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Sorry that we have not posted in a few days...the truth is we have been having too much fun!!!! However, it was not so much fun trying to get here...we had quite the adventure. Last Saturday morning we sadly checked out of our bed and breakfast and began our three and a half hour drive to Narbonne, France so we could catch a train to Barcelona. Well we did a great job of following the directions and navigating the french auto route (highway) but the drive took almost an hour longer than the directions stated....ahhh.....unfortunately we missed our train. Now normally this would not have been a big deal but there was not another train for 4 hours so we had to sit in the station, which stunk pretty bad, and just drink a lot beer and soda so we did not lose our table outside...our train turned out to be 45 minutesl late so at about 8:00pm we finally got on the train towards Spain. We had to change trains in Port Bou because the train tracks in Spain are smaller and therefore the trains from France cannot operate on spanish tracks. The train was hot and smelly but the views of the coastal towns and the oceans were beautiful....We have seen so many great things that I am running out of adjectives to describe them...basically they are all just...well they are amazing, I guess. Finally at 11:30pm we arrive and Barcelona, which of course seemed scarry because I was just beginning to grasp the mannerisms and the language in France and now things are totally different in Barcelona. We made it to our hostel, which at first seemed like a crazy place full of drunk people. However, after our first night we have since then decided that it is very cozy and there are so many interesting people. Alliey and I went out for drinks with a young woman from Slovakia (who is going to school in Illinois for Astromony). Her name is Yana and she is so nice. We made dinner in the hostel together and then went out for drinks. She is here for a conference on Astronomy and then she travels to Slovakia to spend two weeks with her family before going back to the US.
As for the fun part, we spent the first day just wandering around the city. We found the famous boulevard Las Ramblas and just window shopped and people watched. They were selling cool birds along the street along with all that tourist crap like paper fans and barcelona figurines...we did not buy any of that but we did find an open art market and Alliey got a neat bracelet for 6 euro. I did not get anything but I am still on the lookout!!! For lunch we found this place called Nostrum which is called a home meal replacement cafe. Basically you can get cheap pre-made food and then microwave it yourself and just sit there and eat it. We got some tortellini and spinach casserole with pine nuts....very good!!!! The rest of the day was spent just getting ourselves lost in the old city which has these narrow streets and tiny shops. We found this interesting soap shop were we picked up a cheap soap that smells like mandarine and basil.
Yesterday, was a busy day because Alliey and I decided to go in search of all or many of the buildings that Gaudi designed. We found some of them but we found others that were just very interesting so we just took pictures anyway. The great think about just wandering around the city is that you stumble across these hidden gems. There are these beautiful graffiti murals all over the street and talented street performers all over the place. One guy was using a huge rope to make these bubbles that were the size of small cars...Our architecture walk ended at the Sagrada Familia. This place is very difficult to describe because not only is it gargantuan in size but it is so ornate that words cannot really do it justice...therefore I will have to suggest that until we can load more pictures online that you go to google images and check this place out. However, here is a little background information: Gaudi began the project in 1886 and continued working on it for 40 years before he died. Although the church was unfinished architects have continued to follow his blueprints so that it can eventually be finished...Right now it is probably 1/2 way finished and they are not exactly sure when they will get it done. The parts of it that are done are so unique and awe-inspiring!!!!
Hopefully we will get pictures up soon. The computer at the hostel is hard to figure out!!
Stay tuned,
Miranda
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Mom
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Barcelona
Sounds like you had a challenge getting there, but it was all worth it. Can't wait to see pics.