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...