A Loaf of Bread, A Jug of Wine

I know it’s Wednesday night, which isn’t usually a bread-and-wine night, but I’m on vacation! We just limped back to our Barcelona apartment after a full day of tours, museums, and sightseeing. We’ve been here two-and-a-half days. I wasn’t up to posting sooner, due to jet lag, lost luggage, and heat. Humidity, too. Like this:

That, folks, is the face of a weary woman, wearing the same sweat-soaked clothes for the third day.

Ah, but the luggage arrived at last, on Tuesday evening. I dug out the coolest shirt I’d brought and I plan to live in it. It’s hot in Barcelona!

As for the city itself, there are almost no words to do it justice. It’s a busy city – not New York-hustle busy, but active. There are tiny shops everywhere, selling groceries, produce, pharmaceuticals, and of course, clothes, clothes, clothes! Just twenty steps from our apartment, there is a funny little shop selling all kinds of dried beans, dried fruit, and grains. I so wished that I could speak Catalan or Spanish, because I was dying to ask them about those grains. There were at least ten types I’d never heard of! Next door to this shop was fresh fruit – we got all our breakfast items between both of these stores.

MUST-SEE: Sagrada Familia. This is Antonic Gaudi’s unfinished church. They’ve been building it for almost a hundred years, but I think they will actually get it done sometime. It’s incredibly beautiful. Below is a video that Rick took inside. It goes a little fast, but you’ll get a good idea of what it’s like. Honestly, if Pagan’s built temples, they would look like this.

Ah, darn. I guess I can’t upload videos to this blog. So instead, I’ll give you this link, to a more professional virtual tour:

http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/vvirtual.php?vv=1

Be sure to look at the ceiling.

Another must-see is the Palau de la Musica, another Modernista building. I love this style, especially the way it uses light.

We are having a blast walking through all the various districts. I don’t have a lot of pictures because our camera was in the lost luggage. Tomorrow is our day to explore Salvadore Dali – there will be pictures!