Day 1 - Barcelona

The weirdest part about traveling to Europe is that you leave the States early in the morning and arrive in Europe early the next morning. The only thing is, you haven't slept at all on the flight, because you weren't tired. So you arrive in Europe when you should be going to sleep, only you can't because it's a brand new day!

So we dumped our suitcases in our hotel room, took showers to perk up, and hit the ground running in beautiful Barcelona!  We grabbed a sandwich to go, and sat on some steps that overlook the city. It was a great way to kick things off! This was our view:

Later, we walked through "El Barrio Gótico" (the Gothic Neighborhood):

The gothic architecture was awesome...check out this door!  That's my 6' 3" husband standing in front of it, just to give you an idea of it's enormity.

I loved the way the light was streaming through the stained glass window of the gothic cathedral:

When we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer, we gave in to sleep and took an afternoon nap. That evening, we went to a flamenco show that was just spectacular! If you ever get to see a flamenco performance, I highly recommend it.

Flamenco music comes from the Spanish gypsy culture. It can sound mellow, angry, exciting, and celebratory, depending on the song. The combination of the Spanish guitars, the singing, the rhythmic clapping, and the powerful stomping of the dancers feet make it a collaborative/communal event to remember. Here is a 16 second clip...enjoy and ¡OLÉ!