Hey Babe, Can We Just Move to Barcelona?

Let me just start off saying; if anyone plans on making any kind of trip to Europe, they should choose Barcelona, Spain. It is the most exciting place I have ever been to. It was even better than Italy when I first arrived here. Barcelona was on my list for one of the top places I wanted I wanted to visit while I was over here, and it did everything, but disappoint. Gregg and I decided it should be the last trip we make while we are over here, but the excitement it created for the both us makes us want to take on more places. Next stop....Ireland!

The trip started with us arriving in Barcelona late at night, and arriving at our hotel at 2 a.m. We stayed at a place called Hotel Call. It was a very cheap and very sparce in what they offer kind of hotel. We decided to get a cheap place because we wanted to spend more money on activities and we were only going to be there to shower and sleep. The hotel room was very white with nothing on the walls and white sheeted beds. It seemed more like a prison cell, but the staff made up for it! They were just delightful and more than helpful. The second we checked in, they handed us a map and showed us the top spots to go to, how to get there, and recommended more. This hotel will be getting a great review from me due to the staff.

The first morning, we decided to head out and start with some Spanish breakfeast. The meal was quite different, but was still yum. In Spain, they cook everything in iron skillets and serve it to you in that dish. This morning, we had a egg cooked with yummy vegtables, such as, tomato, mushrooms, asparagus, and sausages. After the meal, we started our walking journey. Our first sight seeing spot was the Saint Maria Basilica. We happened to stumble across this stop on our way to the Gothic Cathedral. Anyways, here is a picture of the outside:

After the Bascilia, we ended up walking to Port Vell. The water was so close to where we were staying that we had to see how the Mediterian Sea looked. It was beautiful, and I loved admiring all of the boats that looked like old Pirate Ships, and the yahts that looked like they were worth a million bucks. While we were on the port, we made a last minute decision to see the Aquarium there. We both love aquariums, so it was a plus...especially since this one was a Mediterrian themed one.

Next stop was the Gothic Cathdral! This was one of the highlights of my trip. It was close to the top on things to do in Barcelona. I have never seen this kind of architecture before, so I was pretty excited. Gregg has seen the Gothic Cathedral in Milan. He said the one in Milan is much more bigger than Barcelona, but the inside of Barcelona's cathedral was much more admiring. Even though Gregg is not as religious as I am, I love that he respects my faith and will take the long tour throughout the building. I even get excited when he points out things he likes, and when he asks questions. He liked the gold replica of the cathedral they show cased, one old painting from the 1700s they had hanging, and the choir section they built. I loved the crucifix this cathdral held. I don't quite understand why some churches have to beautify the crucifix when it is suppose to give you the impression of Jesus dying on the cross. I like the old look they give him.

Do you want to see what we had for lunch today? It was pretty yummy...I think I am going to try and look up how to make this. However, I will have to find an iron skillet first.

Next stop, Placa de Espana. This area was on a hill that overlooked the entire city of Barcelona! This is always my favorite thing to do because it is always so breathtaking, and very romantic. Once Gregg and I made it up the hill, we enjoyed a delicious lemon drink while sitting and staring out to the view that sat in front of us. It was a very peaceful time in our day to relax and admire our surroundings.

Off to the side of this hill was the Olympic grounds Barcelona held in 1988. This was Gregg's favorite part of the trip. He enjoyed walking the grounds; I think its because its an athletic thing that link's a man. We did a lot of just hanging out right here because it was such a thankful experience to be able to be where we were standing. After we admire the area, we walked around in the park next to it just talking. We talked forever...I think this trip actually brought Gregg and I a lot closer.

I liked the picture of him looking out at it more than the one where he is looking at me..

After walking around all day, we decided to head back to the hotel to shower up and recouperate from earlier. All the walking caused my feet to swell up pretty bad. It actually looked pretty disgusting. Also, Gregg's hands got swollen pretty bad to wear he couldn't take off his wedding ring. After getting all dressed up, we made our way to the Square on La Rambla. La Rambla is a famous street in Barcelona that is filled with many shops, resturants, activities, and more. (I'll show a couple of pictures of it later on in the post.) We were headed to the Square for one reason and one reason only...The Hard Rock Cafe! I don't know if you guys have noticed in previous posts, but Gregg and I are so tired of Europe. We can't wait to get back to the states. Therefore, the Hard Rock was the closest thing to the states we can get to. The wait was not too long, and we had a delicious meal. I got to have my first margarita in a very long time, and it was gone within 5 minutes! Our appetizer was a delicious plate of loaded nachos...add the barbeque pork! Then Gregg devoured his Steak, mashed potatoes, and caesar salad while I enjoyed my steaming fajitas. We were miserably stuffed when we were done, but it was totally worth it! We love the Hard Rock so much that we couldn't leave until we bought ourselves a Hard Rock Barcelona shirt.

Once we were done eating, we decided to head down to Port Olympic because the hotel staff mentioned that this is the place where the party is held. While we were there, we went into their Casino. It was the most fancy casino I have ever been into, and the bets were very high. Thousands of dollars were being bet on one table...it was crazy! Gregg has never played in a casino, so we took full advantage of this place. He decided his game would Black Jack! He came in with 50 euro and walked out with 85 euro. It was a great first time for him. The rest of the time was spent at a lively bar on the beach. It played loud club music, while everyone sipped on fancy cocktails. I had my traditional cosmopolitans while Gregg had his usual Jack and Coke. The rest of the time was spent with us flirting back and forth. I felt like we went back in time to our first couple of months together...and believe me, the blushing was constant.

Next morning, we slept in pretty late (noon), but got a wake up call from the hotel. Apparently, someone had run the water too long and it ruined their pipes so we had to move to another room. (Ahem...I am mainly putting this next comment in here for my own benefit; way to go Gregg! LOL!) Once we were done with that, we headed out to La Rambla. We had lunch (Gregg had octopus and I had lamb...both so good!) and then spent the morning walking and shopping. After a couple of hours after that, we ended up in a bar call The Traveler's Bar. This was an AMAZING down to earth bar. We had the best time sitting and joking around with the bartender and the staff. It was so good that we ended up spending 7 hours total there! We tried new drinks, enjoyed favorites, munched on calamari and olives, and more. The bartender was from Ireland, so he gave us some good advice on our next trip. Our favorite waitress was from Madrid and so lively...Once we were done, more shopping on La Rambla! We wanted to go to a Falmenco show on this night, but didn't quite make it. (I was upset, but wasn't dying). To end this night, I am going to leave another word for myself to remember later on that nobody else would understand except for Gregg and myself...Lawn chairs!

Waking up to our last day in Barcelona, we both did not want to leave. We went for breakfeast and then Gregg went and got a tattoo. He has been wanting one to dedicate to his 13 friends that were killed during deployment in Afghanistan. He got one that resembled the evil that was held during that time with the angelic life they get to live right now. He titled his tattoo Broken Promise which is also the title of the song he wrote about them as well. Note: I am not totally loving the picture of it, but it is something he wanted that represented his bond with them. Therefore, I kept my mouth closed the entire time. If you would like to see it, it is posted on his Facebook. I feel like it is something I should not post here on the blog.

So, Gregg and I both state that this trip has been the best one we have ever been on. Nothing disappointed us at all. We will forever remember this weekend, and hope one day to come back with friends! And like I said before, planning any trip to Europe....Go to Barcelona, Spain!!

"The World Is A Book, And Those That Don't Travel Have Only Read One Page"