Autumn Break and Barcelona

I am terribly delinquent but thought I'd quickly post pictures from our autumn break adventures in Barcelona. Jorrit provided a "Reader's Digest" version of all that we did that I will include here:

For those like me, here is the readers digest version…we left Lux on Friday night.  Spent the night in Paris and then flew to Barcelona in time for an FC Barcelona match (FCB won 5-0).  Barcelona is a MUST.  Fantastic city and in the running for my favorite European city.  Warm weather, friendly people, manageable size (not too big and certainly not too small), beaches, culture, gaudy Gaudi displays, their own Arc de Triomf, unbelievable cuisine, the list could go on. If it weren't for a lack of language skills and not knowing anyone, it would be the city where Angela and I would relocate to once Carmela leaves home – it still might be.  Go there!  We left on Thursday and got back to Paris in time for a PSG soccer game.  We spent the weekend in Paris strolling around and loving that city too. 

    Messi gave us a good show.

    Great street art everywhere you go. This was just around the corner from our hotel, Market Hotel.

    The contemporary art museum, beautiful building. Worth a stop.

    Exterior of museum.

    Beats Trader Joe's version. 

    Camper Hotel, very stylish windows and interiors. 

    Market on the square near where we had lunch. 

    Near the port. 

  

    Tiles on the hallway floor of our hotel. 

    Covered market. 

  

    One of many tapas lunches outside.

    Gaudi's famously designed park, Guell Park.

    A cool storefront sign that I couldn't resist.

    A day on bikes, great way to see any city!

    The bull fighting ring.

  

    The wondrous Segrada Familia by Gaudi.

    My kids were in awe of this place. They loved it!

    My favorite part was this entry way. I'm not sure what the material was, I thought marble, but it was      

    beautiful and incredibly intricate

    Our favorite lunch at Tantarantana, eggplant and tuna & avocado salad for everyone. 

    Spicy potatoes became a staple.

    University of Barcelona. 

    Inside the halls of the university.

    A pharmacy exhibit in the foyer.

    Beautiful blown bottles once used in the laboratories.

    My favorite.

    The university building courtyard. Not bad.

    Gaudi strikes again.

    Atop the Casa Batllo.

    Farewell Barca!