Day 1 - Made It to Barcelona

Kaleb and Peter from our roof top deck in Barcelona.  

We're here (Mom, I know you were waiting for us to let you know).  The flight was very long and got cramped quickly (why didn't we fly first class?  - oh yeah - super expensive).   I watched FOUR movies on the way and got very little sleep.  Lack of sleep was partially due to the forever moving boney shoulder of my 16 year old being used as a pillow.

Sometimes when you arrive in a foreign city for the first time, it seems just so "foreign."  Barcelona seemed more like home.  Familiar smells and sounds (okay they're speaking Spanish, but how is that unfamiliar any more).  We caught a taxi and headed to the flat we reserved.  (As a side note:  we reserved a flat because hotel rooms in   Barcelona typically only sleep two.  It was cheaper to get a whole apartment than to purchase two hotel rooms.  We also felt it was safer for the boys).

After a painless 30 minute taxi ride through mild traffic, we arrived at our new home for the next three days, Gaudi's Nest.  It looked and smelled old in a good way.  The stairs up to the flat were marble and the dark wood handle of the railing was well worn with use.  We lugged our heavy bags up the five floors to store them near our flat until our place was cleaned.  It was only 10 AM.

Our host, Artur, took some time to explain the local sites and to show us our view  The Sangra Famillia blocked the sky above the small park below us.  I keep looking at it and the detail never seems to get boring.  The attention to detail is painstaking and awe inspiring.  Artur shared locations for the local market and local restaurants.  One of the prime advantages of staying in a neighborhood is getting more of the area's flavor than can be found at a modern hotel.

With map in hand, we headed out to do some exploring.  From our discussion with Artur, we learned we could see the crypt under the Sangra Famillia for free and without waiting in the two block long line.  Amazing after all these years, they still hold Mass in the crypt.  The nav is scheduled to be completed by November.  Our host shared the Pope will be coming to dedicate the completed nav and CNN will be staying where we are staying .. . including filming from the roof top deck!  Unfortunately the crypt was closed and locked each time we checked.

We took a long nap in the afternoon to recover some of the sleep we lost on the plane ride.  Thankfully, Spaniards live on a later schedule:  Breakfast at 10 AM, Lunch at 2 PM, and Dinner at 8:30 PM.  It's right up my alley :)  We woke up around 8 PM and headed to a local restaurant called La Conca. It was a small place with only 5 tabls on the first floor  Dinner was amusing.  We had NO IDEA what the menu said. . .LOL.  Fortunately our Venezualian waiter spoke some English.  They had a menu that sort of translated the items into English.  A few amusing entries included:  Ox Steak (a regular steak at home), and Veal hotpot with potatoes (irish stew)  Everything was tasty and we left full.  We probably ate two loaves of bread, though . . ..  One other difference was the need to purchase bottled water for dinner.  Unlike the US, when you order water, in Spain, they bring you a bottle AND you have to pay for it  No more free water.

Now off to showers for everyone (with the tankless water heater).  Tomorrow is time to see the sights!