2024 European Trip
Day 1, 2 & 3 – September 30 – October 3
We believe that this was out first trip to Europe that we
started late in the afternoon and it sure made it easier packing.
We left the house at 2:00pm for our 4:23pm flight to
Chicago. In Chicago we had no time to go
slow as it was a long walk from the concourse, we landed to our Barcelona
flight.
We only had about a 15-minute wait and we boarded the plane
and left at 6:50pm, right on time for the 9-hour flight directly to Barcelona.
It was an easy trip and we had wonderful seats, at the
bulkhead and we could really stretch out.
When we arrived in Barcelona, we had a car waiting to pick
us up for the ½ hour ride to the hotel, the Marriott Renaissance Inn Barcelona
and it is a wonderful hotel, on the north side of the old city.
We spent the rest of the day and evening walking and when we
finally went to be at 9:30pm, we had walked 17,00+ steps!
We are 7 hours ahead of Merna.
This afternoon in Barcelona was all about going into the Old
City and it was fun with lots and lots of people!
It took us about an hour+ to walk the length of La Rambla,
then main pedestrian street and then we doubled back to go to the gigantic food
market called Mercat de la Boqueria. It
is an amazing place with a very extensive collection for all kids of food and
lots of different drinks. We ate our way
through the market and finally around 4:30pm ate dinner. In the morning there is a lot of fresh
vendors and other fresh meats. Later in
the afternoon, some of those stalls close and most switch to food and drinks
for the afternoon and the evening.
Then it was onto an amazing Flamingo show in a very small intimate
theater. There was a stage and only three
rows of seats. We were there early
enough to get from row seats right at the corner. For a video of this show, see one of our
YouTube videos.
Then we walked back to the hotel and crashed for the
evening.
On Day 3 (Monday we left, Tuesday was first day in Barcelona
and not Day 3), we had a wonderful breakfast and it was one of the best
Marriotts breakfasts we have ever had in a Marriott. It was a totally huge European breakfast with
no cereals. waffles, pancakes and “stuff like that. In the YouTube video you see what we mean.
Then we took a taxi to the Basilica de la Sagrada Family
Church. A Catholic Church that was
started in 1852 and is still not completed.
This is our third trip to the Church, one sometime around 1994,
we think and then probably 2012 and each time we see something new.
We got there with an hour ahead of time so we walked around
and had a bit to eat at one of the streetside restaurants and outside of
course.
We finished the tour in an hour and ½ and then visited the
Museum within the Church.
Then we walked back to the hotel, which was about an hour.
For dinner tonight we had to take a taxi as it was lightly
raining and we went to a Tapas restaurant we walked by the night before and it
had a huge line. Then the hostess said
if we came back tonight before 6:30pm.
We got there at 6:00pm and we had a wonderful meal and hopefully the
pictures will show all of the courses.
It was only 4 blocks back to the hotel and it was hardly
raining so we walked back.
Today were 15,180 steps and we are tired.
Tomorrow, we board the Celebrity Equinox and we are looking
forward to the cruise.
Night from Barcelona.
Since we have highspeed internet we can add a lot of photos tonight.
Also, if these pictures look like we ate a lot - WE DID!!!
\Lots of meats
Wednesday
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