September 7, 2018 – Barcelona

September 7, 2018 – Barcelona, Spain
After going to bed last night at 9pm, I woke up at 2am and failed to get back to sleep.
I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with lots of coffee at my hotel before setting out on the 15 minute walk to the tour company office.
At 8:30 we (a group of 11) and our guide, Gloria, started out with a walking tour that took us through the Gothic Area of the city and the Jewish district. After a coffee break, we rode in a van up Montjuic to take pictures of the city below. It felt good to sit for a little while.
We then proceeded to Sagrada Familia. Gloria told us that they expect to complete construction within 8 years. The cathedral far exceeded my expectations. As I walked around I kept seeing things I hadn’t seen just moments before. I will be back in Barcelona in March and look forward to seeing it again. We were given time to get lunch. I had a delicious tomato and mozzarella bruschetta with arugula and balsamic vinegar on top.
Our van took us to Park Guell. Gloria explained how the park was meant to be a upscale housing development with many features designed by Gaudi. That were only able to sell 2 plots so the city turned it into a park. We walked through the Monumental Zone where Gaudi’s many things are decorated with pieces of broken tile. The long wavy bench is quite impressive. As I walked out, I saw a man creating large bubbles using 2 ropes.
Last on the tour was a trip to La Pedrera aka Casa Mile. This is the famous house that Gaudi designed. You start on the roof, move down to the attic, and end going through an apartment. The attic looks like the inside of a whale skeleton.
The tour ended at La Pedrera. Gloria told that the easiest way back to my hotel was by taking the #39 bus. I found the bus stop and hopped on the first #39 that came along. I was trying to match our progress to my map but had trouble finding the streets that we were on. Right as I was getting ready to panic I saw we were stopping right in front of my hotel. Another adventure with a successful conclusion.
I went to a restaurant by my hotel tonight and had paella. It was very good.
Tomorrow I will wander around the city on my own. At 7pm I will join a tour to do a Wine and Tapas Walking Tour. Should be a fun way to end the day.