Ramblin' the Las Ramblas

"It's raining again..."  Yup, we started off our days in Barcelona with more rain.  And remember my handy, dandy multipurpose hair dryer?  Well, one too many days of rain and my dryer blew a fuse and so I began my visit to Barcelona by dropping a few euros in my new favourite department store... El Cortes Ingles.  Not only did I need to replace my hair dryer but I also purchased a new pair of runners.  I told you my dogs were barking!

Back to Barcelona... besides rambling along the Las Ramblas, we saw the city sites via a hop on/hop off bus that circled the city (anything to give my feet a rest).  We wandered around (and up) the Sagrada Familia, the unfinished cathedral by Gaudi.  Again, I am no connoisseur of modern art... but I will say this, I like the inside more than I do the outside.

And now back to the Las Ramblas... imagine if you will Broadway Avenue in Winnipeg.  Picture the centre strip paved over and lined with kiosks of every variety, newstands, florists, vendors selling small animals like turtles, ducks, guinea pigs,etc.  Now picture the street having only two lanes of traffic, one in each direction and the buildings lining the street are also filled with more shops and cafes.  And to round out the picture, there are people leisurely walking along the centre strip of kiosks and street shops stopping to admire the merchandise or having a coffee or a glass of wine... another day in paradise.  I'm going to miss this when we get home.

How Great Is Granada?

How Great is Granada?  Firstly, Granada was great because there was no rain.  Days of rain dampen one's spirit (pun intended) and it is hard to feel the enthusiasm of a new and exciting place when you are cold, wet and really have no place to go because all the sites to see are outside.  So..no rain gave us (me) a chance to "dry out" the attitude and try again.  Secondly, (and really most importantly) Granada was fanstastic because it is SO different from the rest of Spain.  The Moorish influence is everywhere and without trying one can feel transported to the north of Africa just by walking down the street.  My personal favourite was the narrow street market of the Albaycin with its shops and shops of brightly coloured glassware, ceramic tiles, colourfully beaded scarves and more.  (Anyone for a belly dancing outfit?)  Man I wish I didn't have to carry a backpack:(

Soaking Up Seville

"It's raining again...oh no, it's raining again..."  So many marvelous mosiacs to see but it was off to IKEA to try and stay dry AND HAPPY!   What else are you going to do when your socks and shoes are soaking wet two days in a row?  When it wasn't raining, Matthew and I found another churro stand (but they weren't nearly as good as the ones we ate in Madrid).  Between rain showers, we soaked up (pun intended) as much of Sevilla as we could and when we were tired we read books beneath beautiful mosiacs in Plaza Espana.  (No, Matthew is NOT being tortured, he's reading his book using the iPad and the sun was too bright...or maybe he was playing Angry Birds, hmmm?)  Oh, by the way, did you know that the hairdryer is a multpurposeful tool?  It can be used to dry out little boy's shoes when they have stepped in one too many puddles!  We'll be back one day and just maybe we'll have more sun. 

My Madrid

 Madrid highlights: Amazing churros (deep fried rolls of dough) dipped in hot, liquid chocolate.  Dip and eat, double dip and eat, and drink, yes drink the leftover melted chocolate.  A moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips!!  The Mercdo de San Miguel, a charming tapas bar with something for everyone.  The 'mad' bull...he didn't get his morning coffee either, Ha! Ha! Ha!  The eat and repeat store - what kind of a name is that for a food establishment?  A nap on a park bench with my beloved while Matthew made friends with some Spanish kids at a local playground.  And finally 'on the road again', this time it's off to Portugal!

Basking in Basque Country

San Sebastian is a little jewel nestled on the northern coast of Spain bordering on France.  We fell in love with the city, our hosts Ramon, Begona, and Xabi and the Basque countryside.  We spent a day at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and I can now confirm with certainty that I am not a connoisseur of modern art.  Really a kitchen where we are not allowed to touch the cabinets let alone lean on the counters?  And no, that is not another rainstorm but another piece of modern art that 'goes off' every hour on the hour.  Like I said.....modern art and all.  But, we loved our stay and want to return (have I said that before?).