Park Güell and Sagrada Familia

A game of tag after breakfast
as the rest of Barcelona sleeps

Thursday morning we headed to a delicious breakfast spot called "Milk Bar and Bistro" around 9:30.  Things really don't wake up in Barcelona until well after 9.  We were on the "early side"  We were embracing this going to bed later and sleeping in like never before.

After breakfast we all piled on the subway system and headed toward the famous Park Güell which was designed by world renowned artist and architect Antoni Gaudí.It took us a bit to adapt to the Spanish train system.  In Germany it is all completely on the honor system.  There are no gates or ticket takers.  If you ride on the train, tram, bus, etc.  you are expected to have a valid ticket.  And as far as I can tell the vast majority of Germans do have valid tickets.  They enforce this system with random security checkers.  They are unmarked employees of the BVG (company in Berlin that runs transportation) If you are checked and fail to produce a valid ticket it is a 60 Euro fine.  We have been checked maybe 4 times since living here and thankfully always have had a valid ticket.  I'm scared of these security checkers as everyone, including Julie, say they are super mean and can be aggressive and most people are a bit fearful of them. When we have been checked we have always been on the U-bahn or S-bahn but never on a tram or a bus.  In Spain you had to use a valid ticket to get through a turnstile to allow you onto the train platform.  We figured it out and were on our way.

Park Güell was just a handful of train stops away but up an enormous hillside.  So many people go to this park that they had functioning escalators built into part of the hillside to help pedestrians up the steep hills.

Marty and I went to Spain for our honeymoon (Madrid, Segovia, San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Barcelona) It was the first couple weeks of August 2005.  We didn't know when we planned our trip that nearly all Spaniards go to the beach during August and in particular the first couple weeks of August.  When we landed in Madrid we both commented on how quiet it was for such a big city.  Segovia was also pretty quiet (both of these cities are inland) Next we headed to San Sebastian and were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people!  Things were packed!  Hotels were super expensive.  We obviously knew this before arriving but didn't realize that this was because of the fact that the month of August is the time that Spaniards escape the city and head to the coasts.  I remember when we booked there were low, medium, high and the top of list: August for prices.  In 2005 when we headed to Barcelona it was record breaking temperatures and the streets and all touristy areas were PACKED because Barcelona is again on the coast. 

We, in particular, Marty didn't have the best impression of Barcelona due to the heat and the number of people there in August. We did go to both Park Güell and Sagrada Familia on our 2005 trip and do have fond memories of those 2 places so we were excited to take the family and the Neves there.
The Park was under some kind of renovations this time and unfortunately most of the mosaic part was covered up.  It is still a pretty impressive park inspired by and scattered with Gaudí flair.

After a couple hours walking around the park we headed back down the hillside, this time no escalators, and walked over to La Sagrada Familia cathedral. 

This is the largest unfinished catholic church in the world.  It is slowly being completed with an estimated completion date of 2026. It is kind of funny in that it looked in about the same stage of completion when we were last there back 12+ years ago. 

Still very unique and a bit "gaudy".  The kids were just interested in playing at the park right at the base.

Best friends at the base of Sagrada Familia
taking a break from the playground. 

After our full morning and afternoon the rest of the group take a siesta.  By the way, our family really took to the Spanish late to bed and late to rise as well as the Spanish daily afternoon siesta.   I just couldn't sit in a hotel room knowing that BARCELONA was right at my footsteps so I headed to La Boqueria market and wandered through happily taking photos and talking to random people and soaking up the atmosphere. 

That night we ate at another great Barcelona restaurant right around the corner from our hotel called La Fonda.  I really, REALLY enjoyed the food in Barcelona.  And our hotel was right in the heart of the city with limitless restaurant option.  Ice cream for dessert again.  It is vacation after all.