Ahh....Barcelona, all Gaudi...all the time. Such an architecturally beautiful city. From all of Gaudi's buildings to the wide boulevards to the charm of the Eixample...just simply amazing. Jesse and I spent a week in Barcelona in March, and loved every minute of it. La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's catherdal masterpiece, is slated to be completed in 2030. Probably the most impressive catherdral I've ever visited with the influence of nature apparent inside and out. It was the very first place we visited after stepping off the plane and checking into our hotel.
The trip was a role reversal of sorts for us-going to a country where Jesse knew the spoken language. I picked up what I needed to get by, but Jesse was the communicator. We stayed in a great boutique hotel on the outskirts of the Eixample district, a ten minute metor ride from the heart of the city, Placa Catalunya.
Our days were spent wandering the city, soaking up the sunshine while walking La Ramblas, browsing the La Boqueria, and exploring Parc Guell. We went to a La Liga football game, Valencia vs. FC Barcelona at the 98,000 seat Camp Nou. It was an incredible game, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat trick for FC Barcelona, sealing their victory.
We traveled outside of the city one day on a day trip to the Montserrat Shrine, and then to a Catalonian organic wineery. Such a great tour with fanastic weather.
Our time in Spain was much too short, but Spain has earned a place on the "places I really want to return" list. A very hard spot to achieve. So miss it.