Barcelona, Spain

 The second stop on our journey was Barcelona, Spain. We arrived around 10 pm at the airport, made a quick transfer to the hotel, then immediately went out in search of a late dinner. Our hotel was only about two blocks from the Sagrada Familia so we walked in that direction, we found an amazing late night Italian restaurant that served up great pizza and pasta, in Spain! They even served after dinner "shots" of fruit juice which the girls thought was really fun. The following morning, we woke up early to head to our tour of La Sagrada Familia and wow! This church is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world and has been under construction since 1882! Antoni Gaudi designed the church and is even buried inside the church's crypt. The entry of the church is known as the Nativity Facade and is dedicated to the birth of Jesus, it is quite ornate and almost looks like a drip sand castle due to all its curved lines. The rear part of the church is the Passion facade and it is more angular and stark as it represents the death of Christ. What was most striking were the colors of the stained glass as well as the arches throughout the nave of the church, it almost felt like being inside a forest rather than a church. During our visit we also ascended the Nativity tower, which gave us panoramic views of Barcelona. The way up was fairly easy as we took an elevator ride but the way down was a windy and narrow stairwell over 246 feet down to ground level. Our legs were tired but the walk down was worth it because it allowed us to view other parts of the church you can't see from the ground floor. 

After our tour of the Sagrada Familia we headed over the Eixample district in order to catch a tuk tuk tour of the city. Our driver arrived a bit late which caused some frustration for us as we had another reservation immediately following the tour and we were concerned we'd be too late to arrive for our designated time. Fortunately, our driver hurried through the tour of the city and we were able to make our reservation at Terrassa Martinez which overlooked the port of Barcelona and a variety of Catolonian dishes. After our early dinner we explored the gardens at the Parc del Mirador which was right outside the restaurant. The park was full of delicious smelling flowers, manicured bushes, and sweeping views of the city. We explored the park for a little while then took a taxi back down the city center to explore the La Rambla market. We didn't buy anything at the market but it was fun walking through Barcelona's most famous street. After this long day, we headed back to the hotel so we could pack up and get ready for our super early train to Madrid. Barcelona was an amazing city but we're ready to head on the next stop.

Much Love,

Moises & Jennifer