Digital Film

Check out this short video of Jessica and me riding the Ferris wheel at beautiful Tibidabo Parque in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona Breakdown

07-21-09

Made it to Barcelona easily enough but then had to wait in line at the station for train tickets for more than an hour. I kept looking out the window and wanting to run outside and see the city. Finally our number was called and we booked the tickets. From there, we took the metro to the hotel. Low and behold, Barcelona has the cleanest metro I have ever seen! And, brace yourself, its air conditioned! We were so started by its cleanliness that it took us a few minutes to realize how cool it was. We jetted right to our stop and bounced up the stairs. At the top, I turned around and squealed, “SPAIN!”. It’s amazing how instantly different everything is as you travel from city to city or country to country. The language, the signs, the customs all change. And there you are discovering it – something new each day. Just a few feet from the metro stairs we turned and looked down the street to see the Sagrada Familia looming just a few blocks away studded with cranes and scaffolding. Two streets over and half a block from our hotel the beautiful Hospital St. Pau complete with delicate clock tower and tile roofs. I could barely contain myself. I have been dreaming of Barcelona for years and here I was.

Ok so we chose this place for dinner mostly because of its cute sign.

We checked into the cushy hotel (big room, twin beds, and baby bathtub) and headed out to dinner. We picked a cute place with a little patio overlooking the Sagrada Familia. We had sangria (of course), roasted chicken, salad, and traditional bread rubbed with garlic, oil, and tomatoes. By the time we finished yet another marathon meal it was around 11pm.

We decided to walk toward the Sagrada to have a look. It was only a short walk down the hill. As we got closer the cathedral seemed to quadruple in size. The Sagrada, tinted gold by floodlights, shoots nearly straight up from the ground. The street was almost deserted. We lay on the ground and snapped pictures staring up at its massive, breathtaking beauty. It was totally disarming to see it for the first time at night, alone and quiet, without the sun and hordes of tourists to distract your attention. About 30 minutes later, our time was up as the cathedral’s floodlights went black for the night. I could have stayed all night if we hadn’t been shooed away by the darkness.

We went back to the hotel and stayed up late, dizzy with excitement about the days to come.

07/22/09

Lazy morning getting ready for a hot day in Barcelona. Let me tell you it is hot here – Florida hot. No joke. The reason that metro was so cool is because it has to be. Otherwise people would be dropping like flies. We loaded up with water, braced ourselves for sunburns, and made our way from the hotel to the Hospital St. Pau. Here, we got our first glimpses of Modernista architecture.

We weren’t sure whether or not the buildings were still in use as a hospital then as if on cue an ambulance pulled up and a patient was wheeled out by orderlies. Pretty nice accommodations for those who need them.

From there, I had to get inside the Sagrada Familia for a look around. The cathedral has been in an almost continual state of construction for the past 150 years. At this point, its slated to open for worship sometime in late 2010 but construction won’t be finished for at least another 30 years. From the outside it looks nearly complete but the second you walk into the cathedral you see just how unfinished it is. We also learned that the towers currently erected are only a handful of those that will make up the finished structure. It is truly a construction site with scaffolding, hard hats, forklifts, the whole nine. Not the usual quiet calm you feel when you enter the church but thrilling in an amazing way. Jess and I stumbled around for awhile, our necks craned trying to take in every detail.

At points we were speechless – it was that beautiful and unlike anything we had ever seen. I have visited many mosques, temple, churches and cathedrals in my travels which have taken centuries to complete. The Sagrada will have a similar history. It’s amazing to think that I will remember having visited here while it was still under construction. We browsed the museum and headed back out into the blinding sunshine.

We weighed our options about what to do next. I knew there were quite a few things I wanted to see in the north of the city and Jess wanted to visit the beaches toward the south. We opted to get one of those hop on/hop off double decker tourist buses to get a good look at the city, an audio tour, and free rides all over town for the next two days all for only 20 euro. We bought our tickets at a little kiosk and were directed to the bus stop about 100 meters away and around a corner. We walked up to a line of about 100 people milling about in the sand. A couple of buses pulled up. They only had room for two passengers. We found the catch. We waited around in line and we finally got on the bus 30 minutes later. From there, it was a short trip to Parque Guell of Gaudi fame. The bus pulled up to the stop and there was the line again. This time it was longer - 200 melting tourists begging for a ride. Oh well - up to the park. We stopped by the famous dragon fountain and made our way to the overlook.

The mosaics and the curvilinear lines of the terraces were beautiful. You could see all of Barcelona and a man was playing Spanish guitar for spare change nearby. Perfecto. Down the hill a little ways was Gaudi’s house.

The Pink house has white molding around the windows and doorways that looks like art nouveau meringue. We tripped through the gardens, ogled at parrots in the trees, and then made our way back down the hill.

We stood in the line for about 10 minutes before we threw in the towel and walked down the hill to a less populated stop. It took about 20 minutes but we got a nice glimpse of the neighborhood and managed to find the ever-elusive international stamps we had been looking for since we were in France. Barcelona is an exceptionally safe-feeling, family oriented town. There wasn’t a moment that I felt ill at ease or found a neighborhood that felt seedy. Everyone was well dressed and friendly -- a far cry from both Marseille and Paris. I loved those places too but Barcelona is a breed apart.

Anyway, we made it on to the bus (with no wait – suckers!) and zipped up the hill. The audio tour mentioned something about a cathedral and an amusement park and suddenly I remembered that it was one of the top things on my to-do list. Tibidabo Park is atop one of the highest points in the city.

We took a blue cable car (just like in San Fran) half way up the hill and then a really old fashioned but newly zebra-print painted funicular all the way to the top. I swear I have been on every mode of transportation imaginable on this trip. At the top there is a beautiful cathedral surrounded (almost bizarrely) by an amusement park.

The rides at the very top of the hill are practically antique but the park continues down the hill with more modern rides. We walked around and snapped shots of all the amazing old rides and took in the view. We were so high we could see the port and the ocean at the far southern edge of the city. Jess poked and prodded until I agreed to get on the rickety Ferris wheel and it turned out to be one of the most amazing moments of this entire trip. Jess screamed through the first 30 seconds of the ride as we whirled around on the edge of a cliff. It was amazing.

Later, we visited the cathedral just as it was closing – more beautiful mosaics and architecture.

By now it was past 9 and the cable car and tour buses were no longer running. No prob – we walked down the hill and caught the metro. Just 10 stops and 1 transfer later we were home. We stumbled up from the metro and decided to try a little joint called Riko’s because they had a sign out front that advertised a two for one meal deal. We ended up having one of the best meals we’ve had since we’ve been here.

Roasted chicken, salad, fries, and 3 mystery dipping sauces that blew our minds. To top it all off, our bill including drinks was 11.50 euros. Total. It was so good that we tried to go back again today. Wouldn’t you know it, it was closed for mediodia.

Headed home for a MUCH NEEDED showers and hit the sheets.

07-23-09

Today was our last day in Barcelona and we had much to do. We took the metro to the Plaza de Catalunya to see the National Palace (now the Museum of Catalonian History) and the famous Square.

We got on the tourist bus again and zipped around the western hills of Barcelona past the 1992 Olympic Park and then back down toward the port and the beaches. We saw La Rambla and the Columbus monument then decided to get off the bus at a stop near the oldest cemetery in Barcelona and Bogatell Beach. We walked toward the beach to have a look. The water was dark blue and full of waves.

As we surveyed the crowd we saw the usual families, 20 somethings, and old folks you usually come across at the beach. It took us a few minutes but then we noticed that nearly every woman in the crowd was topless. They just didn’t look topless because their boobs were just as tan as the rest of their bodies with no tan lines in sight. It was pretty funny to see all these grandmas running around without their shirts on. Some just weren’t wearing tops, others had their suits rolled down. I saw one well endowed woman lift her breasts and literally rest them on her knees. Jess brought some shorts and jumped into the Mediterranean for a dip. I hung out in the sand and took pictures.

From there we hit the cemetery and saw some great statuary. This one is called The Kiss of Death. Morbid to say the least.

We hopped back on the bus and headed toward the Barri Gotic. This area has a lot of medieval and roman architecture. Very cool. We had lunch at a little café. I had paella Valenciana. Yummy. Later, we stopped for some ice cream at a shop that has been operated continuously by the same family since 1883.

Back on the bus we headed for home but had to change over to a different route to get there. The lines here were very long once again and with the temperature soaring over 100 degrees we just couldn’t stick it out in the sun any longer. We decided to take the metro home but got stuck when we had to transfer to a connecting line. We climbed the stairs out of the metro and ran smack into Gaudi’s La Pedrera building by accident. Score! We took some pictures and found the stop for the bus route we needed to head toward home. No lines here. We got on, took a short spin around the city and got off in front of the Sagrada Familia. Our hotel was a straight shot up the hill about a 10 minute walk. Because of the heat it was slow going and we tried to stick to the shade as much as we could. Needless to say, we were beat. We had already checked out of our room in the early morning so we set up camp in the lobby to research directions to our hotel in Madrid and I worked on my blog a little.

After about an hour, Jess and I headed to the grocery store to get snacks for the train. We picked up some salami, manchego cheese, crackers and pistachios to snack on while headed toward Madrid. We are sad to be leaving Barcelona. I really loved this city and took to it immediately. I feel like we did so much in our time here but I feel like there is still so much I want to see or explore more deeply.

Au revoir France, Hola Spain!

Just got internet access for the first time in three whole days. I know you all are chomping at the bit for an update so here it is:

July 18

I made my way out to Charles De Gaulle to pick up Jess without a hitch. Stood in front of Jess’ gate and within five minutes she strolled out. It was so nice to see a familiar face! We hugged for about 20 minutes and then walked back toward the RER trains to Paris. We stopped in a little airport bar, ordered some champagne and toasted to our birthdays and our European adventure. Jess made me the coolest card.

We finally got the Metro and decided to run to the train. I made it on and Jess didn’t! I got off at the next stop and circled back to meet her. It wasn’t a very nice introduction to the Metro.

We got off at the Bastille stop to take advantage of the little walk back to the hotel to give Jess a look at the neighborhood. We stopped by a little market and picked up a 2 euro bottle of champagne to take back to our room. We staying in the same hotel that I had been staying in during classes but tonight we had booked a triple instead of a double. The room was easily twice the size and we had a balcony overlooking the Bastille. Jess and I stepped out on the balcony and popped open the champagne. Swank.

We decided to have French food for dinner and we went to a local bistro. Jess had her first croque monsieur and loved it. In traditional French style our meal lasted about 2 hours. We had so much catching up to do.

We hoped to head to the Eiffel Tower that night and see the lights but unfortunately it was raining by the time we left the restaurant. We were both exhausted and we headed to the hotel to get a good night sleep for the next day.

July 19th

Paris here we come

This was Jess’ only full day in Paris and we needed to make the most of it. We had a traditional French breakfast at the hotel and smuggled out 2 ham sandwiches for a picnic lunch.

Atop the Eiffel Tower

First things first, we hit the Eiffel Tower. It was only 10 am by the time we got there but the lines were already snaking around under the tower. We figured that if we got in line it could be at least an hour before we even got tickets for the lifts. We noticed that there was barely a line at one of the pillars. It was for the stairs. Tickets were half price and there was no wait. There were tons of stairs but it saved us hours of waiting. We only went to the second floor because from there you have to take a lift and the lines were crazy. I hadn’t been up the tower during the day and the views were incredible. We took a ton of pictures and then headed to the Louvre.

We bought a couple pastries and ate our lunch in the grass overlooking the Louvre complex. It was another beautiful day in Paris. I have really been lucky with the weather since I arrived. We finished our lunch and headed inside to see the collection. Yet again, 4 hours in the Louvre wasn’t enough. We got to see a lot but I’m sure there are so many things we missed.


We had to catch a train later that evening and Jess really wanted to hit the Carnavalet Museum and walk around the Marais neighborhood before we left. We headed back toward the Carnavalet Museum (which is very near the hotel) and took a look around. A painting in the museum’s collection is one of my favorite things I have come across during my stay. We also took a look at the French Revolution room and got see locks of Marie Antoinette’s hair and the furniture from the royal family’s jail cell. Very cool.

Unfortunately our time in Paris was up, so we grabbed our stuff from the hotel and headed for the train station. It was only one stop down the track on the Metro so I figured and hour would be plenty of time. I was horrified to see our train pass the stop we needed. For some reason the stop was closed for the weekend! We just had to get off at the next stop. Luckily I found someone who spoke English and we ran to the station. We were running a little late but had time to grab a sandwich. Then we realized that we had forgotten to validate Jess’ rail pass about 5 minutes before our train left. We ran through the station and we were able to get everything taken care of just about 1 minute before the train left. If we hadn’t made it we would have been stuck in Paris for another 3 hours. Close call!

Marseille by night

We made it to Marseille in just 3 hours. Our hostel was very close to the station and the other major sights in the city, completely adorable, super clean, and super cheap. Jackpot. I love the internet for helping me find this place. It was a dream come true. We dropped off our stuff and decided to have a look around. It was nearly 11 pm but the hostel had a little bar and courtyard. We split a bottle of wine and chatted.

Down the street from the hostel we found this tiny locals bar and went inside. The bartender didn’t speak any English but we managed to get our drinks and find a seat. He turned on the jukebox and rainbow disco ball just for us. It was so fun.

Headed back to the hostel and dragged my tired self up a ladder and into my bunk bed. Now that is not as easy as it used to be.

July 20

We woke up the next morning and decided to walk down to the port. Along the way we found a beautiful cathedral and managed to catch the end of Sunday mass. The hymns were so beautiful in French. Just outside the church were two sculptures of giraffes made out of books. Very cool.

Port of Marseille

Down a side street we found a farmer’s market complete with open air butcheries and fish mongers, produce, and baked goods. Apparently there is a very large Muslim community in the city of Marseille and their influence was very apparent at the market. This whole section of the city felt very much like Cairo complete with hookah bars and tea shops. Then we walked the rest of the way down to the port and harbor. This area felt very much like Greece. The Mediterranean is such an amazing color – almost like dark blue velvet. All around the harbor vendors had little tables set up selling jewelry, soap, lavender products (very famous export of Provence), shirts, baskets, everything you can think of. We found one vendor selling antique postcards of Marseille and bought a couple.


We noticed a little gas powered train that takes tourists around the city. We hopped on and for only 7 euro we got a great tour of the city and a free ride to the Basilica at the highest point in the Marseille. This area was much more mountainous and rocky than I expected. Along the way we got to see the island prison that inspired the Alexander Dumas book The Count of Monte Cristo and panoramic views of the sprawling city of Marseille.

The Basilica. See the boats?

Finally at the top of the hill was the stunning Basilica de Notre Dame de la Garde. Inside models of boats and planes hung from the ceiling on long strings and the walls were covered with paintings of maritime and aviation disasters. The church is dedicated to the struggle of pilgrims in their journeys and so is covered with images of boats and planes. I have never seen anything like it. The outside of the Basilica also bears scars from battles fought there during World War II. We sat for a while in the church and then hit he church cafeteria for a crepe and hot chocolate and bought a couple of things at the gift shop. The wind was strong at the top of the hill and so ended the day with both windburn and sunburn! Totally worth it though!

We went back to the hostel to share a 3 euro bottle of wine and write postcards (which we still haven’t had a chance to mail – dang post office). Later that night met an 8 year old who totally schooled me in French and then did the moonwalk.

July 21

Early morning train and again we’re running! Even though we give ourselves plenty of time to make it to the station there is always some miscommunication and confusion to clear up before we are safely aboard our train. While the train system here is extremely impressive and comfortable I’ve been surprised to find that most rail employees have no idea what they are looking at when I show them my rail pass. The rail passes are written in English and for the most part the conductors look at the passes shake their head and shrug their shoulders. They just let us sit on the train and for the most part they aren’t making us fill in the dates on our passes. We purchased 5 days of travel and so far we have used 4 of those days but have only had 2 days documented. We traveled all the way from Paris to Marseille on a TGV (high speed train) and we didn’t have to use a day of our passes. The tickets for that train run about 200 US dollars. We basically got to Marseille for free! Now we have an extra day of train travel to use when we are in Spain that we planned to pay for out of pocket.

Lunch in Arles. This fan has turned out to be the best 4 euro I ever spent.

Anyway, off to Arles then on to Nimes to spend the night. Arles turned out to be really cool. This was the place I wanted to see most in Provence and it didn’t disappoint. The city is riddled with history and we strolled around with our packs taking in the sights that ranged from Roman to Medieval to Renaissance.

The city’s claim to fame is that Van Gogh painted some of his best works and cut off his ear while living in Arles. The sun is hot here but it is very pleasant in the shade. We had lunch at a little café. I ordered something from the menu that said steak hache and frites. What came out was a baguette filled with salisbury steak and topped with French fries. Surprise, it was delicious.

Packin' it in

Around three we left Arles for Nimes. Jess and I had been lugging our packs around all day and we were exhausted by the time we got to the hotel we decided to take a shower and a nap. We took a look at the local amphitheater (the best preserved) and withdrew to the quiet cool of our hotel. The Hotel de Provence turned out to be an adorable ramshackle place with a tiny one person lift, floor to ceiling windows, and pink toilet paper. Jess and I had another two hour meal – I had real fettuccine carbonara complete with a raw egg cracked right on top. The yolk was bright orange and frankly it was a little scary. I mixed it in and miraculously it made a creamy sauce. It was very good.

Hotel de Provence. Doing laundry French style.

On our way to dinner. The hotel had these huge mirrors in every hallway.

We are on our way to Barcelona. I have been accidently speaking Spanish to every person in France and I’m looking forward to being able to read signs. I have become accustomed to the sound of French and picked up some vocab that has made things easier. It is hard to imagine that in under a week I will be headed home. I will miss this so much. But we have Spain to conquer before then.

p.s.- I know, I know I talk a lot about food. Let me know if it's annoying.