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 6: Final day in Europe - Sagrada Familia

The last day in Europe, day 6 was a bittersweet day.  Spain, the country we had grown to love would soon be just a distant memory in a scrapbook or a conversation with a friend.  We dreaded the thought of leaving. In an attempt to distract ourselves, we planned one of the biggest attractions for the last day.  A visit to Gaudi's greatest and most famous architectural masterpiece- La Sagrada Familia.

 

I had spent hours researching the attractions in Barelona before we left and I read on Trip Advisor that the best way to see La Sagrada Familia was too book and print tickets online prior to the trip. I did just that and we were so glad we did. We had zero wait time when we arrived right at 8:30am.

 

 

I also booked the audio tour in English and a trip up the Passion Tour.  It was definitely worth the extra 5-10 Euros for the guide and the tour climb.

 

The views of the city from the top were amazing!

 

The audio tours were also very interesting and I loved learning the inspirations behind Gaudi's magnificent work. He was a devout catholic and everything he did with this particular masterpiece was meant to bring glory to God.  He wanted the world to see and experience the wonder of God.

 

 

The tour even had a moment of silence in the main sanctuary for private prayers and reflections.  It was so peaceful and intentional. It made me appreciate Gaudi so much more than I had before.

 

 

Climbing the Passion Tour, what felt like hundreds of feet above the city

 

another view from the top

 

After an entire morning of Sagrada Familia, Bryan and I were hungry. We ended up finding a bakery/restaurant a few blocks down the road and helped ourselves to pastries, lattes, and a pizza.

 

 

 

I could never get enough lattes in Europe!!

 

Since Gaudi was the focus of the day, we decided to take a cab to Gaudi's other attraction- Park Guelle- a residential project that had failed several years prior and was turned into a public city park.

 

 

It was beautiful!

 









 

 

 

 

It sort of reminded me of Disney's Animal kingdom. All the stone structures were purposely made to look natural. There were also several hiking trails and winding pathways that led us in every direction.

 

 

At the end of one of the trail excursions we came across a band playing in the middle of the street.  They were so passionate about their music and it added a lively vibe.

 

A view of Sagrada Familia from the top of one of the trail heads.

Our last day in Spain was fun, but it certainly wasn't over yet!...(to be continued)

Question:
Where have you traveled lately? Have you ever been to Barcelona?

Day 5: Montserrat, Spain

Day 5 was my absolute favorite day of the entire trip.  It was full of everything I love- adventure, exploration, nature, history....oh, and I got to do it all with my best friend.

 

After a late night at the wedding the night before, we slept in.  After a leisurely morning of getting showered and changed, we headed out to a find a new café in the middle of Gothic Quarter, Barcelona for breakfast.  We were both craving Spanish eggs and found a cute café/diner that had exactly what we wanted.

 

naturally, I had to get a latte. Why can America never make them like they are in Europe?

After a delicious protein-(and grease)rich breakfast, we headed to our rental car to head out on an excursion.  We hadn't driven the car for a few days since we didn't need it in Barcelona.  If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, don't bother renting a car- it really ends up being quite expensive to pay for parking and there are several transportation options that are much better.


After a half hour or so of driving we started to see mountains in the distance.

We had read in travel  books that the city of Montserrat (our destination for the day) was up in the middle of the mountains. The books mentioned we could drive up or hike.  We both knew exactly what we wanted to do...

The sites were breathtaking.  I loved every minute.  The weather was in the mid 70s and the sun was shining brightly.

1.5 hours later, we started to see a paved stairway, we had made it!

the entrance to the city

Once at the top, we stood in awe as we looked at the city.  It was so unique- several building nestled neatly within mountains.  I had never seen anything like it and having just hiked there I felt as if we had discovered a hidden gem- unseen by the world below.

We decided to get a few bags of our favorite gummy candy Habarro in a nearby shop and walked to the cuty cathedral.

In the courtyard I noticed the rocks peeping out from behind the buildings.  It was as if to remind us- we were still on the top of a mountain.

At the very back of the cathedral in an upper room was a black stone called St Mary.  People lined the building and paid 10 Euros to walk up and touch the stone. Apparently if you touch it, you life will be prosperous.  We decided time was running short so we opted out. Maybe next time!

We headed to the city tourism center and found a map showing that there were several nature trails running from the city that took us to monasteries from the 1600s.

Bryan at one of the Montessori's' chapels.

The hike was beautiful.  Every few miles we would discover another building that had been the home to an ancient monk.   I loved imagining what it would have been like back in the day hiking the same routes.  I felt such a sense of peace in those mountains, it was amazing.

Before we knew it, it was getting dark and we remembered our car was parked at the base of one of the cliffs.  We literally raced down the mountainside to catch the last moments of light.  We didn't have a cell phone nor a flashlight so we were slightly anxious but in the end it just added to the adventure.

Bryan racing down the mountainside

 

That night we headed back to shower and went down to the pier for dinner back in Barcelona.  Another wonderful day.

 



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.

Day 1: Europe, Girona, Spain

We had the opportunity to go to a wedding in Spain just recently and I must say it is a GORGEOUS country. 

The wedding was to take place in Barcelona, mid-trip, so we spent a few days North of Barcelona- in the cities of Girona, Spain and Carcassonne, France.  The architecture was breath-taking!

Once arriving to Spain at 9am we rented a car and drove to our first city to spend the day exploring.  We didn't really know anything about the city prior to going and we so excited to explore. We ended up in some pretty amazing places.

 Les torres del passeig de la Muralla.  I felt like I went back in time walking the stone passageways on the outskirts of the city. 

After an 11 hour flight, we were surprisingly energetic and ambitious (perhaps the fact that we were in Spain helped with the excitement, haha). After a day of touring, we checked into our bed and breakfast in Carcassone.

 

We were more than pleased with the window view!  We then headed out to dinner in the castle city.  And of-course.....

We HAD to get dessert!  It is impossible to not get ice-cream and chocolate crepes with every meal in France :-) A perfect end to the first day!  (more of the trip coming up...)

Question:
Have you been to Spain?  Where and what did you go, do, see?

This was my first time to Spain, specifically we were in the region of Catalonia.  The culture was beautiful and traditional.  Catalonians try the best they can to hold on to their Catalonian roots in everything they do, including language.  We learned really fast that to speak Spanish ("Castilian") was not as welcomed.  Also my first time in Southern France.