We left Denia on Saturday, driving to Valencia to drop off the rental car then cabbing it to the train station. We left Paul and Julie to continue their adventure to Portugal. We headed to Barcelona.

The train station was easy to figure out and we had lots of time to relax and people watch. There were some interesting characters! Coach 8 was comfortable and we settled in for the two and a half hour trip. The countryside in Spain is rustic and beautiful. We passed miles and miles of fields filled with orange trees. You could smell the citrus in the train. The smell was so fresh! We chugged by several
castles up in the hills. Later in the journey we travelled along the water and had some amazing views of the Mediterranean sea.

When we arrived in Barcelona , we quickly realized that we were not as prepared as we thought for the subway! There were so many lines heading in every direction!! We took our time and got some help to get our metro passes, then determined our route…unfortunately, we miscalculated! We got off 10000 steps away from our hotel. We walked forever dragging luggage! We did better in the subway the second day. We made it to the gothic quarter easily! The gothic quarter is old town Barcelona.

Gothic quarter Barcelona-wow! Amazing history. We walked into Cathedral Maria and heard the organ and choir and saw the beauty inside the church and I teared up thinking about all the heartfelt, desperate, and thankful prayers said there over hundreds of years. I couldn’t help but feel the faith of others that had come before me. The beauty and mass of the stonework combined with the colourful stained glass was spectacular.

We had lunch in a small square, outside, under an umbrella on a bright spring day. The courtyard was surrounded by historical buildings and houses that have been there for centuries. On top of one building, there was a rooftop garden where lemons were growing from trees. We ate tapas and drank sangria. A duo of young men sang to us while playing guitar. It was quite surreal! At one point, I told Kevin that I couldn’t believe we were there!

Sagrada and laundry day…
There was a Laundromat a few blocks from our hotel. We bravely ventured forth. It was very techy and we were glad for the help of a local lady who spoke a little English. We got through with lots of jestering! No need to bring detergent or fabric softener..machines do it automatically! This we didn’t realize until after…thankfully our added detergent didn’t fill the place with suds!

By day two, we were getting good on the Barcelona metro! Since our first long walk, we learned how the lines work. Signage is great when you take the time to read it! A travel lesson we have learned several times so far on this journey- don’t immediately panic and rush. Take some time, look around and ask if you need to!

Sagrada familia….words can barely express the magnificence and brilliance of this structure! I was overcome thinking of the faith that inspired this construction that has been on going for over 100 years.
The outside of the cathedral depicts all aspects of Jesus’s life. Everywhere you look there are minute details depicting different biblical themes and stories.

Inside, the brilliance of the lights streaming in from the hundreds of stained glass windows, is like nothing I have seen before. The light moves and changes all day depending on the sun outside. I ve tried to capture some of it but pictures will never do it justice. Gaudi was a master engineer utilizing light and themes from nature to create something truly magical.

While in line waiting to go inside the Sagrada, we saw Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson! They were only 20 feet from us! Apparently they were in Barcelona to attend the Bruce Springsteen concert. Of course, I wasn’t quick enough with my camera!

It was a great few days! Adios, Spain and Barcelona! Next stop, Rome!