A Barcelona Weekend

Palm trees, warm sunshine, beautiful architecture, Sangria.  Bright green grass, deep blue seas, more tapas than we should admit, Sangria.  My spunky baby, my better half, a long weekend and did I say Sangria?

Barcelona was pure bliss. Honestly, it has taken me hours to figure out how to share this experience with you in less than 100 posts.  The sites were great, the food was fabulous, and my daughter has never been such a goon in her life!

We spent two and a half days over the Easter weekend in this fantastic city, and as usual, tried to fit in as many activities as we could (which, with all of your amazing recommendations, was not an easy task! THANK YOU for sharing your favorites with us!).  I want to say we did it all, but I know that’s far from true.

We certainly followed Gaudi’s artistic footprint through the city – from Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia to La Pedrera and Casa Batllo.  We ate our way through La Boqueria food market, on down the shopping street, along the beach and past the cathedrals and alleyways of the Gothic Quarter. We even took the Bus Turistico to the Olympic Village and dipped our toes in the Mediterranean Sea!

It was so much fun – I’d really like to share every minute of the trip with you, but instead, we’ll stick to the highlights.

The Architecture. I often wonder if I wouldn’t have gone in to architecture or some sort of design, if I had life to do all over again.  Though my knowledge of the subject is rather limited, I could very happily stare at buildings and furnishings all. day. long. From the cold, medieval structures to Gaudi’s gorgeously playful housing blocks, Barcelona’s streets are lined with buildings and common spaces eagerly telling the city’s beautiful story through centuries of design.

 

The Culture.  This seaside town just has a way of kindly insisting that you slow down and enjoy life.  A perfect blend of big city amenities, living history and innocent beach town fun, we just couldn’t help but stop to enjoy the music on the waterfront for an hour or allow ourselves a special treat of some sort more often than we should have. And all we needed was a little direct sunlight and one Sangria with lunch to become full supporters of closing down shop everyday for an afternoon siesta!

The Company.  I love my little family.  I love that we whole-heartedly enjoy exploring this world we live in together, and that we’ve been given this opportunity to live in and adventure our way through Europe for a time.  I also love that at 18 months, it is crystal clear how much my daughter feeds off of new experiences and is able to express her excitement by running through the streets with endless energy while simultaneously making every. single. person. she encounters smile with a joy that I can’t imagine is easy to extract.  May she never lose that spirit!  Blessed does not even begin to describe what Troy and I feel.  God is good.

Watch for more detailed resources regarding travel, itineraries, accommodations and tips to be posted in the coming days!