Bar-tha-lona

Hola!

Me llamo Amanda, and I will be your guest blogger for the day.

I’d first like to report how great AJ and Michelle look! It was so great spending time with them and seeing them in their new super-traveler mode.

When I met up with them, they had rented an apartment in a cute residential neighborhood of Barcelona. There, they were able to do laundry, cook and veg out a bit, as Carlos (whose apartment they were renting) had a living room with comfy couches and an impressive collection of American movies, most notably the Godfather, which AJ patiently reminded Michelle and me every 14 seconds who each character was.

After a few days at Carlos’, we stayed at a hotel on the bustling Las Ramblas Street, which was right in the middle of shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. Until about 3 am each morning, you could hear the activity on the street, as well as musicians (usually alternating between Spanish and Beatles tunes).

I can officially report that we conquered Barcelona, primarily by foot and subway – from the Picasso museum to the site of the 1992 Olympics. The city is a great walking city, and man, did we walk it! There was an incredible market with fresh fish (some still alive…yikes), meats and fruits and veggies that we visited daily. Some of the city’s most impressive sites are those architected by Antoni Gaudi, who’s pretty much the Betty White of Barcelona – he’s a HUGE deal and basically all they talk about. His signature piece of work is the Segrada Familia, a cathedral that they’ve been building since 1882. It’s a stunning place that they’re hoping to wrap up in 16 years (which will mark 100 years since Gaudi’s death). I’m not too sure they can hit their deadline, but my first suggestion would be to have the workers stop smoking on the job. One guy working on the altar had a hammer in one hand and a cig in another…nice touch. Another cool Gaudi project is the Park Guell – a huge park that looks very Alice in Wonderland on one side with gingerbread houses and stunning mosaics, while the other side resembles a nature preserve with trails and hills (and stunning views of the city).

On the last night, we attended a Barcelona soccer game (thanks, Kevin, for the amazing tickets!). If there’s anything Barcelonans love more than Gaudi, tapas and smoking, it’s soccer. The energy was heart-racing, and what seems like forever when you’re watching it on TV, went by in no time when you’re viewing live.

Leaving Anthony and Michelle was incredibly hard, but seeing their enthusiasm for the rest of their trip was inspiring and impressive. It was so much fun seeing them, enjoying Barcelona’s beautiful sites, tapas, sangria, etc….did I mention the tapas?

Amanda


Thank you, Amanda! Your quality travel writing is matched only by your tremendous love and consumption of "patatas bravas" (spicy, fried potatoes.) You were a great travel partner, with a wonderful sense of spirit and adventure. Note: if you ever decide to do a trip like this, having periodic visits with people you know is definitely a great way to rejuvinate along the road. We've been lucky to visit some old friends and to have a visit from a family member thus far (with a few more to come!) We could have had a great time hanging with Amanda in a bucket - but we did not stop her from volunteering to use some of her points to stay in a ballin' hotel for a few days. King size bed? Sure! Bathrobe? OK! Slippers with your robe? Porque no? It was a definite step up from some of the other places we've stayed.

And we're now in Marrakesh - we took a ferry from Spain through the Mediterranean to the Moroccan city of Tanger, then an overnight train from there to Marrakesh. We've only been here for a day, but it's a beautiful, mysterious, and pretty intense city. We've had to haggle for about most everything, which is not something that Micelle and I are particularly good at. But we've enjoyed some delicous local food, visited one of the largest mosques in the Muslim world, and spent time at an enormous market full of small stands, story-tellers, snake charmers, musicians, etc. It's definitely a change from where we've been so far in terms of climate, culture, and lifestyle.

We miss you all and hope that everyone is doing well. And by the looks of it, my worry of possibly missing a Notre Dame football championship season by going on this trip didn't take too long to disappear.

Love,
Anthony and Michelle