We flew from Chicago to Barcelona with a short change of planes in London. It was an overnight flight so we all slept, some of us better than others. I was really grateful Hayden slept amazingly well.
We got through customs easily (SO much more organized than Italy!!) and had no troubles catching a taxi to our hotel. It was around 5:30 pm when we arrived at the hotel, although our bodies thought it was 10:30 am (CST). We were ready to go!
For much of the trip we had nice, functional hotels. But in Barcelona, we splurged a little and stayed in a gorgeous boutique hotel right on a main square. Check-in was accompanied by glasses of champagne and when we entered our room, a bottle of champagne and chocolates welcomed us!
We got a little freshened up, enjoyed some bubbly and treats, and headed out to explore. We wandered around the square, chased bubbles and pigeons, and generally smiled a lot.
We eventually made our way to the Magic Fountain - a gigantic fountain at the foot of a massive hill. At the top of the hill was a beautiful history museum with waterfalls cascading down to the Magic Fountain. The fountain water dances in coordination with music. It was a beautiful evening, just full of magic and the promise of a full two weeks of adventure, relaxation, and the best family time ever.
We ended the night with a late stop at a tapas bar and made our way right down the line, trying practically one of each! I was so impressed with Hayden's enthusiasm for the new flavors - she tried everything and liked most of it!
The next day we slept in as late as we could and then went out for a full day of sightseeing. Our plan was basically just to wander and that's what we did. We walked Las Ramblas, stopping for breakfast at an adorable bakery where Hayden and Steve had their first of 15 breakfasts of chocolate croissants.
We explored our first of many Spanish markets filled with cured ham legs, manchego cheese, delicious things soaking in vinegar, and the most gorgeous piles of fresh fruit I've ever seen.
We walked through the Gothic Quarter with it's narrow and winding streets to find the Cathedral.
We eventually made our way back to Las Ramblas and down to the sea where we decided to take a cruise up and down the coast. It was a perfect day (as most of our days there were) with warm temps, clear skies, and plenty of sunshine.
We continued our walk around the seaport, stopped for lunch on the water, and walked along the packed beach. We walked through rows and rows of street vendors selling everything from Nikes to refrigerator magnets. These vendors were Hayden's favorite 'stores' to shop the entire trip. Here she made her first purchase - a pink castanet with 'Barcelona' painted on it.
We took a cable car ride up to the top of the mountain along the sea - Montjuic - where we enjoyed a gorgeous view and a glass of sangria.
We walked (Steve literally pushed Hayden up a mountain!) and explored the mountain - it's gardens, gorgeous views, and the 1992 Olympic stadium.
On our way down the mountain, we came across this teeny tiny bubbling fountain. We laughed so hard at our luck in finding the 'world's smallest fountain' and it became an ongoing joke of the trip. For some reason, it seems the Spanish people are fond of tiny fountains and we encountered and photographed many of them.
The next day, we had a couple of time-entry tickets to two Gaudi buildings so we were up and out of bed early. Our first stop was La Sagrada Familia - a basilica he began building in the late 1800s that is still under construction today. We all three agree it was by far and away the coolest thing we saw on our entire trip.
I could not get over the stained glass windows. I've seen a million of them in my life but never have I seen them change the feeling of the space like these did.
We spent a few hours there and then walked across the street to a little park for some good views and for Hayden to play a little. For the entire trip, Hayden played at every playground we encountered. It was a good way to break up our days for her.
We stopped for a little lunch at a cafe. What cracks me up about Spain is that they served every beverage Hayden ordered in a wine glass. Even out on the patios!
After lunch, we made our way to our second Gaudi stop - La Pedrera. It was a residential building that he designed and we were able to tour it from top to bottom (including the cool rooftop). It was our first self-guided audio tour and it was obvious to us right away that this was right up Hayden's alley. She treated it like a scavenger hunt - excitedly looking for the next stop on the audio tour which was a great diversion for her and gave Steve and me a chance to really experience the cultural sites we visited on the trip.
It was handy having Hayden with us so Steve and I could get a few pics of the two of us. Plus, Hayden always encouraged us to take one with 'silly faces' after the serious one which makes me laugh every time!
Gaudi placed this arch on the rooftop to perfectly frame La Sagrada Familia. You can see the large cranes still working on the construction in the distance.
Hayden really loved taking taxi rides. This one took us up to the top of another mountain - Tibidabo where we surprised Hayden with a visit to a little amusement park at the top.
On our way back down the hill, we stopped to view one more Gaudi treasure - Casa Batlo.
We made our way to a final tapas dinner and then went to bed early since we had an early train ride to Madrid the next morning! We loved Barcelona. We saw some of the most interesting architecture we've ever seen and experienced Gaudi's genius firsthand. It was an awesome start to our adventure!
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