In the middle of October Dave and I had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal (without kids!). Dave had a work conference in Lisbon so we decided to take advantage and make a trip out of it. Definitely needed time away!
Barcelona
Our first stop was Barcelona, where fresh off the plane we did a bike tour of the city. It was a fun way to learn about the place and got our blood pumping, especially riding through the downpour at the end of the tour. We started out in the Gothic Corridor of the city, which had some amazing, old, architecture and a beautiful cathedral.
We were there over Columbus Day weekend, and we able to actually stand on the steps of the castle that Columbus stood on when he petitioned the Queen of Spain for support in his voyage that would eventually lead him to America. We're grateful for his role in bringing about our country and the divine guidance that led him there.
I think there is an "Arc de Triumph" in almost every major city in Europe. Here we are in front of Spain's Arch. Ironically, they chose this to be their beacon for the world fair over the Eiffel Tower.
We passed by the Sagrada Familia (started by Gaudi, still under construction) on our tour.
We took a tram all the way up the mountains outside of Barcelona to the Monastery at the very top that inspired a lot of Gaudi's architecture and designs. It's nestled at the very top of the mountains and there are "fingerling rocks" all around it (giant, naturally roundish columns). The day we went up was foggy, making it hard to see the whole picture, but also making it a most beautiful scene as the fog moved in and out of the mountain grooves.
We also went to see Macbeth at the Barcelona Opera. It turns out that Castilian Spanish is a lot different than the Spanish spoken in the rest of Spain, as well as the Spanish that Dave learned on his mission in Peru. We were thinking he could translate for us, but ended up guessing what was going on the whole evening. It was still fun.
One of the major things we did in Barcelona was tour several of the buildings that Antonio Gaudi (famous architect) designed. This is Gaudi's Casa Batllo (a home that the Batllo family commissioned him to build), and probably one of my favorites.
This was a mushroom-shaped courting area inside the house, where a couple (and their chaperone) would site by the fire and get to know each other.
The rooftops of Gaudi's buildings also had very cool designs to hide the chimneys and vents.
This is the Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family) Cathedral. Gaudi started it and it has been under construction for a century, forecasted to finish in another decade or so. I have never seen something so meticulously designed to symbolize the life of Christ and his story. The inside is absolutely magnificent, using shapes from nature and replicating the feeling of a forest. From the changes in color of the stained glass to represent different seasons to the stunning sculptures all around, it is truly a sight to behold.
This was the look on my face pretty much the whole tour - just in awe.
Of course we had to make a quick stop at the beach for Dave. I don't know what's in his blood that makes him love the beach so much, but I think our kids have it too.
Lexi modeling her Spanish Dancer Dress for us. :)
Lisbon
We took trams and bus tours all over the city of Lisbon to see the sites and learn about the history and culture there. This is from the top of the old castle that overlooks the entire city.
Here is Lisbon's token "Arc de Triumph", right by the ocean.
To Celebrate our last night in Europe we had Gelato-topped Waffles for dinner. Yummy!
