Friday, September 11, 2009

Day 5 - A little Hop on and Off in Barcelona

This day proved to be even better than I imagined. After a bit of a sleep in we decided to grab breakfast at the hotel first. Potato tostados, sausages, eggs, yogurt, fruit, meats, cheeses, pastries and of course endless amounts of coffee. It was just the kick we needed to get the day going.

And in case I haven't stressed enough how fantastic our hotel is... Let me reiterate that it's in a fantastic location. Not only is it across the street from the train station but it is also right by one of the hop on hop off stops. Needless to say that is directly where we headed!!!

I am glad that I convinced Jimmy (not that it took much) that these are the best way to navigate around and learn all about the city you are exploring. As always we were not disappointed.

Today we explored the blue route which took us up Olympic hill down along the port past the beach and into Gothic quarter. This where we took our first leave.

Not going to lie, did a small happy dance when we were off the bus. It is even better than I imagined. The quaint little winding streets, shopping, markets and faint hint of sea air. After snapping some pics in the open area we wound our way down the streets. Of course I couldn't pass by the gelato (apparently strangers were laughing at me as I snapped the gelato fashion shoot) and slowly wandered on our way window shopping as we went.

All too soon, the store owners started to shut down for their afternoon siesta so we decided a little lunch was in order. We found the most adorable little foccacia shop and enjoyed our little snack.

Since we were right by the cathedral and everyone was still siesta'ing it was our next stop. A beautiful work of art by Gaudi; every book said it was sure to please. So after paying our admission and buying a piece of fabric to cover my shoulders out of respect (what a delight that the cathedral is so sacred they still maintain a dress code) we quickly came upon some of the most awesome sites we had ever seen.

To this day I will not understand how architects in the middle and early centuries could design and carefully supervise the creation of such stunning buildings. We wandered around in complete awe. I must admit, when entering these buildings I always find myself with a lump in my throat. The awe and beauty they wanted to bestow on their faith...How did we become so complacent and simplistic in ours.

Just as we were finishing in the cathedral my battery light came on the camera. I suppose taking 100+ pictures in a few hours will do that. However this meant a stop back at the hotel. Perfect timing really since we were hot and sweaty, ready for a little more bus learning and wistfully thinking about the pool.

A little dip and a quick poolside nap gave us the energy we needed to head back to the bus so we could stop at some of the earlier sights. With pictures of the Barcelona sky line, sunsets and the port we were ready to hit up La Rambla for a delicious meal and a quick stroll.

All too soon the day was over and slumber was calling our name.

1 comment:

Sandra said...

That sounds like a fantastic day, Jules! Makes me wish I was there!