Sea Day and Back to Barcelona!

We were pretty tickled to finally have a sea day!

We did NOTHING

but

Enjoyed the view off our balcony!

We headed back to Avenida Palace once we returned to Barcelona.

The same driver picked us up.

We really enjoyed being pampered that's for sure.

There is just something about a prebooked driver 

who

 shows up with your name on a board!

Pampered...that's for sure! 

We got a kick out of our key for the room. 

 

It weighed about 5 pounds.

You were to drop it off at the desk when ever you went out

and

get it again when you came back!

It was too heavy to put in your pocket! 

Good way to never lose their keys! 

We were headed for the Hop On Bus when I spied this cute bag!

This lady was kind enough to fashion her bag for me! 

Our last tour started at Palau Moja

The street signs were on sides of buildings 

so

 you really had to keep an eye out to figure your way around.

The size of some of these door knockers was crazy! 

I think you would hear this knock in the stone building! 

This was a small group walking tour of La Rambla in Barcelona .

Our guide was from Columbia but came for a visit and never left! 

This mural was across the street. 

It was from the early 1800's 

and

was over the drinking station for horses.

It depicted the wall that used to be here 

showing people who came to market their goods on the other side of the wall. 

The new Mercat(Market) was in the same area! 

The food was incredible. 

It all looked so good I would love to have made something with it! 

Candies

Churros

Seafood of  EVERY kind

Macaroons

Flowers

Iberian Hams and meats

So much selection! 

We continued on as our destination was Montjuic

This made me giggle every time we saw one...

The odd bike that was nothing but a frame left but still chained to a post!

This brass cat was one of Fernando Botero's Fat Animal collections 

through out the city.

This one is in Raval

We visited Barcelona's first Hospital which is now a library

We took the subway to the cable car up to Mountjuic Castle.

This was fortress started in 1640

It served as a prison and even had a firing squad court at one time.

It was built on Montjuic hill which is 173 Meters about sea level! 

 

The city and the sea can be seen from all sides.

I thought this was interesting! 

Barcelona is part of the history of the metric system and specifically the history of the metre. 

On 16th March 1794 French astronomers Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre and Pierre François André Méchain measured the meridian arc distance from Dunkirk in France to Barcelona in Spain using the tower on Montjuic castle as the reference point in Barcelona. 

Using this measurement, they defined the distance of 1m for the first time.

I remember being in grade 3 

and

 Canada changing over to the Metric System!

I guess we were slow to come to the table!!

They even had sundials for the summer and the winter! 

After the tour,

 we hopped on the bus and toured around looking for a quilt/fabric shops.

The only shop we stumbled on was a knife and scissor shop.

Many shops in Spain only open up after 4pm.

We toured these streets earlier 

and

 all the little graffitti doors were closed.

Now they were open for business and there was so much color! 

Look at this rubber duckie store! 

Every kind you could want! 

This was in a art gallery...

I know I have seen this as a quilt in Houston at Festival! 

I am sure it won some awards too! 

We sat on the street for our last drink....

Moscow Mule in Barcelona...lol

Literally on the street!! 

We watched as a bus tried to make it's way around a corner and ran over a scooter. 

The driver got out...propped it back up and drove away! 

We found a fabulous little pasta restaurant right across the street

Good thing it was our last day or we would have rolled home! 

It was spectacular!!

I wish they made this DAMN Lemon beer in Canada! 

It was so refreshing! 

I tried it every chance I got! 

Christa 

Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

We were picked up by Luca on this day! 

He took us for a drive on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

These little towns were built on the side of cliffs.

We stopped for sip and a bite

How cute was Anita's tea pot! 

This eclair was divine! 

Lunch was in Sorrento 

We loved to check out where the locals shop

This market was so vibrant with color!

I was about to squeeze the lemons when I noticed a sign saying

"DON'T squeeze the fruit" 

I guess it's too inviting! 

We brought home a delicious Parmesan wedge.

We found a fire roasted Pizza place

It was half calzone and half pizza! 

Mount Vesuvius...

I have waited my whole life to check this out

(this and the pyramids...)

This volcano erupted August 24, 79 AD

It covered this city in 11 meters of ash 

and 

killed thousands of people

It was 12 square kilometers when it was covered. 

They have only uncovered a portion of the area so far.

Their streets were 'paved' with stones

These were walk ways between sidewalks

allowing 

chariots to pass through and people to walk across

You can see the wear marks from the chariot wheels 

The Romans were INCREDIBLE builders. 

Look at these floors!!

Murals

The theater

It is said that these people were small and short 

but 

why would they build the shelves so high?

They had plumbing in 79 AD!!!!

They didn't know the lead pipes were killing them 

but

seriously...Plumbing!! 

They have unearthed many of the deceased.

They fill the cavity with plaster in order to get a cast 

before 

digging the rest of the body out.

They suspect this causality was a woman as she had a baby bulge. 

They had 2000 casts at one time 

but

lost many to bombing in World War 2

There were taverns and shops of all kinds

This was a tavern with the wine vessels in the back. 

Court yards

The male anatomy represented power to them 

so 

lots of engravings like this...

The mosaic floors were incredible. 

Their road building skills are something to learn from! 

This house had a beautiful back yard with fountains 

and

gardens. 

These were the Roman baths with their amazing hot water spas

This was a very modern city! 

We just don't build things like this anymore. 

So much architectural style!

We didn't see many cats in our journey at all

This cat was a resident of Pompeii ruins. 

The guy in front of us was petting him! 

I think he loved cats... 

And probably dogs as he had a bulldog on the other calf! 

They still have acres of Pompeii to uncover 

and

 have preserved it for future digs. 

I was in awe of all I saw. 

By the end of this day, I thought I was DONE! 

My feet were killing me 

and

I was exhausted but pushed through it.

After all.... when will I get back to Pompeii??

Then my mom sent me a picture of my dad's ankle! 

He broke it riding his dirt bike that day! 

My feet felt alot better after that! 

lol

He's on the mend!

Should be back up and running in a few weeks! 

Christa