Aloha Everyone,
This is an interesting time to be visiting Barcelona. It is the capitol of Catalunya. Catalan flags wave side by side with Spanish flags. For us, it’s a little reminiscent of Hawaii where in Nanakuli and Waianae Valleys, Hawaiian flags wave side by side with American flags. The political dispute over an independent Catalonia after a controversial referendum last Tuesday is constantly on local news channels.
Our accommodation at Hotel Ibis Sagrada Familia Barcelona is less than a 10 minutes walk to one of the best known tourist destinations in Spain, Sagrada Familia. The first glance of Gaudi’s whimsical, playful, timeless masterpiece is heart stopping. His genius is incomparable. Visitors are awed struck and those trying to describe the sight on their phones were at a loss for appropriate words. There were dark uniformed Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) all around the block, clearly standing out among the sea of bright clothes tourists.
I will write in-depth comments about the amazing Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and his fantastic church tomorrow after our visit.
For our first local meal, we shared a small tapa of olives and Paella Mariscos. The olives were specially deliciós (delicious in Catalan). We returned to our hotel room with a selection of fruits to enjoy later.
Aloha -- Cathi
