Barcelona

So... where to begin? While I was in Portland, Sean and I saw each other, and, a few weeks later, we decided that, while we've had some hard times, we want to try to make it work. He came to visit last week, and we spent a few days in Amsterdam, then took a trip to Barcelona to see this great European city together. We had a really nice time together, and it's great to have him back in my life.

So, without further ado, I present to you... Barcelona!! :)

To start, why did we pick this city? Well, when we finally figured out a time for Sean to come, I started looking for flights to all the big cities that are still on my list... Transavia had round trip tickets to Barcelona for 80 euros, so that was a winner! I love discount air carriers! :)

The trip from the airport to our hotel (which was actually an apartment) was a little over an hour... and, even though I speak Spanish, everything was in Catalan, so I was having a hard time figuring out if we were going the right way! We eventually found our apartment, which was in an absolutely PERFECT location! My manager owns an apartment in the same building, so his recommendation was spot on. It was nearly 10pm at that point, but, in Barcelona (and Spain in general), that is about the time that dinner begins. So, Sean and I headed out and found a tapas place. One word: yum!! :)


Our first found of tapas and first pitcher of sangria!

We hit the hay pretty shortly thereafter, and started the next day with a guided walking tour of the gothic part of the town. While our tour guide was super nice and perky, what she had to say was not so interesting... and we were pretty glad when it was over!

Next on our list... a stroll down La Ramblas, which is the main drag of Barcelona. It's amazing - you can buy pretty much anything you want... food, paintings, birds! :) There are also tons of strett performers just waiting to snap into action as soon as a euro or two is placed in their buckets.

View of La Ramblas

During our stroll, we stopped in at a market, and really enjoyed checking out all the fresh fish, fruit, and meat... these are always fun places to observe people and pick up on a local slice of life. We had a big lunch at the market (this is the biggest meal of the day, since dinner is eaten so late). Although... I always try to order things that I've never had before, and the cold melon soup, I have to say, just didn't do it for me. ICK!

Fresh Seafood!

We next just walked along the harbor and beach, which only recently became nice - before the Olympics in 1992, this was basically an industrial wasteland. They did a great job making this space useful.

Silly Kids...

After a short nap (I'm getting more and more laid back on these trips... it is, after all, a mini-vacation!), we went to the Picasso Musuem, which was really well-done. It was amazing to see the progression of his art from childhood (which looked "normal" to me) to adulthood (as he got more and more into his own interpretive style - this is the art that I "don't get"). We had an amazing dinner that evening at a restaurant that my manager booked for us... I spoke Spanish the whole time (think I was feeling confident after all the Sangria we had been drinking that day), so that felt good. :)

The next day, we got up and headed out to La Sagrada Familia, which is Gaudi's masterpiece. It's been under construction since about 1870, and there is pretty much no end in sight. The church is free to the public one day a year, and, guess what? This was the day! It wasn't too packed, thankfully, but there were no tours being offered, which I was kind of bummed about. The church was beautiful, and it was really cool to check out all of the symbolic pieces that make up the building.

The original exterior, portraying the birth of Christ, that was finished during Gaudi's lifetime

The ceiling of the church - beautifully done

This was kind of our "Gaudi Day"... our next stop was one of the houses that Gaudi designed in the town, Casa Mila. His style is "modernist", and some people describe his work as "a cake left out in the rain". It was fun and whimsical to look at for me... I feel like I learn so many new things every time I travel. :)

The exterior of the house

Some of the interesting chimneys on the rooftop - 30 in all

Our lunch that day was somewhat interesting... we went to a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves, but all of the menu was in Catalan... Sean and I just picked a few things and crossed our fingers. I lucked out with a chicken leg (still on the bone), but Sean got basically a whole grilled fish - skeleton still included. We shared everything, including the dissection. :)

We walked around that neighborhood a bit more, and stopped into Mango, which is one of the accounts that I work on... I was so excited to see some of the shoes that I worked on:

SP09 Mango - Nike Scandal Mid

Next stop... the park that Gaudi designed, Park Guell. Sean and I just enjoyed some time in the sun, walking around this beautiful park. The benches were all done in mosaic, which is something that I've always loved.

Park Guell sitting on the famous benches

We had to hurry back home, because we had tickets to see the symphony at the Palau Musica de Catalan that evening... I wanted to go just because the interior was so beautiful... it certainly didn't disappoint:

Amazingly beautiful stained glass skylight

Sunday was our last full day in Barcelona... we'd had a pretty relaxing time so far, but this was by far our most relaxing day. We spent the morning walking through parks, and eventually made our way to the beach, where I found a great patch of sand... um, yeah, right behind 5 Spanish girls with their tops off. I am not sure who was more uncomfortable - Sean or me! :) I'm still a topless sunbathing virgin - I just can't do it!

Barcelona Beach

Feeling really relaxed and content

Last stop... the magic fountains... these fountains were at the top of a big hill, and, on certain days, have music and light shows in the evening. This was one of my absolute favorite things. One of the songs was even from the Disney movie "Sleeping Beauty", which was my favorite as a child and made me really happy! :) A very relaxing end to a really great trip.

The beautiful fountains

The next day, we had an early flight, and made our way back to Amsterdam. We decided to be tourists in Amsterdam, and rode bikes through the city and out to a cute little town called Ouderkerk. We had such a fun time just chatting and enjoying ourselves. I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip.

A windmill we passed during our bike trip

All in all, it was a nice visit, and I'm excited about the future. Thanks to friends and family both near and far for all of the support. I love and miss you!