Our first stop was La Sagrada Familia, which was the dream church of Antoni Gaudi. The church was started in 1882 and is still being built today, scheduled for completion in 2026. It's truly amazing. It was packed so we explored the perimeter and then enjoyed views from the park while the kids played on the playground.
Our second stop was Parc Guell, another Gaudi masterpiece where nature meets architectural wizardy. We explored and climbed the terraces of the park as the rain started. Mom had a spill on the way down, muddying up her newest shoes and purse. All is well and Presley enjoyed taking some funny photos of Mom trying to clean herself up.
Our next stop was to the famous La Rambla, the pedestrian street that is always bustling with activity, both day and night. We started our exploration at the Font De Canaletes, where the kids fed pigeons near the 19th century fountain.
We then proceeded to eat our way down the Rambla, with a stop at Viena for the "best ham sandwich in the world" and a "damm" good beer. We then headed to Cafe de l'Opera to play some cards, enjoy people watching, and finally have some churros with chocolate. It was the first place someone tried to "swindle" us out of our change. Instead, they got "swindled" out of their tip.
We continued down the Rambla to check out the local entertainers and "statues". The kids loved seeing the statues "move".
We made it to the end of the La Rambla to see the Monument to Columbus, commemorating his return to Spain after discovering America.
And finally, we headed to Mercat de la Boqueria to pick up some tapas for home. This cavernous market has it all. We picked up some fresh bread and some chorizo to have in our apartment. 11,000+ steps for the day. We covered some good ground!
