Gran Teatre del Liceu

We made it to Barcelona this morning and marked our first trip on Ryanair. We got to the airport at 4:30 am for a 6 am. flight, and things went well. We did the tarmac loading through the backdoor. I think we had a plane full of first-time fliers, or this is the way Spaniards fly. We had line cutters, close followers, aisle rushers, etc.... We extended lots of grace and patience.

We were able to check in early to our hotel and had an awesome nap before heading out to the Picasso museum and La Sagrada Familia. Both places were amazing! Picasso lived and studied in Barcelona when he was young, and it was very cool to see his earlier works, learn about the people who influenced him, and see how his art changed over the years.

La Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) is a huge church that is the most beautiful basilica I have ever been in. It is literally breathtaking! It's not gilded in gold with cherubim everywhere. Instead, it's filled with beautiful stained glass and amazing sculptures. The designer was Gaudi, and he focused on the holy family and incorporated nature in the construction to highlight God's power as the creator. For instance, the columns are different types of trees, and there are leaves above the entrance. The basilica is actually still under construction and is supposed to be completed in 2026. Gaudi left models for future generations to continue the work. We highly recommend that you go if you're ever in Barcelona!

Other highlights include figuring out the metro system, which is super convenient. On one of our rides, we saw an older lady holding a dog that is the same breed as Piper. We were awkwardly smiling at the dog, and the lady looked at us like we were crazy. Jack pulled up a picture of Piper on his phone and showed it to her, and everything changed. :) We chatted in Spanish about how old Piper is, and she told us she has 2 Havenese pups.

We also ate our first paella in Spain (yum!) and had some spicy Indian food. Tomorrow, we will go see a Barcelona football (soccer) game. Jack is pretty excited about that!Read more