Sixth stop - Barcelona!

We took our first night train last night from Paris to Barcelona! And I have to say…it was kind of fun! There were no “rooms” available, so Steven and I had to be split up into rooms by gender, where we met some more people our age. I was with two girls, one from Canada, and one from Peru (then Miami), while Steven was with three guys, two traveling together, and the third was the boyfriend of a girl in my room. (He just happened to be a professional field hockey player in Canada?!?)

The rooms were neat: They start with four chairs, two on each side, but then the chairs fold down to have two beds on each side. Watch your head!! Surprisingly, these were some of the more comfortable beds we’ve slept in while in Europe, probably due to the lack of springs! Anyone longing for a piece of their childhood back should sleep on a train because it rocks you to sleep like a little baby! (However, we are still rocking the next day due to equilibrium malfunctions!)















As with the last of our European arrivals, it was raining when we got in this morning! Thank goodness for the beautiful ponchos from Brussels! As incredibly beautiful and amazing as a city might be, if you are greeted on a rainy day, it is very difficult to forgive mother nature! We did the usual arrival checklist: check trains for next trip (check), tourist information center (check), find hostel (check), have a snack so Liz doesn’t get cranky (check). Our hostel was right close to the Christopher Columbus monument.



















Our little hostel is like a four star hotel! (Star ratings in Europe are different than the states - they are based on number of amenities, not service, value, etc.; i.e. you get what you pay for.) I can’t believe how nice it is, with an elevator (unheard of!), a/c, AND our own bathroom?!? We are spoiled here!

After another load of laundry and settling in, we grabbed a bite to eat at the tapas diner next door. We ordered a Spanish omelet (egg, potato, and cheese), a veggie omelet, and grilled prawns, and they were to DIE FOR! The food was so delicious for a little hole-in-the-wall joint!

The rain stopped, thank the Lord! Since we had such good luck with our last hop-on/hop-off bus experience, we decided to do it again in Barcelona. It worked out really well because we could get a two-day pass here, allowing us more time to hop off, and it had three different routes. Plenty to see!











































































We even had time to stop and let an artist sculpt me! I didn't have room to carry it home, though. Twins, right???



















In the evening, we walked along Las Ramblas del Mar, a long bridge (in a marina) with restaurants and beautiful sites to see, including unauthorized street vendors stampeding out of the area as police approached. Whether its in Paris or Barcelona, sprinting street vendors are always entertaining!





























We found another tapas (what else?) restaurant on the water for dinner, where we had some fantastic wine and shellfish paella. It was such a beautiful evening and peaceful setting that we did not want it to end. However, due to our after-dark experiences in France, we were more inclined to hurry home at a reasonable time around ten.

































Friday morning was one for sleeping in a bit. Breakfast went late, check-out was late, so all the stars were aligning, telling us to get some rest! We needed it because we had a full day in the city ahead of us since we decided to stay another night. This meant a hotel change, which allowed us to see more of Barcelona on our walk to it.

The only museum we visited in Barcelona was the Picasso museum, accessed from a tiny alley, set in what looked like a century-old stone building. I really enjoy the museums devoted to a single artist because you get so much more history of their lives and motivations, and this museum was no exception. I learned so much here!

After the museum, we continued our bus tour, seeing amazing sites like La Sagrada Familia, a church designed by world-famous architect Gaudi. His work is very much like something out of a fairy tale, very similar to the Neuschwanstein castle, only less tacky.

























































We also stopped at a park he designed, Guell Park, which again was very beautiful, light, and nearly everything was made from beautiful mosaic tiles. It was well worth the ten-minutes walk uphill!





















































































We finished our daylight hours with a trip to one of the small beaches on the coast of Barcelona. In case you are wondering, the water is indeed very cold in the middle of June!















































For dinner, we stopped at another tapas restaurant; I’m seeing a pattern emerge here. We ordered a “tapas tour”, which was where they gradually bring out about 14 different tapas to enjoy. This forced me to try some new things, and I took it like a champ! …except for the fish heads. Unfortunately, our server took away the olives before I got to try them. Shoot. ME GUSTA SANGRIA!!!!!





























Barcelona was amazing and beautiful! I would recommend it to anyone wanting to travel in Europe!

Back to France with a stop in Nice on our way to Italy!