Barcelona Day 1 & 2

Day #1 

I arrived in Barcelona. After I cleared customs and got my luggage, it was time to see if there was anyone waiting for me. Surprise! There was! And not just one person but a whole group. Wahoo! Once we collected all our peeps, it was time to head to the hotel: The Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza. 

Right on the Plaza Espana, the hotel had wonderful views of a fountain and big building. I made a mental note to explore that later. After checking in, I had just enough time to get some exploring in before the welcome dinner. Perfect time to explore what I had seen earlier. It's called Montjuic. It's a massive hill. A beautiful fountain, called Font Magica, sits halfway up the hill. At the top of the hill is the ornate and opulent Museu Nacional d'art de Catalunya.

 I felt like Rocky when I finally reached the top! The views of and from this hill were absolutely gorgeous.

 On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at a tapas restaurant (Tapa, Tapa) which was right by the hotel. Ready to get a table for one, I hear, "Do you want to sit with us ma'am?" My first thought was, "wow, people are super friendly here." But once I turned around I realized it was people from my group (John and Karen) and they had said Pam not ma'am. We had a ball, the 3 of us, drinking, eating, and laughing. I have new friends!!

Soon enough, it was time for the welcome dinner. My goal for this trip is to do and try new things, so I did. I ordered starry eggs and baby eel. It was delicious. 

After a long day it was time to head to bed. 

Day #2 

Today began with breakfast then a tour of the city. Barcelona really is beautiful. The beaches, buildings, monuments, each unique and special. The views are simply breathtaking. The highlight for sure, La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's unfinished work. Wow. There aren't enough words to describe it, and pictures don't do it justice.

 Spectacular. I would love to return to Barcelona in 2026 to celebrate the finished product. Some tapas and beer and then it was off to the next tour: more Gaudi. We headed to Casa Mila and Park Guell. So quirky and fun! The colors and architecture made me smile.

 I had asked the tour guide for some suggestions as to where I could go to really experience Barcelona's nightlife. 

After a quick siesta, I was ready to explore some more. I decided to get some beer and tapas. I stopped at a wonderful little place: MonDoré Cerveseria Gastronòmica. The food was delicious, the beers were local and the staff could not have been more helpful (and hot!) Sated and giddy, I decided to head to the fountain to watch the light show. Wow, was it packed. I managed to find a spot on the bottom step. I watched some street performers do some crazy good moves. They were really entertaining (and cute too!) Now it was showtime. Well, I should say that the show started, but I missed it all. For you see, at that moment, I dropped my phone. Not from a high distance, but from my knee, as I sat on the bottom step. It didn't crack, so I didn't think anything of it. I didn't notice it was broken until I went to take a picture of the "magical fountain." I tried to turn it on. No luck.  A sense of panic spread through me as I frantically tried various ways to make the phone work. In shock, I headed back to the hotel to see if any familiar faces were around and could offer suggestions or even fix the phone. I ran into a sweet couple from my tour (Jeremy & Christine) and was able to reach TD Tini. She suggested visiting the Apple Store in the AM. My new friends agreed and even made me feel a little better about things. Deciding that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go out late, Barcelona nightlife was off the table. No dancing for Pamcakes. I went to sleep instead. I needed to be well rested and ready for what was to come.