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Project Discussions:  Geography: Barcelona Slide Show  |
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Bellepic
True Blue Farmgirl
525 Posts
Christine
Santa Ana
CA
USA
525 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 08 2026 : 09:26:14 AM
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Hi sisters!
Fallon was very involved in our postcard project so there is a chance not all of them were legible/delivered... In case you are curious, here is an overview of our shenanigans!
Our first stop was to visit Fallon's ex-pat uncle. He said his wife missed Cheez-its which were not easily available in Spain, so we found a giant box at Costco. Fallon's granny heard it was Girl Scout cookie season and urged us to restock him in those as well. This worked out great because it left a lot of room for souvenirs, messy repacking, and eventually consolidating our carryon so we could mule Grand Dude's guitar home for him as personal item.
Fallon's other Grand Dad used to work for an airline and helped us with tickets. They were in a nicer part of the plane than we would have splurged for ourselves, but helped a bit with avoiding jet lag from the 9 hour time zone difference...
...But not enough. We didn't actually tour much of Uncle's house, just his sitting room and his couch. Jens's fur niece, Kenlee bonded with him immediately.
Then it was off to a massive masia (family house) that Granny and Grand Dude had reserved for the ~20 relatives they had invited to celebrate Grand Dude's 80th birthday. My favorite part was its dramatic driveway arbor.
The masia was the perfect place to hang out for a couple days and get over some jet lag, but it was about an hour drive from the city. After the birthday celebration, we did a load of laundry. It seems dryers are less common in Spain so I was glad I had so much experience line drying clothes at home. What I hadn't anticipated was that the clothes lines on the balcony were right next to a chimney for the BBQ. Jens was in charge of grilling a bunch of green onions (Calçot) so our clean clothes smelled a bit like charcoal for the duration. Afterwards, we decamped for a hostel in the heart of Eixample, the section of Barcelona that was built out on a grid system in the late 1800's and full of beautiful Modernist (Art Nouveau) architecture.
But first, I insisted we stop at a little theme park that had tiny replicas of famous Catalunya landmarks like Sagrada Familia (which we eventually visited) and Cathedral (maybe next time). Fallon liked pushing buttons and seeing little model trains run around the exhibits. There was even one that simulated fire fighters putting out a real fire flare.
Bunk beds might not have been Jens's first choice, but Fallon and I loved our top bunks. We found in researching hotels, having a 3rd person (even a child) often resulted in the site insisting we book a second room. This didn't make sense for us, so we found a 6 person room in a hostel (Casa Gracia) with a private bathroom. This was a 5 min walk to Gaudi's Casa Batllo and Pedrera. We were able to surrender our rental car in the parking structure underneath the hostel which was a relief because driving in cities is really stressful. Fallon and I loved the broad sidewalks and because it was the tourist off-season, we didn't have to worry too much about lines.
Fallon also found a pigeon Pokemon stop she loved and wanted to go back to.
Our favorite two tours were of Casa Batllo which Gaudi modeled after natural structures particularly those found underwater. For instance, some of the rooms had vents shaped like fish gills that vented to a central courtyard to keep all the rooms comfortable. It was clear the birthday Grand Dude who is also a wood-worker had been influenced by Gaudi in the details of our own "nautilus" kitchen with squid inlays.
Our second favorite museum was in the same block and had lots of VR and art exhibits to share about elements of Barcelona culture. We got to put on VR headsets and got a 360* view of St. Jordi slaying a dragon, its blood seeping into the ground and red roses sprouting from it, which Barcelonans exchange with each other on April 23rd. We also got a 360* of castellers building human "castles" or towers of people 8+ people stories high. We learned the city has a sense of humor and that these Caganers (poopers) are considered good luck to hide in one's Nativity creche. We also learned these capgrossos or giant paper mache heads are common in festivals and parades.
On our last big day of touring, we walked down to the Port Vell (old port) and took a cable car across the water to Mont Juic (Jewish Hill) which had amazing views of the whole city.
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We also stopped at La Nena's ("Grandma's") to dip churros into super thick chocolate. Jens loved it, Fallon not so much. Incidentally, these little magnetic board games are wonderful to keep kids busy when they are getting restive during waits. I am glad we packed one, but maybe not the other 6 or 7 in the set.
So there you have it. For some reason, our house internet is cutting in and out so I am going to hurry up and post this before I lose my work. I can't wait to keep going through the other forum posts we missed while we were away. |
Farmgirl#8680
www.steamstead.blogspot.com
Oct 2025 FGOTM |
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debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
3315 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
3315 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2026 : 09:50:42 AM
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| Thank you for sharing your trip with us!!! What a great experience for Fallon! I’m glad you got to spend some time with your family and tour the area. That house and driveway…. Wow! |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
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Wanda Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
1843 Posts
Wanda
Murrells Inlet
SC
USA
1843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2026 : 1:50:53 PM
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| What a wonderful experience for you all, especially Fallon! Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. |
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.
Wanda Sue
Farm Girl #3677
Farmgirl of the Month-August 2022 |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
2012 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
2012 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2026 : 09:04:38 AM
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| What an amazing adventure! I have to admit - I hope the pooper trend doesn't make it to the US LOL! Thanks for sharing. |
~Heather
“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” — George Washington |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
5653 Posts
Debbie Fischer
Coos Bay
OR
5653 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2026 : 09:28:55 AM
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| What wonderful photos and looks like y’all had fun. Fallon looks like she had a wonderful time:-) |
Big Hugs,
Debbie
Farmgirl if the Month for:
September 2012, February 2018, September 2022 and August 2025.
“My altars are My Mountains and the Ocean.” Lord Bryon
When I am old I am wearing Purple. I am Old!!
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Project Discussions: Geography: Barcelona Slide Show |
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Geography: Barcelona Slide Show
