(Friday, February 17-Sunday, February 19, 2017)

FRIDAY

We woke up and prepared for a long, but amazing day in Barcelona for our last weekend in Spain! We ate breakfast and our first stop: La Sagrada Familia, dedicated to the Christian Holy Family. Just from the outside I was surprised at its grandeur, but as we went through the audioguide we learned about its architecture, the architect, the Church, and the history behind it all. Barcelona’s last five generations have seen its construction and the Basilica is expected to be completed in 2026. I loved the beautiful stained glass windows that shined with a blue, green, yellow, and red.

We bought tickets to visit the famous Park Güell, located on Carmel Hill, a masterpiece Antoni Gaudí created. What a marvelous experience to see the work of such a work of modernism! Beautiful architecture, gardens, mixture of art facilities and community space, and more. The buildings are grand and have so much detail. The gardens are filled with aromatic flowers and tree. And the spaces bring a joy to the community because families are able to enjoy a great view from the top or enjoy the kids playing soccer with their friends.

SATURDAY

As we walked towards today’s adventure, we were able to go by Gaudí’s buildings, very similar to Park Güell.

We walked towards the Catedral de Barcelona near the Gothic Quarter. Just from the outside, it was a spectacle. We entered and saw a number of palm trees in the center with a pond filled with ducks. We entered to see the inside of the cathedral which had many artwork, stained glass, and elaborate architecture.

We saw the Statue of Christopher Columbus, pointing towards the sea. At first, we thought he was pointing towards the New World and his famous discovery, but quickly remembered this was the Mediterranean Sea and not the Atlantic Ocean. But after fact checking it, he is pointing towards the Americas, but unfortunately that is not the correct direction.img_2628

We walked along Barcelona’s beach boardwalk looking at the storefronts, the ocean view, the boats in the marina, and finally arriving to a beach where we could enter the water. We arrived just in time with the sunset; the view was spectacular!

SUNDAY

We woke up to travel the city once more before heading back to the Basque Country. We looked for a place to have breakfast and we did. Just take a look at this beautiful stack of pancakes!

img_2656We took a trip down to the Museu Picasso, definitely a must if in Barcelona. We were able to see many art pieces not just paintings, but sculptures and ceramic pieces. Sadly, we couldn’t take any pictures inside. 😦

I definitely enjoyed our trip to Barcelona because the weather was amazing and the city’s vibrant colors, city life, history, and sites are amazing!