July 15
We had a 7:30am train from Zaragoza to Barcelona this morning, although our hotel being located in the train station made this much easier. We were slightly worried that our train would be delayed or cancelled because there were widespread train strikes across Spain today. Luckily, we got to Barcelona no problem.
We took the metro straight to our hostel and left our bags in lockers for free. As the only one who’s been to Barcelona before, I was in charge of leading our walking tour around the city! We passed the Cathedral of Barcelona on our way to Mercat de la Boqueria. Indoor markets are always fun and we enjoyed walking around all of the stalls.
We walked north on La Rambla and while it’s usually a staple of Barcelona, it was completely under construction and not at all pleasing. We were pleased, however, by the LEGO and Swatch stores which were very entertaining and air conditioned.
We kept north past Casa Batlló to La Pedrera - Casa Milá. From there, we walked East for a long while until we reached the Sagrada Familia. We didn’t get tickets to visit the inside of the basilica but the outside is the impressive part.
Once we had taken in the impressive views and walked to the back side of the basilica, the girls and I went into KFC for chicken sandwiches while Alastair kept walking. After we ate, the girls and I took a bus to Ciutadella Park and then walked back to our hostel in the Gothic Quarter.
After some downtime, we found an Irish bar where we could play some cards. I’ve actually been to this bar 2 years ago with my study abroad classmates. Our bartender was a Ukrainian refugee. We headed back to Mercat de la Boqueria to look for dinner but instead opted for a nearby Michelin recommendation: Bar Bacaro. The Italian food was delicious and we shared a bottle of wine.
Alastair’s thoughts: The bistro offered unique flavor combinations that many of us had never experienced before such as cod fish and white chocolate. The sisters all opted for pappardelle with ragu while I ventured for a pasta with anchovies and lemon juice, that could have used a little less acidity. The atmosphere of the restaurant was excellent, and was made better by the extra appetizer for Maggie and I that was left on a nearby table.
He’s not kidding. He and Mags really snuck someone else’s leftovers. One of the best parts of traveling as a family is that we are constantly laughing and creating inside jokes. Tonight’s dinner was no exception and our topic of conversation was less than appropriate. There was a woman at the table next to us who we suspected was eavesdropping. When she paid her tab and left, there was still an appetizer on her plate that was left untouched. Alastair was appalled and reached over and snatched it. He and Maggie scarfed it down to hide the evidence. We all laughed way too hard.
Our last stop of the night was La Ascensor Bar, known for their mules, which was mostly empty. We played cards and headed back to our hostel to go to bed. Once we reached the lobby, the hostel employee organizing the bar crawl recruited Dagny and Magnolia. Alastair and I fell asleep on account of our 8am train to France tomorrow.
Adelaide
No comments:
Post a Comment