Did Carla forget how to shop?

 Another day in beautiful Barcelona - we got going easily enough but some of us have not recovered from jet lag and lost some sleep (Carla) which will play a part later on.  We are perfectly located in Barcelona with many food establishments within walking distance of all varieties, so we walked to a bakery for breakfast and then grabbed a cab from our hotel to Park Guell.

Park Guell overlooking Barcelona.

The park is located on a hill overlooking the town and we booked an audio tour ahead of time which was a wise thing to do as we saw a lot, learned a lot and moved around easily among the crowds.  The genius of Gaudi is again on display at the park which you will be able to see from a few pictures. 


Decorated columns hold up the top of the park. Water from above flows through the columns to an underground cistern.


 The only human figurine in the park as Bill leans on her. 


Unique formations and walks everywhere you turn.


This is the original guard building.



Relax time!

Can we join you for a quick rest?

We were here 12-yrs ago and this time we enjoyed the tour guide...lots of interesting information.

It got a bit warm at the park in the sun - 80 degrees with a nice breeze - and when we exited, we managed to find a taxi to take us back to the center of town to the general area of the Christmas store that we wanted to visit.  

We needed revitalizing, so a stop for a sandwich and drink helped revive us.  We walked on to try and find the Christmas store, which was not easy.  When we finally found it, we had to wait 20 minutes for it to open - we forgot about the Spanish tradition of siesta.  

While waiting Carla & Karen found a nearby chocolate store and that kept them busy while waiting for the Christmas store to open. Meanwhile Bill and Mike found a gelato store so Bill could get a fix.

Once the Kathie Wohlfahrt Christmas Store opened, we enjoyed one of the best Christmas stores ever.  Karen was dismayed to learn that Carla had forgotten how to shop.  It was really bad as she didn't buy anything when surrounded by some of the most amazing merchandise.  She said she didn't sleep but about 4 hours last night, so she was tired, and her shopping skills were still dormant.  Karen has her work cut out for her to jump start Carla's shopping skills on this trip. Then last minute on the way out of the store, Carla spotted an ornament and bought it. 

We forgot to take any pictures of the shopping experience in the store, but here are Karen's purchases. 

Mike & Carla told us about the best burgers in Barcelona they visited several times when here last. So, for our last night we enjoyed a great burger at Foc I Oli Hamburger Restaurant. 

Bill's blue cheese burger was big and juicy, great tasting as were the fries and beer. 

And Mike's traditional burger was great as well. 

Karen loved her salad and fries.

Unfortunately, Carla had an afib episode and stayed back at the hotel. By the time we got back, she had fully recovered.

Tomorrow after breakfast our driver picks us up at 10:30 am for the 1-3/4-hour drive to Tarragona, Spain where we'll board our cruise ship.




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