Day 4: Europe Barcelona and the wedding

Our 4th day in Europe, we woke up in Barcelona.  For such an active city at night, Barcelona was an entirely different place in the morning.  It was quiet and peaceful.  As we headed down the narrow streets we stumbled across a café that offered just what we were looking for.

 



 

The latte's in Europe are DEVINE in every sense of the word. I had them add Mocha powder for a decadent treat.  It was perfect and gave me tons of energy to  head to our walking tour.

 

We were scheduled to meet a guide from FREEWALKINGTOURS.com in front of the newer section of the city. 

 

While heading to meet our guide, we couldn't help but take picture in front of the cathedrals we passed. Each one was so beautiful and charming. 

 

The city started waking up as we made our way through the gothic area "old city" to meet our guide in the "new" industrial city square.

The new part of the city was so interesting from an engineering standpoint.  The corners of every building were diagonal to make the intersections larger ad allow for more space. (as seen above)

The water tower

As the city grew louder and louder as more and more people woke up, we stumbled across a small courtyard that contained one of the first water towers in Barcelona.  It was so quiet in the courtyard it was unbelievable the sound barrios it provided.

Soon we made our way to.....

Casa Milo, Gaudi

 

Casa Milo- one of Gaudi's great architectural masterpieces> He had several throughout the newer part of the city.

Casa Milo

 

Designed for a wealthy family by the last name Milo, Gaudi constructed this building in the early 1800s.  It was the first of it's kind.  Gaudi was revolutionizing architecture in Spain with his work and he even got the attention of a man in the US.  You may know him- Walt Disney.  It is said that Walt Disney and Gaudi were friends and at one time had even planned to work together, unfortunately those plans fell through.

 

After our amazing tour (which ended up being a private tour) we headed back to our loft apartment to get ready for the event that lead us to Barcelona in the first place - Bryan's friend Alex's wedding!  (Thank you Alex for getting married in this beautiful city!!!)

 

At the Cathedral St Mary - anticipating the bride's arrival.

The wedding was absolutely stunning!  One of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to.  It was like I was in a dream.

 

After the wedding ceremony, we were escorted to a private shuttle bus that took us to a private castle on the outskirts of Barcelona.

at the castle reception

The castle was BEAUTIFUL.  As we awaited the bride and groom, we sipped wine, learned traditional Spanish dances, and munched on an array of cheeses, fruit, tapas, nuts, spreads, and meats. (my favorite were the cheese stuffed olives, they were divine).

Dinner included a traditional Asian Dragon show, a Spanish Classical Music Band, Fireworks, Confetti, and several speeches.  The entire bridal party got up to the mic to make a toast to the amazing bride and groom. There was so much love and laughter in the room.  It was perfect.

The adorable flower girl

After a 5 course meal of salad, rolls, sherbet, veal, potatoes, pasta, and dessert in the courtyard, we headed inside to a private Club dance reception.  There were more drinks, desserts, dancing, and a photo booth. 

The wedding was truly amazing in every way.

 

 

photo booth

Around 2am, we boarded the shuttle back to Barcelona for a good night sleep.  It was truly a night I will never forget.