Dave and Deb Stone were in Europe in early May, so we met up with them in Barcelona for a long weekend. It's always great when someone we know is on the same continent as we are - if nothing else, it's an excuse to get out of town. Unfortunately Deb was a bit under the weather that weekend, but we did get to spend time with Dave and get some heat. It was sunny both days and almost hit 80°! You can imagine how wonderful this was, as everyone says it was the worst spring on record here in Belfast and summer is proving to be just as bad (if you can even call this summer).
It was a weekend of gluttony (as our vacations inevitably are). About 20 feet from our apartment was one of the best bakeries I've ever been to (Fork de Pa - as pictured below). We stopped there every morning and the pastries were better than anywhere else. I also got some churros at some point (obligatory on a trip to Spain, I think). And the cava was flowing.
We had wanted to ride the Funicular de Montjuïc last year, but the two-hour wait deterred us. This time around we got in line before it was open and ended up waiting only about 45 minutes... lucky us. The wait was worth it, though, because riding the funicular was pretty cool. It was a short trip and a bit scary when it actually took off, but getting to the top was amazing, especially because some of the best croquettes we've ever eaten were waiting. We explored Montjuïc Castle, an old military fortress, for several hours before heading down and meeting Dave for a late lunch. Later that night we met Dave and Deb for dinner at a restaurant that burned us the night before when it was booked and I was hangry. (That's not a typo. Hungry + angry = hangry.)
On Sunday we rented bikes and thought we would bike up to Park Güell. If you want a tip, don't try to bike up to Park Güell. This park is on top of a hill and they actually have a funicular and outdoor escalators for people to get up it. Thanks for nothing, Lady Who Rented Us Bikes - we told her our plan and she said nothing of the lunacy of it. Anyway, after a seriously awful trek up (which started with biking but ended with me very angry and pushing my bike), we did find a back entrance. However, we were so tired and annoyed by that time we ended up leaving after about ten minutes. We'll explore the park next time. The trip back down (blissfully all down hill) wasn't half bad, though. We met Dave on the beach after that and got some of the seafood we'd been craving. Also, we spotted another cousin David lookalike. A real rarity.
We rounded out our short vacation with a trip to Can Paixano on Monday, now our favorite spot to hit when we're in town. The cava is €1 a glass with the stipulation that food must be purchased. Delicious, cheap, wonderful food. Done. More photos on flickr.
