• Susan and Jim's Travels
  • Susan Halpin
  • Susan and Jim's Travels
  • Susan Halpin

Cruise, Sicily & Barcelona

Cruise across the Atlantic, stops in Azores, Lisbon, Le Harve and Southampton UK. Fly to Sicily, with a brief stop in Barcelona. Leggi altro
  • Favignana Island

    30 aprile, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We took the high speed ferry to Favignana, one of the Egadi islands within sight of Trapani. Just walked around the small village and harbor. Historically, a tuna fishing port. There was a small museum about the tuna fishery, but we did not go inside, just checked out the building and courtyard.

    Found a nice cafe with a view of the harbor to await our return ferry.
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  • Agrigento

    1 maggio, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Not much to report from yesterday. We left Trapani, drove 2.5 hours to Agrigento on the south coast.

    We were way early for our beach front hotel check-in, so we drove into the small city. The city is similar to Taormina, just a more urban version. And unlike all of our other stops, when the siesta shutdown happens around 3 PM, here it was all closed up at 1 PM. So there was little for us to do except eat a lite lunch at a cafe and stroll the main street.

    Hit our hotel on the beach below the city. Went for a long walk along the Med, until we had a view of the cliffs called The Stairs of the Turks.
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  • Hello Barcelona

    3 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After a 2 hour flight we arrived in Bacelona a little before noon. We've got a small room right on the "Rambla"
    (Wide pedestrian walkway through the old city). Parts of the "rambla" are under construction after 80 years. We spent the afternoon wandering around getting familiar with this lovely city. The first irst statue we encountered was the statue honoring Christopher Columbus. After some lunch we walked to the waterfront & then over to the Barcelona Cathedral.Leggi altro

  • Sagrada Familia

    4 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Splitting our day up into multiple posts.

    First religious theme.

    By the time we got around to buying tickets to tour the Sagrada Familia, the famous Gaudi Cathdral, we were shut out. The Cathedral is still under construction. Ground breaking was in 1882. Today there is an active crane lifting stone up to the roof.

    We could not get in for a tour of the main church. But the schedule shows a daily Mass, in English, every weekday at 10 AM in the Crypt Chapel. First come, first entry, limit of 240 people in the chapel. We got in line at 9 AM, 3rd and 4th people in line! schedule!).

    We attended Mass in the Crypt Chapel, which is beautiful and un-crypt-like, and toured around outside afterwards...
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  • Antoni Gaudí Museum at Casa Mila

    4 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After Gaudí's Sagrada Familia, we walked a kilometer to Gaudí's Casa Mila. The top floor apartment, attic and rooftop are now a Gaudí Museum.

    The building was designed with two oblong courtyards, so that all apartments receive natural light through the courtyard windows.

    Touring the attic, we learned the roof is supported by a large number of stone arches. Forming a vaulted ceiling.

    The roof is a bit surreal, rolling, up and down lines. It started raining so we got off of it quickly...
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  • More Barcelona walkabout.

    4 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We continued a self-guided walking tour of Barcelona

    The exterior of another Gaudí designed house, and several other architects who were contemporaries of Gaudí. All these buildings on the same city block called "The Block of Discord".

    Later, we were able to tour the older gothic Barcelona Cathedral, built from the 12th to 14th centuries (Sagrada Familia is ahead of schedule!). There was also a Crypt Chapel, also under the main church. This one was definitely "crypt-like"!

    We ended the day at an Irish Pub, The Temple Bar. #Halpining
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  • Barcelona Market

    5 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Yesterday we started off the day visiting the huge food market located very close to our room right off the Rambla. The market happens every day but Sunday. It was fascinating to see the.variety of vendors. Lots of meat, cheese, fish, and vegetables, bakery items. There was even a children's cooking class taking place. Wish we had a market like this in Worcester!Leggi altro

  • Final Day in Barelona.

    5 maggio, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Running out of steam on the final day of our long trip. Never posted photos of our final day.

    Went to the large outdoor market, La Boqueria.

    Walked through the Gothic Quarter of the old city. Out to the waterfront (Rambla de Mar).

    Through Ciutadella Park, site of the 1888 World's Fair. Up the Passeig de Sant Joan to the Arc de Triomf, which was built as the World Fair entrance.

    We strolled back to our hotel and packed our bags for Wednesday's flight home.
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    Fine del viaggio
    6 maggio 2026