1+Barcelona

Your trip will begin on Monday evening when you leave from JFK, New York City. It would be a good idea to sleep on this overnight flight because on Tuesday you are going to want to hit the ground running.

One of the most memorable parts of Barcelona for me is the section of the city known as Las Ramblas. As you walk down Las Ramblas you will see live mimes. They are amazing. You will also enjoy the market that is off of Las Ramblas. It is called el Mercat de la Boqueria. These photos our from our trip in 2008.

This is a picture of some marzipan candies for sale at the market. I find them fascinating to look at but I really don't think that I would like to eat them. They are made from almond paste.

The name Ramblas comes from the Arabic word for riverbed. It was originally just a path beside a stream that was running through the center of the old city.

Today it is a famous avenue that is the bustling center of all kinds of activities. Las Ramblas runs from Plaza de Cataluña, a main square full of shops, restaurants, and banks, located at the center of the city, down to the monument of Columbus on the waterfront.

In Barcelona you will have a guided tour of the entire city. One of the highlights will be La Sagrada Familia. This incredible feat of architecture was created by Antonio Gaudi. You may want to research him a bit before your visit. This is the official site of La Sagrada Familia []. Please take some time to explore ! There is a very interesting story behind this cathedral.

Say HOLA to your new best friend, [|EL CORTE INGLES]. Every city has at least one and you can find ANYTHING that you need here. Look out for the green flag ! Be sure to familiarize yourself with this department store chain early on your trip. You will enjoy !

At this point we don't have the list of hotels for the 2010 trip but here is a photo from outside our hotel in 2008.



When we were in Barcelona in 2008 they were in the process of turning one of the city's bull ring into a shopping mall. Here you see it under construction. Can you please take a picture of it now so that we can see the progress? Post it here when you get back !

BEFOR E:

You may be offered the opportunity to go out to a special group lunch to have Paella. Paella is most famous in the city of Valencia (a few hours south of Barcelona). Barcelona is the closest that you are going to get to Valencia on this trip so, if you enjoy seafood you may want to take advantage of the Paella offered in Barcelona. Here is a picture. Paella is delicious ! While you are in both Madrid and Barcelona (the two biggest cities you will travel to on this trip) you may have the opportunity to experience the Spanish metro system. It may even be your first time on a subway ! You may also find yourself taking a taxi. Remember that is Spain it is the law that only 4 people may be passengers in any taxi at a time.

This is a map of the Barcelona Metro System.

Taxis in Barcelona