Melinda and Kate’s Guest Blog

And now . . . Barcelona.

Goodness we really WERE busy while we were not blogging. Here’s the co-wrote guest blog from Melinda and Kate . . . (Katie and Steve, you’re on deck!)

Our trip to Barcelona was awesome partly due to our guide book, ‘Top 10 Barcelona.’ In the spirit of the book (which basically tours Barcelona in a series of top 10 lists), we offer you the revised version (the better version) of the Top 10 things about Barcelona:

1. Garlic Mayo – A potent mayo/garlic combo that the Catalans practically lick off their plates. Its fine to dip your fries in it just a little but they slather it on.

2. Sangria – Cheap, tasty, and perfect at anytime of the day.

3. Barcelona Bread – Served with most meals, this one was genius. Baked bread drizzled (sometimes drenched) with olive oil and then rubbed with tomato.

4. Rat Tails – Not just an American thing anymore. Common folk and the uber fashionable sported this look all over the city.

5. Street Escalators – Barcelona is pretty hilly and to get to some the best views and/or places, you actually had to use outdoor escalators to reach your destination. Parc Guell began with a near vertical hike up to the first of three escalators.

6. Hot Girls on Motorcycles or Mopeds – Kate pointed this out and we all followed suit. These chicks looked so awesome carrying their helmets and riding their hogs.

7. Gaudi – Gaudi is Barcelona.

8. Mosaic Stuff – Partially because of Gaudi, Barcelona is absolutely COVERED in mosaic stuff. Benches, walls, columns, buildings, lots of Barcelona tchotchkes in all shapes and sizes . . . you name it, it comes in mosaic.

9. American Section – Almost every time we went into a cute little restaurant, we were escorted through a kitchen or other narrow passage – or three – back into an unknown and empty corner of the restaurant that we decided was the American section. VIPs only. From here, Andy consumed massive quantities of chorizo.

10. Phil and Jackie – A very nice couple from the Lehigh Valley. We met them in the line for the taxi in the middle of the night, and then we met up with them at the Palau de la Musica Catalana and then at the Picasso Museum, and THEN, they took us out for lunch. They were outrageous.

A bit more about Phil and Jackie. They were married and then divorced and then married again, and they do not – shall we say – get along like peas in a pod. They get along likecucumers in a pod, or something otherwise uncomfortable. This was very clear when Phil spilled his glass of red wine and a few droplets found their way to Jackie’s blouse. She looked like she might just punch him. Or maybe throw hers at him. Oh yeah – that would have been funny. Instead she just yelled at him and made him feel really bad. This only got worse when he accidentally started drinking HER wine while she was trying to clean up. Oh Phil. Poor fella probably didn’t have a good night.

One story that didn’t quite make the top 10. One day while we were sipping Sangria in a little plaza, the oddest family (La Prima Loco Familia) in the world appeared. They pulled up in some broke down looking hatchback, on a road that’s not meant to be driven, sat down at one restaurant but tried to order from another – ordered drinks from the right restaurant but pulled food out of their car (still parked on the curb), and pumped music from their car stereo while people were trying to enjoy a quiet lunch. Only they couldn’t seem to get the music just right so the teenager had to keep going to the car to change the music. And to top it all off, they had the tallest hair in the universe. The tallest-haired family in the universe. Find another family with taller hair – go ahead, try.

Finally, we should mention how we spent our time in Barcelona. We ate and drank a lot, but other than that, we went to the Sagrada Familia (to the top even), walked up to see the view from Montjuic, looked at the sea glass on Barceloneta beach, checked out La Pedrera – an apartment building designed by Gaudi, strolled along Las Ramblas, did some shopping, went to Parc Guell, another Gaudi masterpiece which contains his former home (now a museum which we also went to), explored Josef market, the Palau de la Musica Catalana, the Picasso Museum, and that might be just about it. But that’s a lot for four wonderful days.

Have a look at the pictures.

And look how quickly we’re catching up . . .