Barcelona Trip Day 6 (March 9th): Make the Time Adjust to You
By this point in our trip Jenn and I have completely given up on trying to adjust to Barcelona's time, it is just not going to happen. So we ended up getting to sleep at around 5am and woke up close to 1pm. We headed down to the concierge to have him print out our boarding passes for our flight back to LAX tomorrow. After we got that taken care of and had our boarding passes prepared we were off to enjoy the day. Jenn had one more place she wanted to check off her list before leaving Barcelona and that was the Sagrada Familia one of the "must see's" according to the few travel websites we read before coming. Instead of taking a taxi, or any form of public transportation to the Sagrada Familia, Jenn thought it would be a lot of fun to walk from our hotel to the church. She spent about fifteen minutes mapping out our route, and then we were off.
Yesterday proved to be a rather interesting diversion in the weather because at no time in the weather forecast did it call for snow, although that is exactly what it did for most of the day. However if you came in to Barcelona today you would have had no idea that the weather had been anything but sunny as the weather outside was as close to perfect as you could possibly get. The sun was shining, there was a nice light breeze, and everything just smelled fresh. Jenn did an amazing job mapping out our route and we made it there in a little over an hour with no navigational issues as at all. I am so glad we chose to walk it was nice to get out of the tourist areas of Barcelona and take in some of the more less traveled areas of the city. When we did make it to the Sagrada Familia it was as breathtaking as you would expect, and yet it still has a long way to go before it is complete. We had seen the Sagrada Familia earlier in the trip on the bus tour but this was something you really did need to walk around and experience first hand at least on the outside. We were so impressed by the outside of the massive building that we paid the 12 euro per person entree fee to see inside and boy was that a mistake. The inside is so far from complete and was being constructed on all over the place that you really could not appreciate anything inside. I am really glad we made the trek to see the Sagrada Familia even if touring the inside wasn't necessary the experience was perfect.
Jenn Leading the Way to the Sagrada Familia
Double checking the map to make sure we are on the right track!
Standing in front of the Sagrada Familia
Jenn giving a great shot of me standing on the other side of the Sagrada Familia
On our journey back to our hotel we stopped at a modern restaurant called Brown 33, by far the most modern restaurant we ate at all trip. I started off with the house white wine and Jenn stuck with water. For starters I went with the shrimp tempura with rumescu and Jenn went with a vegetable soup. For our main course we switched roles as Jenn went with a four cheese pizza and I went with Tagliatelini (fresh pasta) with Pesto Oil. This was a great meal, and the atmosphere was exactly what Jenn and I look for. In fact we were joking on our way out of the restaurant that if we were to ever open a restaurant it would look a lot like Brown 33.
The front of Brown 33
Enjoying a European Tradition, a Glass of Wine
I wish there was more, the Shrimp Tempura was delicious
A very nice size portion of the vegetable soup
Fresh Pasta with Pesto
Jenn went with the delicious four cheese pizza
On our way back from Brown 33 to our hotel Jenn decided she wanted to stop off and do some shopping something I had fortunately avoided for the majority of the trip. We ended up going to an H&M which are all of the US and also all over Barcelona which made Jenn's day. An hour or two later we got out of H&M after Jenn had tried on half of the store and purchasing the other half we headed back to our hotel. We decided to hit up the hotels cafe to relax a bit after our long journey and I enjoyed a nice cappuccino while Jenn enjoyed her hot chocolate. It is times like sitting in the cafe talking about the trip that truly make trips memorable and to sit back and talk with Jenn about this entire trip over some nice warm drinks was a perfect end to the afternoon.
Jenn never leaves anywhere empty handed.
We ended up heading back to the room to rest for a few hours while we awaited the Opera that we had tickets for this evening at 8pm. I decided to take a power nap while Jenn played a bunch of games on her iPhone. When 7:30 rolled around we left the hotel and walked down to the Gran Teatre Del Licue (5 minute walk) to see La Fille Du Regiment. We had bought tickets a few days prior but at the time tickets were extremely limited so we purchased what they called "limited view" seats and boy were they not kidding. You literally had to hold your neck under or over a railing to see 1/2 to 3/4 of the stage. In the end it really didn't matter to much the Opera was of course in Spanish and it was immediately apparent that neither Jenn or I had a clue what was going on and that wasn't going to change whether I was in the front row or the back alley. The experience however was what we came for and that is exactly what we got. It is truly amazing that people are so gifted with such amazing voices to carry in such a large theater and to captivate an audience. The theater itself was spectacular, not as pristine as that of which we saw in Paris but it was gorgeous all the same. Although I couldn't tell you what the Opera was about (besides what the program said) nor could I say what happened at the back left part of the stage, but what I can say is it is one of those things that you have to do when your in Barcelona and I know Jenn and I are glad we did.
Our partial view of La Fille Du Regiment at the Gran Teatre Del Licue
Beautiful atmosphere for an Opera
Taking in all of the sights at the Gran Teatre Del Licue
After the Opera Jenn and I headed back to the hotel for our last meal in Barcelona once again at the Cent 111 Once. I once again went with their set menu this time though I had a potato soup with almonds and parmesan cheese, chicken a la chilidron, and truffle served in a glass with tangerine and strawberry ice cream. Jenn being Mrs. Consistent went with the filet of beef and vanilla ice cream. It was a superb final meal in Barcelona and one that lasted for over two hours with us talking about the trip, the opera, and of course our upcoming journey back home. It is hard to put into words how great our final day in Barcelona ended up being, but I will say this we are leaving Barcelona having seen and done everything we wanted to do, and that is all you can ever ask for our of a trip.
Potato soup with Almonds and Parmesan Cheese
My second course the chicken a la chilidron
Jenn's favorite food in the whole world, filet of beef.
A Nice Light Desert, truffle served in a glass with tangerine and strawberry ice cream
It couldn't be our last meal in Spain without Jenn getting vanilla ice cream.
Barcelona Trip Day 5 (March 8th): Let it Snow, Let it Snow
After one of the best meals of the trip last night I fell asleep within seconds of hitting the sack, while Jenn on the other hand did everything but sleep. At around 1:30am I heard Jenn still awake and so we turned on the TV to see if there was anything in English we could bare to watch. After doing a little surfing we found a German television station showing the Academy Awards Red Carpet Special. Every year for the past four years Jenn and I have put together a little party for the two of us to pick the winners and enjoy the Oscars, so having this one was quite the treat. The red carpet coverage was for the majority of the time broadcast in German but they did have quick points of English thrown in depending on who the host was talking to on the red carpet. However to our delight when the Oscars did begin it was 100% in English which to be honest we were really excited about. I am not sure if it was the fact that we hadn't had anything to watch on TV the entire trip, or that Jenn was wide awake in the middle of the night but we did enjoy this years Academy Awards, although didn't love the duo of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. The show ended at 6am Barcelona time so we went to sleep just as the sun was starting to rise and at that time it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.
Watching the Red Carpet Show & The Academy Awards in Barcelona
I ended up waking up at around 1pm and looked outside and to my utter surprise that snow was coming down. After waking up Jenn to show her the snow fall we decided to get ready for the day and go check it out. After going outside to just see how it felt we ended up heading off to lunch at a very modern restaurant on La Rambla called The Attic. Given the snow I decided to wear my trusty Angels hat which actually got Jenn and I talking to one of the restaurants waiters who was from La Habra and of course recognized my hat and told us that he used to live out in California for a while. It is always interesting how much more pride you have in where you live when you are overseas and how you do still seem to always come across people who live in the same areas as you do. We started off our meal at The Attic with Cod Fitters and Bread with Tomatoes, Jenn went with a filet (no surprise there) and I had a shoulder of lamb. By the time we finished this extremely tasty lunch the weather outside had really started to pick up and the snow was really starting to come down.
The Snow is Just Starting to Fall
Our First Starter: Cod Fritters
Our Second Starter: Toasted Bread with Tomatoes
My Shoulder of Lamb
Jenn's Filet of Beef
A Great View of the Snow Falling from The Attic looking At Our Hotel Le Meridien
Being from an area which never experiences snow, and only being in snow a handful of times Jenn and I had a boost of adrenaline from what might otherwise be an inconvenience to a trip, especially from those trying to get away from this kind of weather. So for fun Jenn and I decided to walk up and down La Rambla and just take it all in. We ended up heading down towards the end of the street where the Opera House is to see if there was anyway we could pick up our tickets for the following night. After a few minutes on this walk we realized we were under prepared and under dressed for this sort of weather and quickly realized the weather was winning the battle. We ended up getting our tickets at the Opera House (unlike directions we had been previously given from our Hotel which said we had to get them at these ATM's) and literally speed walked back to our hotel. When we got back to the hotel we decided to stop at the hotels coffee shop where I had a Espresso and Jenn went with a really good hot chocolate. After the warming break we decided that it would be much more intelligent to watch the snow come down from our nice toasty room, so that is exactly what we did.
Walking on La Rambla in the Snow!!
I Wish I had More then a T-Shirt On Underneath the Jacket!
Some Much Needed Warmth from the Cool Snowy Day in Barcelona
Keeping in mind that we wanted to relax, we decided to call it a day and just watch the beautiful snow come down through La Rambla from our hotel room. I have to admit that watching the roofs get covered in pure white and just sitting back and enjoying the trip, this was one of those feelings that you think can only happen in movies. We ended up ordering room service for dinner, where Jenn got spaghetti with tomato sauce with vanilla ice cream, and I had a club sandwich. Today ended up being a really relaxing day, starting it off watch the Academy Awards and finishing it watching the sun go down and the streetlights highlight all of the days snow throughout La Rambla. We cannot wait to see what our last day in Barcelona has in store for us.
Snow Filled Rooftops (View from our Room)
Tree Branches Are Covered With Snow
Much Heavier Snow.. Beautiful Shot Across from our Hotel Room
Club Sandwich from Room Service
Our Room Service Meal
Barcelona Trip Day 4 (March 7th): Jenn vs The Taxi Driver
We are starting to build up a reoccurring theme on this trip to Barcelona, and that is that we are not adjusting all that well to the new time zone. This morning was no exception as we went to bed at a legitimate time, but ended up waking up at about 2am wide awake ready for the day. We ended up getting back to sleep at around 5am and woke up around 10am. From there we packed up our luggage, said our sad goodbyes, called for a taxi, and were off to the Le Meridien located on La Rambla.
The taxi ride was odd for a number of reasons, first the driver was paying very little attention to the road, and secondly we had a small issue when it came time to pay for the ride. The taxi ended up costing 28 euros from the Gran Hotel La Florida to the Le Meridien and Jenn handed the driver a 50 euro and so the driver handed us a 2 euro coin back and made no motion or effort to look for the remaining 20 euro's we were owed. So Jenn and I both got a little upset and asked where the rest of the change was. After a bit of "spanglish" we ended up working it out and peace was restored, but it was a little hairy there for a second.
We then checked in at the Le Meridien where we had booked a Junior Suite but were upgraded to a Prestige Suite which has a bedroom, living room, dining area, walk in closet and a nice bathroom.
Prestige Suite at Le Meridien
Writing Desk at Prestige Suite
Bedroom at Le Meridien
Bathroom in the Prestige Suite at the Le Meridien
Outside of the Le Meridien
After checking in and getting settled into the room we put away our stuff and began walking up and down La Rambla watching many of the street performers and looking at many of the restaurants scouting out places to eat for the rest of the week. The famous street is quite the popular attraction as there are people literally everywhere roaming the streets. We checked out some of the street shops, street performers, and just tried to take in everything that was going on. It was kind of neat to see the Barcelona Marathon also running through La Rambla which was fun as well.
Jenn standing on La Rambla
Standing In Front of a Fountain
We ended up picking a pizzeria for lunch where Jenn for the first time did not get pasta (and stopped her streak at 3) but got a margherita pizza and I got a margherita pizza with ham. It was a nice lunch and we even met a couple from Vegas who was taking a cruise nearly identical to the one Jenn and I took back in 2008.
Margherita Pizza at a La Rambla Pizzeria
Margherita Pizza with Ham at a La Rambla Pizzeria
After lunch we continued to walk around La Rambla a bit more and ended up heading back to the room for an afternoon nap. What can be better? We decided after our nice afternoon slumber that we would head to the hotels restaurant Cent 111 Once a wonderful Spanish restaurant with a ton of style and class. The restaurant had an amazing deal on a four course meal which is what I went with and Jenn started her meal with pea soup with a pouched egg. My meal started with a vegetable salad with mozzarella, then grilled filet of gilthead, and then the best part of the meal duck magret, and finished it off with vanilla/coffee ice cream with crushed ice and baileys. Jenn finished her meal off with a filet and then of course vanilla ice cream. One of my highlights for the meal was the amazing bottle of Spanish white wine which was a nice light wine that just went down really smooth, even to the point that Jenn had a glass or two. I must say it was a little to good because I had a few to many glasses when it was all said and done. So to counteract the wine I ended off the meal with a nice strong cappuccino.
Vegetable Salad with Mozzarella
Pea Soup with Pouched Egg
Grilled Filet of Gilthead
Filet of Beef
Duck Magret
Vanilla & Coffee Ice Cream with Crushed Baileys
A Wonderful Cappuccino
The night ended with us heading back to our suite where I literally fell asleep right when I hit the sack where Jenn stayed up straightening her hair and refusing to adjust to the Barcelona time zone.
Barcelona Trip Day 3 (March 6th): Plain Vanilla Ice Cream
Yesterday was a jam packed day, in fact I don't believe that Jenn and I could have possibly saw more of Barcelona in one day then we did. Thus we decided today was going to be as relaxing of a day as we could possibly make it. So with that theme in mind noon rolled around and we decided that it would then be an appropriate time to finally get out of bed and take on the day. Our day started by just opening up the blinds and viewing out a crystal clear view of the city of Barcelona, it made the city view room even more of a treat to have. Our hotel (Gran Hotel La Florida) is located on a hill called Tibidabo and a bit further up the the hill at its peak is an amusement park and a gorgeous church. So to start off the day we thought it would be great to take a leisurely walk up to the top and check both of these places out.
Standing In Front of the Gran Hotel La Florida
Beautiful Views from Tibidabo
The walk up the remaining portions of the hill was perfect, the weather outside was in the mid 60's, the sun was shining, and everything was just pristine. Every where you walked you had a great view of different parts of the city and was just an awesome thing to take in. When we made it to the top we were greeted by angry amusement park employees who looked to be striking, the cause unknown, but they were sure upset. The amusement park at the top has been around since 1902 and reminded me of something you would see in an early black and white romance movie, just a lot more crowded.
Beautiful Church On Top of Tibidabo
Amusement Park On Top of Tibidabo
Gorgeous Tower On Top of Tibidabo
View from the Top of Tibidabo
After walking around at the top of Tibidabo we headed back down the hill to our hotel for lunch. The hotels restaurant is extremely fancy and quite frankly since we have been in Barcelona has not been all that crowded, and for the majority of our lunch we were the only people in the restaurant. To start off the meal the waiter came out with a "chef's creation" which was a cold spicy tomato soup that I loved but Jenn almost gagged, she is not a fan of the "cold I ended up getting their special three course meal which started with an onion soup with a pouched egg, veal, and then greek yogurt with chocolate ice cream. Jenn went away from the pasta (because it wasn't on the menu) and went with the filet of beef and plain vanilla ice cream for desert. In fact one of the funniest moments of the day was when one of the waiters came by to take our desert order Jenn got very descriptive with her "plain vanilla ice cream" and came to find the waiter spoke perfect English, it was quite funny. My favorite part of lunch besides spending it with my loving wife and having great views of Barcelona was the champagne. They offered some to start the meal and every time my glass got close to being empty it was refilled, that's how it should always be.
The Chef's Creation
The Glass is Half Full with Champagne
The Onion Soup with Pouched Egg
Jenn's Filet of Beef
My Veal
Greek Yogurt with Chocolate Ice Cream (Delicious)
Jenn's "Plain Vanilla Ice Cream"
After lunch we headed back to our hotel room to get ready to go relax down by the hotels indoor infinity pool and spa. The water in the pool was relatively warm (freezing if you ask Jenn) and the spa was perfect. I even spent a few minutes in the hotels sauna which was located in the locker rooms which is always nice and relaxing. We spent at least three hours down by the pool just laying out and relaxing something that we promised each other we would do when we booked this trip and boy was it worth it.
The Awesome Indoor Infinity Pool
When we headed back up to the room we decided in typical Joel & Jenn fashion that we would order room service for dinner. Jenn went back with her consistent pasta bolognase (now 3/3 when available) and I went with Iberian Bellota Ham Baguette, which was dried out ham with a nice sauce on sourdough bread. What was so special about tonight's room service was that we were setup at sunset on the most beautiful day so far on the trip. It was such an amazing experience and one of those that you just want to capture in your mind forever.
Beautiful View from Our City View Room Eating Room Service (Life is Good)
Iberian Bellota Ham Baguette
Jenn Went 3/3 With Pasta Bolognase (where available)
We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in our room watching whatever english television we could possibly find which ended up being a lot of news. We also turned off the news for a while and watched the movie Office Space on my iPhone which is always fun as well. Tonight will be our last night at the Gran Hotel La Florida and it will be sad to leave as it has been an amazing experience all the way around. Tomorrow we head to the Le Meridien located on the famous La Rambla much more centrally located in the city of Barcelona. We are so excited to see what the rest of our trip holds and what other adventures will be coming our way. I know one thing is for sure, today is one of those days I will remember forever.
Barcelona Trip Day 2 (March 5th): Is That Man Riding a Bike Naked?
One of the most difficult aspects to traveling to Europe is the massive change in time zones. We started out our first morning in Barcelona, Spain nice and early, 1am to be exact. We woke up wondering if it was time for breakfast but unfortunately it wasn't even close so we watched some CNN and Sky News while we waited for the impending morning to arrive. We did manage to get back to sleep a few hours later only to rise bright and early for our first full day in Barcelona. We started the day off with eating at the Gran Hotel La Florida's buffet breakfast which was small but very tasty. Jenn had cereal with eggs and bacon and I had an assortment of meats and cheeses along with some small breakfast sandwiches. Before we left for the day to go into town we booked some last minute tickets to the Gran Teatre Del Licue to see an opera on the last night of our trip. According to the women who booked us the tickets we were lucky to get tickets as they do tend to sell tickets very quickly.
View from our Hotel Room in Early Morning
At 10am we took the hotels complimentary shuttle from the hotel to the city center. The shuttle dropped us off in a prime location right next to a lineup of top designer stores (Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, etc) and only a few blocks down one of the main bus stops for one of the cities bus tours. Having taken many of these in major cities in Europe already we knew the system well and what works and what doesn't. So we hopped on board the Barcelona Bus Turistic which has two different routes throughout the city and by the end of the day we saw ever kilometer of both routes.
Jenn Loving All The Great Shopping
The first stop that we hit on the bus tour was one of the top spots Jenn wanted to hit for the day and that was the Park Guell which was designed by Gaudi and is a very abstract and bizarre park. The park was packed, when we walked up the hill to reach the park there was people everywhere. Walking through the main entrance and deeper into the park it opened up a bit and there we got to enjoy just walking around and taking in all of the sights. There is abstract art sprinkled throughout this rather large park, its just so different then any other park you would see that it makes you appreciate it.
Standing Near the Entrance to the Park Guell
Walking Through the Park Guell
After Park Guell we hoped back on the tour bus and got to see FC Barcelona's stadium. Not being a huge soccer fan I didn't see the need to go to their museum, but it was still a great treat to be able to see the stadium and see what all of the fuss is about. You can see throughout the city of Barcelona their love for their soccer team and it was great to see that even when there wasn't a soccer game being played the stadium was buzzing with people. We ended up jumping back off of the bus at Placa de Catalunya and had lunch at a nice small eatery which was by far one of the best meals so far on the trip. Jenn batting 1/1 on pasta made it 2/2 as she had pasta bolognase while I ordered duck cooked in a redwine sauce. It was a great relaxing meal and was a nice break from the jam packed day of touring.
Passing by the FC Barcelona Stadium
My Duck in Red Wine Sauce
Jenn's Pasta Bolognase
When we walked out of lunch, I honestly thought I was going to need to hail a taxi and get Jenn back to the hotel, she looked spent. In fact on our way back to the bus we came very close to calling it a day and yet Jenn decided she wanted to push on and so we did. So we jumped back on the tour bus to arrive at the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) something that sounded horrible to me when seeing it on the tour map but actually was pleasantly surprising. The views from the museum were breathtaking, you literally had some of the best views of the cities from the front of the museum. Not to mention that they had a great guitar player playing outside of the museum and at least 50 people sitting on the steps leading up the museum just enjoying the day. The museum itself was a really nice walk through and since it wasn't very crowded we got to rest and enjoy the experience.
Jenn in Front of Some Cool Art
Riding the Tour Bus in Barcelona
Front of the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya)
The View from the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya)
Jenn Twirling in the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya)
Our next stop was one that I circled on the map to get off on which was Anella Olimpica which was the heart of the 92 Olympics. When we did jump on the bus to head to the Olympic stadium we decided to go up the stairs at the front of the bus not realizing those were the designated "exit" stairs, and boy did we hear about it from the tour guide. She walked up the stairs while the bus was moving and hunted us down to let us know we walked up the wrong stairs. Luckily the Olympic stadium was the next exit so we didn't have to sit in shame for to long. At the Olympic Stadium we did get a close up view of the communications tower which is like a piece of art on its own merit as it can be seen throughout Barcelona. We were also able to walk into the track and field stadium which is showing its age since the 92 Olympics but it was still neat to tour the facilities and walk around a former Olympic site.
A Great Shot at the Anella Olimpica
The Communications Tower at the Anella Olimpica
Standing At the Olympic Stadium
By far the most enjoyable stop of the day was the Teleferic de Montjuic which is a cable car (kind of like a gondola) that you get to ride privately up a hill to a castle. The ride up to the castle/fort was amazing, it was so nice to see the city and to ride up to the top. From the castle you have ocean views and city views and proved to be one of the more relaxing portions of the day. After we took the gondola back down to the bottom we jumped back on the tram and took the bus all the way through the remaining portion of the route which drove along the coast. While driving along the coast Jenn nudged me to look to her right and there was an older man in his late 50's early 60's who was riding a bike completely naked which is odd on its own merit but it was also 6pm and probably 50 degrees. We were honestly shocked and cracking up to the point of literally laughing out loud, it literally kept us amused for the rest of the evening.
Riding on the Teleferic de Montjuic
Checking out the Heavy Weaponry
When we made it back to our original departure point on the bus line didn't have much time until the final shuttle from the hotel would be there so we decided to go get a quick bite to eat and went to McDonalds. I ended up getting a Big Mac (which tasted identical to one in the US) and Jenn went with chicken nuggets. Of course not the best meal of the trip but it got the job done. We walked back to the pick up point for our shuttle and headed back to our hotel where we called it a day.
Barcelona Trip Day 1 (March 3rd-March 4th): Try Thai?
Unlike most of our vacations this trip began with Jenn and I starting out at work. In fact for the first time since working at the same company, Jenn and I got to work out of Rosemead together before heading out to our late night departure from LAX heading to our final destination of Barcelona, Spain. Getting to work together also meant that we got to have lunch together. Jenn having worked out of our companies Rosemead office is way more familiar with the area so she took me to my very first experience with Thai food. All in all we really enjoyed the experience, it is not everyday that you get to try new foods and to experience Thai for the first time was a real treat.
Anyone knows that when your looking forward to something work can drag on and on, and this was no exception, however when we finally finished out the day we headed straight down to LAX. Our first stop was at the Marriott in LAX where we dropped off the car and took their shuttle down to the terminal where our flight would be departing. Before heading through security we stopped at the Daily Grill which sounded like a great idea to enjoy some good old burgers and fries before we headed out to Spain, plus who wants to look forward to plane food? After a nice relaxing dinner we headed through security where I of course got stopped and pulled to the side to get patted down (it wouldn't be a vacation without that happening) and then off to our gate.
For the first time in our recent travel history we actually did not have to sit around at the gate for hours waiting for our flight, we ended up getting to our gate with less then an hour until boarding on our British Airways flight connecting in London's Heathrow airport and then concluding in Barcelona, Spain. However even in the short time we waited for our plane there was a middle eastern couple with 4 kids that just absolutely lost it. Three out of their four kids were running up and down the terminal screaming, crying, and causing all sorts of problems. Once we started boarding something happened between them and the ticket agents and the husband and wife just started screaming at the top of their lungs in anger. The whole terminal went dead silent as the two argued back and forth with each other and with the ticketing agents. It was one of the most uncomfortable and awkward things I have ever seen in an airport and one of those things that does get you a bit worried before boarding a 10+ hour flight.
However the flight itself was as smooth as you could ever hope for. For the first time ever on a Europe flight I fell asleep for a good 5+ hours of the flight, and Jenn in typical form was able to manage almost all of the flight asleep. Once we landed in Heathrow we had to switch terminals which is an adventure in its own right, and literally run to our connecting flight to Barcelona. On paper the two hour gap between flights seemed like it would have been plenty of time but with the massive transit time between terminals, the extremely intense security, and long lines we barely made our connecting flight.
What I think I love most about this trip to Barcelona is that it was 100% a spur of the moment kind of trip. One day Jenn was searching online, saw a great deal, a few hours later we booked it, and a few weeks later we are in Barcelona. When we arrived in Barcelona we just walked outside, hitched a taxi, and headed to our hotel for the first three nights at the Gran Hotel La Florida. The taxi ride like so many in Europe was one where we were better off closing our eyes as their rules of the road are a little vague. When we arrived we were given some welcome champagne and we decided to upgrade our room from a mountain view to a city view and boy were we glad we did.The hotel is perched up on Tibidabo a hill that overlooks the entire city. The hotel has some history which is neat as well, it has been around since 1925, it was used as a hospital in the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930's, and actually was abandoned not to long ago. In 2001 they reopened it after remodeling the whole hotel, it is quite a beautiful hotel truly rich with character.
View from Our City View Room at the Gran Hotel La Florida
The Amazing Shower
A very comfy king sized bed
When we got to the room we ordered room service for dinner where Jenn had Penne Rigate with Bolognase sauce and I had roasted chicken with wild rice. It wasn't necessarily a "spanish" start but at that point we had plane food for the last 15 hours so anything that didn't smell like plane food was going to be perfect. After that we called it an evening and began planning for the rest of the trip. To say that is was a perfect start to the trip would be an understatement, we have never in all of our trips had such a smooth start to a vacation, and cannot wait to see what lies ahead for us on this amazing journey.
Room Service at the Gran Hotel La Florida
Penne Rigate with Bologanse Sauce
Grilled Chicken with Wild Rice
Heading Off to Barcelona, Spain!!!
Well Jenn and I are out of here again, this time we are off to Barcelona, Spain for a nice week getaway from the hussle and bussle of Southern California to the cool air of Barcelona, Spain. This is by far the quickest lead up to a trip either Jenn or I have ever experienced, since we only booked the flights and hotels a few weeks back getting some killer deals on British Airways and using some of our credit card points for some of our stay. Now a few weeks later we now see why BA might have been giving such great deals with this pending impending crew strike that thus far has not altered or affected our flight plans.
So what are we planning on doing in Barcelona you may be wondering, well to be quite frank we have no idea. This was one of those "spur of the moment" kind of trips that Jenn loves to do and we plan on winging the trip the same way we have done in the past. The weather looks like it might be a bit hit and miss but we weren't going for the beach more to take in all of the sights. So off we go again, our flight is at 8:30pm out of LAX on Wednesday and we head back home on March 10th. Expect daily recaps of the trip along with photos and possibly videos will be coming daily after we get back.
