Here are some pictures from our tour and our day of Antoni Gaudí! I decided to add them into the original blog entry to get some of the commentary near them just in case anyone wanted to connect some of it. So unfortunately for at least a couple of days (or maybe longer), this blog will be an unillustrated blog. My stupid memory card reader decided to break in the slot I need for my camera's card. Pins going every which way - not good. And since I didn't bring my cameras cord (why would I need that? I have a card reader!) I can't get anything off my camera. So, I'm hoping that either Deb has a card reader or a cord for a Canon Rebel (Deb?) or else I will have to start taking more pictures with my phone - not as good of quality, but they'll at least be accessible. So, yesterday we spent the vast majority of the day on a bus from bilbao to Barcelona. Although most of the kids had a great home stay experience, it was time to move on. So, at 10:30 we headed out, and with just one stop at the Zaragosa bus station, we were on the road until a little after 6 pm, when we arrived in Barcelona. This time there was no one to meet us, and we had to get to our hotel via the metro. Which we did with little to no problems. The little problems being that a couple of girls DEFINITELY DID NOT listen to me when I told them to pack managably. But we got here, checked in to the Tryp Apolo and quickly headed back downstairs to meet our guide for a walking tour of the Barrrio Gotico. Unfortunately, this guy was not good. Very nice, and he seemed knowledgable, but he was nearly inaudible when you were standing right next to him, much less when you were on the outside of the group. So, after some wandering, we managed to convince him we were satisfied and the tour could be over. We gave the kids some time to grab dinner and had our first stragglers. They did not take our advice and get it to go, making them late. And then we had to make them come in when they were already 15 minutes late as we watched them turn around to go get ice cream. Turns out they got a little too comfortable in Bilbao over the last week and are thinking they're all that now. We've corrected their thinking :) Today was our Gaudí day. If you're not familiar with him, he was a Spanish architect from the late 1800s/early 1900s. His style is unique to say the least! This is why I am particularly angry that my card reader broke today of all days, because with pictures, I wouldn't have to write much at all. If I can get the pictures off the camera eventually, I will do an after the fact post. But, to make a long beautiful set of pictures into words, we went first to La Sagrada Familia - a church that he started in the late 1800s that is still not completed. It has come a long way in the last 15 years since I first saw it, and today I was able to enter for the first time. It. Was. AMAZING. Absolutely breathtaking. And I can't believe I can't show it to you all today. Then we walked towards another of his buildings, Casa Batllo. You have to see it to understand it. This we just took in from outside. Then onto Casa Mila, or la Pedrera. Commissioned by wealthy aristocrats in 1906, it is a CRAZY apartment building. Please do feel free to google search these places to get an idea of what I'm talking about. They are insane. Finally we went to Parc Guell, which Gaudí originally planned as a gated community for the wealthy. Unfortunately he had this idea well before its time, and it was a flop. All that remains is the park area and the 3 homes that were ever built. And they look like fairy tale homes. Seriously, you have no idea how upset I am about my card reader right now! We came back to hotel to rest up and freshen up and then headed back out for dinner with the kids. Today is some sort of festival for San Juan. And it turns out that Barcelona celebrates this by shooting off fireworks. Everywhere. Constantly. Even if they are small children. Apparently kids with lighters and explosives is ok here. And throwing small snapping fireworks at passers by is fun, too. Fortunately this scared the **** out of the kids and they wanted to return to the hotel. Fine by me! Rumor has it about 60,000 people will be packing the beach to watch the official fireworks and light huge bonfires. I won't lie, I'm old, and that does not sound like fun to me anymore! Oh, and as I just heard a scream in the middle of all the bangs, that is also really reassuring. And the third set of sirens is headed by right now, too. Here's hoping those silicon ear plugs I've got with let me get some sleep tonight! Buenas noches!