey over to Spain to travel!  Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Inside Segrada Familia

As we met Dad and Rhonda, we gave hugs and said our hellos and then made our way to the apartment where the six of us would be staying.  As Rhonda has endless energy and is always thinking ahead, it was of little surprise that the moment they reached the apartment, Rhonda pulled out a bag filled with food she brought to snack on.  Yes, a wheel of cheese was part of her “thinking ahead” for snacks for the group!  Once the six of us finished catching up and sharing appetizers, we decided it was time to walk around the neighborhood and get some food.  As it was another nice night, we found outdoor dining where we ate our hearts out and shared some more of the amazing sangria.

Group Shot Outside Segrada Familia

As Monday was the last day all the six of us would be together, we decided to enjoy it together and made our way to the famous Segrada Familia.  Segrada Familia is a church in the heart of Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudi (not the last time you’ll hear his name).  Building of the church began in 1882 and to this day, is not yet complete.  It was no short wait to see the inside of this church, but once inside, you quickly realize it was worth every minute.  The design is like none you’ve ever seen before and it has such a different feeling than any other church or cathedral I’ve been in.  Pictures just don’t do it justice. 

After walking through and learning about and experiencing the Segrada Familia, we decided to head to Las Ramblas which is a gorgeous tree-lined street that cuts through with heart of Barcelona and ends at the port.  The street is filled with entertainers, shops, restaurants, statues and more.  After taking a nice stroll through the craziness of Las Ramblas, we decided to make a stop at La Boqueria.  La Boqueria is a public market that has an extensive array of foods and goods to offer where your senses are hit at every corner.  The colors are vivid and the scent is strong, a good indicator of what each stall sells.  Everything from the mundane to exotic, from fresh fish and meat to fruit and candy. 

After a day of touring the city, it was time to relax and have a final dinner with John, myself and our four travel mates.  We made our way to a cozy restaurant down the street from our apartment and had a delicious dinner where the six of us had great conversation and one of the best meals in our Spanish travels.  Hosting two sets of parents at once in a foreign city ended up being a success!

Park Guell on a Sunny Day!

Come early Tuesday morning, Phil and Deb sadly had to make their way to the airport and ultimately, back to life in La Crosse.  It was sad to see them go, but we were happy to know that they had a great two weeks in Truro, Paris and Barcelona.  As Tuesday morning was rainy, dreary and cold, we spent a little extra time at the apartment in the morning until we finally made our way back to the waterfront harbor of Port Vell.  We decided to explore the long dock which leads out past the sailboats and to a mall located in the middle of the harbor.  After some exploring there, we then made our way to the popular Park Guell designed by Antoni Gaudi.  The park has multiple facets and contains some amazing and distinctive structures such as the long and multi-colored tiled bench overlooking the city, a mosaic dragon, a twisted rock walkway and even a home Gaudi once lived in while building this park.  It really was a sight to see, even on a gloomy and rainy day!

Despite the weather, we decided to take some time, sit outside and have a couple drinks at a café by the park.  From there we headed back to the museum where we sat on the steps overlooking the city and then made our way to a tiny, local restaurant where we had an authentic experience of being in the midst of Spaniards watching a Spanish football game.  It just seemed fitting that this was our last experience in Barcelona before we hopped on the train the next morning for our next desination…..Seville.