Today was another whirlwind of trying to pack in some of the Barcelona sites and culture. The kids were sleepy so we let them sleep late and finally woke Liam up at 10am! Everyone had full bellies after a breakfast of omelettes that Kevin made. My friend Janet, who lives in the Netherlands, flew in today to spend some time with us for the next couple of days. After the kids showed Janet all of the things they liked about the apartment, we headed off to Casa Batllo, one of the famous sites in Barcelona and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour provides headphones and an iPad with virtual reality imagery where you walk through a 6 story home that was designed by Antoni Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect. The tour told us how his extremely imaginative and creative designs incorporated imagery from the sea and fantasy worlds, such as a staircase that was supposed to represent a dragon's spine, cooling vents that mimicked fish gills, and tons of mosaics created directly into the building both inside and out. It was very interesting and one of the most unique buildings I have ever seen!
After the tour we headed back to the Gothic Quarter to check out a restaurant inside a Farmer's Market that came highly recommended by our tour guide, Bar Joan. Unfortunately, we got there quite late and they were out of many items on the menu. We still managed to snag a few tapas (small plates) before they closed for the day. The boys liked the sausages and the cod croquettes were a big hit with Odin and I. The market was officially closed by the time we were done with lunch, however there were a few stalls that remained open so we took advantage and bought some local cheese and sausage for another day.
About a 10 minute walk away was a famous churro restaurant, so we headed there for a post-lunch sweet treat. The churros were a hit with the kids, as we ordered to share but the adults didn't get that much! In Spain they dip their churros in heavy hot chocolate, it was a fun twist! It's not super sweet chocolate so it pairs well with the sweet, sugary churros.
We had to eat our churros on the move because we had tickets to see a Flamenco show tonight. We entered the City Hall theater and took our seats just before the show started. The theater was intimate and we were only a few rows from the stage. When the music started all eyes were glued to the amazing dancers, singers and musicians. The speed of their feet while dancing was mesmerizing. The kids really enjoyed it and it only lasted an hour so was just the right amount of time to hold their attention!
After the show we headed to a tapas bar down the road that both our tour guide and our airport driver had recommended, Ciutat Comtal. The restaurant looked a little more upscale than we were hoping for, and luckily they had room at their outside seating that was more relaxed. We had several more tapas for dinner and walked back to our apartment. We tried to get the kids to bed at a decent hour given that we have a tour tomorrow starting at 9:30 and half of the kids were still sleeping at that time today. However, as I write this, it's past 11pm and Ainsley is still awake! No more naps in the stroller for Ainsley!
-Keely