Our packs had made it just fine and we didn't even have to wait to get them, so once we got our passports stamped and picked up our bags, we headed to customs. Or did we? It was so uneventful that we barely knew we went through it. We walked under a sign that said "Nothing to Declare" (as the third language down, mind you) because even if we did have something to declare, we didn't know that we did. And that was that. We were free in Spain!
We are staying in a room in an apartment that we found on AirBnB, and the girl had very nicely typed out advice on how to get here. Thinking ahead, we copied the directions off of the Internet, since we weren't sure we would be able to get online at the airport when we arrived. Well, we were right about not being able to get online, but unfortunately, we had forgotten to actually copy down the address itself...
We decided to just get as close to the place as we could without actually knowing the address; we figured we would just find a cafe to pop into and check our email. So, following her helpful instructions, we got on a bus, then a train, then a metro and ended up very close to where we needed to be. But we didn't know just how close we were, and we proceeded to walk in the opposite direction in search of some Internet.
It ended up being a very happy mistake, as we walked through the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona--a beautiful, charming old district of the city. We instantly loved it here. It has character and charm and history, and besides carrying our big packs, it was very fun to be walking around there.
We very quickly discovered two things about Barcelona: First, very few people speak English. In fact, shockingly few people seem to understand English. Though this is a little inconvenient, we actually really like this fact. And two, cafes here do not have Internet.
But just as Kate's pack was feeling like too much to bear any further, what should we pass but a good ol' fashioned Starbucks! A little piece of America right here in Spain. Tony's words were: "Doesn't every Starbucks in the world have Internet?" And sure enough, it did! So, though we hate to travel all the way to Spain and get a coffee from Starbucks, we were very happy to do so in exchange for the precious commodity of WiFi.
After looking up the address of the place we are staying, we headed toward it, walking through an even lovelier part of the Gothic Quarter, filled with shops, restaurants, wine bars, and a beautiful old church, Santa Maria del Mar. Most streets here are closer to what we would call an alley, or even a corridor. They are small and all of the buildings are at least five or six stories high, so you wind in and out as you walk through "neighborhoods." And all of the buildings have cute little balconies and charming shutters and shops or restaurants on the ground floor.
We wound our way through the streets and finally came to the building where we are staying and buzzed the buzzer and found that, despite the fact we had been told we could arrive at noon, no one was home. By this time, we were both getting very hungry, and so tired that when we stood or sat still for a moment, we felt as though we may just fall asleep. The packs were getting heavier and our feet were getting more tired by the step, so we decided to find a nearby cafe and have a bite since we couldn't get settled into our place yet.
After eating, we went to a park and discovered that Barcelona--the city--has WiFi, so we planned our visits for the following day and just relaxed in the beautiful weather, watching people go by. Finally, around 3:00, we went to the apartment and Lauren--the girl who lives here--was home. She showed us our room, which is really neat, and we got settled in before heading out to do some exploring and find some dinner. The room has a little balcony just like all of the ones we had seen while walking around. It has been the perfect little place to stay in the city.
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| On the balcony |
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| Our room |
We walked all around the Gothic Quarter, marveling at how charming the architecture and streets are.
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
Then we headed down to the marina and to Barceloneta, where we found an outstanding Tapas bar for dinner. It was a cute little place called Cellar de Tapas. The food and the Sangria were incredible! It was a perfect Spanish meal.
After dinner, we walked around a bit more and explored Santa Maria del Mar, and then got a bottle of Spanish wine from a corner shop and headed back home early to catch up on sleep. Which we did. We slept for 12 hours (3 hours past the alarm we set) and we feel like we could have slept for longer... I guess that's what they mean by jet lag.
The nice thing was that we didn't have to be anywhere at a certain time, and we didn't have a whole lot planned for the day, so it worked just fine to have a leisurely morning. We ate an economical breakfast of snacks that we had brought with us from home, and then took the Metro to La Sagrada Familia--Guadi's masterpiece basilica that has been under construction continually since 1892.
The place is surreal. We popped out of the Metro station and turned around and there it was--a giant, enchanting masterpiece, encompassing an entire city block. One of the most impressive things about it, besides its completely unique architecture and design, is that it is not nearly complete (it is expected to be completed by 2026), and when the final spire is in place, it will be nearly twice as tall as it is now!
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| What we saw when we came up from the Metro |
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| Having coffee down the street |
We spent about two hours there, and though it's not necessarily our favorite design for a basilica, it is astounding in many ways and it was very interesting to learn about and see in person. Gaudi designed it using the "Book of Nature" for his inspiration, so everything mimics something in nature, from the shape of the columns resembling trees to the tops of the spires resembling crystallized minerals... It's all a bit strange, but very fascinating.
We also took an elevator ride high up in one of the main spires, where we could see great views of the city. We walked all they way back down to ground level on small spiral staircases in an adjacent spire. The whole complex, including an incredibly extensive museum in the crypt, was very impressive and worth a visit.
We ate lunch in a park across the street and then headed back to the Metro and took it to the Passieg de Gracia--a bustling and rather beautiful boulevard where another Gaudi masterpiece--the Casa Batllo--is located. This time, we didn't go inside, but it was fun to behold from the street, and it was nice to see another, more modern and commercial part of the city. One of our favorite things is all of the sidewalk cafes.
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| Our navigator |
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| Sidewalk cafes |
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| Casa Batllo |
Next, we headed to the train station to buy tickets to France for tomorrow, and then we strolled through Barcelona's large park and under the Arc de Triomf before heading back home for a rest before dinner.
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| Being triumphant in front of the Arc |
Yesterday we decided that, in addition to authentic Tapas and Sangria, we needed to have Paella before we left Spain. So for dinner we found a neat cafe in a little square and had absolutely delicious authentic Spanish Paella. It was very romantic, and despite the fact that we have a bit of a hard time communicating with waiters around here, it couldn't have been a better dinner to end our time in Spain.
In talking about it today, we both decided that Barcelona was the perfect place to begin our European Adventure. It's beauty and charm surprised us both, as we both expected more of a typical "big city" feel. But the feel here is much more down-to-earth, relaxed and lovely. It's very easy to get around, and every section of the city that we explored had character and appeal. Though we don't feel the need to stay longer, this little taste of Spain was a terrific one, and we couldn't be more pleased with how it has gone. It has been a perfect start to an incredible trip, and we are looking forward to the rest of the little treasures we find along the way.
Off to France in the morning!
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