We had a fun day in Cava Country! The alarm was way too early at 5:45, but everything went so smoothly we were able to catch an earlier train and arrived in Sant Sadurni d'Anoia ahead of schedule. We visited two cava producers while we were there and experienced a true Spanish Siesta (as you can see in the photo of Ryan asleep in my lap on a park bench). After another huge lunch, we still were not hungry enough to cook dinner tonight so we just had cheese, crackers, and olives. It really is great having an apartment so that we can be in control of our own food!

Tomorrow I think we will visit Sagrada Familia in the morning and then late nights tomorrow and Thursday with concerts. I was about to say that I was going to bed early tonight, but the bell tower just chimed 10:00. It stays very light here until 9:30 so it seems much earlier than it really is - we just finished our dinner/snack!

Good night :)

 Freixenet Winery

 Freixenet Winery

Freixenet Winery 

 "The Cathedral of Wine" at Codorniu Winery

 Codorniu Winery

The gardens were gorgeous. Ryan and I decided that Nan would pull out her trowel, try to take some things home, and probably get arrested in customs!

 Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Ryan has really enjoyed his siestas! I think he's pretty cute :)

The best made plans...

We decided yesterday that we would cook tonight and had 4 markets chosen for shopping this morning: the big produce market one block over, the Italian market on the corner for fresh pasta, the mom and pop across the street for oil, salt, and cheese, and the bakery next door for bread. All but the bakery were closed today...it's a holiday in Barcelona.

So after some time of reorganization (and some grumpiness from me :) ) we continued on to Montjuic and the Poble Espanyol. I remember this being one of the highlights from my previous trip here, although we didn't get much time to explore on that trip. Today, Ryan and I spent hours in this unique village. Poble Espanyol is a "museum" of traditional Spanish architecture and arts. Each section of the village represents the architecture, food, and artisans of each region in Spain. We had a long lunch in Madrid's Plaza Mayor, walked through the white-washed, narrow streets of Andalusia, and of course visited Flor (the scarf lady) in Castilla-La Mancha. I bought a beautiful blue scarf from Flor, and made a new friend :) Flor asked us about our trip and how long we were in town. I told her that this was my second Flor Scarf and that I would be here for three weeks. When she found out Ryan was leaving this weekend and that I didn't know anyone in Barcelona she asked me to go out with her sometime and gave me her phone number. She also gave us some great recommendations of places to go and a free pass to get back into the Spanish Village. She said I could call anytime and she would leave a pass at the entrance for me. Ryan and I talked to her for a very long time and she and I plan to meet one evening next week. I am really excited to have made a friend here, especially Flor, whose art I have admired for years.

We decided to spend the evening in the apartment - we are both tired and have a big day in cava country tomorrow. We had such a large lunch that neither of us was hungry so we ate some olive toast and a strawberry tarte from the bakery next door. I took a long nap and a bath with the rose bath salts I bought in the village today and now Ryan is snoring and I am going to sleep soon. We will leave the apartment at 7:15 in the morning to catch the train - the alarm will go off early!

Good night :)

You can see from the tan lines that I did not go topless on the beach :) 

 Loved this

 Plaza Mayor in Poble Espanyol

 Andalusia in Poble Espanyol

 Handmade candles by the lady who also made the bath salts and soaps

 First course

Siesta - Silly Hubband

  Andalusia cafe in Poble Espanyol

 Flor's shop

  Andalusia in Poble Espanyol

 Montjuic

The art museum - haven't gone in yet; that will probably be on the agenda for next week.

Today we saw beached whales, lots of boobs (some were on the beached whales), and got a little bit of a sun burn. Ryan's eye were closed the whole time... He says has no idea what I'm talking about. Such a good Hubband :)

We just got back to the apartment from another night of tapas for dinner and a great dessert. The apartment is in such a great location, everything is in walking distance. Tomorrow we will go to Montjuic and hopefully find the lady that makes the scarfs on the traditional loom. I think I will need to wear long sleeves tomorrow to keep from getting any more sun!!

Not many pictures today (they may have been x-rated since we were at the beach and I didn't think you would be interested in Spanish boobs) but tomorrow will be a great day for photos!

Good night :)

Hubband with his eyes closed behind those dark sunglasses 

 Peix: The Barcelona Fish

We thought we would eat half of each and bring the other half home.  We were wrong, they were too good :)

Ryan and I had such a great day yesterday! We had fun doing our grocery shopping and walking around this neighborhood. Last night was had tapas for dinner and strolled through the Gothic Quarter and La Rambla. Ryan really loved the tapas bars. Some you order from the menu, others you grab a plate, walk around, and choose what you want. When you are ready to leave you just turn in your toothpicks and they add up your  bill. Since the markets are closed today we will probably have tapas again tonight, although we have already planned our dinner to cook tomorrow and which shops we need to visit for ingredients...we like to have a plan! :)

We slept good and the apartment is surprisingly quiet once we close all of the doors. Of course I woke up at 6 am and feel pretty tired today. The second day is always the most difficult for me. This morning Ryan went for a run and I went to the bakery next door and the flower market across the street. We think that we will spend the day on the beach today and find some paella for lunch. Mediterranean here we come!

 Gaudi Apartment Building on Passig de Gracia

 Lobby to our apartment building

Lunch! Daddy talked about this bread rubbed with tomatoes all the time! One of his favorite foods from Spain! (now one of our's too)

Gaudi's "House of Bones." Notice the balcony is a skull. The building is a dragon, the skull is one of the dragon's snacks. The facade of the building is scaly to represent the  skin of the dragon. Very interesting design! 

 Boqueria Market on La Ramble

Tapas Bar in the Gothic Quarter...Count your toothpicks! 

 "Petit Palau" not sure what this is yet, but will know before too long! We think it must be a theater.

This building is covered with eyeballs on the front and back

 Breakfast :)

We're here! Finding the apartment was easy and we love the location. There is a 24 hour flower market across the street where I have seen several nuns buying their flowers this morning. We have all three balconies opened with a great breeze coming in...the apartment is perfect! There are several cafes on this block, and bakery next door, a pharmacy and several markets close by, and the architecture is beautiful.

Tetia, too bad you weren't here this morning. Vanessa, the owner of the apartment is out of town, so her brother Fernando came to let us in. He pulls up on his motorcycle and is very cute! He would be the perfect guy for you to "not really be interested in but..." :) AND I've been checking out the shoe situation for you...lots of flat gladiator sandals, flip flops, cloth lace-ups...super casual!

Ryan, of course, is already unpacked. My suitcase is still sitting in the living room, but he says he's "mellow" so it isn't bothering him. We are hungry though, and stinky after the long flight so we need to shower and start our day...

I hope 24 days is enough time.  I wonder if this apartment is for sale? :)

 The stained glass windows are from an apartment building on the corner of our block. The modernist style is everywhere, even in the lobby of our building. I thought Mom would love these!

 A view of the 24 hour flower market. 24 hour flower markets make me think that Spanish men get in trouble a lot! Why else would you need a 24 hour flower market?

  A view of the market from our balcony 

 Another view from our balcony. That's also our sunporch you see on the left. It comes off of the bedroom and is fantastic!

 A view from the sunporch of the street and our balconies.

Of course I have a "random people pic." The balconies give me the perfect perch to spy on people on the street. I think the nuns must be getting flowers for tomorrow's services.

My mellow Hubband enjoying the Mediterranean breeze in our living room.

OK, time to start exploring! Love to you all!

Only 6 days until Barcelona! We couldn't be more excited for our trip. Ryan and I leave on May 25, and Ryan comes home on June 3rd. I get to have birthday breakfast with him before he catches his flight, then another 15 days for me! Tetia will come to visit on June 14 and stay a few days after I leave on the 18th. I'm sure this will be a wonderful trip at a much needed time!

The photos below are from my trip to Barcelona in 2007. I was only there a few days, but it was long enough to know that I needed to come back and really spend some time. It was one of Daddy's favorite cities also. I think he loved La Sagrada Familia as much as I do. I'm anxious to see what (if any) progress has been made in the last five years. I couldn't think of a better way to spend his birthday and Father's day this year!

Inside La Sagrada Familia