Month: July 2019

Barcelona

July 24, 2019

Coming into Barcelona, we noticed the humidity went up quite a bit. Being that it is next to the ocean would cause that.

Our time in Barcelona, we tried the tour bus where you sit on the top of the bus and listen to the audio guide tell you about the buildings and the various areas.

Gaudi is very well known in the area as he built several buildings. The most noted building is the Sagrada La Famillia church. It is a church like no other. And it’s actually still in construction until 2026. That is the deadline they have to finish it. The one side of the church represents the birth of Jesus while the other side represents the death and the rising of Jesus. The details of the church are just amazing that you really need to see with your own eyes. The gentleman that put the stained glass in, studied the light of the church for one year before putting the glass in. And he captured the light perfect through color. It truly is something to see while here.

The ocean in Barcelona reminds us of the oceans of America. However, the beaches are a little different. There was a section of beach that if you didn’t bring a bathing suit, no problem, Just wear your birthday suit! 🙂 Several men and women were completely butt naked sitting in the sand, showering, and running into the ocean. Not something you see while in America.

The other thing while here is to try the food. Paella is great here. Sausages are different but wonderful. Salami’s have a little different spin to them but delectable.

Although it was nice to see the church, coming here wasn’t anything special. And being that we are not into architecture that much, we probably won’t be back.

Our time in Paris

July 24, 2019

It’s amazing how cool it is to see icon buildings in person. Or see things up close and personal that you’ve only seen in movies, pictures, etc. That was the case as we visited and walked around Paris. Being that it’s a bigger city, we only scratched the surface while we were there. But we manged to see all the main things there in the city.

The Eiffel Tower both during the day to climb the stairs and then take the elevator to the top. And in the evening when it sparkles in the night. It only does the light shows at 10pm and 11pm. However, it’s still a little light out at 10pm, so we chose to go see it at 11pm when it was dark. Totally worth it both times.

The Louvre with the glass pyramid in the middle surrounded by old art. And of course, seeing the famous Mona Lisa. It’s smaller than you think it might be but big enough to see from a little farther away. It was very crowded in this room. And not too many people moved out of the way so you could get close.

The “lock bridge” was neat to see. It’s been featured in movies and such. So we walked across the bridge to view all the locks.

The Arc de Triumph. A building in which drivers, circle around to get into the city. We chose not to go up into it. But instead, take pictures and move on.

Montamarte area where you pass by shops then head uphill toward the church to view Paris from a different point of view. We encountered beer salesman and musicans while on the trek.

Paris is definitely a city worth seeing. But know that it is expensive so save up before coming here. 🙂

First time in Paris…

July 8, 2019

We arrived in Paris and got to our hotel, just in time to refresh ourselves and be ready for our 7pm local guide tour.

Silva was waiting when we walked downstairs to the hotel lobby. This was a 3 hour walking tour and we were ready to hit the streets and see some sights.

She walked us to the Saint Michel area which also has the Notre Dame. Due to the fire we could not get too close but close enough for pictures. Notre Dame is situated on an “island” but with all the streets, bridges, etc, you can’t tell.

We tried a crepe from a more local place both savory and sweet.

Next we walked to the Pompidou area which is more of a contempary art place. We had cheeses, meats, and wine.

Then she took us to the Trocadero area which is a area directly across from the Eiffel Tower. We missed the light show but since we now knew where to go, we planned on seeing it the next night.

She walked us back to our hotel and we we soon crashed out from traveling.

Last day in Roma

July 8, 2019

On our last day we just walked around and took in the sites ourselves.

A gelato here, a pizza there. We got away from the touristy areas and noticed again that it was very dirty.

Toward the end of the day, we headed to the Ice Club. It was a tourist trap but we went anyway. You had to put on a coat so you wouldn’t freeze. It was -5 degrees Celsius and very small. Being that we were quite warm from walking around in the sun, being in here felt quite good. The glasses were completely made of ice and there was a small cup to hold it up. The decor was full of ice sculptures and seating made of ice. We only started becoming cold after being there awhile.

After that we started the trek back to the hotel. And ready to say goodbye to Rome.

Do as the Romans Do

July 6, 2019

On our first full day in Rome, we did a full tour of the city with a guide.

We went to the Colosseum and saw how the area developed into what we know it become of.

Then we were off to various areas of the city. Piazza’s, the Pantheon, the Vatacan, Sistine Chapel, and Bastillica.

The architecture of the times is quite amazing and beautiful.

When in Rome

July 5, 2019

Coming to Rome takes quite a bit of time. And you end up losing a day. But definitely well worth it.

Our hotel was pretty close to the metro station. Which was quite large. Not only was it the main hub for metro traveling it also had quite a bit of shops, eateries, etc.

The one thing we noticed was it was a lot dirtier in non touristy areas than the touristy ones.

On our first night there we walked the area around us. We decided on a small restaurant off the beaten path thinking it was more local. The food was just okay and to our amazement they charged a 20% tax! We didn’t see it on the menu but we didn’t look for it either as we were not aware of it. Even though the food looked good it was just okay, except for the pizza.

Pipi with cheese and pepper. Reminds me of Mac and cheese in a way.
Sausage pizza

After the disappointing meal we walked around a little more before heading back to the hotel.