Barcelona! Final Stop! (We say goodbye to Europe)

Barcelona was the last stop on our amazing three-month tour of Europe. We had four days to reacquaint ourselves with this beautiful and vibrant city. Our hotel was aptly named the Hotel Gaudi and it was near the Ramblas but not too close so we got some sleep in a city that doesn’t seem to need much!

We signed up for a free “GuruWalk” which is a company that offers great guides in cities around the world and they choose different topics and just work for tips! Our guide, Like ca was from Italy but loved Barcelona and was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of this capital of Catalonia.

We learned about the complex and rich history of Barcelona from the Romans through medieval times. The horrible treatment of early Christian martyrs, (St. Aurelia” the patron Saint and the devastating treatment of the Jewish population in the 14th and 15th centuries.

La Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Família is famous for being one of the most iconic examples of Antoni Gaudí’s unique style. It’s a strange building but definitely worth seeing! It combines elements of Art Nouveau, Catalan Modernism and Spanish Late Gothic design. It’s beloved by some and dismissed by others. They’ve been working on it for over 100 years.

Parc Güell – Gaudi’s playground

Park Güell was designed by Antoni Gaudí between 1900 – 1914 at the request of Eusebi Güell – a friend and patron. It was originally conceived as a housing development for the wealthy of Barcelona. That plan was abandoned and now it’s one of the city’s favorite parks.

Along with the beautiful mosaics there are countless representations of St. George killing the dragon – the symbolic “mascot” of Barcelona.

Last beach day and our 36th anniversary!

We wanted to have a “combo” day for our last experience in Europe so after the park, we stopped in a neighborhood café for the daily menu and then headed to a beach not of Barcelona. We had a great swim and then headed back to for a pizza in our hotel room and pack our bags for Portland!

We had an amazing trip over the past three months. Very grateful for the opportunity to travel again and have so many wonderful memories! Thanks for reading!!!