Barcelona is [still] a love song.
Our trip to Montserrat & the vineyard was a tough act to follow, but on day 2ish...we had a total Barcelona tourist day and loved every minute of it. [As you can see but the bajillion of photos I took...I had such a tough time editing!!!] A few friends had told us that Barcelona was their favorite European city and I can totally understand why. I absolutely fell in love with the city and hope to make it back before the end of our expat adventures [and beyond!].
Here we are [on a gorgeous day] at the Arc de Triomf [the main access gate to the 1888 World's Fair].
Jason was just standing in for a test shot as I was adjusting settings, but I ended up really liking this pic of him...
We walked around the Ciutat Vella ["old town"] area. Though all of the stores are inhabited with modern shopping, the gothic architecture and tiny/narrow streets paint a picture that help you to imagine what life might have really looked/felt like in this area centuries ago.
Maddie looking adorable, as always.
We had lunch in City Centre. There were street performers, students reading, families vacationing all enjoying the beautiful day [and sangria]. It was the perfect mid-day break. With all the walking around, make sure you've got some comfy [but cute, obvi] shoes. And especially this time of year, layers. In the shade it was cool, but very warm in the sun. Jacket on, jacket off, repeat.
Side Note: See how much fun the Pearsons are...?? We <3 them!
The next day we took a paella cooking class. We started out at Mercat de la boqueria. Where our chef gave us a tour, a historical less and, of course, this is where we shopped for all of the ingredients we'd use to make our meal. The market's origin dates all the way back to 1200! And many of the merchant's shops have remained within families for centuries. So anytime you're purchasing a piece of chocolate, a bag of nuts or a freshly caught fish, you're purchasing from a truly authentic family business. Everything is beautiful & fresh. And just so full of color! We could have spent hours there just stuffing our faces.
This was such a cool experience. We got to meet some others visiting Barcelona & made a seriously delicious Paella, which is not the easiest dish to make. Our chef got us all involved and made sure to include the younger kids in our group. Everyone had a great time. If you're visiting Barcelona as a couples trip, by yourself or with a family, this is an out-of-the-box activity that really is great for all.
In case you were wondering, Asher had a lovely time too...
And, without further adieu a few of our finished dishes...
The chef emailed us all the recipes so that we can [attempt to] recreate them in our own kitchens.
Our last tourist stop was Gaudi's temple, Sagrada Familia...but in total new-blogger/new-to-photography FAIL-fashion, my camera battery died so I only got a couple of not so awesome iPhone pics...wah wah. Anyway, it was definitely worth seeing. We purchased the $15 main level tour tix. The hubs & I wanted to pay extra to go up the towers where you can see a pretty phenom view of the city, but super high spiral staircases + a baby stroller didn't really add up. Nevertheless, glad we saw one of Gaudi's masterpieces up close & personal.
And then, just like that it was time to fly back to Germany! Which BTW was such a weird feeling. I almost felt like it was time to go ALL_THE_WAY back home. So, landing in the Frankfurt airport was a bit surreal. But they have a McDonalds...so I wasn't too upset about it. ;)
So far, expatlife is treating us well. Comment or message me if you have any questions about our trip or want any other recommendations!
Embrace the Wilde,
-lindsey
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