Of course, the Puffo gelato needed to be sampled. I had prepared myself for something along the lines of bubblegum or cotton candy. In reality, the taste was much more pleasing - like a vanilla / sweet cream combo. In short, it was Puffo-lizioso! Or maybe I should use their mother tongue - Schrtoumpf-icieux! Ok, let's just stick with English - Smurfing awesome.
I did not eat a real Smurf. I'm in Italy, busy amassing new culinary adventures for future posts, but meanwhile thought the following was worth a mini-post. Everyone knows that Italy is famous for its gelato, and the variety of heaping flavors offered at some stands is mind boggling. However, one in particular caught my attention: To me, one of the more interesting things about this is that the word Smurf can evidently be translated into Italian. I always assumed that the word Smurf was used universally, but today I stand corrected. I was shocked that other cultures wouldn't also simply use 'Smurf', so of course, I Wikipedia'd the matter. It turns out that Smurfs actually originated as a Belgian comic called Les Schtroumpfs. Somehow, the Americans got Smurf out of that mouth full. This is one of the many things I learned in Florence. Our round-the-world trip was becoming more culturally enriching by the minute.
Of course, the Puffo gelato needed to be sampled. I had prepared myself for something along the lines of bubblegum or cotton candy. In reality, the taste was much more pleasing - like a vanilla / sweet cream combo. In short, it was Puffo-lizioso! Or maybe I should use their mother tongue - Schrtoumpf-icieux! Ok, let's just stick with English - Smurfing awesome.
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Upon leaving France, we drove about six hours through northern Italy to a small ski town called Axalp, high above the shores of Lake Brienz in central Switzerland. We passed through an array of landscapes, from the twisty roads along the rocky shores of the French Riviera, to the lush hills of the Italian Coast, which gave way to flatter farmland as we approached Milan. North of Milan, we made a quick pass by Lake Como (to which we would be returning in three days), before crossing into Switzerland, and viewing the most dramatic scenery yet. After passing through the 16km long Gotthard tunnel (the world's third-longest), we exited the highway and traversed the mountains via the beautiful Sustenstrasse, from which the views truly became magical. I thought I'd entered a fairytale! Axalp is located about 20 minutes up (as in vertically!) from the town of Brienz, which is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Brienz. We were about midway between the towns of Interlaken and Lucern, both of which we planned to visit during our stay. Axalp is primarily a winter time destination, but it's incredibly beautiful in the summer time. We stayed at a ski lodge called the Hotel Chemihüttli, which is run by a very nice Swiss family. Ruedi, the patriarch, is a huge guy of about 6'6" and sounds a bit like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets (see a pic of him at work here). He even wears a chef's hat after 5pm since he runs the hotel's restaurant. Naturally, the hat exacerbates the Swedish Chef association! During our stay, we saw him completing a variety of tasks, including landscaping, catering, handyman duties, auto repair and lumberjacking. Every time we turned around, he was there doing something different - we suspect he might have had a twin involved in the operation. He has also competed in professional woodsman competitions, as evidenced by the many photos adorning the lounge area. Here are a few shots of Axalp and Chemihüttli: The next day was a bit dreary/rainy, so we decided to put off our hiking plans and headed into Interlaken to check out the town. Interlaken, which means 'between lakes', is nestled between the shores of Lake Brienz on the east and Lake Thun on the west. It is incredibly picturesque, even in the rain. Unfortunately, the afternoon brought more of the same weather, so with our hiking plans further delayed, we decided to make the approximately 1.5 hour drive over to Lucerne to see the city. Lucerne is a much larger city situated on the shores of the beautiful Reuss River. We spent a while walking around the riverbanks and taking in the sights. On the way back, we stopped off at our local town of Brienz, which is a quaint little town on the shores of the lake. Here we saw the sun trying to finally peek through the clouds, which made for some nice photos. When we got back to Axalp around 6pm, the weather had improved - slightly - and with a few hours of light still remaining, we decided to check out a nearby hiking trail. The area around the lakes is full of hundreds of miles of great hiking though all different elevations. One could spend days hiking from town to town through all types of terrain, from lake shores to snowy alpine peaks. All of the trails are interconnected and well-marked, and so expansive that you rarely encounter other hikers. The segment near Axalp and heading toward Brienz led toward a remote alpine lake, and along this section of trail, you pass by many wooden sculptures carved out of tree trunks. This area is famous for its wood carving, and many of the local artisans had contributed to the sculptures They were quite remarkable: Unfortunately, this high up the mountain, the weather can change quickly. The skies opened up causing it also to get very dark, so we abandoned our hike about 30 minutes in. We decided to try a 'shortcut' back, which ended up bringing us through someone's farm amongst their cows, which brought another challenge of both trying to both avoid falling down the steep, wet inclines and avoid the big, juicy cow pies all around us. We eventually found our way back to the lodge, dried off and called it a night. Fortunately, the next day brought better weather - at least in the valley by the lakes. While we wanted to do one of the alpine paths, the tops of the mountains were still completely immersed in cloud cover, so we decided to head up to Harder Klum, the mountain just north of Interlaken, so that we could enjoy the views. Here are some photos from the top and along the trail: When we got back, I was totally beat, but Chris still wanted to try to get to the lake from the path near Axalp, so he set off again on the path we took the previous day. This time the rain held off. Here are a few shots from the lake. The next morning, we headed back to Italy and to Lake Como. We had to drive Susten Pass again to get back to Italy and this time, it was snowing which made for a much slower (and scarier) drive. While the Swiss weather was less than ideal, we still found it breathtakingly beautiful. Unfortunately, Switzerland has also become a very expensive place to visit. We only ate out one night while we were there, as we had a hard time justifying the prices. As an example, a cheap entree at a budget restaurant in Switzerland costs about as much as a fancy dinner in South Africa, and probably twice as much as the same dish would cost in Italy or France. And on top of this, the Swiss food was not really my cup of tea. Although, we did come across an interesting local brew from Interlaken: We were speaking to Ruedi about the high prices, and he explained how tourism from other parts of Europe and the US has really dropped off due to the prices. While the Swiss economy is actually doing ok overall, the tourism industry has changed. Ten years ago, most tourists came from other parts of Europe or the US, however now it has become too expensive for these tourists. Switzerland's tourism department heavily advertises in other countries, where people are willing to pay the high prices. Therefore, a large percentage of today's visitors come from the Middle East or parts of South America. Despite the high prices, we are glad to have visited. Most remarkable is the amazing scenery, which was unlike anything we've ever seen!
After 3 wonderful days in Provence, we headed for the coast to check out the world famous French Riviera, or as the French say, Cote d'Azure. We left on a Sunday, and on our way we stopped in Cassis to have lunch on the beach. It was so incredibly crowded that we left immediately. We went to nearby Ciotat beach which was also packed, but not as bad as Cassis. People literally sat inches apart on the beach. We quickly ate our lunch outside on the rocks while enjoying the cool breeze coming off the sea. Bastide Valmasque Summer is high season for this area, thus it is full of people from all over the world. We were lucky to find a really cute B&B near the small town of Biot called Bastide Valmasque. It's owned by a lovely couple named Claudia & Philipe who were both very helpful with providing information about the area. They met in India as they both worked in the textile industry, so while the B&B is a French country house, its interior has a lot of Indian influences making it very different from most of the places we had seen in France. They still have a a stake in a business in India manufacturing scarves and other textiles, and sell some of their designs at the B&B. As a parting gift, Philipe gave us a little travel laundry bag made from one of his patterns. We loved eating breakfast in one of their many garden nooks and we also enjoyed snacks in the evening sun on the patio. While this place isn't located right on the beach and doesn't have a pool, it's about a 5 min drive from the beach. You'd pay significantly more money to stay right on the beach and you definitely would not get the charm that the Bastide Valmasque offers! Dining Out vs. Picnic We arrived in the late afternoon and after we settled we went out to dinner at a cafe in nearby Valbonne. This was a very small village, but it was completely full of people - locals and tourists alike. There were four cafes in the plaza and we went to the one that our B&B recommended, which also happened to be the one with the lowest prices and the most patrons. The food was OK - nothing special - but it was expensive. After eating out a couple of times in Southern France we found that the food didn't justify the cost. We actually ate better when we shopped at the local markets which are filled with amazing produce, cheeses, breads and tapenades for a fraction of restaurant prices. Saint Paul de Vence The morning of our first full day, we visited Saint Paul de Vence, one of the oldest medieval towns in the French Riviera. This town came highly recommended by Mom & Dad Barbier as they fell in love with it during a visit in the 90's. It did not disappoint! It is adorable, picturesque and choc full of art galleries. We really enjoyed strolling through the streets and wandering in and out of the galleries. It's definitely worth a visit if you are ever in this area. Antibes: After visiting Saint Paul de Vence we were ready for the beach! We went to nearby Antibes which has two beaches on either side of a peninsula We went to the first beach which is half public & half private (private means anyone can go, but you pay a fee and get a chair and umbrella in return). While the beach was decent, it was incredibly windy. There were several yachts anchored in the water which is typical in the French Riviera. At one point, one of the yachts came loose and started drifting towards the shore. The lifeguards sprung to action and soon a ton of emergency vehicles were at the beach. A couple of people went out to the boat but not much happened after that. The emergency crew stood by waiting for the yacht to come closer, but it never did. Tired of the wind, we left for the beach across the peninsula, which was a peaceful public beach - no wind, no waves, and no rogue yachts! The next day we toured a couple of the ritzy towns along the Riviera - Nice, Monaco & Villefranche. Nice: I had been to Nice in college and Chris wasn't that interested in visiting the museums there so we just did a drive by. Chris got to see the coastline and some of the plazas just in from the beach. Nice is a great place to stay if you are willing to spend more on a hotel room, especially if you can find one along the coastline. There is a really long stretch of beach from Antibes to Nice which is nice because you can find a little privacy with all that space. Also, if you are into art they have a wonderful Chagall and Matisse museum. I highly recommend it! Monaco: We spent a half day in the principality of Monaco. It was my second time visiting and Chris' first time. We parked the car in a garage midway up the hill and walked down to the marina to see all the giant yachts. Then we walked back by the Monte Carlo casino. The building itself oozes opulence and everything surrounding it is waiting to pounce on the casino's patrons - the Lamborghinis parked outside, the ultra high-end jewelry stores, and even some heavily made-up young women standing around in short skirts and 5 inch heels at 11am. Instead of bear bottles scattered in the streets, Monte Carlo has champagne corks. Seriously, we saw them everywhere. For such a small place, there is actually a lot to do in Monaco - one could stay busy sightseeing (or shopping) here for 3-4 days. We enjoyed our half day there and decided that we'd come back here one day if the opportunity presented itself. However, if we do go back we'll have to pack a lot more than just a backpack! Villefranche: This is a nice little town on the coastline that is a popular stop on cruises. We drove through town and walked around a bit. Driving here was a little complicated, as the streets are very narrow. The town was very crowded with people from the cruise ship so I don't think I'd recommend staying here if you are looking for someplace quiet. It might be worth a visit for breakfast or dinner when there are less day-trippers. The views from the top of the town are beautiful! Paloma Beach By afternoon, we were ready for another beach. We had read good things about Paloma beach, which was not too far from the area we were exploring. Supposedly, celebrities frequent this beach from their yachts, although we didn't spot any while we were there. It's another beach that is half private and half public. The private side was really packed - chairs just inches away from each other. We opted for the public side and had a lot of space to ourselves. The beach was very nice and the water was great for swimming! After a day in the sun, we went back to our B&B and enjoyed a picnic on the patio. Thus ended our time in the French Riviera. Despite the crowds, we enjoyed it very much. However, I think the best way to enjoy this coastline is from a giant private yacht!! A girl can dream...
From Barcelona, we took the train to Montpelier, France where we picked up our 2 month car rental from Citroen. The French car manufacturers have a program where you can lease a brand new car for an extended period of time, picking it up in one European country and then returning it in another. After familiarizing ourselves with our Citroen (it turned out to be an automatic – a rare find in Europe!), we were off to our next stop: Provence, France. Before checking into our B&B we stopped in Avignon, a medieval French city most famous for being the home of the Papacy during the Catholic schism in the 1300's. We walked around this beautiful city and then stopped in the main square for lunch wherewe saw two fantastic musicians. The first was a solo guitarist playing everything from traditional French songs to Queen. The second was a lively threesome led by an older gentleman on the violin. He was fantastic. Check out the video: Le Mas de Prévôts: A Country Haven We found this little gem of a B&B on TripAdvisor. It’s located on the outskirts of Chateaurenard, just south of Avignon. It's owned by a nice couple named Julie & Jean-Pierre. They live in the main house and rent out two charming rooms above their garage. As you’ll see from the pictures below, the house is gorgeous and the view from our room was just perfect. Julie & Jean-Pierre purchased the property over 30 years ago and fixed it up little by little. They raised their children there and now that they are grandparents, their grandchildren come over to visit after school. We had the pleasure of meeting two of the little ones! Breakfast was served on the patio right off the kitchen. Julie always had an assortment of traditional French pastries, yogurt, fresh juice, fruit from the local farms and coffee. She even wrapped up the leftovers for us to take on picnics. They offered great advice on places to visit and we enjoyed the first day so much we decided to tack on a third night to our stay (luckily our room was available!). We are so happy we found this place! Luberon Region Driving Tour: After a nice evening out in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence on our first night, we decided to take a driving tour of the small villages per Julie & Jean-Pierre’s recommendation. Here were the places we visited: First Stop: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue The river Sorgue runs through this quant little town filled with over 300 different antique shops. Stop 2: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse The Sorgue river begins at “La Source” which is located in this village. No one knows where this spring originates. In the late 1940's, Jacques Cousteau dove into the caves from which the water originates, and could not find the source. He almost died while searching for the source, as an air compressor in one of his tanks had taken in its own exhaust. We walked from the town center about 15-20 minutes to see “La Source” pictured below. It's a nice walk but it was packed with tourists and French schoolchildren who were there on a field trip. Gordes This is one of the prettiest villages in France, especially when you look at it from across the gorge! Roussillon This area boasts the most important source of ochres in the world. Ochres are used as pigments in the textile industry. We enjoyed seeing the bright orange-red colors of this village which are so different than what you see in the rest of Provence. Lavander No visit to Provence would be complete without lavender fields. While we didn't actually search for them, we were lucky to stumble upon a few! The second day in Provence, we visited Arles in the morning and then kayaked down the Gardon River under the Pont du Gard aqueduct. Arles Arles was an an ancient Roman city, complete with a large amphitheater at its center which still stands today. Roman emperors frequently used this city as a military headquarters and it's said to have been a favorite city of Emperor Constantine 1 - his son, Constantine II, was born there. The impressionist artist, Vincent van Gogh, lived in Arles for about a year during which he produced over 300 paintings. One of the most famous is Cafe Terrace at Night. The cafe that was the subject of that painting still exists. A lot of artist drama went down in Arles. Paul Gauguin visited van Gogh in Arles, at van Gogh's request. Vincent's mental health was deteriorating, so Gauguin left Arles due to the eccentric behavior of his old friend. Shortly thereafter, Vincent cut off his ear and was sent to the local hospital. The Arlesians petitioned to have van Gogh committed and he eventually left the city and checked into an asylum in the nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. As you may know, van Gogh never really recovered and eventually took his own life. While it's sad to know that Arles was the beginning of the end for van Gogh, I loved seeing the city that inspired him and appeared in so many of his paintings. Kayaking under the Pont du Gard This was a big highlight for us! The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct built by the ancient Romans about 2,000 years ago and is still in excellent condition. One can visit the aqueduct by car and walk across it. However, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and see it from the river. We rented a two person kayak from Canoe Collias. We launched our kayak upriver, kayaked downriver with the current, stopping along the way to swim/rest/eat, and then the company picked us up right after we passed under the aqueduct and brought us back to our car. They provided air-tight barrels on the kayak, so we packed a picnic in our backpack and enjoyed it mid river. There were some mild rapids which were a lot of fun. Definitely the best way to enjoy the Pont du Gard on a hot summer day! There were a bunch of teenage boys hanging out on the cliffs by the aqueduct as we approached. They yelled at us in French and when they realized we spoked English, they asked where we were from. I said (in terrible French) USA. They started cheering We LOVE America!! Can we come with you to America!? We love it! A great end to a fun kayak trip.
After 3 straight days of walking around Barcelona, we were ready for a break from the city. The four of us rented a car and drove out to Figueres to visit Salvador Dali's museum - Teatro Museo Dalí. I had been to this museum twice before and it's one of my favorites. I was very excited to bring my parents and Chris! Getting There: If you are traveling with more than 2 people, it's worth renting a car. The car rental cost us just 33 Euro and the tolls amounted to about 15 Euro. A round trip train ticket would have cost around 35 Euro per person. Teatro-Museo Dali Dali is one of the most famous surrealists of all time - known for his edgy artwork and eccentric showmanship. He was from the small town of Figueres in Catalunya Spain, right near the French border. The mayor of Figueres once tried to acquire one of Dali's paintings for the city. Dali's response: Where, if not in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain? Instead of bestowing just one painting to the town, he built an entire museum. He chose to build the museum in the town's old theatre because it was right next to the church where he was baptized and it's the first place he ever exhibited his artwork. The museum was completed in 1974 and is considered the largest surrealist object in the world. It's also home to Dali's crypt. The building itself is a work of art. Figueres is a relatively average town, but then you turn a corner in the city center and see a most unexpected sight: a Pepto-Bismol colored castle with large eggs in place of ramparts. We waited about 20 minutes in line and then entered this bizarre museum. We saw every single exhibit and were amazed at the variety of styles and mediums (they even have a jewelry exhibit). Here are some of the highlights: My favorite Dali series is less well known. He dedicated an entire floor to a variety of paintings featuring figures comprised of colorful rocks. Here are a few examples: After spending a few hours at the Dali museum we drove to the coast to visit an adorable little town called Tossa de Mar. I visited Tossa back in 2001 and always remembered it fondly. It's an old Spanish city built on a peninsula along the Costa Brava. We had lunch by the beach and then hiked up to see the ruins of the castle with views of the rocky coast, and then walked through the winding streets of the old city. We drove back to Barcelona and dropped off the car. That evening we walked around the old bullfighting ring, which has been changed into a mall since Catalonia banned bull fighting. Then it was time to say goodbye to Mom and Dad as they had an early flight the next morning. We had a perfect day to end a wonderful week in Spain!
I love the way the word serendipity just rolls off the tongue. I'm always excited when I get to use it, which isn't often, because it's rare to find something wonderful when you aren't looking for it. So it was great when I experienced two serendipitous moments during my 5 days in Barcelona! Serendipitous Moment #1: This one requires a little background: I met my friend, Leah, while studying abroad in Sevilla. We were roommates staying with a local family. One of the many photos we had in our room was of Leah with her friend Allasia. During spring break, Chris came to visit me along with a couple of friends from BC. On their last night in Spain, we stayed out all night in Madrid because they had a 5am flight back to Boston. After dropping them off at the airport, I headed to the train station. The place was deserted. I began dozing off while waiting for my train when I heard two voices in English. I looked up and immediately recognized the girl from Leah’s picture – Allasia! I walked up to her and said something like, “Excuse me, but is your name Allasia?” The next time I saw her was in 2008 when we were both bridesmaids at Leah’s wedding. Then, on our second day in Barcelona, my parents, Chris and I were leaving our apartment in Gotic when I saw a very familiar face walking down the street. We both recognized each other and found it pretty hilarious to meet this way once again in Spain! She is in the middle of a master’s program in BCN and lives right around the corner from where our apartment was located. The next night, the three of us caught up over drinks & dinner. Allasia showed us her apartment on the top floor of a building from the 1300's, with an amazing view of a plaza and church in El Borne. Christopher Columbus supposedly lived in a building right around the corner! Serendipitous Moment #2 The day after dinner with Allasia, we did a lot of walking and sightseeing. By 7pm we were exhausted, so my parents went back to their hotel and Chris and I walked back to our apartment. At the apartment I checked email, Facebook, etc. On Facebook I saw a picture of my cousin Mirta from Costa Rica in the plaza right around the corner from our apartment. It had just been posted. Luckily, she was still connected and I found out that she was in town just that day/night with her brother Alejandro so we made plans to meet for dinner at 10:30. The last time I saw Mirta & Alejandro was in 2004 when Chris and I visited Costa Rica so it had been a long time. Mirta & Alejandro were on a whirlwind European vacation visiting Paris, Barcelona, Morrocco, Rome, Florence and probably a few other places I’m forgetting. They were staying with their friend in BCN and all of us went to this great little Indian place in Barri Gotic where I had an awesome lentil soup. We loved catching up with Mirta, getting to know Ale (since he was so young when we first met him), and meeting their friend Ber. I took pictures that night but they never appeared on my phone:( Luckily Mirta got one! Serendipity, thank you! Barcelona was such a treat.
Wallmania = anytime a large group of Wallmans gather. My brother and I use this term in reference to Thanksgiving, when 25+ Wallmans re-unite for 1-2 days at my Grandma's farmhouse. While we didn't have the full crew, we did bring a little slice of Wallmania to Barcelona: my parents came out to visit us for 5 days! In fact, Chris and I are lucky that both of our parents made plans to meet us at different points along our trip. Mom & Dad Wallman chose Barcelona while Mom & Dad Barbier chose Southern Italy! Our Barcelona trip began with an overnight flight from Johannesburg to Zurich with a quick morning connection to BCN (as it is commonly called). We rented an apartment through Flipkey at 25 Regomir in a neighborhood called Barri Gotic which is the oldest part of the city. While crowded with locals and tourists alike, Barri Gotic is incredibly charming, filled with small winding streets lined with all sorts of interesting shops. We were just minutes away from the Cathedral, the famous Picasso Museum, La Rambla, the major shopping district and tons of little bars & restaurants. Our apartment was a nice size and we got a great rate compared to what hotels go for in the area. We had a living room/kitchen (with washer/dryer!), bedroom and modern bathroom. The apartment was an interior unit so it didn't face the street, but that meant it was quiet, which is important because people dine around 11pm and party all night in BCN. The only complaint I had about the apartment was that it faced an interior courtyard and the people below us smoked out their window all the time. The smell would wander into our unit - sometimes as early as 6am. Gross. I quickly remembered I was in Europe and cigarette smoke is simply inescapable. The day after we arrived we called Mom & Dad at their hotel which was located in the Plaza Espanya (in Barcelona they speak Catalan which is a bit different from the Castillian Spanish we are used to. So instead of España with a tilde over the n, they spell it with a y). Thus began 3 days of sightseeing on foot! Before this trip, I had been to Barcelona twice over 10 years ago and it's one of my favorite cities. However this was the first time my parents and Chris had ever visited, so we had a lot of ground to cover. Here are some of the highlights: Gaudi: Sagrada Familia & Park Guell Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) is an architect from the Catalan region of Spain, known for his unique style that incorporated various materials including ceramics, glass, stone and iron work. Most of his great works are located in Barcelona, including his most famous project - a basilica called the Sagrada Familia (technically it's not a cathedral as it does not seat a bishop) . Gaudi was hit by a train in 1926 and died at the age of 73, when the Sagrada Familia was only a quarter of the way through construction. He left detailed plans, however construction progressed slowly because it relied on private donations which were interrupted during the Spanish Civil War. Construction began again in the 1950's but was slow going, and by 2010 construction of the basilica had only reached it's midpoint. Currently they expect it to be completed by 2026 - the centennial of Gaudi's death. It's too difficult to describe this work of art in words - it's like nothing I've ever seen before. It seems to be made from a dream and after seeing it for the third time, I'm still in awe that Gaudi was able to materialize his vision out of stone and glass. Park Guell was commissioned by industrialist Count Eusebi Güell. It was originally part of an unsuccessful housing project that was inspired by the English Garden Movement. Only two houses were built (not designed by Gaudi) out of the sixty originally planned, as no buyers came forward. Eventually Guadi purchased the park and moved there with his family and father. It's definitely worth a visit, mainly for it's beautiful mosaics, lush gardens and stunning panoramic view of the city. There are a few other Gaudi buildings that we did not visit, mainly because there were very long lines. If you area fan of his work or architecture in general, it's worth buying tickets online ahead of time in order to skip hour-long lines. Plaça d'Espanya, National Museum of Art of Catalunya, Botanical Gardens & the Magic Fountains Plaça d'Espanya (Plaza Espana) is a beautiful, yet busy, plaza. It's beautiful because of the Italian-styled building called the Palau Nacional. In this building you'll find the National Museum of Art of Catalunya. Leading up to the palace is a series of fountains which dance to three different types of music every night from Thursday-Sunday. They are called the the Magic Fountains. Chris and I missed the show on Sunday but my parents saw it and said it was spectacular! We walked from the plaza up the palace stairs and into the botanical gardens. Montjuïc and the Olympic Park From the National Museum of Art of Catalunya we walked to the Olympic Park & Montjuïc where you can view beautiful views of the city and, if you are up for it, tour the old fort. We were pretty tired (and hot) by the time we reached the top of Montjuïc so we skipped the fort, stopped for a cafe con leche and then took the cable car down to Barceloneta for lunch. Barceloneta When I visited Barcelona while I was studying in Spain, I didn't even know Barceloneta existed! Barceloneta is home to the city's beach and boardwalk. It's a bit of a walk to the city's main attractions but if it's summer and you like the beach, this neighborhood would be a great option to look for a hotel. If you can swing a room at the W, you should go for it. It looks awesome!! Parc de la Ciutadella & Arc de Triumf Another nice little walk in Barcelona is through the Arc de Triumf to the Parc del Ciutadella. Afterwards, stop in the neighboring area of el Borne for lunch! Spanish Culture & Fashion I can't write about Barcelona without talking about the culture & fashion. When you visit, you will find that people here don't sleep much. Dinner starts around 10:30/11pm and they tend to stay out all night. When I was studying in Spain this was easy, as I was just 20 years old. I figured this time around we'd be in bed by 11pm! I was wrong. While we were exhausted after a full day of walking and went back to our apartment around 7pm, we ended up going back out for dinner at 10:30pm (for really great reasons which I'll explain in a future post). It's still light out at 10pm and, well, you just get used it. The fashion in BCN is also worth noting. I love the shops in Spain. LOVE. It was really hard refraining from shopping on this trip, but since I'm traveling with a backpack, I really have no room for new stuff. I did, however, admire the fashion from afar. Everyone is very bohemian, especially in Barri Gotic and El Borne. There are so many cute boutiques worth exploring. I highly recommend visiting these neighborhoods if you are looking for a few new interesting pieces! Well, that is my recap of our walking tour of Barcelona. Stay tuned for my next post on two very serendipitous moments in Barri Gotic & El Borne!
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AuthorEva has been traveling for 15+ years, including an 8 month journey around the world. Archives
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