Barcelona

Well that technical difficulty lasted a lot longer than anticipated. The truth is I officially got another memory card reader a while ago, but I told myself I would not post one more picture until I write another Spain recap. These things take so damn long to write mainly because of all the photos. But, I am determined to finish at least a couple more. Only it's been difficult finding the time to sit in front of the computer and type. It's freakin' Summer! I like to go outside and play in my free time dammit. Now that I've cleared that up- let's continue!

Barcelona is so special. It's vibrant, alive, full of culture and energy. There is so much to experience it's almost overwhelming. We spent about a week here and still didn't feel like we got to visit as much as we had liked to. Barcelona is just one of those places that you can visit over & over and always feel like you can discover something new. Here are just a few of our favorite things during our stay here.

Ferran Street in the Barri Gotic quarter: our home for a week.


We spent a good part of our time wandering and getting lost on the streets.

Catching a breather.

The Museu Nacional d'Arte de Catalunya and its gorgeous views of the city.

It's a long way to the top.

The architecture. You can barely walk a block without a stunning work of art catching your attention. Gaudi's creations, of course, being some of the most popular.

The interior of La Sagrada Familia is modeled after a forest. See the trees?

An afternoon at Parc Guell: gingerbread-like houses, whimsical alleys, and lunch consisting of jamon+manchego.

Palau de la Musica Catalana. At 12 euro for single admission, it was little pricey just to get inside. We looked at the concert schedule and noticed that nosebleed seats for that evening's concert were just a couple euros more. So we got us some concert tickets instead! Not only did we get to go inside and admire to our hearts' content, we got to listen to works of Hayden and Mozart as performed by the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

You know I can't talk about Barcelona without raving about the food. I won't bore you with too many pictures, so here are just a few snaps.


La Boqueria and Mercat de Santa Caterina: gourmet marketplaces providing endless hours of gawking and tasting of foods you never knew existed. drooool!


La Champagneria: This place is a madhouse! They only serve champagne plus bite sized sandwiches and meats. Not recommended for the claustrophobic types (be prepared to get comfortable real quick with the person standing next to you.) Recommended for those of us on a budget. Yep- price range for a glass of champagne is 90 cents through 1.25 euro .


Vila Viniteca. I know, right? The foto itself is overwhelming. Multiply it by 3, no 6, to imagine how extensive of a wine collection they have for sale. See that ledge on the top half of the picture? Yea, you can walk up there to browse through the top wall stash. A little scary given that it did not feel very sturdy and I'm not quite sure how it's supported. But whatev. Favorite wine store. Ever.

I can't forget about our gracious hosts: Vicky y Diego.

I'm so happy we found them. From the many, many online Barcelona guesthouse ads we managed to find us a pair of hospitable, welcoming, and just plain cool people. Vicky is from Uruguay, Diego from Italy. They met in South America, fell in love, and decided to make a move that would change their lives completely. Vicky left her job as an engineer and Diego his fashion/sales career. Now they reside in Barcelona making a living renting out their apartment and meeting people from all walks of life. Romantic, no? I kinda sorta wish we could move to Barcelona just to be besties with them. This exactly is one of my favorite parts of travel. Not just meeting people, but making friends. Connecting, sharing life stories, learning, and being inspired.

Now that I got this blog ball rolling again, I'll try to catch up next with some pictures from the summer. It's been a busy one around here!