Gracias... Merci... Barthelona

So... Santa might not eat tapas, but I DO!!!!

I would most definitely say that the bike tour was my favorite part of the trip... but that was also the only day that it was sunny.

In front of the Arc du Triomphe du Spain

Opera house... I love the crazy Barcelona architecture.

A fountain that 2 guys and Gaudi designed... but just like almost everything else in Barcelona, it was under construction.

The market right off Las Ramblas was one of the coolest places... it was like the Versailles market - except they sold smoothies... I miss smoothies.

Other interesting things you see in Spain... a full pigs head.  My only question is, what exactly do you do with that?

Candyland... literally.

Then there's Gaudi.  I'm not really sure if that's where the word "gaudy" comes from... but it definitely applies.  This is the Sangrada Familia - a church that has been under construction since 1882 and is only about halfway done.  

Notice the giant Christmas tree between the spires.

The back looks much more cubist than the front - they knew they would never be able to duplicate Gaudi's style.

The Park Guell... I wish it had been sunnier - my pictures are all kinda washed out.

This park and the buildings were also designed by Gaudi... imagine a real live Dr. Seuss land and you have the Park Guell.

Liz and I on the beach.

Erin and I with sangria

Another Gaudi house.

Lots of very natural forms... the attic looks like you're literally inside a fish.

And we found a cool attachment thing that distorts pictures... count how many mouths Erin has... very Picasso-esque.

The Tour de France also came through Barcelona the last day we were there, but it was raining so we didn't want to go search for where it was coming through the city.  So around 4:45pm, I jumped on the metro to start heading towards the airport for my flight back to Paris.  Let me just say, the train system in Barcelona... not so good on the labeling.  I got totally lost and about 2.5 hours later I end up at the airport - missing my flight by over an hour.

So I had to stay for an extra night in this hotel by the airport...
I can't even tell you how frustrated I was.  You'd think that flying would be faster and more convenient - but no... it just ends up being a huge hassle.  

All in all, Barcelona was ok.  One of the FTBT Barcelona guides and I were talking about the difference between the two cities.  Paris is very intellectual - snobby sometimes, a little full of itself, but it still has those very bohemian undertones as well.  Barcelona is more of a party city - its a beach town!  Go clubbing, drink sangria, lay out on the beach.  Its not really my scene.  So I'm glad to be back in home sweet Paris.