Barcelona!!! I haven't been to Barcelona since the summer I studied abroad in college. I really wanted to go to Amsterdam, Mike really wanted to go to Barcelona...why not do both!?! We took a quick Easy Jet type flight over to Barcelona from Amsterdam. It was super easy and would happily do it again on another trip. We had the most awesome time. The kids really enjoyed our time in Barcelona. All of the Gaudi sites are very interesting for kids.
Walking along La Rambla, we popped into La Mercat de la Boqueria
A yummy little cafe off of La Rambla in Plaza Reial
Our little model
We all really loved La Catedral. This was the girls' favorite part, the ducks
On top of La Catedral
Little Stinker wouldn't come with us
Or smile for a picture :-)
Super cool bakery in the basement of a 100+ year old building
Crunchy Ice...
La Sagrada Familia....we might have told them that Eliza was 6 so that she could go up to the observation deck. There is a reason why there is a minimum age. This was the only way down. The center of this spiral staircase is just an open gateway to oblivion. It was so scary. I went down backwards gripping (death grip, literally) Eliza's arm the entire time. One wrong move....it scared me to death. I was nauseous by the time we got to the bottom I was so freaked out. Very cool though...just not with a 5 year old!
Lots of lovely afternoons with Sangria, tapas, and iPhones :-)
Gaudi's La Pedrera
Gaudi's Park Güel
Gaudi's mosaic lizard
The super interesting, Palau Güel, another Gaudi marvel
We tried going to the Joan Miro museum, but it was closed due to a worker's strike. So, we just hiked around the area.
In front of the Museu Nacional d' Art de Catalunya
CaixaForum, a brick factory turned art museum. Super interesting
We stopped at a cafe for more tapas and sangria. We were all memorized by the fashion shoot that was taking place in the same square. It was interesting to watch a fashion model in action and all of her costume changes.
Eliza with my scarf tied around her waist...making her own fashion statement, watching the model
Delicious sangria
We then went on a stroll and stopped in some recommended bars with "pinchos" (little bites of food). So delicious! You pay at the end based on how many toothpicks you have!
We did something that we usually never do. We passed by a place with sign out front advertising a flamenco show. We decided to give it a try...no guide book recommendation! It was actually really well done. This is Eliza at intermission, putting on her own show. I was crying I was laughing so hard. She just walked up there and started performing. It was hilarious. The crowd was dying laughing and cheering for her. Classic Eliza.
Museo Picasso
The next day we rented a car and drove to the Salvador Dali museum. It was totally bizarre, but very worth the trip.
Salvador Dali's home turned museum in Portlligat in Cadaques. His home has been virtually untouched since the day he walked out, just a few days after his wife died. It is completely and utterly peculiar. He was an eccentric guy, to say the least!
Wading in the water near his home
