Barcelona

I found Barcelona to be one of the prettiest cities in Europe and I think staying in the heart of the Gothic Quarter definitely made better. The flight's approach into Barcelona is very very picturesque, with a view of mountains giving way to very turquoise waters and white sandy beaches.

A modern airport, well connected to the city by train, leading into a city that is a mix of old and new. We worked through the metro route to get to the Barri Gotic and walked through the narrow streets lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. Basically a very quaint old town feel. Living in the Gothic Quarter for 4 days heightened the feeling of being in the old Barcelona. I don't think living anywhere else in Barcelona and making trips to this part of town would have given us the same feeling.

Of course Barcelona's most important monument is Antonio Gaudi's Sa Grada Familia, a church that has been under construction for about 200 years and is expected to be under construction for another 20 years.

The Gaudi legend says that he put in all his money and his dying years in the construction of this monument, so much so that he slept on site for the last few years of his life, and died on the streets in front of it, in such a poor state that people thought he was a street urchin and didn't come to help.

The Dean of Gaudi's architecture school had said of Gaudi at his graduation, "we will soon find out whether we have given a degree to an idiot or a genius." I guess the jury is still out. Below are a couple of example of his eccentricity.

Here are some misc pictures of us and the city.

1. One of Catalunya with a hint of Gaudi-ness in the background.
2. One of me with Gaudi
3. Party time behind the Sa Grada Familia at about 11pm. It was quite interesting to see just as many 50+ couples as 20- ones.
4. Anusha sitting in front of the palace
5. Us locked in a cellar at a museum.