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Barcelona
17 May 2007
by Christine




The best thing about Europe is that everything is around the corner, for example Barcelona, which we took the opportunity to visit during a long weekend in May.




Day 1: We arrive in the evening and decides to check out Barri Gotic to see if we could find a nice restaurant.




But with its windly streets, we soon got lost ... very lost.




Day 2: Breakfast is best purchased at the market, and this market just off the main drag, La Rambla,
holds absolutely everything you could possibly wish for




Loads of fresh fruit









Ice cream!




Nuts and seeds!




And Candy (mmmm!)




We finally end up feasting on fresh strawberries down by the water front.









After some strolling around, it was time to meet up with Juan, a friend from Sydney who moved back to Spain just before we moved back to Sweden.
Juan, being a local, obviously knows where to go for the best value lunch.




While walking through Barri Gotic after lunch, we run into (!) Charles, another friend of Juan's from Sydney who now lives in Oslo.




We head for our first real sight seeing; La Pedrera, a house designed by the somewhat strange Spanish architect Gaudi




Notice the exceptionally odd balconies ...




... also in the atrium.









Not to mention the rooftop




(consider me speachless)














Sagrada Familia is easier to understand: a giant church, also by Gaudi, which has been an ongoing construction site for the last 120 years ...!




In 30 years, it is expected to finally be finished.
By then, these four towers will be in the foreground of the (really huge) main towers being built behind them.




Notice the level of details, amazing.




Also notice the top of a typical Spanish apartment house; each apartment has got their own TV antenna!




Oh, by the way, here's another house designed by Gaudi, not far from La Pedrera.
(Speachless again)




Day 3: Charles tags along with us to Tibidado, a peak west of the city where Juan has said the view of the city is spectacular




A cable car leads to the top




Juan was right, the entire city of Barcelona is at our feet.




And behind us, this amazing cathedral




Hannes and Charles taking a rest at the bottom of the stairs




Me taking a rest, in the cable car on our way down :-)




Coffee break with a view




In the evening, we finally meet up with our long distance friends; Matthew and John, also from Sydney, has just touched down on Spanish soil.
Great seeing everyone again!




Day 4: We meet up - actually quite early - to take the train to Sitges, a little town 30 min south of Barcelona.




Beaches, palmtrees, old buildings, it's a very pictoresque place!




John dares to stick a whole finger into the water :-)




Hannes and John resting









Taking a stroll around town









We become the spectators of a lesbian wedding :-)




Narrow streets with stone houses, it does not get more European than this!









Juan buys some Olives and other nibbles




Yep, they eat rabbit in Spain (we do in Sweden too ... unless you've had one as a pet, that is)




"Ok for lunch here?"




Followed by coffee of course




Time to go back to Barcelona




And enjoy a fabulous dinner at a place called The Market
[Charles, Hannes, John, Xavier, Christine, Matthew, Juan]




Bye bye Barcelona, be sure we'll be back for more!

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