Last Night in a Beautiful Place

Day 6 Europe continued...As Bryan and I made our way back from Park Guelle on the last day in Spain, we knew the day was far from over.  We were so sad to leave this exciting city and felt like we had hardly scratched the surface of all it had to offer.

We decided to go for a walk, a very LONG walk.  In fact we kept going and going until we were several miles away.

Sometimes it is so refreshing to just go explore, not knowing where you will end up. We walked through the streets til we reached the port of the city and started to head North.  It was a gorgeous day and everyone was out enjoying the weather.

 As we walked we enjoyed some fresh fruit from a vendor along the way.  At one point we sat along the steps of the harbor, the breeze in our face, just enjoying the view- sailboats out in the water, children running around with ice-cream cones, vendors selling beautiful woven fabrics along the deck. it truly was magical. Like straight out of a dream or a storybook.

 We walked along and passed the mall and the aquarium.  There were several artists selling their work outside. If only I didn't have to fly home, I would have bought something to hang in our home.

 At one point in our walk I noticed a balcony covered in bright colored plant holders. It looked so Mediterranean I had to capture a picture!

 Finally after a few miles we reached the sands of the Mediterranean! It was my very first time visiting this body of water ever. I was so excited to take off my shoes and dip my feet in the cool refreshing water.

 We continued to walk a little further to the edge of the city and then headed back to the loft apartment to get ready for our dinner excursion. 

 It was the last day of a large festival in Barcelona called La Merce.  To commemorate, people from all over Spain gathered in the city to celebrate.  It was so neat to be part of such an exciting time in Catalonia.  People were so proud of their heritage, you could feel it in the air.

 As we turned a corner, we noticed several people dancing a traditional dance.  People old and young gathered in circles and swayed to the music. I loved watching!

Soon our stomachs got the best of us and we made our way to a little restaurant along the way to the closing ceremony. The food was delicious! 

 And the place was trendy and upscale. I ordered a gourmet salad- just what I was in the mood for after a week of eating pastries! Bryan of-course ordered a huge flat bread melt. I happily took a bite when offered ;-)

 Once we got to our destination we were blown away by the size of the crowd. Despite all the people, we managed to squeeze our way to the front.

 Soon, the lights dimed and the music started.  The waterfall began to rise and fall while changing colors to the rhythm of the music. It was one of the most amazing displays I had ever seen. 

And then the fireworks began!

Bryan and I joked that the fireworks were so much better here in Europe because there weren't as many regulations as in the states. The fireworks were HUGE!

It was a wonderful way to end our trip to Barcelona.  A city that will forever be in our hearts.

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.

Day 3 Europe, Barcelona, Spain

On our third day in Europe, we had our last delicious breakfast of croissants, cheeses, chocolate, and yogurt and said goodbye to the friendly owners of the bed and breakfast we stayed at in France.  We had had a wonderful experience in France but were just excited to continue the adventure somewhere new and packed our rental car to head back to Spain. It was a three hour drive, but this time we felt much more refreshed and ready for the drive, compared to our trip there (just minutes after a 9 hour flight from the US).

Once we arrived, we checked into our home for the next four days of the trip.  A sweet little loft apartment we found on air bnb. It was perfect!

My favorite part of the loft was the little rooftop balcony pictured above.  I would enjoy tea out there each morning. Glorious!

The loft was even equipped with snacks - chips, crackers, coffee, and tea.  The owners were extremely accommodating and gave us maps, the wifi passwords, and even provided a special requested fan for sleeping. The place was extremely quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the city outsides its doors.

Bryan even found a soccer trophy displayed. "Futbol" I mean.

After checking in we quickly got changed and haded out to our friend Alex's wedding rehearsal.

The streets were so cool looking.  Narrow cobblestone passageways and alleys at every turn. We managed to get a little lost ;-) But nothing crazy.

Barcelona is definitely a place I could see myself living.  It reminded me of Miami, full of excitement, energy, people, and fun.

We passed the cathedral we would soon be attending to celebrate the love of Alex and his gorgeous bride the next day.

The rehearsal reception was held at a palace museum. It was so neat and we got a free tour of the royal family chambers.  The rest of the night was spent in great conversation with Alex and his good friends while sipping drinks and munching on passed "tapas."

That night we walked home under the moonlight.  There was a parade in the streets honoring the festival of La Merce,  so we stopped and watched a bit. We also passed the Christopher Columbus Statue. An interesting fact is that the statue is positioned with it's back facing Spain.  Barcelona is very proud of it's Catalonian culture and likes to distinguish itself from the rest of Spain.

Day 3, was wonderful.  However we were exhausted and ready for a long night sleep that night.