We left bordeaux at 7 am and got on the road. I love me some road trippin'. I love to drive and see what's new. And as long as it isn't I-5, I am down for it. Barcleona is about 6 hour drive from here. So we got on the road early and it was pouring. Not so fun. But I ordered the kids to go back to sleep and they must have sensed it was their best bet for smooth sailing because both of them did. Or they were just really quiet. Either way, it worked well and I was able to concentrate on the road.
As we were driving I knew we were getting towards Spain. I have been to Madrid years ago, without kids. And I was really excited to get back to Spain. Off in the distance we saw a beautiful snow capped mountain range. I remember seeing on googlemaps that France and Spain are divided by the Pyrenees mountains. Wow, what a beautiful sight!
I rented us an apartment in Barcelona. Always the best bet with a family. Eat some of your meals in the apartment. And it tends to put you in the middle of real life, not just in the tourist areas. Here are a few views from the terrace of the apartment.
So funny. This "grow house" was right at the end of our street. And the woman from the apartment rental told me on the phone that she would meet me in front of the "grow shop", with the key. I thought she meant a garden shop when she was describing it to me. Nope. Oh those Europeans.
The first night we walked and explored and ended up in a square where the girls ran around and got some energy out. I ordered some tapas (couldn't get too creative with the palates I was around) and we enjoyed papata bravas, chips, so fresh and delish and a few other thing. I was ready to relax so I asked about what kind of beer they had that was a lighter colored beer (not a dark beer fan). I did some Spanglish, only to find out that a lot of folks there speak Catalan, which is a version of Spanish, but with a lot of x's thrown in there. Anyhoo, the waiter said the name of the beer he thought would fit my needs. I didn't understand the type until he set down a light colored, icey Corona. Wha? Ya gotta be kidding me? Oh well, it was delicious nonetheless.
The next morning we got up early and headed out for the old red double decker tour bus to orient ourselves in the city. As I write this it makes me laugh because that sentence makes the morning sound so easy. Ha! I mean, I was by myself, (adult wise) trying to figure out a new apartment, where I packed everything, get enough snacks, pull-ups, wipes, jackets and stroller stuff to keep us set for the day. Oh yeah, and then find my way to the metro in a new area, walking with a big stroller (I know, a smaller one would have been better, but I couldn't pack EVERYTHING from home) on busy city streets with a 6 year old at my heels. Yeah, if you are tired from just reading that, then try doing it. But alas, we made it and boarded the bus. Success! Here are some pictures that we (cuz Casey took a lot of them) took.
I wanted to get our lunch at a famous food market that I had read about called La Boqueria http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en
We ended up with a pretty good picnic. Including lots of fruit, empanadas, pasta, bread rubbed with oil, garlic and tomatoes, almonds drenched in honey and maybe even some sweets found there way in there.
Maya took a grand 2 plus hour nap in her stroller and woke up saying "I wanna go on the bus". Okay. granted. We headed back out and were treated to the most amazing sight. La Sagrada Familia. This is one of Antoni Gaudi's most famous works. It is nuts. And pictures don't do it justice. Here it tis...
The best part was the playground at the foot of this glorious structure
The next morning we were all pooped!! We had left the house at 9:30 the previous day and didn't get back to the apartment until probably 9 pm. So we decided to take our time (okay, I decided) and wander for a bit. We found a fun toy store to explore. Then we took the metro to a spot I had researched for some of Spain's infamous churros and chocolate. I had experienced this delight in Madrid and knew it would be fun for the girls. We found the place on a great little old street. Not toursisty. Locals in there reading the paper and enjoying a treat.
We had a bit more energy left so we headed back to the bus and rode it to Parc Guell. This is where Guadi really trips out and his work is cra-cra (translation=whackadoodledoo).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_G%C3%BCell
We were winding down our night. It was so pleasant out. People were eating in various squares. we had snacked, but nothing substantial. So we stopped at a tapas place, with an open square for the girls to run around in. I sat at a table and enjoyed some silence for all of 10 minutes. Casey was playing with a game I had bought them when another girl joined in. Turns out she lives in Barcelona. Her father is from Chile and her mother is from Ireland. Go figure! Anyway, the girl was very friendly and spoke English. Casey was so excited to have a friend. She is really missing her friends from home. The girl's parents were sitting at another table across the square. I suggested to Casey and her friend that they could be pen pals and write to each other. They were both super excited. We exchanged info with the family and hope to continue an international friendship!
We wrapped up our last day just wandering around and laying low. In the evening we happened upon a square that was having a dance recital. Little ballerinas and various dancers wearing what looked to be traditional Spanish outfits danced. We watched and ate our dinner and were amazed at being part of it all.
Barcelona was a city that I will inevitably return to. This time, with Mark. And no stroller. Or kids. Damnit.
Casey watching the dancers on the plaza
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