Today was our first day walking around Barcelona.. We didn’t have any super serious plans. We basically let Justin guide us around (Actually, that’s always my plan).

We walked down the streets and took pictures of the beautiful architecture. James was in a pretty good mood as long as mommy was pushing the stroller. He is very particular these days as to who is allowed to do what…..and I am privileged enough to do ALL of the jobs.

We went to a park that Scott and Kerri (Justin’s cousins) suggested . James made me dig in the sand and build sandcastles. There were lots of other families, and it was fun to watch all the kids play. While my mom and I stayed with James at the park, Justin and Sam took a walk. It stared drizzling while they were gone, so we popped into a little cafe for some croissants. Any excuse to get a pastry is good for me!

After that, we walked to La Sagrada Familia. It is one of the biggest attractions in Barcelona. La Sagrada Familia is a Catholic church designed by Spanish Architect, Antoni Gaudi. Unfortunately, Gaudi died in 1926 before the project was completed, and it is still not done. There is a park right outside the church, and James enjoyed playing for a while.

We walked back to the apartment to hang out for a little bit while James took a nap. Justin walked around and scouted out our plan for the rest of the afternoon. Once James woke up, we packed up and walked to Placa de Catalunya. It is an open square with fountains, birds, and people selling balloons. James really loved it. He wanted a balloon,of course, so Nonna bought him one. Although I think it made Justin cringe a little bit, James chose the mermaid balloon, and it made him so happy!

We stopped at a little cafe in the pedestrian walkway so that my mom, Sam, and James could eat.

Justin and I had dinner reservations at Etapes. It was great! We had a tasting menu that included tuna, lobster with squid ink pasta, and suckling pig.

It seems like everything is going well while we are gone, so that is a huge relief!

Just a couple of more nights in Barcelona, the we are off to Madrid! The trip had been amazing so far, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t ready to get back to normal life again.

Also, I’m sure you have noticed this, but we are a little behind on posting the blogs. Today is actually October 3rd.

Alyce