A quick flight from Paris to Barcelona, and unfortunately, a quick stay también. Two nights and one full day. This the gateway to a cruise down the western coast of Africa.
It’s a love story. Our son moved to Spain 16 plus years ago, met a gal, and fell in love (ultimately married and had twins). We visited them, soon after they met, and fell in love with Spain (and our daughter-in-law). Since then we’ve toured the country many times, walked the Camino de Santiago Frances and Portugués and lived in Salamanca for four months where I went to Spanish Immersion language school.
Click photos to enlarge.
Stepping off the plane felt like coming home. Discussions about moving here have surfaced many times.
The hotel was located on La Rambla – the heartbeat of Barcelona. The area near the hotel is under construction – an eight yearproject with three more years to go.
A progress check at the Sagrada de Familia was first on the list.. It’s never ending. Even though it was rainy and the sky heavy with clouds the stained glass windows radiated the minuscule amount of exterior light into a brilliant blast of color. ¡Espectacular!.
My mother and stepfather had arrived in Barcelona the day before us and with them I got to celebrate my birthday downing tapas and vino.
La Boqueria is a favorite stop:
The sun magically appeared on the morning of our departure giving us time to soak in its renewing rays (nothing like the cold, dark sky to make one appreciate the heat from the sun) before we boarded Oceania’s Riviera cruise ship headed south.
!Hasta pronto!
In April of this year we learned our son and daughter-in-law were going to have a baby – the due date coincided with our walk.
Oh, to hold a grandbaby. What a miracle.
First stop, Barcelona. We have great memories of our time here. I was particularly looking forward to seeing the progress of the Sagrada Familia. A Gaudí designed church. It’s a fantastical whimsical fortification – part adult hallucination part child’s mind. Within a year of the corner stone being set in 1882 Gaudí became the architect. He abandoned the original Neo-gothic theme for his own modernistic style. Rumor has it that the goal is to finish in 2026. This – Gaudí’s last project.
