Our five year wedding anniversary and Alex's 30th birthday were celebrated in Barcelona, Spain. I cannot even believe he is THIRTY. I reminded him that it's the new 20, so, no worries, right? He is now at peace with the baldness that is occurring and no longer denies it. I couldn't have been happier to celebrate these two milestones together in such a fun city.
Rather than pay a 40 euro cab fare from the airport to our hotel, we decided to take the metro instead. I got my first glimpse of Gaudi's architectural work as I exited the metro escalator on the Passeig de Gracia en route to our hotel. There across the street was Casa Batllo, so unique. We rolled our luggage several streets until we arrived at The Oliva Balmes Hotel. Centrally located to all the most visited attractions, modern decor, two complimentary bottles of cava to kick off our celebratory weekend, and the kindest staff to us and our baby B...they had me at complimentary cava.
La Boqueria market was bustling with locals buying food and tourists snapping pictures. The vendor stands spilled over with candy, fresh fruits and vegetables, spices and nuts, seemingly endless seafood, sausages, hams and cheeses. The sounds, smells, and colors of this place were so lively. We left the market with a bag full of candy, sausages and fresh squeezed juices. The Gothic Quarter with its medieval buildings and narrow winding streets had us weaving through this area browsing hidden gems and searching for where to eat our first tapas.
On this trip I discovered that my child is a tiny dog whisperer. His affection towards dogs is adorable and after several minutes of playing fetch with a puppy in Parc Guell, I looked up from my camera to see a crowd had formed around him. I now believe that people cannot resist the cuteness of a puppy and a baby.
I'm glad we chose Barcelona for such a special weekend. It was so great I helped my mom and her husband book a trip to this wonderful city during their Christmas visit to Europe.
