I think this one was my favorite

Oh the adventures we had on our cruise!  It wasn't always smooth sailing, but we saw so many beautiful places and enjoyed our snapshots of several countries.  I feel very lucky to have had these experiences and I've said several times in the posts, that I would love to go back and see more.  But after looking back I think if I could only go back to one of these places it would be Spain.

We disembarked from the Norwegian spirit in Barcelona, and while we were sad  to leave the ship (Adam, more so than I), we were thrilled to know our vacation wasn't quite over.  We still had a full day and night to spend in Barcelona!

Adam found us a great hotel  that was in the perfect location and for an awesome price, using priceline of course.  We went and checked in, threw our bags in the room then hit the town.

We decided to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus again here in Barcelona, the route covers a ton of the city and we got a discount through our hotel.  Upon walking through the quiet streets of Barcelona, I think it was about 9:30 am, and since Barcelona is a nightlife city, the mornings seemed quiet, I began to realize just how wonderful this city is.

We made our way to the Gothic quarter of Barcelona first, mostly because I had read that after 12pm you have to pay to go in the Cathedral there.  This 14th century building was beautiful and truly had the Gothic type of feel to it.  Randomly enough we ran into the Price's again, and bid them adios, as we parted ways for the rest of the day.

Our cruise buddies, The Price's

From here we hopped on the bus and made our way up to see some of the famous Gaudi Houses.  I fell even more in love with this city.  Just walking randomly up the street and then having such a spectacular piece of art in front of you was breathtaking.  We decided not to spend the extra time and money and go inside and explore, but just seeing the outside was something you can't miss.

First stop was Casa Mila

Next stop Casa Batllo

Back on to the bus and over to pretty much my favorite site of our entire European adventure.   The Sagrada Familia.  Just the exterior is astonishing. It's been a continual work in progress since 1882 when Gaudi took over the design plans.  Here's a snipit from Wikipedia, that is a little gem;
Gaudí is said to have remarked: "My client is not in a hurry." When Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete.^[9][16] After Gaudí's death, work continued under the direction of Domènec Sugrañes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished basilica and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the war by Catalan anarchists. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the lost plans as well as on modern adaptations. Since 1940 the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Lluís Bonet i Gari and Francesc Cardoner have carried on the work.

His "client" was of course God.  And even today it's said to be just about 50 percent complete!  But at 50% it was a marvel.  One of the most spiritual experiences I had on the entire trip.  I was moved to tears looking at the Nativity Facade.  And the inside, was just breathtaking with such beautiful stained glass and the most unique ceilings.  I just loved it.

There are currently 8 spires, but the design plans say there will be 18 eventually, representing the 12 apostles, the 4 Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.

This is the "Passion" Facade Such amazing art work.

The Nativity Facade

More of the nativity facade

So yes, I fell in love with Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia.  There is a lot to see there and we took our time and enjoyed a long visit. The pictures just don't do it justice.  There is another Facade, the Glory Facade that was under heavy construction, so you couldn't see much.  But when it's finished I hope to be back and experience that as well.

So it was back on the bus, after a quick snack, and up to Park Guell. Another amazing Gaudi site.  Originally it was supposed to be a wealthy gated type community, but that didn't pan out, so now it's just a free park, the perfect place take a stroll and enjoy excellent views of Barcelona and the quirky architecture that Gaudi produced.

You can see our ship in the dock, we waved goodbye.

Awesome view of the Sagrada Familia

Can you tell I love it here?  Truly, Barcelona, my favorite!

 After our long stroll through this gigantic amazing and free park, we hopped back on the bus.  We decided to just stay on and enjoy the audio tour for many of the stops it made.  It was getting late in the day, and we still had a lot to see. 

We drove by the Futbol Stadium, the largest in the world. 

Art by Juan Miro

Palau Nacional

Financial District

 So much to see and so little time.  But we did stop at another park that I had read was a "must see".  Montjuic, is a fabulous park that took us to more amazing views.  We decided to hop on the aerial tramway (we had coupon)  and enjoyed the ride and views from the fortress that is atop the hill there.  This park is huge, with lots of museum and fountains, but we were running out of time and getting tired and hungry, we just couldn't do it all!

It was windy at the top

You're not in Spain, you're in Catalunya!

Enjoying the ride back down.

  It was pretty late in the day, and was getting cool and windy, and we just wouldn't have time to make it to so other historical areas, museums or the beach, but we were able to drive by a lot of them and enjoyed that.  We got off the bus at the top of La Rambla, I was a bit worried about pick pockets, as I had read that Barcelona is just about the worst in the world when it comes to pickpockets.  Crazy for how clean and modern and beautiful the city is, but there had to be some downside to it, I suppose.  And La Rambla and the Placa de Catalunya was crazy crowded.  So I was a bit on edge, but we enjoyed the lively atmosphere and people watching.

Placa de Catalunya

We stopped at their famous food market for some fresh squeezed juice.

Adam in front of the Christopher Colombus Monument

We stayed and strolled on La Rambla until pretty late.  But we had been going non stop and were pretty tired.  We stayed until it was dark and strolled the Gothic quarter again to see it all lit up, but it was time to make our way back to the hotel, before our morning flight the next day.  

We did of course eat in Barcelona, but since Adam doesn't like any shellfish, we skipped the Paella, but you know what I found?  Falafel!  Yep.  Finally, I had the falafel I couldn't get in Greece.

Oh I loved Barcelona.  Can you tell?  It was just the perfect mixture of modern and classic.  I think I could live there.

So there you have it.  Our 2012 European adventure... over.  But so, so, so memorable.  How lucky we are to have these memories.

It's a good thing I finally finished these posts, I leave for a two week trip to Vietnam in 3 days!