Barcelona Travel Day

Friday started early as we woke on the plane during \240our flight from Chicago to Brussels which started Thursday night. \240The flight was delayed so we left late but we knew we had some extra time in the Brussels airport. Marty was excited that he could order a beer (age for light alcohol is 16 in Brussels) and we had lunch. Our layover was unfortunately extended so we left at 3 instead of 12. \240We arrived in Barcelona and took a cab to our Airbnb in a little neighborhood within a 15 minute walk to La Sagrada Familia basilica. After checking in and getting settled, we went to get supplies (the essentials - water and wine and charcuterie) and then walked down by the cathedral. \240We ate at one of the cafes on Avenuida de Gaudi ( I had a shish kebab, Marty had pizza and Karl had a seafood pizza). We headed back to the apartment for a good night’s sleep.

Barcelona Gaudi Day

Our first full day in Barcelona started with us anxiously awaiting Summer’s arrival at our apartment. \240She had spent the last night with her friends and we couldn’t wait to see her. \240After helping her with her stuff and giving her lots of hugs, we spent some time catching up and opening the gifts she bought us. We then walked to tour La Sagrada Familia, the basilica thst was started in 1882 and still is unfinished. \240We were in awe of the church which was initially designed and worked on by Antoni Gaudi. \240The outside is very ornate and detailed while the simplicity and natural design of the inside was breathtaking. We took the elevator up into the tower of the Nativity facade and walked down the long spiral staircase. We ate lunch at a cafe on Avinguda Gaudi and then took a cab to Park Guell, another Gaudi-designed Barcelona landmark. Originally designed as a wealthy neighborhood, it became a park with lots of unique structures and designs. \240It was HOT and after a long walk home, we cleaned up and took the metra into the gothic quarter where we walked around and then found a fun little alley restaurant to have tapas for dinner.

Costa Brava Day

We took a bus up to Costa Brava which is a coastal region north of Barcelona. \240We rented kayaks which we took further north up the coastline to a small cove and crowded beach where we walked along a trail and made our way to a small cliff where we could jump off into the ocean (in spite my better judgement and Summer’s promise to my mother, we did it anyway!!😜 \240After we jumped we swam to our kayaks and got our snorkeling gear and explored the cove. Just as we were getting ready to head back to our kayaks, we suddenly discovered we couldn’t find Marty, ANYWHERE!! \240

Montserrat Day

There was vigorous debate before our trip about whether we would take a day trip to the ocean or the mountains and true to our nature as a family, we decided that we had to do both! \240Being close to both is definitely part of the appeal of Barcelona! \240So we took a bus to Monistrol de Montserrat a small town at the base of the Montserrat mountain. We took the rack railway train up to the Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Monastery that was founded in the 11th century. We had a short tour of the grounds and then took the Sant Joan funicular train (a steep railway system) to a higher point up the mountain. Advised against trying to go all the way to the top because of the heat, we hiked back down the mountain to the monastery. After getting lunch we explored the grounds including the basilica which was beautiful in a more traditional design than La Sagrada Familia. We explored the inside of the sanctuary and walked around the grounds a little more before taking the bus back to Barcelona. Our trip back was eventful as the bus kept overheating and we had to stop a couple of times but we made it back! \240

Midway through our trip saw us up early to check out of our \240Barcelona apartment and make our way to the apartment that Summer had lived in for two months during her studies. We got to see the neighborhood where Summer had lived and dropped off some luggage before our flight to Sevilla. \240We found ourselves in a beautiful apartment in the heart of this charming little town! \240After settling into our lovely little apartment, we walked to the Old Town and went up into the Metropol Parasol, also called Setas de Sevilla or “Mushrooms of Seville”, which claims to be \240the world’s largest wooden structure. At the top there is a walking area where you can get a 360 view of the city. Dusk is a great time to go as the sun was setting, they lit up the structure with beautiful colored lights.

One of the adventures we were so excited about was to visit Gibraltar which is a British Territory on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. \240It has a crazy history of being controlled by different countries and rulers but is very important because it controls the access through the straits of Gibraltar. \240The entire area is in the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar which is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Our trip included a 2 hour bus ride where we were dropped off near the airstrip. \240Because we were leaving Spain and entering a different country, we went through customs and walked to Main Street. \240We then got to a different bus which we rode up the mountain rode to visit several different view points. \240Our first stop was to look out over the Straits of Gibraltar which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. \240It was hazy but it was exciting to see Africa just 8 miles off in the distance. \240Our next stop was St. Michael’s Cave, a cave system which was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever see. \240The lighting really made it feel magical and I was sad that we didn’t have more time in the cave. \240Our second stop was also where we saw the Barbary macaques which are extremely tame and friendly. \240We had one final stop looki ng out over the city. \240After lunch in the city, we got back in the bus for the ride back to Sevilla. \240Our two hour ride got a lot longer when we suddenly came to stop about an hour into our ride. \240After sitting for 2 hours watching smoke rise and helicopters and fire trucks go by, we slowly started up again and saw the extent of the fire that we drove right through! \240 Extreme heat and wildfires have become an issue in Europe this summer and we found ourselves right in the middle of it!

We decided to pack a lot into our visit to Sevilla but since the forecast was for the temps to be 110, we tried to do most of our sightseeing in the morning. We were partly successful. \240We started at Real Alcazar, a Spanish palace that dates back 500 years. \240The Spanish royal family actually still uses the upper floors when they are in Sevilla. We were told to plan to stay for 2 hours and honestly, we could have stayed much longer. Each room was more ornate than the next and the gardens were incredible!! Next stop was the Cathedral de Sevilla right next door to the palace. First, we climbed 35 floors up in the tower (no elevator on this tour!) where we could take in the amazing views of Sevilla and the surrounding countryside. \240Once back down, we walked around the cathedral which is known as the 3rd largest cathedral in the world and the largest Gothic church. Christopher Columbus was buried there as well as his son and other important members of the \240Spanish church. \240After marveling at tne cathedral, we left and found refuge from the heat in a nearby restaurant. We then walked to Plaza de Espana, a large building and grounds on the edge of a large park \240that were built for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929. Used for government agencies, it was used in a couple of movies including Star Wars II Attack of the Clone. \240We endured a hot walk back to our apartment for a siesta (we now understand why siestas are a thing in hot climates!) \240In the evening, while the temps had only cooled to 108, the sun wasn’t beating down on us so we did some shopping and went to a rooftop bar near the cathedral and then to nearby restaurant where Karl and Marty finally had their paella.