"Hola!" from Barcelona!

I'm writing this blog in the lobby of my hostel in Barcelona.  Some friends from Oxford and I just finished our third day on our trip to Spain and Portugal, concluding our time in Barcelona.  Tomorrow morning we'll fly to Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Our visit to Barcelona has been great! In the short two and a half days here, we've really seen a lot.  We spent some time on La Rambla, a pedestrian street full of street performers, vendors, and artists.  It's quite popular with tourists. (And pickpockets, too!) 

We also visited all of the sites designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi.  His buildings are wild and wacky, but I loved them!  His most famous structure is the Sagrada Familia, a rather unorthodox cathedral that is still under construction.  Below is a picture of it I found online.  When I upload the pictures I've taken, I'll be sure to post them.  It's really an impressive structure, even if it is incomplete.

I think what I love about Barcelona is that it has a little bit of everything.  It's got the hustle and bustle of a city and it's got the serenity of nature with the beach and mountains nearby.  It's both classic and modern, both traditional and bohemian.  Barcelona is definitely a place worth visiting... and worth returning to again and again!