17th Anniversary in Barcelona

For our 17th wedding anniversary we were able to farm out the kids to some great friends and spend the weekend in Barcelona.  Randy had a conference near Barcelona so I joined him for a couple nights before heading back home.  It was a great weekend of relaxing taking in the sights at our own pace and eating whenever we wanted.  Oh to travel sans enfants!!  Don't get me wrong, it is great traveling with the kids and seeing things through their eyes, but a trip without kids is much needed for mom and dad and the kids.

Our only must see tourist stop was La Sagrada Familia.  It is the Basilica of Barcelona and designed by architect Antoni Gaudi and has much work remaining before it is complete.  It is absolutely amazing with all the beautiful stained glass windows and columns that look like trees.

Front of church with some of the different facades.

Randy in front of La Sagrada Familia.

Spires with colorful tops that are hard to see.

Inside looking towards the back with the tree like columns and stained glass.

Close up of  the back.

Stair case going up one side of the church.

Beautiful lighting with the sun coming through the stained glass.

The alter

Now that our one tourist stop was complete it was time to wonder through the city and take in the sites and do some shopping.

Band operated by someone riding a bike to produce the power.

We decided to make one more stop to see more of Antoni Gaudi's work.  We headed to Güell Palace which is a mansion Gaudi designed for Eusebi Güell, and industrial tycoon.  The detail in the work was just amazing and we both enjoyed the audio guide!

Dining room with ornate chairs and ceiling.

Rooftop with colorful ventilation.

We also made our way to the port where we happened to cross when they were opening the bridge to allow a boat through.  There was a market set up and we stopped for some appetizers and beers before heading out for our last dinner in Barcelona.

Open bridge letting the boat through.

We had a great weekend of exploring, shopping, and eating but we were ready to get back and see the kids!  They had a great time at their friends house but time to get back to the grind of work and school for one month before our guest filled summer starts.