Patti sees the city...

Saturday, after I left, Patti had a chance to explore on her own. She jumped on the subway (which is brilliant in its simplicity), and headed to Park Guell on the north side of the city. This is the one part of the city I didn't get to during my trek around Barcelona. Apparently it's hilly, and has some awesome views of the city. It also is where one of Gaudi's homes is, so they architecture is bound to be interesting...

Finally, me in my FC Barcelona colors, and the worlds largest Apple store....

Last post from Barcelona...

I. Love. This. City. Don't know how else to say it...well, let me try. Te. Amo. Este. Ciudad. The people have been incredible, the food amazing, and the weather perfect. So glad to have taken the opportunity...and if you get the chance, do it, I know you'll love it too...Gracias, Barcelona...

Barcelona es muy fantastico!...

What an amazing city. And the weather has been gorgeous, 75 and sunny, just spectacular. Our hotel is perfectly located in the middle of the city. The first day's explorations took me around the neighborhoods near the hotel. The streets are busy with people coming and going, but also sitting, eating and drinking in the many cafes and tapas bars on every block.

Not far is an example of the famous modern architect Antonio Gaudi. La Sangrada Familia is a church started in 1882 and still not finished today, and not expected to be for 20 years (no, Gaudi's not around to help anymore)

The food here is amazing! (I warned you about the food pics) I was told most Barcelonians don't go out to eat before 9, and it definitely appears that way. On a recommendation we went to a tapas bar walking distance from the hotel (turns out all restaurants have been). It was 9ish before we set out, and when we got there, the place was jumping, with about a 45 minute wait. No worries, we got a glass of wine and soaked in the crazy nighttime atmosphere that is Barcelona. Oh, the night time temp? 65-70 degrees, just wonderful...Ok, the food...tapas, small plates, perfect for sharing, perfect for us. Waiting for a table gave us plenty of opportunity to watch what folks were ordering at the bar, so we had lots of questions for the server. Razorback clams, nut crusted chese with jam, amazing grilled shrimp, manchego cheese, and the Iberico jamon that Spain is famous for. So good...we left contented and full around 11, with plenty of hungry patrons just showing up for dinner...

Our Munich hosts...

Without a doubt, the best part of visiting Munich was staying with Patricia and Iain (Scottish Gaelic spelling of Ian). They couldn't have been more welcoming and generous, opening their home for us to stay, and making sure we experienced all the best of Munich and Bavaria. From making us a traditional Bavarian breakfast and taking us to a pub for Bavarian food, to showing us Munich and Oktoberfest, they were such gracious and generous hosts. And I can't forget Carlo and Elisha, their charming cat and sweet (supposedly) guard dog. It truly made the trip to Munich an absolutely memorable experience...

Oktoberfest...you have to see it to believe it

During Oktoberfest, you'll see many Germans wearing the lederhosen and dirndl dresses of traditional Bavaria. Patti and Patricia both dressed up for our trip to the festival. Unfortunately there were no lederhosen for me to borrow...damn.

Oktoberfest itself can best be described as a county fair...on steroids. It's held at a fair grounds type place, and has rides and booths with food and souvenirs. But the main attraction is the beer gardens or halls...10 or so buildings sponsored by different breweries, some of which can hold up 5-8 thousand people...no, that's not a typo. Inside these halls are rows and rows of tables filled with people eating roasted chicken, giant pretzels (delish) and drinking liters of beer. In the center of the hall, is a band, dressed in traditional Bavarian garb, playing everything from Bavarian drinking songs to Elvis to...you name it. And every one is standing on the benches, singing along to every word...
You really do have to see it to believe it...

...and the adventure begins!

After an uneventful 11 hour flight, and a slightly more eventful drive (we missed the turn and were on our way to Austria), we arrived at Patricia and Ian's home outside Munich. They're lovely people and had dinner and drinks waiting for us weary travelers.
We stayed up til 2 AM chatting with them and then fell exhausted into bed.

Saturday we woke up in Munich! Still hard to believe...Patricia made us am amazing traditional Bavarian breakfast of sausages, breads and amazing cheeses (sorry forgot to take pics, new to this blogging stuff). It was absolutely delicious.

Ian suggested we drive to Salzburg, Austria, only 130 km away. So off we went to explore the birthplace of Mozart, and the home of the Sound of Music.