Wilson: Barcelona (“Barthelona”)

We had reservations about going to Spain again, because our first trip to Spain was to Madrid, which we didn’t enjoy as much as we thought we would. All of our friends however, assured us that Barcelona would be much better and makes for a great weekend get away. After booking our flights a week before leaving, Traci out of impulse thought to invite Britt and Ian, and within an hour of asking they booked their flights and planned to join us. Thank you Britt and Ian.

The weather was warm and the city was great for walking and taking in the architecture. The city actually reminded me of Paris with the beautiful buildings with flowering balconies. Some of the highlights included:

Strolling the La Rambla (crowded pedestrian boulevard)
A self guided walking tour of the Barri Gotic area of town. During our walk, we stopped in at the La Cathedral and finished the evening with cheese, sausage and fruit from the market, Marcat De La Boqueria, which we eat back at the apartment while Henry slept.
Visited the La Segrada Familia, a Catholic Cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish Catalan architect. This Cathedral was originally started by Gaudi in the late 1800s and is still under construction. The Cathedral isn’t expected to be completed for another 20 years.
Picasso Museum. Picasso has produced many magnificent paintings, however I am not sure any of them are in this museum. There were over 1000 originals here, which showed how his art transformed through his life, but none of his great works were here.
Tapas dinner on the Pasaig de Gracia, which is the cities fanciest street in Barcelona with posh hotels and shops as well as interesting architecture from Catalonia’s Modernista movement.
La Pedrera, built between 1905 and 1910 by Gaudi as an apartment and office building. They have opened up the Roof, Atic and one apartment for tour.

Overall, we really enjoyed Barcelona and the time we got to spend with Britt and Ian. Henry was as mobile as ever and kept us all busy with his smiles and poopy diapers. Unfortunately, Henry had his first head cold during this trip, but as usual surprised us all with his patience and resilience for fun and adventure. This was his first trip with his new backpack and he definitely enjoyed his time away from his stroller.