Monacco Day 7

Morning came and I was worse than the night before. Den was kind enough to move a trash can over by the bed which I promptly filled once everyone left for breakfast.

All I remember from the day is feeling sick, throwing up, and brief moments when the group would come back to check on me. Finally by the afternoon, when I still wasn't feeling better, the group urged me to visit the clinic on board because it was obviously something more than sea sickness. So I made my way down and was told that I had a virus and was then quarentined to my room until 8:00 am the next morning. I gladly went back to the room and passed out again only happy to comply with my quarnetine. Little did I know this would come back to bite me in the morning.

I went to sleep again with the fear of waking up and missing out on our next day's adventure....ROME!

Sadly no pictures of Monocco but I hear it was beautiful!

Setting Sail Day 6

Well, what a day we have had! Everyone woke up excited about the cruise. We did some last minute packing, had a quick bite to eat and stopped at one more catherdral before we headed to the port. This particular cathedral had a dress code and since Teena didn't have her shoulders covered, she wasn't going to be allowed in. So her sweet brother was told to offered his shirt so she could go in.

 Den trying to act casual while waiting for his shirt. But he wasn't the only one who gave up his shirt.

I am surprised there weren't more guys hanging around with their shirts off. I should go back next week to check. :)

It was finally time to head to the port. Someone, who I won't name, decided that we should walk to the port. "It will only take 15 minutes!" they said. So we all started walking. And indeed it took us about 15 minutes to get to the port, only we were not at the port for cruise ships. That was a bit of a walk down the road, probably another 45 minutes. And it really wasn't the fact that we were walking that was bad. It was the fact that we had to walk up a huge bridge that went over the water the get to our ship.

If you look way in the back, you can see the white bridge that we walked over. I don't have an up close picture because of the terror that took over my body as we climbed the bridge. Luckily, we had a ride the next time we crossed that bridge.

When we finally made it tot he ship we were sweaty, exhausted, and hungry. We dropped our bags at our rooms and headed straight to the buffet. This was the beginning of Den and Luke earning their money back.

This was also about the time that I started to feel a little sick. I thought that I might be getting sea sick(even though the boat was still at the dock) so I took some anti nausea pills and joined everyone on the top deck. We hung out, swam, ate and just layed in the sun as Barcelona faded in the distance until it was time for dinner.

After dinner, Teena and I went back to the room because I still wasn't feeling great and Teena was tired. Everyone else went and played bingo.

My biggest fear as I fell asleep, was that I wouldn't feel well enough to go into Monocco, our first port, in the morning.

Barcelona Day 5

I can't believe that I have been in Barcelona for 5 days! The weather has been absolutely beautiful. Each day the high has been around 80 and for this Texas girl that has felt like a dream. There have been a few times when we have been hot but all you have to do is find some shade and it instantly feels ten degrees cooler. We have adjusted to the more laid back style here. So when I say we got up early, it really means we got up around 8:00. We have lunch around 2:00 and last night we didn't have dinner until 9:00. I am sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that Den only has one burner in his kitchen and no oven, which makes cooking multiple items at the same time VERY difficult. :)

Den's apartment is absolutely charming. He is on the "second" floor but not really. There are actually two flats below him and then the ground floor businesses so it really is like the fourth floor, and the 69 steps it takes to get up here confirm it. I will put together a photo tour later.

His flat is actually very spacious. There are 4 rooms that can be used as bedrooms and then one large common area. The common area and two of the bedrooms are on the back of the apartment and each of them have there own balcony. I am staying in one of these rooms. Luke, Teena, and Den are all staying in the front of the apartment and have either a window or balcony to let in the cool evening breeze. We keep the windows and doors open pretty much all day. It is surprising how very few bugs there are here. At home we would have fly swatters out nonstop if we tried to do this.

Den's flat is in the Gothic Quarter, which is one of the oldest parts of Barcelona. There are lots of twisting and turning streets that you never quite know where they will lead you. The streets are so small that they have special garbage trucks that run through here because the bigger ones won't fit. He is surrounded by tons of old cathedrals and charming courtyards. There is a story around every corner and to Den's credit, he knows almost all of them.

It has been a nonstop whirlwind so today we decided to take it a little slower to recoup from our long day in Tarragona. Our morning began with Sagrada Familia. We got there about 10 minutes before it opened and only waited in line a short time before we made it in. Sagrada Familia, another Gaudi masterpiece, is what most tour books say is a "must see" in Barcelona, but I am not so sure that I agree. It is amazing and beautiful but it was not any where near my favorite place that we saw in Barcelona.

This cathedral began construction almost 100 years ago and it is estimated that construction will continue for another 50 years before it is complete.

 We ended up buying a ticket that would allow us to take an elevator to the very top and then make our own way down through the maze of tight curvy staircases. This is Den taking a break while Teena and Luke explored a little further up.

 Teena on one of the balconies.

 Back on the ground floor.

The ceiling...you can see all of the nature inspired carvings and how the columns break off like branches towards the top.

Next we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back towards Den's neighborhood. Along the way, Den was kind enough to go into a couple of hair salons to describe the effects that the Barcelona air was having on my hair. Most of my hair products were taken from my checked luggage so I was looking more and more like Ms. Frizzle everyday. And although, I do not think that my hair got as big as he described with his hands, I did get what I needed and was very grateful for his translation skills.

After park Guell we had talked about what a shame it was that people didn't really sit and enjoy the park and all its beauty because it was so crowded with tourists so he took us to the Ciutadella. Which is a local park that WAS packed with locals who were reading, riding bikes and or just laying in the shade.

This is the Arc de Triomf, an archway structure that was built for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona. There was a basketball competition going on so I wasn't able to get a clear shot but it was very impressive.

After our little mini tour, we went back to the flat to rest up and get ready for the cruise. It was very laid back, we listened to music and hung out mostly. 

We did take a quick walk to a restaurant named Sagardi for pintxos, which is like a buffet of little snacks. You pick up what you want and then they count the toothpicks at the end of your meal to determine your bill.

 Den explaining the different dishes.

 It was super good. Perfect dinner.

Our next stop was a quick trip up to Den's school to pick up his suitcase. I was able to grab a picture of him in his classroom. And on the way back, we missed our metro stop by about two because we were so busy talking. It was nice to have some time just to catch up and talk.

Our last task of the evening was to grab some booze to sneak on the cruise. Den and I had a nice walk and I got to see some great night views of Barcelona.

Barcelona Day 4

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I found this quote about a few weeks before I left for Barcelona, and if I had to go home tomorrow, I would have no regrets or disappointments. Each day of this trip gets better and better. Today we woke up semi early, grabbed some breakfast to go and caught the 9:45 train to Tarragona. Den and Teena slept for most of the hour and fifteen minute trip, while Luke read and I blogged my day 3 post.

Pictures of the train station.

What is most interesting about Tarragona is that it is the first Roman settlement in this area and has many well preserved ruins that date back to 213 BC. It is even protected by UNESCO. When we arrived at Tarragona, we were greeted by a very tall staircase.

This wasn't even the half way point. I believe I counted over 150 steps to the top, but we were rewarded by an amazing view of the Mediterranean.

The first order of business was to grab some coffee and a snack.

 Teena's cappuccino had a little foam explosion.

This is the fruit cup that they made special for me because they didn't have it on the menu. Then Teena called me a princess, and I am sure that I have no idea what she meant.
Our next stop was the Catedral de Tarragona. We walked through the winding streets...

turned a corner...

and turned another corner, and I would like to point out that this is a view that I saw often. Den, Luke and Teena were up ahead of me most of the time. I would stop and take pictures of stuff so often that they would just keep walking and I would have to hurry up to catch them.

and then BAM! There it was! It was absolutely stunning...

and we had to climb a whole bunch of stairs to get to it.

Unfortunately the cathedral was closed but we were able to walk through the cloisters and the museum. This by far was the most beautiful cathedral I have seen so far.

This is a picture of the main cathedral under construction. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time and one of the workers was coming out and let us stick our heads in and take a picture.

After the cathedral, (we walked up a whole bunch of stairs) and headed to the Walls (Archaeological Promenade). Tarraco's Roman wall is the most ancient and preserved monument. The walking route (which has a whole bunch of stairs and is at a continual incline) follows the 18th century fortifications, which were built to protect the city against the war of the Spanish Succession of the Spanish monarchy.

 Teena was asked to hold up part of the wall for a while...I think she did a great job. :)

The walk around the wall (and walking up all those stairs) worked up an appetite so we found a restaurant at the foot of the cathedral and partook of the "Menu del Dia" which is the menu of the day. This is a typical menu that restaurants offer in Spain. You have 4 or 5 choices for your first plate, 4 or 5 other choices for your second plate, and then dessert, all for one price. It was absolutely delicious.

This is a traditional Spanish dish called Paelle. Den and Teena enjoyed this deliciousness. I however passed because I do not care for "bugs".

Next we walked up a bunch of stairs, headed to tour two different houses that were built in the 15th century. The first one was the Castellarnau House and the second one was the Canal House. This house had the most amazing view of the Mediterranean from the dining room. You also had access to a huge roof top patio that gave us some more amazing views of the sea.

This was on the way...

Fifth on our list to see was the Amphitheater, and we walked up a whole bunch of stairs to get there.

 This was built at the end of 1 BC.

 One teacher...two pupils.

And although we were very tired, (because we climbed up so many stairs) we decided to head over to the Roman Circus Praetorium. This area was originally used for chariot races, but changed over time into what was called The King's Castle. Then in 1822 it was reconstructed to be used as a prison, and was used as such until 1953.

I started crying when I saw these stairs....and this wasn't even the whole set. They are at the top 1/4th of the staircase.

This next picture was taken at the top of the building that see you in the picture above, and yes, we had to walk up many many steps to get there.

The final set of steps were very small and curved and dark and I almost didn't attempt them but, everyone said that the view couldn't be missed and they were right. Behind me is the cathedral that we toured earlier in the day.

.....and then we walked down, lots and lots of stairs.
Once we finished touring the circus, we all agreed that it was time to head back to Barcelona. We headed to the train station and had about a 20 min wait until the train arrived and a few flights of stairs to walk down and then up to get to the right platform. There were LOTS of kids waiting on the platform with us. They must have been with some camp or something because they were wearing matching shirts. And as we stood there, tired and sweaty, we secretly hoped that we could get on the train before them so we could get seats and not have to stand for the hour plus ride back to the city. Den said, "Please let the door to the train stop right in front of me." It was from Den's lips to God's ear, because as the train pulled up, it slowed and stopped right in front of him. We climbed on, grabbed our seats and settled in for the trip back. I have to say that until today, I never understood how Den could sleep on the floor of the train, but now...now I know.

We were so beat from the day, we headed straight back to Den's flat, (walked up a ton of stairs) took showers, ate dinner, (had some cava), hung out, and went to bed.

Here are a few other pictures that I took during our day in Tarragona.

Today was truly the best day so far. I could have spent days in Tarragona and still not seen everything.

Adios Tarragona...I WILL see you again.

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