Thursday, December 14, 2023

Spain - Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and our final destination in Spain. We were joined by our friends, Kelvin and Mary, from Surprise, AZ. It was so good to see them again!

What did we do?

The Sagrada Família is one of the most famous landmarks in Barcelona. This unfinished basilica is a masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí's architecture, and its intricate facade and soaring towers are truly awe-inspiring. La Sagrada Familia means "the holy family" in English. The church is designed to honor Jesus's family, with towers representing him, his mother, the four evangelists, and the twelve apostles.

Sharon actually looked into visiting the Sagrada way in advance since she knew we needed to buy tickets ahead of time. When she first checked, there were plenty of tickets available and our plan was to take a guided tour and visit one of the towers. When we finally purchased the tickets, we only had 2 time choices and the Nativity Tower was completely booked. So if you are planning to visit La Sagrada, book your tickets way in advance.

                               


The Bible made of stone



The columns are in the shape
of tree trunks to make visitors
feel like they are deep inside
the forest rather than a
Roman Catholic Church.


A bronze Crucifixion of Christ
descending from the ceiling
.


A mirror to capture your photo
and the ceiling


She couldn't figure it out, at 
least I'm in the photo 📸 

Every time we tried to take a
picture this woman kept
 photo bombing us
🤣🤣

The stained glass windows give light
to the church





To access Passion Tower you have to take an elevator up. The elevator only holds 6-8 people including the attendant. We waited in line longer than we spent in the towers.   



Up to cross over to the second
tower








Only 426 steps down






Boqueria Market is a large public market in the center of Barcelona, Spain. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, and it is a great place to find fresh produce, seafood, and local delicacies. Remember... Sharon loves her markets.




Mary loves fish 🐟 NOT
Eggs, Eggs, Eggs 🥚 





Shopping! Sharon took me to all the malls, high-end stores, and boutique shops within a 5-mile radius. We walked up and down La Rambla. La Rambla is a lively pedestrian boulevard that runs through the heart of Barcelona. It's lined with shops and cafes. Do you know what you can't find in November in Barcelona? Shorts or spring/summer items.




Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya we did not go into the museum but did climb to the top to see the amazing view.








Kelvin & Mary
joined us for a few days in Barcelona! Anticipating the next part of the adventure.

Jardines del Teatro Grec Garden began life as a rose garden. It is one of several green spaces that was created on Montjuïc for the 1929 International Exposition. 





Photo shoot in progress

Oh look, flowers 💐 




Up we go

The water flowed all the
way down

Time to go back down

Plaça d'Espanya


What did we eat? We had club lounge access and we took full advantage of it. Afternoon tapas cold and hot, open bar, hot breakfast and buffet in the morning. They did not have a happy hour. Instead the had a 'happy day'!!



Champagne 🍾 was flowing


Eggs Benedict 


Where did we stay? The Intercontinental Barcelona. A major splurge for us. 



Gym

Our rooftop view
Rooftop pool

Our rooftop view
Our rooftop view

How did we get here? Drove from Salou to Thrifty Car Rental to return our huge Fiat 500. Our 2 carry on bags barely fit in the trunk.




When did we visit? 13 - 20 November 2023

"No me sigas, yo también estoy perdido! Don’t follow me, I’m lost too!"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great pictures!