Day 3, Barcelona

Today is our last full day here. There are so many things we want to do, but will have to wait for another trip. The Picasso Museum, the Old City History Museum, the Olympic History Museum, the tramway from the hill top overlooking the city diagonally down over the city and across the ports, a visit to the beaches, the Museum of Modern Art (there are actually 2), a trip up to the top of the Columbus Monument, all these things will have to go on our list of things to do on a future trip to Barcelona. Yes, we will return to this beautiful and fun city.

The one thing that has made this visit so successful has been that the city is so well prepared for large numbers of tourists, and there are MANY. You would think it was summer in Disney World. There are that many visitors! We have met people from Vermont and Milwaukee in the U.S., but also many people from Germany, France, and Great Britain. Every tour bus is filled for tours throughout the city. There are long lines to visit many sites, but very short waits, and well trained people handle all aspects of tourism issues. Everyone is patient and helpful. The only problem we encountered was the driving. To do this again, we would park our rental car at the airport and take a taxi in to town. Tomorrow we leave, and already I'm steeling my nerves for the event of driving through Barcelona!

Barcelona does run on different times than what we are use to. Breakfast seems to be espresso or capechinno and a sweet baked item. Lunch is a baguette with cheese or ham. Dinner is a full, long meal (2 hour easily), eaten quite late, starting around 8p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. The restaurants and cafes close to food service (although you can still order espresso and drinks) after lunch until dinner service starts. Stores open at 11 a.m. and many close for lunch from around 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., then reopen and finally close for the day at 9 p.m.

Below are our pictures for the day. Lindsay and I went to Guell Park and Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is known as the unfinished Cathedral. It was designed and started by Gaudi as his offering to God. He died before it was finished and funds are always being collected to continue construction on this magnificent structure. It is wonderful. The pictures can not capture the scope in size or beauty.

Guell Park is also a creation of Gaudi's. It is a city park now and the only way to describe this place is astounding. The "world's longest bench" is here and offers visitors a view from the hillside on which it is situated to the valley below, where most of Barcelona is laid out before you, and beyond the city, the beautify azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This is one heck of a city park!!!
Tomorrow we start out for Gibraltar. We will drive through Valencia, which 2 days ago suffered severe flooding from sudden torrential rains. We will stay the nigh in Elche, and finish our travel to Gibraltar on Saturday. We may not have the opportunity until we arrive in Gibraltar to post to the blog. Until then, wish us safe driving!