Barcelona: Day One

While in Barcelona we decided to rely on the public transit systems rather than rent a car.  This meant that the first task we had getting off the airplane was finding our way to a bus terminal that would put us in proximity of our hotel. Eric's Spanish helped a little, but some things were not making sense.  We soon found out that in Barcelona the favored language is Catalonian - a little different from Spanish - and so the adventure began.  We did find the bus, finally figured out how to purchase tickets and grabbed a map of the metro system as that was where we needed to go once the bus dropped us off at the main plaza down town.

Eric showing me how to use the metro:
All the tunnels and ticket stations look the same.
 I would get lost for sure!

The hotel was in the perfect location (once we found it).  Right in the heart of Barcelona.  I don't think we could have picked a better place to stay.  We got to the hotel early enough we had the whole day ahead of us.  We were excited to get out and get exploring.

Hotel Barcelona Universal: The perfect spot to stay.
We were right next to a metro station.  The Old City/Jewish Quarter was right through the block.  To get to Montjuic we just needed to jump on the funicular accessible through the metro station.  Many of Guadi's Homes were within walking distance. Las Rambles and the port were just on the other side of the Old City.

Web access and communication center off concierge desk.
This was pretty much our only way of communicating
with Tanner or home while we were in Barcelona.

Roof top pool and terrace: I wish we had spent more time here, but there was so much to see and do.

Fitness Room: We didn't need to spend any time here,
we walked at least 6-8 miles everyday touring the city.

Our room was nice and spacious and very comfortable.

Every morning we had a complimentary European
breakfast in the dining room.

The first thing we decided to do once we got unpacked was take an Old City walking tour.  This was a fabulous tour and a great way to start off our trip.  Our guide, Catherine, walked us through the old cobble stone streets and entranced us with Barcelona history and legends.  It was neat to walk streets that were so old, to see and touch history I had only heard about.  You could see time period after time period through the progression of the architecture:  Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Art Nouveau/Deco,  Expressionism, and Modern all mixed together and built on top of each other.  I loved hearing about the ancient cultures and their interactions with one another:  the Romans, Jews, Moor's and Christians, how church and state ran together and how it effected their politics.  This was a great tour to start our trip with.  It gave us a better understanding of the people of Catalonia and helped us get a feel for other things we wanted to see and do while in this beautiful city.

Placa Reial at the Fountain of the Three Graces 

Placa del Rei: The Oldest Medieval Square in the Gothic Quarter,
The Royal Residence of Barcelona for centuries,
Columbus' report to Ferdinand and Isabella
about the new world occurred on the steps of this square.

Santa Maria del Pi, named for the lone pine tree in its plaza,
boasts the largest rosary window in Europe

Font de Sant Jordi
in the courtyard of the Catedral de la Seu

Saint Eulalia
Heroine and Patron Saint of Barcelona

Wilfred "the Hairy", Count of Barcelona worked to defend the people of Barcelona and reunite them under the Catalan flag.

The winding narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter transported you from the 21st century to the 15th at Barcelona's height of power and trade.  These buildings rest on top of the first ancient Roman settlement, Mons Taber.  I don't think we could ever find the same route through the Gothic Quarter the whole week we were there.  If we found a shop or restaurant we liked, we had to stop because we would never find it again.  The only exception to this was one little bakery down one of these crooked winding streets.  In the late afternoon we could always follow our noses and find its yummy treats.

Following our tour we decided to walk through the old city streets and find our way to La Rambla.  La Rambla is a giant street with a park down the center where vendors set up shop to show their wares, street performers supply ongoing entertainment and lots of quaint restaurants have an endless supply of tapas.

Eric in the middle of La Rambla looking for Tapas

With our tummies full and our adventure well underway we were starting to feel the effects of our long trip.  After carrying our luggage across the city, up and down the metro lines and then walking the entire Jewish quarter, my neck and back were screaming at me.  We decided to retire to the hotel for a little siesta.  Most of the city was shutting down for that purpose anyway.  That is a Spanish tradition I could really get used to.

Monument built at the port of Barcelona
in honor of Christopher Columbus at the end of La Rambla

It is in the cool evenings that all the shops open back up, people come back out and socialize well into the night.  We strolled down the Rambles again into the Port of Barcelona where Christopher Columbus set sail for America and along La Rambles Del Mar then turned in for the evening still in awe that we were truly in Spain, and even more unbelievable, that tomorrow we were going to wake up and see our son run with the best athletes from around the world in an Olympic stadium.