What beautiful sights and interesting shapes mark the city of Barcelona. Never before had I seen so much artitsic architecture all in one place! The color, the textures...it was fantastic. It brought out the art lover in me.
After our week on assignment photographing picture perfect rooms while sailing across the Mediterranean on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, we disembarked in Barcelona. We three Asians (Tuan, Dennis and myself), and Melanie and Pam got ready to have some fun on land. Hooray! 
We followed Dennis across downtown Barcelona, leading straight to Placa Catalunya.
Then, we steadily marched down Las Ramblas, enjoying the myriad of vendors, newsstands, and street performers.
We headed to the famous el Merkat to check out the fine chocolates--of all shapes and sizes--the colorful candies, and fresh squeezed juices.
Despite the reminder to hold our purses tighly, despite all the chaos and the bazillion bodies crammed into that tiny space, it was easy to get absorbed in the beauty of the market. The shapes and colors and variety of objects were just gorgeous in my mind.
Before long, we had wandered into the Gothic district, finding an pair of musicians camped out behind the Barcelona Cathedral. The woman was in tune with her punjab and the man played an unusual instrument made of a desk lamp, aluminum cans, and rubber bands! He's calls it the biotlata. Listen here:
This was one of the things I love best about travel: stumbling upon greatness. Bravo!
Our crew soon found a neighborhood more my style...El Born (and upon great recommendation by a dear friend, he was right, I just loved it). It was remarkable that what first appeared to be a dark alley lined with graffiti-covered doors soon became a humming artist neighborhood beyond the hours of siesta.
There were dozens of artist studios and shops tucked away along the alleyways. I enjoyed chatting with the artists while browsing their work. What a fun way to shop...
Meanwhile, all that walking made us hungry, which reminds me of another great Spanish tradition...TAPAS! Pam and I sampled the gamut...from microwaved croquettes that looked like dog food to extraordinary plates with crab--and who doesn't love tomatoe con pan!
Tapas are kind of like Korean banchan (side dishes) except you get to pick and choose what you want (and you have to pay for each dish, too). And, it's impossible to try them all.
And while we heard the true great Sangria is down South, we very much enjoyed a little vino to cleanse the palate.
And yes, the chocolate filled croissants were delicious! They sure are tasty when they're all warm and gooey, but they're not half bad cold, either!
(we hear they go well with milk. Moooo).
One of the most famous sights to see in Barcelona is the Segrada de Familia. We hurt our necks trying to stare up at the ceiling too long. It is quite impressive.
Did I mention what a great photographer Pam is? http://www.pammclean.com/
She really does great work. Her website makes me want to go somewhere. Look at her working hard and lugging around all that heavy equipment. It's never as easy at it looks.
We had a blast checking out Casa Batillo. The architecture was truly stunning! How would you like to live in a house like this?
We also checked out Casa Mila, another Gaudi inspired creation.. The rooftop structures were super cool. I could look at these sculptures for days.
We also had a nice picnic at Parque Guiell, and we got some great shots for the scrapbooks...
We thought the pillars underneath the structure were far more interesting than the famous lizard.
We had a ball on our trip to Barcelona. Why can't all work be this fun? Everyone photographer!
See you next time, Barcelona!!!
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