For our first day in Barcelona, we arrived at 11 am and after we got off the plane we took the metro to Plaça Catalunya where we had to get the keys to our apartment. It was a bit of a hassle since we were all so tired but it was totally worth it, once we got the keys we headed to our apartment and dropped off our bags before starting our evening adventures.
I always love to see the fresh flower shops in Europe. It's just so hot in Phoenix we never have flowers out on the sidewalk, they'd melt.
Our apartment was located in a simple but adorable building.
and right down the street was Petit a Petit, the perfect cafe for a family, I got a cafe con leche, and the girls got some juice, they played while we drank our espresso.
Once we were done with our caffeine we set off to the Gothic Quarter. One of my favorite places in Barcelona is this plaza near the old cathedral in the Gothic Quarter, it's where you can find flea markets, performances, art galleries, and tapas.
This cathedral was constructed in 1339 and according to wikipedia, "The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt."
Of course exploring with tired kids can't be all fun and history. After walking around for a bit we sat down to some Sangria and Paella.
I opted for the Sangria de Cava which is a sparkling white wine with orange and citrus, think more of a mimosa than traditional sangria.
I also ordered patatas bravas, a spicy potato dish topped with tomato aioli sauce, and a Spanish tortilla {think omelet} for my meal.
Husband went for the traditional paella with seafood.
Vera slept though the whole meal while watched the sun set from our patio seats.
Once we were done with dinner we started walking back towards the metro and past one of my favorite galleries, Villa del Arte.
on the exterior impressive sculptures by Julio Nieto adorn the courtyard.
I have this same photo of my husband standing in the same spot from his first trip to Spain.
After dinner we got helado, not sure why my daughter is wearing her hoodie backwards but who cares with strawberry ice cream in hand?!
as we got closer to our metro stop we found bubbles, I recognized this guy from over 6 years ago, where I photographed him and his partner/girlfriend at park guell, he's always around the city sharing bubbles with the kids.
The loved every joyous moment chasing and popping any bubbles within reach, a nice way to wear them out a bit before trying to fall asleep in a new time zone.
my 5 year old took this photo of Husband and myself. not bad for a heavy camera. Husband and I rarely get photos together, so I'm always making that bit of effort to remember or asking our daughter to take a picture. I always appreciate these images just a bit more when I look back on them, how Sonja saw us though her eyes, Anyone else experience this while looking at photos their children took? Or a special moment not many images exist from? They're more sacred in that way.
This was probably around 10pm, it's so much brighter there at night, and with everyone out and walking around, I can't help but appreciate the nightlife.
Until tomorrow, here's a photo of my favorite humans exploring a pretty fountain at Plaça Catalunya.
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