spain day 1

my favorite moment on an airplane-based travel excursion is the first breathe you take when you step our of your arrival airport and into the new air of the new place. it feels different on your skin, and might smell differently. the trees look different, maybe the language sounds new and different, maybe even the cars are different. it's the first blush of the new place, the first taste of the big feast to come, it's the reminder of the miracle of flight and the pleasure to be found in our differences. i love that moment.

and so we stepped out of the barcelona airport into the warm spanish afternoon sun after a long mostly sleepless overnight flight, a harried and hurried connection in london, with hungry bellies and tired bodies, and boom--there we were. in barcelona, getting a cab, in spanish, in the sun, with a view of the mediterranean and the pyrenees mountains, heading down the highway to our new apartment for the next 3 nights. our airbnb apartment was precious and wonderful, on the top floor (el atico) of a 5 floor building on calle corsega in the gracia neighborhood of barcelona. upon arrival, the housekeeper greeted and instructed us in rapid fire catalan-accented-spanish, said adios, and was gone. 

we went right out to the rooftop deck and marveled at our views.



the north-facing view toward the hills from the bedroom window wasn't bad either.


then we hit the streets, walking toward the city center past the famous architect gaudi's casa mila,


along a big protest in the middle of the glorious avenue of passeig de gracia--you guys, these avenues are gorgeous--the protest was over tyranny in government (also: side note...these catalans are into their independence, and their flag flies everywhere).


also, the buildings along the passeig de gracia are gorgeous.


we found a little spot for tapas and at all the seafood we could get. james ate bread and potatoes. both the kids drank their weight in lemon fanta in spain. we all win!




after dinner, we wandered closer to the old town city center along the rambla, managed not to have our pockets picked, ate gelato, and peeked at the ham and stalls at the boqueria market.




then we walked to the bar Loro, owned and operated by a wonderful wisconsin woman named jamie, to deliver a neighborhood tshirt. she is the friend of a friends, a former tenney-lapham neighbor, and as it turns out, a really really nice person. she gave us lot of hints and tips about barcelona, and tolerated our kids lying about on her bar sofas at 930 pm. she's great.


and then it was a short cab ride home, where the kids crashed into bed immediately, and david and i spent some time on the rooftop marveling at the nighttime view of the sagrada familia basilica, and marveling at our luck on the start of this adventure.