Wednesday
And we’re off to Barcelona! This is our last stop on our Spain trip, so we’re hoping that we saved the best for last. We’ve really enjoyed the break from bigger cities but we’re ready to jump back into museums and public transit.
We loaded up and drove from Cambrils to Barcelona this morning. We have arranged to go diving next week, so we needed to stop by the BCN Dive shop to pay our deposit before checking into our AirBNB. Keller and I are both feeling “off” today, and I was pretty miserable by the time we made it to our AirBNB.
Keller then dropped me and the kids off with all our stuff to check in while he returned the car at the Sants train station. I managed to get through the check in process and immediately lay down on the bed. Keller got back and had everything dumped on his plate — unpacking, feeding the kids, and getting settled. Keller was supposed to work today but had to call in sick since he wasn’t 100%, the internet wasn’t working, and the kids needed something to eat.
Keller and the kids went out to eat at a local Thai place, wandered around town, found ice cream, and went to the park for a few hours. I stayed in bed for the rest of the day. Fortunately, the kids know when they need to be 100% and they made it easier on Keller. He even made a grocery store run and had the foresight to pick up frozen pizzas for dinner. I’m so lucky to have him. 🙂
Thursday
Fortunately, I am back to being functional again! While I rarely get sick, when I do it takes me completely down and out. There’s nothing I can do about it, but I feel bad when I’m so helpless. We are pretty sure both Keller and I had food poisoning from dinner on Tuesday night. We don’t know what it was, but we’re just glad the kids were unaffected and Keller was able to keep things under control.
Keller is feeling close to normal too, which was good because he and the kids went to the Barcelona airport this morning to get Granpops! Granpops is the only family member who was able to join us on this trip and he’ll be here for one full week. The kids (and Keller) have been so excited to have him here — they’ve been talking about it for weeks!
Keller and the kids got up early to go meet Granpops at the airport. They met him just outside customs and came back to the apartment. We relaxed here for a bit, let Granpops take a short nap, and then went to lunch. Keller found a tapas restaurant nearby with very good reviews. The patatas bravas were quite a hit and we liked the octopus too.
Keller had work this afternoon, so we left him back at the apartment and the rest of us walked down to the San Anton market. Unfortunately, most of the stalls were closed already by the time we got there, so there wasn’t a whole lot to see. Instead we made a grocery run to the Consum nearby the apartment. We also walked down to the Las Arenas de Barcelona mall. It is in the nearby Plaza de Espana and is a former bull ring that has been converted into a shopping mall. It’s quite a unique facade and really stands out.
Inside the center of the mall was a large interactive screen the kids could play on. Kamy and Caden happily ran around for almost 30 minutes, chasing fish, creating fireworks, and pushing leaves off the side of the screen. So much fun!
Granpops is handling the time change very well, and he made it all the way to 9pm. Hopefully his transition to Spanish time will go smoothly. I’m back to about 80% and Keller’s back up to 90%. A good night’s sleep sounds good to everyone!
Friday
Today we pre-purchased tickets for the Sagrada Familia church. This was definitely on our Must See list, so we bought tickets in advance. No more Alhambra ticket challenges for us! 😉 Our tickets have a timed entry at 12:30, so we had the morning free.
Since we would be in the general area, we decided to start with Park Guell. Park Guell was initially intended to be a upper middle class neighborhood, designed by Anton Gaudi. Only a small section of the complex was completed and most of that area is now enclosed in an area that requires a separate ticket to visit. Instead of paying 17 euros per person to see a few buildings, we decided to just walk around the area. We were still able to see the beautiful views, look at the curving benches, and explore the walking trails and stairs designed by Gaudi.
From there we walked downhill to the Recint Moderista de Sant Pau building. It was built in the early 1900s in the middle of the Modernista movement and features stunning mosaics and fantastic architecture. It was originally a hospital and only recently converted to a community center and event venue. Again, we didn’t go in, but we did get a glimpse of the exterior.
Sagrada Familia is just down a wide avenue from the hospital. We stopped for a little snack of empanadas and then got in line. Despite the long line, the timed ticket system worked pretty well and we were in fairly quickly. Our tickets included audioguides, but we found the Rick Steves guide book more interesting.
This church is so different from any that we have seen! It became Gaudi’s life’s work, after taking over from another architect. The exterior is different on all 4 sides, though only two facades have been completed thus far. The first is the Nativity entrance, featuring elaborate carvings, flowers, trees, and scenes from the birth of Jesus. The metal doors were particularly interesting because they are treated with chemicals to create the colors, and not painted as they first appear. This is the main entrance to visit the church and the starting point of the tour.
Just inside, we were amazed by the sheer immensity of the building. There is so much space inside the church and the ceiling feels incredibly high.
The light streaming through the stained glass windows is my favorite part. One side is cool colors of blues and greens, while the other side of the nave is filled with reds and oranges. The light outside was just right to fill the space with colored natural light.
The other completed facade is the opposite side of the church, called The Passion. Gaudi didn’t design this side, but did leave instructions that it should be daunting, stark, and brutal. There’s been a lot of controversy about the design of this side, but I think the architect made his point. Even if it’s not my favorite. 😉
Only four towers have been completed on this church so far. Ultimately there will be 12 major towers and one massive central Jesus tower. The church is hoping to be completed by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death, but I think that’s optimistic. Regardless, this will be a huge and impressive church when it is completed.
For lunch we had Venezuelan food at El Rincon de la Abuela Venezolana. It is an authentic restaurant with home made arepas and other dishes. I particularly enjoyed the roasted plantains with fresh cheese of all things! We attempted to get ice cream for dessert, but the first place we tried was closed and the second didn’t serve ice cream (despite being named Gelateria). <shrug> Back to the apartment for some down time and for Keller to work.
Later that afternoon, the kids and I walked down to a different market to check out the options. I bought a couple of ingredients and fresh strawberries, and then we went by the mall so the kids could play on the interactive screen. Unfortunately it was turned off for some reason, so we just came home instead. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the apartment and taking it easy.
Saturday
With beautiful weather in the forecast, we decided to check out the huge complex of buildings on Montjuic hill. We caught the bus all the way to the top and then worked our way downhill. Granpops has been a trooper with all the walking we’re doing, but downhill is definitely preferable to uphill!
The castle and fortress at the top of the hill had a set of large old cannons you could check out. The kids loved playing on them and pretending to shoot them at “Lord Voldemort’s boat.” There was an impressive view of the marina and port, as well as the Mediterranean Sea from this high up. We didn’t pay to go into the empty fortress, but we did poke our heads in for just a minute.
Our next stop was the Miro Fundation building. We aren’t visiting this museum today, but Keller and I needed to purchase combination tickets to use at the Picasso museum tomorrow. Since we were in the area, it was an easy stop. We’ll definitely be returning with the kids next week after Granpops has left.
Barcelona hosted the 1992 Olympics and were able to reuse the stadium that was originally built for the 1929 World’s Fair. The stadium is open to visitors and it was free to enter. They were setting up for some kind of event, so we couldn’t go to the field. Next to the stadium are several other event venues, as well as the large communication tower used in 1992 to broadcast the Olympic coverage. Everything looks a bit worn down, but it is in decent condition and still in use, as opposed to deteriorating or being left to decay on its own.
We walked by the National Museum of Catalan Art — now housed in the Palau Espana, the main building for the 1929 World’s Fair. It sits on top of the hill and has a huge esplanade corridor in front of it with fountains, stairs and escalators, and exhibition halls. The views were beautiful! This building, like many in Barcelona since 2000, has recently been restored.
Further down the hill is the CaixaForum — a large exhibition space (also recently refurbished) that was originally a very modern manufacturing facility! The architecture was fascinating and falls well within the Modernista movement of the early 1900s. The kids particularly liked the wavy, undulating rooftops.
For lunch we had reservations at Arume. Keller found a list of excellent paella restaurants in Barcelona and it won out. The duck paella was excellent, though the other dishes were a bit overpriced in our opinion. We’re definitely finding Barcelona to be more expensive than other cities in Spain — food, accommodations, and entry tickets add up quick here!
Next we went down to Barceloneta, aka the beach! Kamy and Caden played on the sand for about 90 minutes while we sat in the sun and visited. They were hunting for sea glass and found a bunch of nice pieces! They even found some unusual colors — red, yellow, and light blue.
We spent a few hours back at the apartment, resting our feet and eating dinner, before walking back up past Plaza Espana to the Worlds Fair site. Each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night the Magic Fountain puts on a show from 9 – 10pm. We found a good elevated place to watch where the kids could see and waited for the show.
The fountain is beautiful! While it’s not as impressive as the Bellagio in Vegas, it is quite impressive. The fountain was built for the 1929 Fair and was definitely a highlight of technology at the time. Caden was particularly impressed and said it’s one of his favorite things he’s seen in Spain! We stayed for about 45 minutes before walking home and calling it a night.
Sunday
Another Must See on Granpop’s list was the Picasso Museum. Not that Granpops particularly loves Picasso’s work, but he felt he should visit since we had the chance. Keller and I used the combination ticket and Granpops had his own entry ticket.
The Picasso Museum has a lot of his early work, pre-Cubism, and a few later pieces as well. His father was an art teacher, so many of his early works were saved for posterity. It’s definitely interesting to see some of the traditional pieces he created before branching out and creating his own style.
After the museum, Keller navigated and narrated the Rick Steve walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. One of the more surprising things we stumbled upon was dancing in front of the cathedral. Every Saturday and Sunday around noon, local faithful gather in front of the church to dance the “sardanes.” A small band with unusual instruments accompanied them too.
We went to the Macchina Pasta Bar for lunch — a very casual restaurant where you pick your pasta, sauce, and ingredients and they whip up your pasta dish. We each ordered a pasta and shared our picks. It was quite affordable too, which was a pleasant surprise.
The guide book had one more walking tour, this time of the Ramblas area — the main pedestrian and tourist thoroughfare. There were several living statues set up along the Ramblas, including this “Galileo.”
To make it difficult for Keller, we started at the end of the tour and worked our way back up the street. Unfortunately, many of the buildings along the road are covered with scrim and are under renovation, but we managed to find most of them anyway. The biggest disappointment was Casa Batllo — a fantastical house designed by Gaudi and inspired by dragons.
We were all about done in by now, so we returned to the apartment for the rest of the evening. Time to rest our feet!
Monday
Today is diving day! Keller and I have been so excited to go diving! We just managed to get our dive certification completed before leaving for Spain, so this is our first opportunity to go diving and to do it in the ocean! After reading reviews online, we decided to go with BCN Diving. We have two dives scheduled, one from the shore and one from a boat. We have a private dive guide who is also the English speaking instructor for their shop.
We met Guido early in north Barcelona and then drove about 50 minutes up to the Costa Brava area. They have a partner dive shop there that allowed us to use the changing facilities and get geared up. The water here is pretty chilly, 15*C so we were all bundled up. I had a 7 mm wet suit and Keller’s was 5 mm. We both had hoods and I also had some gloves to keep my hands warm.
Our first dive was the shore dive. We entered from the steep beach, walked into the surf, and descended below the waves. This dive stayed pretty shallow — only about 6 meters at the deepest. The visibility wasn’t great since vegetation and sand were stirred up by the waves, but it was good to start shallow to get reacquainted with diving and build our confidence. The surf was definitely pushing us around under the water and I felt like I was working way too hard to go where I wanted to go. Our guide found an octopus and cuttlefish and we also saw several schools of fish and a big starfish.
After an hour break on shore, we climbed into a boat and went about 100 meters off shore for our second dive. Unfortunately, Keller had lost his mask at the end of the first dive, so he had to borrow another mask this time around. We did a back roll entry, which while new for us, was kind of fun!
This time we went a LOT deeper! The ocean floor was about 16 meters down, or 50 feet! I was definitely more comfortable this dive than the first one, and I had much better control and body position. We saw some different fish this time, another octopus, and another large starfish. There were also a ton of sea urchins everywhere.
Guido did a wonderful job as our dive instructor and we enjoyed the time. He also gave us a lot of recommendations for restaurants in Barcelona and was happy to share his insight into Spanish culture and politics. It was a long day by the time we made it all the way back to the apartment, but it was quite successful!
Keller and I have decided that we like diving and the idea of diving, but we aren’t in love with it yet. We’re still spending the vast majority of our time and brain power thinking about diving / breathing / buoyancy control, where’s my dive buddy and guide / etc. We aren’t spending much time actually looking at fish yet! 😉 I am sure that will come with time, but we definitely want to do more practice dives in Texas before our next ocean dive so we are more comfortable with everything.
Meanwhile, Granpops and the kids held down the fort at the apartment. They took their time getting up in the morning, ate muffins for breakfast, played cards, and hung out. They went down to the mall for about two hours to play on the interactive screen and check out the views from the top of the Arenas. Dominoes pizza is across the street, so they had pizza for lunch and that simplified everything. Kamy and Caden also watched two movies with their meals — Madagascar and Madagascar 2. Granpops said the kids did great and there were no issues. That’s what we wanted to hear!
Tuesday
Today is Granpops’ last full day in Barcelona. He still wanted to visit the market and see the Aquarium, so those were the first stops today. The San Anton market was closer than the tourist-trap Boqueria, so we walked there to wander the stalls. We didn’t find anything too outlandish to our American eyes.
On the way to the aquarium we walked past a huge yacht show. Best we can see it is invite only, but there were dozens of charter yacht companies set up for visiting. These boats were mind boggling!
For the aquarium, we’d planned on buying tickets at the counter when we arrived, but the long line changed our minds for us and we just bought them online instead.
The aquarium was a little small for the price, but what they did have was well presented. Keller and I saw several fish that we’d seen the day before and were able to identify them. There was also a large tank with cuttlefish too!
The biggest element at this aquarium is the large shark tank. It has a moving walkway around the tank so you can see the fist from all sides.
Kamy and Caden also liked playing in the kids area. They are a bit older than the target audience, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment.
For lunch, Keller picked out a Pinxos place! Similar to tapas, pinxos are small appetizer size items on a slice of bread. The entire bar was covered with options and it is Serve Yourself. The regular toothpicks were 1 euro each and the red ones were 1,80 euro each. At the end of the meal, you just count up your toothpicks for the bill!
Caden’s favorite was a wild looking fried thing filled with fish. I really liked several of the goat cheese pieces with different toppings (red pepper puree or blueberry jam or ricotta and ham). Keller liked the chorizo sausage with quail egg and Kamy really enjoyed the marinated shrimp.
Granpops said he’s be up for seeing something else, so we walked over to the Palau de la Musica. We got tickets for the 4pm tour, so we had about one hour to kill while waiting. We walked over to the Arc de Triunfo. This served as the main entrance for the 1888 World Exhibition. The stucco reliefs were particularly nice.
The Palau de la Musica is marked as a UNESCO site. It was built in the early 1900s as a performance space for the local choir. The building is beautiful and I especially liked the stained glass! The venue is used for all sorts of music performances now, but as it does not have to serve as a theater, the stage is much smaller than you might expect. It still seats almost 2,200 people though, since the balcony extends over the lobby area.
The highlight of the concert hall is the stained glass window / chandelier in the ceiling! The daylight coming through the glass is really beautiful.
After the tour, we went back to the Arenas mall so the kids could place while I stocked up on groceries at the Mercadona. We had sandwiches for dinner back at the apartment and called it a night. Granpops is leaving first thing in the morning, so we turned in at a reasonable hour.
We’ve really enjoyed having Granpops join us for this part of our trip! It is by far the longest period of time the kids have had with Granpops straight and it was such a treat to explore Barcelona with him.
Adios Granpops!
