Now that we were settled in Barcelona, it was time to start exploring which meant taking a lot of pictures of Gaudi ( gentle viewer be warned that we were set off on a photography orgy because we were so impressed ) but first we made our way down the Ramblas where there was a new statue (the guy in uniform) and a protest march before we got to the Palau Guell This is one of the first building Gaudi designed. The facade was very impressive as was the interior where photography was not allowed. We were allowed to take pictures on the roof where there are numerous chimneys that we recorded

including a few with us in them and one abstraction

We stopped for a small bite for the kids here which was a better alternative than this and then headed for the Picasso museum (also no photography) and on to the cathedral where we could only see the outside along with King Tut who must have followed us from Rome.

Our late lunch was at a cafe where the waiters took good care of the 3 of us We then broke for siesta.

After siesta, we started off to see more Gaudi. En route, we stopped in the Placa Cataluyna to take pictures of the pigeons (memories of Venice) and famous fountains (memories of Rome) and the statue of Barcelona We stopped at this cafe where this waiter brought some tapas to Jane who had just woken up, Benjamin who was tired from swimming, Suzanne who was happy, Sarah who ordered for us (en Espanol) and David with and without flash. Then we started walking and saw rooftops begin to appear before we hit this facade and then this more remarkable one

with great windows and chimneys and tourists

We walked on and Benjamin was excited by spirals on the sidewalk as we added to our collections of pictures of European Haagen Dazs Jane in front of Armani stores and phone booth pictures until we saw it in the distance. We still had to navigate some directions see spires and architecture that were not the real thing and cross a last street before we got there. Everything about the place, the facade,

the spires the ongoing construction the ceiling and the spare parts was impressive so that we didn't mind that he had been there first. The climb up and down was on these remarkable steps and we were asked in not so subtle ways to help finish the construction.

On the way to the next Gaudi building, we came across this scene that adds to our collection of pictures of Benjamin in front of Pokemon signs in foreign countries. The last building was this apartment building with no straight lines

and amazing grille work and entrance that inspired this work of art