Bones Festes in Barcelona

We had an awesome time on our vacation to Barcelona!

We arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately headed out to La Rambla, a lively pedestrian-only street about a mile long. There were lots of street performers, live animals (really---chickens, turtles, mice...very odd, but Zach loved it), restaurants. About halfway down is La Boqueria, a huge market with the most impressive selection and display of produce I've ever seen. I snacked on some fresh pomegranate seeds...Kelly and Zach got some Dunkin' Donuts, LOL.

We found our way to the Gothic Quarter and checked out the Cathedral. In front of the church was a Christmas Market selling nativity scenes with a unique addition...a man, well, pooping. Some say that "el caganer," a pooping peasant, is included to remind us that everyone is human and that God works amongst us in spite of our unholiness. I'm guessing others (like my husband, for instance) just think it is hilarious.

We also noticed some wooden logs with faces drawn on them. We wondered what they could be for, but never would have guessed that this was a second defacation-related Christmas tradition! This one is called the "Tió de Nadal," the Christmas log. Children beat the smiling log and then leave the room while it "poops" out a present. They continue this until the log leaves them something undesirable like an onion; then they know that present time is over. Unbelievable.

We wandered down a few more streets and alleyways to the lesser known cathedral Santa María del Mar, which was so gorgeous, inside and out. Then it was back to La Rambla to walk down to the Columbus Statue near the waterfront. We found a little Spanish restaurant and tried paella---not our new favorite or anything, but still worth the trying.

Saturday was all about seeing the work of Antoni Gaudí, a famous architect that designed some really unique places. We went to Sagrada Família, a cathedral like no other, and then to Parc Güell, a huge park plaza complex thing that is a wonderful retreat from the city.

That evening we went to see Casa Batlló, a home Gaudi designed to look like a slayed dragon, and Casa Milà, a apartment building designed to look like a stone quarry that has melted in the sun. Then we went out to the Font Magica in front of the palace to watch the water show set to music.

On Sunday we ventured out to Montjuïc to see Poble Espanyol, an outdoor museum of the architecture of Spain. We saw a fun Spanish/Catalan music show and then we rode the cable cars (Zach's favorite thing from the whole trip I think) further up the mountain to explore the Montjuïc Castle, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

We flew back today and now like the peasant and Christmas log, we are totally pooped!

If you'd like to see all the pictures, just e-mail me for the link.