BARCA!

Yesterday afternoon, my mom, grandma and I arrived in Barcelona. Upon our arrival, we labourously pulled our luggage through the subway to the hotel. Our hotel is located on Las Ramblas, a very touristy part of town. And we have a balcony overlooking one of the most popular parts of the street. However, my mom had her first almost failure...she booked the hotel for June instead of May. But it was no problem! One major difference between Spain and England are the pick pocketers. Even though it is not very fashionable, I would recommend carrying your back pack on the front rather than the back, if you don't want to lose some valuables.

After freshing up at the hotel, we went to my favorite church in the world La Sagrada Familia. Every time I have been to Barcelona, I've checked on the progress of the church. Contractors have been building the church for over 75 years and it's thought it won't be done for another 50. I absolutely love the architecture of the church. Every detail has a specific meaning from the spiral staircases to the gargoyles. Unfortunately, the line was too long and we were too tired to go up the lift and climb around the top of the church. On our first trip, we did this and it is definitely something to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

We arrived on the day of the big soccer game: Barcelona vs. Manchester Utd. The city was thriving with blue and maroon fans flocking the streets. At the hotel, I met some students from a small liberal arts college in North Carolina who invited me to watch the game with them. Although we had no idea what was going on, we tried our best to cheer and boo appropriately. Among the students was a fellow ADPi sister!! Who would have guessed!?! It was great to meet someone who has the same appreciation as I do for diamonds and lions. We then went into the streets for a bit to experience the excitement of the Barca fans! We didn't stay for long because it got more rowdy than celebrations in the states. This makes Laker fans look terrible! If we win the NBA championship, I expect a celebration like this!

While the massive celebration was taking place, this was not the night to have a balcony on Las Ramblas. Cheers and fireworks didn't cease until around 2 in the morning when the police cleared everyone out of the streets. And this morning, it looked like nothing happened! There was no sign of the massive party that took over the city. Quite amazing if you ask me.

Earlier today, we finally boarded our cruise ship and currently we are headed to our first stop: Monte Carlo!