Spain Day 1 : Barcelona

After a grueling nine hour flight from Miami, we made it to Barcelona. We need sleep, but we all know the best way to get over jet lag is to acclimate as soon as possible, so we hit the road running. We took the metro to the city and checked in to the fourth floor flat. The apartment is old world charm meets modern convenience. Only Spain could make a 100 year old door with layers of paint and mismatched tile floors look beautiful. 

We started our day at Parque Guell. This is one of Antoni Gaudi’s best contributions to the city. Construction started in 1900 and blends plant life with architectural elements. It offers a beautiful view of the city, hiking trails, picnic areas, and live music. 

We took the bus to L’Eixample to the highlight of the trip, La Sagrada Familia. Before we entered, we walked among the Christmas market stalls where we bought the popular churros and chocolate. 

I’ve wanted to see Sagrada Familia no fewer than 25 years and today it was everything I imagined and then some. I booked tickets in late afternoon so we would see the sun streaming through the stained glass. When the light came through the glass and refracted off the far walls, it was as if we were in the midst of a rainbow. 

The details in the design and architecture could not be captured by cameras on our phone. There’s no way any photos we have can possibly compare to seeing it in person. It was beautiful! Even hungry, sleep deprived Evan agreed it was stunning.

We took the elevator up the Passion Tower and caught a view of the coastline and the city skyline. 

We have now been up for two days and we desperately need showers and sleep. It’s 6:00 but feels like midnight. I can’t wait for a good hard sleep, and then we are off on another adventure tomorrow.