Spain
Placa Sant Jaume

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    • Day 5

      Barcelona Day 4

      April 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Day Four in Barcelona was a memorable one! Started our day off by heading out on a sailboat to the Mediterranean where the were able to turn off the engine and pull up the sails while drinking Cava! After our fun little excursion we decided to walk the beach and grab a pitcher of sangria with more patatas bravas! On our way back to our hotel we swung into a popular wine bar and enjoyed a couple different wines - one of which we ended up purchasing a bottle of to bring home (or drink one of the upcoming nights) after our long walk home we decided to stop by this restaurant called Anxoita where we tried our first ever raw cod skewer. Safe to say it is something we hope to never see in the US! Luckily, to no surprise, we were ordered more patatas bravas.

      After a nice little siesta in the sun we grabbed a couple cocktails at our rooftop bar in the hotel and enjoyed the view of the city! We then headed off to Kyle’s pick for dinner called Solomillo and as usual it was “interesting.” You can see in a couple pictures we had two different filets, mortadella, and a dish called lettuce and onions. It was quite literally romaine lettuce and yellow onions with dressing. After leaving dinner we headed over to el Nacional for a glass of wine before ending our night at Obama’s where Molly was invited to sing for the bar! She was killing it up until she got stage fright and forgot the lyrics! We knew it was time to go after that and our night was done.
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    • Day 1

      Barcelona

      June 20, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

      Barcelona is a vibrant,busy and cosmopolitan city. Filled with tourists from everywhere - lots of youngsters who must have finished uni for the year. Some of the highlights of our few days in Barcelona are (in no particular order):
      - [ ] Eating in the many tapas bars, often with incredible street buskers. In fact street buskers can be seen all over the gothic quarter at all hours of the day and night
      - [ ] Getting lost trying to navigate the many narrow lane ways
      - [ ] A walking tour of the old parts, venturing into the Gothic quarter, Jewish quarter showing Roman and medieval time periods. We explored the many narrow lanes and as many churches.
      - [ ] A Spanish Classical guitar concert accompanied by flamenco dancers in the most incredible music concert hall, Palau de la Musica.
      - [ ] Walking alongside the Harbourside were the rich and famous moor their yachts.
      - [ ] Walking down la Rambla, which is packed with people, who are shopping or taking a stroll to soak up the vibe
      - [ ] Visiting and sampling at the food market with the most incredible selection - lots of seafood of every kind, meat selection, cheeses, fruits, nuts and different tapa selections. We sampled the Catalan vermouth and agreed we would be back for more
      - [ ] We caught the metro to the funicular and cable car to Montjuïc which had stunning views over Barcelona including the Mediterranean sea and activity on the bay harbour
      - [ ] We had Lunch at Salts, a restaurant with views over the Olympic diving pool and city
      - [ ] We caught a Metro to La Pedrera - one of Gaudís famous apartment blocks. Also Casa Batlló - another of Gaudi’s creations. Gaudi was an absolute genius, born well before his time. His creativity using aspects from nature with geometry is mind blowing. Builders must have hated him!
      - [ ] We walked down Passeig de Gràcia, a street with all the high end shops
      - [ ] Visited Santa Maria del Mar, a fine example of gothic church and built and funded by the community. We attended Mass at the Cathedral (in Catalan, just when we have learnt all the Spanish responses). May as well have been a different country.
      - [ ] Attended a not so great Psalm concert at the Cathedral after Mass - I think more a local attraction with artists that must have been great in their time!
      - [ ] The many sampling of the finest ice creams we have tasted
      - [ ] Visited Sagrada Familia (Basillica of the Holy Family) - just Wow!!! Another of Gaudis’s creations. Building commenced in the late 1800s and will be completed in the next 10 years. Gaudi new that it would not be completed in his life time but left all the plans and models to be completed in generations to come. It is built purely from donations (no government or church funding). The intricate details and every thought that has gone into its creation are an absolute wonder - no explanation will do it justice. We also went up the Passion tower. We caught the lift up but then had to walk down the 400 steps. I am not great at heights so managed the odd peak but certainly didn’t do it justice. Thankfully Anthony took some photos.
      - [ ] We went to Mass in the crypt built beneath the altar. Again the detail was incredible. Somehow he managed to create the perfect amount of lighting and we were there as the sun was setting so the light reflecting from the stain glass windows in the Basilica gave a beautiful hue of colours.
      - [ ] We were also lucky enough to experience the festivities of The birth of St John the Baptist which coincides with the Summer solstice each year and so seen to be the introduction of summer proper. The whole of Barcelona was a huge party with bonfires, fireworks, concerts, dancing and singing. Families and youngsters out in full force - a lovely experience.
      Adios Espana- Hasta luego
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    • Day 16

      Day 13 - Santiago to Barcelona (post Cam

      October 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      I arrived in Barcelona this afternoon safe and sound having taken my fifth flight on this trip. My hotel is fabulous. I am on the top floor, and I can see the Sagrada Familia from my private balcony! I've decided to get room service (wine included) for my evening meal and am currently sitting on my balcony, enjoying my white wine (as recommended by the taxi driver), as I take in the city lights (and the Cathedral). I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow.Read more

    • Day 108

      Barcelona, Spain

      December 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      I was so blessed to be able to relax these past few days with two of my favorite people: my Mom and my Aunt B. I was SO excited to see them and spend time with them. I arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday and met them at our hotel. The hotel was beautiful and located on a busy shopping street with many nice stores and restaurants all around. The first day we found a place to get tapas, enjoyed a coffee in the hotel lounge, and had a yummy Italian dinner. The next few days we went to a basilica, the spa, and walked around the pier. The bright blue sky and palm trees reminded me so much of Santa Barbara. On Saturday we took a day trip to Montserrat. It was about an hour and a half train ride up the mountain to the little village. We went to the monastery, the museum, and went out to the viewpoints. It was good to get out of the city for a few hours and to enjoy nature and some beautiful architecture. Overall, our time was really nice. We ate some good food, met a lot of wonderful people, and I started transitioning out of speaking German. It still is hard for me to say "no" instead of "nein", but maybe those German phrases will just become a part of my vocabulary haha:) Right now I am at the airport ready to head home. Pray for safe travels today and that I make it home when I am supposed to. So far so good, but you know airports... anything could happen. Love you all and so happy to see many of you soon.Read more

    • Day 48

      Barcelona

      March 29, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      48 Stunden in Barcelona! Ich muss sagen, dass ich etwas mehr von unserem "großen Ziel" erwartet hab. Ich denke aber für Großstadtfans genau das Richtige... Wir hatten, wie die letzten Wochen auch, perfektes Wetter und haben uns alle wichtigen Sehenswürdigkeiten angesehen. Als großes Highlight natürlich die Sagrada Familia, die Marc schon sehen will seitdem wir uns kennen. Mit einer Kirche hat das ganze nicht mehr viel zu tun aber Sehenswert ist es auf jeden Fall...Read more

    • Day 4

      Barcelona Day 3

      April 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Let me start this one off by saying neither Kyle nor I are big into art, history, or group tours. Guess what we had planned today - four of Antoni Gaudi’s biggest Barcelona tours. The first house I personally opted out of, it took one blog that I read to convince me that $50 euros a person was too much to spend to visit this place, so we admired it from the outside (for maybe three minutes). I realized the outfit I chose, leggings, a workout tank, and a Jean jacket were just not going to make me feel like I was standing out like a sore thumb. Kyle graciously offered to walk us back to the hotel to put on a more ~European Outfit~ consisting of jeans and a blouse. Fast forward this wasn’t a good choice for the 12 plus miles we ended up doing.

      We went to the next masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí, La Pedrera, known as Casa Milá. We did opt for the ultra touristy audio guide tour. I found it so interesting and extremely relaxing having headphones guide you through this home/apartment that he inspired. The explanation was interesting but the views even better, he was an extremely faithful man (hence his final work) and made his inspiration around the two biggest churches in Barcelona.

      Next we went to Parc Guell. The walk was literally two and a half miles….uphill. The jeans and blouse become more of a bad idea, we found a smoothie joint and I’ve never need energy more. We get to the park, unsure of what we’re experiencing but the three crosses and more of Gaudi’s work make it a site to see. At one moment Kyle looked at me and said “I don’t get it, if you wanted to see some art in the park bullshit I’ll take you to Plymouth in July” we had a lot of laughs here. Mostly interested in the obsessions of random things. We overheard an approximately 6 year old English boy go “what’s the point of all this” Kyle agreed. A cool park nonetheless.

      Walking home all two and a half miles (downhill thank goodness) we spotted a sandwich shop. Foccaia of the day, pistachio mortadella with burrata and pesto. YUM I mean hand cut meat in front of you, we are in heaven. If you don’t know Kyle buys pistachio mortadella at least twice a week from cantoro. Best sandwich of our lives.

      Spent a few hours at the pool reading and then…Last tour of the day La Sagrada Familia. To say this was breath taking is an understatement. We didn’t know what to expect but the magnitude was incredible. We reflected through an audio tour that quite literally pointed out every detail and explanation of the work Gaudí spent his life until death working on. Not only the religious aspect but the artwork was just astounding. There wasn’t a detail left behind.

      Walking home we were exhausted and decided we both do not like being tourists. We grabbed some dinner at our hotel, where Molly opted for a dry day and treated herself to some gelato, of course kyle joined but this was the first day his stomach actually was upset….dairy ugh. Overall an amazing day and learning a lot while falling in love with this city. One patatas bravas at a time.
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    • Day 36

      Barcelona Tag 2

      April 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

      --- Die Verlängerung ---

      Nachdem ich nach dem ersten Tag (06.04.) in Barcelona nur sehr schlecht aus dem Bett gekommen bin und noch duschen wollte und am Vorabend auch nicht wirklich zum Planen gekommen bin, wollte ich beim wach werden im Bett anfangen weiter zu planen und schaute mir die Seite vom Park Güell an, den ich am heutigen Tag (07.04.) besichtigen wollte, musste ich erschreckt feststellen, dass alle Tickets vom 07.04. und 08.04. bis auf eine Stunde vor Schließung (18:30) des Parks ausverkauft waren. Lediglich für den 09.04. waren noch Tickets ab 17 Uhr verfügbar. Jetzt hellwach und panisch versuchte ich mir für 17 Uhr ein Ticket zu reservieren. Nur eine Bezahlung mit Kreditkarte war möglich und so holte ich meine aus meinem kleinen Safe im Auto und versuchte eines der letzten Tickets für 17 Uhr zu reservieren, dessen Anzahl sich scheinbar auch langsam dem Ende neigten... Doch aus irgendeinem Grund schien meine Karte nicht zu funktionieren. sie wurde akzeptiert und über die Legitimations-App konnte ich die Transaktion bestätigen, doch dann wurde der Auftrag vom System abgebrochen -.- das Gleiche versuchte ich einige Male, bis ich mir eingestehen musste, dass die Karte hier aus irgendeinem Grund nicht funktionierte.

      Schnell schrieb ich den Host der Unterkunft an, ob er mir helfen könne. Als er mir endlich antwortete waren nur noch Tickets ab 17:30 vorhanden. Fest entschlossen diesen Park sehen zu wollen fragte ich ihn, ob ich um eine Nacht verlängern könne und ob er die Transaktion mit seiner Kreditkarte durchführen wurde. Das Geld hatte ich schon Bar bereitgelegt, um ihm zu garantieren, dass er es bekommen würde. Er willigte ein und mit seinen Daten funktionierte es einwandfrei... etwas verärgert, dass die Karte zum ersten Mal ihren Dienst verweigerte, aber dann froh, dass es dann doch geklappt hatte und ich die Bestätigung mit dem Ticket per Mail bekommen hatte.
      Da es schon nach 12 Uhr war entschloss ich, dass es sich - auch durch die lange Fahrt -nicht mehr lohnen würde noch in die Stadt zu fahren, also blieb ich den Tag zu Hause, setzte mich auf die Terrasse in die Sonne, plante die Tage danach, schrieb am Blog weiter und gönnte mir ein Glas von dem Met, den ich von zu Hause mitgenommen hatte (und wie mir in dem Moment auffiel auch vergessen hatte an der Grenze zu zeigen).

      Am nächsten Tag brach ich dafür umso früher auf und machte mich auf den Weg. Da Park Güell ja nun nicht mehr für heute auf dem Plan stand, habe ich ein bisschen umdisponiert und wollte ein paar andere bekannte Orte besuchen.
      Zuerst stand ich vor der "Casa Batlló" von Antoni Gaudí aber ich vermute aufgrund der Tatsache, dass Ostersamstag war, waren auch die Preise entsprechend angepasst worden und ich fand den ursprünglichen Preis von 35€ schon heftig, hätte mich aber aufgrund meiner Neugierde vielleicht überreden lassen, aber über 40€ (ich glaub es waren 44€) war es mir dann doch nicht wert, also bin ich weiter zur Sagrada Família wo zwar die selben Preise wie im Internet waren, aber auch da fand ich 26€ auch hier zu viel.
      Danach bin ich erst zum "Arc de Triomf" und dem langen Weg dahinter entlang Richtung Wasser gelaufen und habe mich dort auf einer Bank hingesetzt und wieder ein paar Straßenmusikern zugehört.
      Als dann die Polizei kam mussten die Musiker leider den Platz verlassen. :(

      In einem der Parks bei dem Bild mit dem Gebäude mit dem Wasser davor war auf einer der größeren geraden Flächen eine Box aufgebaut aus der relativ laut Musik über den Platz schallen ließ und davor etwa 40 Pärchen, die miteinander Tanzten oder sich am Rand ausruhten. Wenn mich meine Kenntnisse von meinem Tanzkurs nicht im Stich gelassen haben, wurde Salsa getanzt.
      Die Menschen, die dort tanzten schienen größtenteils spontan dazu gestoßen zu sein und tanzten in gewöhnlicher Kleidung und Straßen-Schuhen. Von Jung bis Alt war alles vertreten und es war egal wie gut man tanzen konnte - sie tanzten einfach und haben eine ansteckende Freude verstrahlt, die auch mich ergriffen hat. (aber getanzt hab ich nicht^^)

      Zum Schluss bin ich noch viel an der Strandpromenade entlang gelaufen und habe immer mal wieder angehalten, mich umgesehen und eine Pause eingelegt bis es langsam dunkel wurde und ich den Heimweg angetreten bin.

      Davor habe ich allerdings noch am Hafen mit einem Bier den Sonnenuntergang angesehen.
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    • Day 8

      Barcelona Walking Tour- 1 of 2

      October 1 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

      Old Town and Gothic Quarter

      Yes, those are individual tiles making up that kiss.
      Preserved Roman,
      Medieval Plaça del Rei,
      Barcelona Cathedral,
      La Boquería Market,
      Las Ramblas,
      Hotel in Barcelona,
      Jewish area
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    • Day 24

      Barcelona II

      June 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      Heute sind wir nochmal mit dem Bus nach Barcelona gefahren. Zunächst sind wir in den Baumarkt um Silikon zum Abdichten der Fenster zu kaufen. Dann haben wir das "Casa Batllò" und das "Casa Mila" von Gaudi angeschaut, wobei uns das "Casa Batllò" deutlich besser gefallen hat. Dann haben wir noch die "Sagrada Familia" angeschaut, wohl eins der bekanntesten Werke Gaudi's. Leider ist es immer noch nicht fertig und eine große Baustelle. Geplant soll es 2026 fertig sein. Wir haben uns entschieden nicht rein zugehen. Danach ging es zu den "Bunkers del Carmel". Unser absolutes Highlight. Man hat einen super Ausblick über die ganze Stadt. Wir haben über eine Stunde einfach die Aussicht genossen. Auf dem Weg nach unten haben wir dann zwei Deutsche Jungs wieder getroffen, die und bereits an der Sagrada Familia begegnet sind. Wir haben uns dann nochmal mit ihnen in der Stadt zum Essen verabredet. Im Barri Gòtic haben wir ein super leckere Tapas Restaurant gefunden. Nach dem Essen haben wir uns noch ein Moritz Bier getrunken und haben uns dann auf dem Weg zum Campingplatz gemacht.Read more

    • Day 4

      Walk of discovery

      July 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      The afternoon and evening walk led to some interesting discoveries. The first was Europe’s oldest synagogue. The Jews were expelled from Spain by Queen Isabella in 1492. It is known as the decree of Al Alhambra because it was in that famous landmark building in Granada that the decree was made. The decree was issued on 1st August that year. Colombus was going to leave for his voyage of discovery from the port of Cadiz on 2nd of August but there were so many Jews in the port rushing to escape Spain that he had to delay leaving till 3rd August. He mentions this in the first page of his record of the voyage.

      The synagogue’s location was lost and only discovered again in 1997 after a study of the records of Jewish tax collectors from the 14th century. The synagogue had been converted to various other uses and its location lost. But the building dates back the 13th century and the foundations back to Roman times.

      The street and building kinks so that the two exterior windows face Jerusalem.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Placa Sant Jaume

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