The first two-and-a-half days in Barcelona were marred with rain and jet lag. This is our first European trip with just the three of us and, despite the unpleasant weather and rocky schedule adjustments, it's been fairly successful so far.
The first day we explored the muddy playgrounds near our hotel. There seems to be a playground around every corner here and - for the most part - they all have some nice toddler-sized features.
A 6:30 p.m. bedtime couldn't come soon enough! Our (not quite) three-year-old, M, was up bright an early at 6:00 a.m. on Day Two (with only one excruciatingly long wake-up from 2:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. during the night).
Day two brought lots of cold weather and rain. The rain was graciously welcomed in Barcelona, which has faced drought like conditions for many months. But, we were selfishly bummed to see our first real day of vacation spent riding a sightseeing bus around the city. Most museums are closed on Monday and, given the rain, a bus around town viewing the architecture of Antoni Gaudí and his proteges was the best we could do.
We did, however, venture out in the rain for Tapas! M has been looking forward to "Tapas and Paella" for months since we started telling her about our upcoming trip and reading books about the food, sights and culture.
She absolutely loved the tapas experience. Never one to miss a meal and far from a picky eater, M enjoyed trying the array of small plates. Her favorite was a local speciality: Bikini - a small, toasty sandwich with ham and cheese. She has most certainly eaten her weight in cheese and olives, as well.
By late morning of Day Three, we finally had a little sunshine and with it came the ability to wander around the old town, gothic quarter, area of Barcelona.
Founded by the Romans in the 1st Century, Barcelona has an old and expansive history. A city built with urban planning techniques - long before urban planning existed - and deemed one of the greenest cities in Europe, it's a beautiful and functional place to explore.
We treated our good sport with a visit to the Chocolate Museum (where our entrance ticket was a chocolate bar!) before heading to the Pablo Picasso Museum.
Much of Picasso's work was inspired and influenced by the formative years he spent in Barcelona. Most of the pieces on display were either gifts to the museum from Picasso himself or from close friends. We've seen Picasso's more famous works on display in Chicago and New York and Paris, but here, we got to see a more intimate look at his works over time and the culture, people and places that influenced him as an artist. Such as a room full of pieces from his "blue period" from the early 1900s when he faced a deep depression after the suicide of his friend, Charles Casagemas.
Though we had viewed La Sagrada Familia during our rainy-day bus tour, we took the opportunity provided by the nice weather see it up close. A short metro ride from our hotel had us at the beautiful basilica in no time. M enjoyed exploring the equipment on a
nearby playground, while we admired 13 (of 18 planned) spires from a bench closeby.
La Sagrade Familia is likely Barcelona's most famous attraction. Interestingly, a press release came out yesterday stating the church would be finished in 2026. Given that construction began in 1882, it seems long overdue. Famous Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi (who has left his fingerprints all over the city) was the mastermind behind this extensive construction. He took over as chief architect In 1883 and managed the project until his death in 1926 (fun fact: Gaudi is buried n the crypt he had built beneath the church).
The original plan called for 18 spires. Each dedicated to one of the twelve apostles, one for each of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), one for the Virgin Mary and one for Jesus Christ (which, once complete in 2026 will make this the tallest church in the world).
We were all fully spent after our day navigating the city and taking in the sights. A little gelato before heading back to the hotel was a nice and well-earned treat!
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