The short flight was uneventful, and we landed at the Barcelona airport at a little before 10 where it was mostly empty. We navigated using a bus and a metro and a short walk to our hotel. We had a great view from the 20th floor, but we didn't enjoy it for long before heading to bed.
Saturday morning, we did a quick grocery run for breakfast and some lunch to pack with us for the day. Then, a quick tour of the hotel - rooftop pool (too cool to swim - but fun), a large business center (no need for us), and my favorite - the kissing couches!
Then it was out to check out the city. First stop the beach. We walked for a long time along the beautiful beach. Lots of people out walking, biking, surfing, playing beach volleyball....enjoying the beautiful weather.
Then, we made our way inland to the Sacred Family basilica. It is the unfinished masterpiece (planned completion 2026) of Gaudi. Gaudi is famous for buildings all over Barcelona, but this is by far his most famous. We took a tour of the outside, the inside, and up in one of the towers. We have been in a lot of churches since coming to Spain but this was definitely my favorite. Pictures will absolutely fail to do it justice (especially mine). The detail inside and out is amazing. The parish is in the basement (crypt?) and is not open for casual visits - it is a relatively traditional space. The upstairs however is full of "tree like columns" and the most amazing light coming from the stained glass.
There are too many details on to mention, but if you are ever in Barcelona - I suggest a visit.
After our visit to the cathedral, we walked up a pedestrian street to take a look at a beautiful building that used to be a hospital but now is a UN building.
Next, we made our way across to a different part of town and walked one of the fancy shopping roads in Sevilla. We didn't really need any $10,000 watches, but we did enjoy another of Gaudi's famous buildings.
It was getting cool, so we headed back to toward the hotel - stopped for dinner and headed in for the night. Sadly, we lost an hour (daylight saving time comes a little later here), but our tour on Sunday didn't start until noon, so we had plenty of time to adjust and get out to Park Guell. The meeting spot for our tour was a Gaudi infomation center (read gift shop). They had a number of models of things in the park so the guide could explain what we were going to see before we walked to the park.
Then off to the park. The park was initially planned as a gated community with plans for 60 luxury homes and LOTS of garden space. Sadly, after only three homes were built (one was originally owned by Gaudi and is now a museum, one was originally owned by Guell and is now a public elementary school, and one was originally owned by Guell's lawyer whose family still owns it) the plans were scrapped and given to the city with the condition that it be kept a park. Except for the one private home and the school, everything else is part of the park. Although the other 57 homes were not completed, lots of fantastic gardens and pathways and gaurdhouses and statues and murals were completed. Part of the park is free and open to the public, but the part with most of the art is controlled with ticket prices used to support the upkeep. Lots of great acoustics - so lots of musicians in the free part.
We walked around a little more after our tour and then headed out. Next stop Plaza de Espana. In addition to the great fountains and beautiful museum (which we did not enter) -there were lots of buses and equipment as the 7 day Tour of Catalonia bike race had just finished up.
Next, lunch in a comercial center that is housed in a structure that was an arena for the Barcelona Olympics and off to our next destination - the Gothic Quarter. This is the old part of the city with narrow streets (not as narrow as Sevilla, but still narrow) and beautiful plazas and churches.
Then down to the port area where the tall statue of Columbus greets incoming ships. It was getting late - so back toward the hotel with a stop for dinner.
This morning, it was back to the airport after a great weekend in northern Spain.
It was raining when we arrived in Sevilla, but it didn't last long. We headed home, unpacked, did some last minute studying, and headed out to school. On the way home, I checked on the "bleacher" progress - only two weeks until Holy Week.
Now, time for bed. Tomorrow, shopping, laundry, more homework, class, and intercambio.
