Looking forward to Barcelona!

While some are complaining that I need to go already and shut up about our trip ;)... others are begging for pictures to live vicariously, so... I will share!

We will be spending the most time in Barcelona, and the more I have researched this beautiful city, the more excited I am getting. It has one whole section of the city called the Barrio Gotic or Gothic Quarter which is an amazing little area of medieval, and gothic buildings- so rich in history. There is also a very famous architect names Antoni Gaudi who has designed some impressive albeit unconventional buildings defining Spanish modernism (la modernisma), there is a famous cathedral named La Sagrada Familia that is still not finished that he began almost 140 years ago.

Barcelona is in the Catalonia region, where the people separate themselves from the rest of the spanish considering themselves more refined, less barbaric (not into bull fighting, etc.) and they love food. There is a disproportionate amount of restaurants for the area- oh, darn. There days are very long because they traditionally eat two breakfasts, two lunches, tea, and a late dinner- in other words they begin their dinners around nine or ten and often end around one in the morning. Many restaurants don't even serve dinner until after eight. And by the way, the bars, etc. are plentiful, and it is very common to have a beer even with your second breakfast, huh?? But, Barcelona is right on the coast, with miles of mediterrannean beaches and supposedly fantastic fresh seafood, but they are most famous for their paella, and their tapas, various small appetizer like dishes (which sounds fabulous until you realize that many of them are made with sardines and anchovies, we'll see). And they supposedly have this amazing Catalonia bread, where they smear bread with garlic, and tomatoes, and drizzle with oilve oil- sounds good to me! They are also famous for their cured meats, including Iberian ham. And I've already located the Xocolateria where they serve a thick hot chocolate that you dip churros into, and other famous chocolate and pastry shops, yum!

There is a famous street called Las Ramblas that is busy with shops, restaurants, bars, fresh flowers, and a famous fresh market that is one of the largest in Europe called La Boqueria. We are staying in a hotel very close to this most busy and bustling part of Barcelona... should be so fun!! And there is your small education about what we can expect in Barcelona... and then we board our ship and venture into other great parts of the Mediterrannean, more on that later!