For the long Easter weekend, we packed up our suitcase, baby formula, diapers, books, slumber bear, blankets, toys, stroller and other essentials and headed off to Barcelona...with Evie! It was her first real trip and she thoroughly impressed us with her international appeal and enthusiasm for travel.
In Heathrow, she was thoroughly entertained by all the people, blinking signs and the flying pigs in Hamley's airport toy store.
On the plane, after a rough start (ears), she assumed the appropriate travel position:
until the end when her ears got the best of her again.
The Barcelona airport is HUGE and for some reason we had to go through security again when we got off the plane before then going through customs. This was annoying, but allowed Evie and me to pose for some glamor shots. By this time I was looking my very best.
From the airport, we took a train, which took us right into central Barcelona. To get into central Barcelona by train it cost us 5 Euros! We felt pretty ripped off by the Heathrow Express after that.
From the train, we had to walk to the place where our keys to the apartment were being held. It was at this point that Evie had her first international meltdown. She was hungry and, being the sentimental aesthetic type that Jim is, he wanted us to get to a beautiful square, where she could enjoy her bottle. But Evie is the demanding type and she insisted on the first available bench, so we camped out on the sidewalk with our stroller and luggage while she enjoyed her first meal in Spain. Jim now understands that when Evie wants to eat, we stop, drop and feed.
Our apartment was in a central and touristy location, so we had access to everything we needed and could walk pretty much everywhere we wanted to go. On our first evening, we were so tired that we just managed to go to a cheesy, touristy tapas place and then to bed. We got a thing called a Safe-t-Sleep for Evie, which is basically two pieces of cloth that velcro together around a mattress and then another piece of cloth that velcros around the baby and keeps her straightjacketed in so she doesn't roll off. It was great and Evie got to stretch out on her own daybed and enjoy all the luxuries of home (sleeping bag, paci, books, slumber bear...)
Barcelona is known for its 'organic' Gaudi architecture, which Jim, good architecture student that he is, drools over. He was shocked and dismayed when I said it looked like something that should be a Disney World. But the buildings are still pretty impressive, if weird (in my opinion only).
Our first full day in Barcelona was Good Friday. Jim cooked us a delicious breakfast (he was our holiday chef) and had some essential play time with Evie before we headed out on the town.
Evie wore her finest Good Friday duds for her first excursion.
Our plan was to go out to a market, but since it was Good Friday, it was closed. Fortunately, there were plenty of people dressed up as various characters to entertain us as we figured out our next move. The people who paint themselves and strike a pose in New Orleans could learn a few things from these folks. The costumes were elaborate and wonderful. There was a man dressed as a paint splattered fireman, various angel types like the one who posed with Evie, some regal looking people and a guy who had his head on a platter and kept scaring the passers by. The street performers got themselves dressed and undressed on the street, so you could see their transformation from regular person to fabulous character.
We followed this hurrying priest down the road and into a church, where there were nuns and priests singing mass. Later we ran into them again, singing and processing with the masses in a Barcelona Square. Their voices are really beautiful.
A little later, we, silly fools, thought that Evie was enjoying the sound of her voice echoing. In fact, she was preparing to scream down the house. But she was just hungry and once she had her bottle she settled down for a long nap in her stroller.
After a rather long walk, we finally made it to the beach. As you can see it was a beautiful and beachy day. Evie was asleep in her stroller bubble, so missed her first beach, but we went back on Sunday so she could experience it all while awake (but still, unfortunately not in the ideal weather. Although that was probably better in her case):
The weather didn't dampen our spirits, though, and we continued to wander through Barcelona. We hung around the square where we saw the singing nuns and priests and Evie revived, ate and was, once again, happy.
Eventually, this place opened up and we had a very large and yummy lunch. Evie was, as usual, on her best behavior and the waiters all doted on her (that was our waiter in the background. He convinced us that we needed to get two paellas...they were good, but way too much food):
Evie in her stroller bubble, which keeps her warm and dry.
A market, where they were selling honey, cookies, cheeses and other delicious things.
Some pigeons. We didn't get pooped on.
More Gaudi.
Eventually we made it back to our apartment, where we rested before heading out again for what I thought was going to be a short walk, but which ended up being a pretty long walk to the Segrada Familia, which is the biggest chapel in Europe...and another Gaudi. It's unfinished and various architects have continued to try to finish it (with Gaudi's original design in mind). I think it's a pretty ugly church (gasp!), but it's definitely interesting to look at. We got a glimpse of Evie as a teenager while we were there:
She was pretty tired and so were we, so we called it a day and went back to our apartment for an exciting dinner of sandwiches and bed.
This picture is for Jack:
After our action packed Friday, we decided that Saturday should be a little less action packed. The sun came out! and we went to the market, which was open.
Yay for the sun!
This time, along with the street performers, there were a bunch of small pet shops set up. We tried to get Evie to notice the birds and bunnies, but she was more interested in the trees.
The market was packed with fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and lots and lots of colorful things.
Evie loved it and was looking around at everything that was going on:
After a break, we made our way to Gaudi's park--Park Guell--which was full of people enjoying the long weekend and the nice weather. We walked up a hill from the metro and at reached the park at the top:
There was definitely a lot of organic-ness going on. I enjoyed Gaudi more in park form than in church form.
There were musicians playing throughout the park, which we all really enjoyed. We particularly liked a guy who was playing a steel drum type of instrument. Evie was entranced and I will post a video as soon as I upload it. We also thought this guy was cool at first, but then we got stuck in his cave (it was raining) and realized that he was monopolizing the space and not letting a guy who played the harp start his set, so he lost points with us. But his instrument was pretty cool and sounded extra cool bouncing around in the cave he was playing in.
Stay tuned for the rest...here is a preview of Evie in her Easter finery (courtesy of Nana and Papa. Unfortunately she spit up all over it before we got out the door, so
her fanciness was short lived):
