The Joys of Retirement Production Company

Today we opted for riding the hip on hop off, just to see the city sites.  We got off to see the 2 Gaudi houses and walk from Placa de Catalunya, down Las Ramblas, to the Boqueria for lunch and a bit passed the Columbus circle to catch the bus back to Placa Espana, near our BnB. 

We passed the Barcelona Football club and site of the new stadium

The Gaudi houses

Placa de Catalunya and Las Ramblas to the monument to Columbus

Of course we stopped for lunch!  Another great Catalon lunch in the market

The shopping there is still the most important function! 

Other sights along our trip back to our temporary home included a great stop to overlook the city,  the old Olympic area from 1992, and back to the Placa de España

The old Olympic flame

Our first full day in Barcelona Kathy and I had early tickets for Sagrada Familia,  to beat most of the crowds. 

The windows and the light and color are striking!  The blues and greens are on the east, with the morning sun,  and the nativity facade.

The columns are different colors,  made of different stone,  the strongest of a pinkish color,  to support the Christ tower

2 of the 3 facades are complete, along with about 12 or 13 of the 18 towers that will complete the roofline.   The largest,  the Christ tower is started,  about half its final height. Here is some is the detail of the towers on the outside

The Nativity Facade

The passion facade

In the afternoon we joined the guys and visited Park Guell

My favorite part of the park are the benches

This paella was the best yet…. and so was the sangria!

Our dinner was interrupted by this procession.   We ate right across from our air Bnb apartment.  

We arrived about 1 PM today so we had the afternoon to enjoy the city and explore a bit after checking in to our AirBnB

Our 3 BR home for 3 nights.  We even have a washer and dryer!

Around the squares in our neighborhood

Our first evening meal in Valencia was Tapas! With a little dinner show of flamenco

We ventured out a little farther to El Parman, for lunch at a restaurant with a chef,  famous for his prize winning paella, Bon Aire. Great lunch

We stopped to walk around the center for the arts and science, Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. The architecture is pretty stunning!

We stayed in another paradore, this one in Alcaniz.  It is a remodeled 12th century castle, beautifully restored by the Spanish government to become a hotel.  We splurged with a nice dinner and hotel breakfast.  

Our destination today took us thru Zaragoza, a great lunch stop.   We are in the Plaza de Nuestra Senoŕa del Pilar, by the Basílica.   At the end of the Plaza is the remnants of the old Roman wall and a statue of Caesar.

Inside this basilica was a very unique rectangle shape

The remnant of the Roman wall was quite small

Caesar guards it tho

We found another favorite little city!  In the North Basque region (Basque area in France).  We learned it is north and south Basque,  not Spanish and French Basque!  We stayed in a small inn,  just off the beach. 

We enjoyed a lovely dinner with some new twists!  Kathy and I shared the Seabass for 2, and the guys had the meal of the day,  with different entrees

Our walk home after dinner was lovely too.  I’d  love to come back and spend more time here! 

We traveled to Lourdes today,  to visit the shrine of St Bernadette, our Lady of Lourdes.  She saw an apparition of Mary in the mid 1800s,  saying “I am the immaculate conception”,  and a spring appeared there with healing waters.   Many believed in the healing powers,  and still some come out take holy water away to cure illnesses.   This is where the misconception of Mary being conceived immaculately is from, but the Catholic church today does not teach that anymore.    Perhaps Bernadette misheard Mary, and she actually said,  I conceived immaculately…. not I was.

Our drive was beautiful too. Lourdes is close to the Pyrenees and our views today were spectacular!

Bordeaux for a bit of French cuisine next.  Our Hotel, Indigo.  We have a 2 BR suite sharing with Kathy, and it actually has a wall and door between them!  But the toilet is off her room and the shower is off our room!?

On our first afternoon,  we took  a brief walk around the old city center. 

The weather didn’t last,  so we went to dinner in the rain.  We had a typical French meal of the day,  One  each, starter,  main and dessert, and 4 options to choose from in each category.  

Emmett had these

Our full day in Bordeaux has crazy weather again,  sunny and beautiful one minute and rain showers the next,  for 30 seconds!  But it didn’t stop our exploration.   The tram here is quick,  easy,  cheap,  efficient,  and took us almost everywhere.  First to the Marchè de Capuchin (market)

We went a little farther to the cathedral of St Andre and the beautiful big square where it is located

Inside

A few more sights around the city.   It is a UNESCO site, and a station along the French Camino de Santiago

Some is the gates to the old city and sites around old part

Kathy and I visited the Darwin Eco-systems center, (a kind of artist colony, mixed use warehouse area) and La Citè du Vin.

We had a great sandwich there and shopped a bit

The architecture of the Museum of wine,  La Citè du Vin, was intriguing,  so we went there just for the view and a glass of wine… and to rest my feet!

Our wonderful Classic French meal for dinner at La Tupiña. White asparagus starter,  chateaubriand, with fois Gras, vegetables, REAL French fries,  fried in Duck fat ( amazing) and a pasta dish.   Berry ice creams and creme Brulee for dessert.   Delicious

A side trip today to Pamplona, so we could walk where the bulls run!  It is part of the Festival of San Fermin yearly.

We did a tour of the ring and learned about the bulls and maradores

And the fun starts

Here is a series showing the route along the narrow streets and a video above it showing the action at that place

What a fun day.  Some sites around Pamplona