I just returned from Barcelona. Spent two days (okay, to be honest, it was more like 24 hours) there with my brother.

Start on Saturday: Half past five to have enough time to get to the airport. Flight at 8.15 a.m. Arrival at around eleven o'clock.

After meddling with the ticket machine for the train into the city (they really don't have any information in english!) we traveled into the city. Then came the first marathon: we marched from the train to the National Museum, behind it to see the big pire on the Olympic grounds, further on to the house of Joan Miró, where we ate something. Then further up the hill to Montjuic and its Castello, back down into the city to Las Ramblas. In a street parallel to it we found our very cheap and good hotel, then we marched again into the city, where we bought a bunch of fruit to eat for dinner and to look at the Arc de Triomf. Little did we know, we marched into the wrong direction, so we landed near the two Gaudi houses on a totally different street, that my brother wanted to see, too. But we had thought of letting them be, because they were so far from our route.

Okay, watched the houses. *lol*

Then we took the Metro to the Arc de Triomf. *lol* What a splendid idea, hu?! *lol*

After that we returned to our hotel. But my brother wanted a donut (here in Germany the next Dunkin' Donuts is in Berlin, wayyyyy up north from our home), so we went out again and bought some donuts. *laugh*

Then, finally, we got to sleep! *siiiiigh*

On Sunday: Wake-up-time at 8.05 a.m. Leaving the hotel, marching along Las Ramblas, turning into the Gothic Quarter, watching a dozen of churches and old buildings. The architecture is wonderful there. Short trip to the ocean where we ate our breakfast (rest of the donuts and fruit), returning to the Quarter, looking at the cathedral of Barcelona. Then we returned to Las Ramblas, where we got nearly robbed, hadn't it been for the fast reaction of my brother. I had my head and brains in my maps and tried to find where we were and how to get where we wanted. *lol*

We took the Metro after that (with burning feet *lol*) and went to the Sagrada Familia.

What a grand and wonderful building! It's a pity that it hasn't been finished, yet. But as it stands you have enough to look at. They built the whole Passion of Christ in one entrance, the other (directly opposite) had the birth of Christ and concerning events on it. The statues were great and wonderful. You really feel the spirit that the people had to have been touched by, when they built a cathedral in medieval times.

After that we followed the street to the Hospital Sant Pau. That was great, too! A whole block with a hospital on it! And such great architecture. After that we returned to the airport at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and stayed there for our flight back home.

All in all Barcelona has great buildings and things to see. But I haven't been able to get in touch with the mentality of the people and the language there - even thought I had Latin, French and English in school.

So: My impressions were great, but I don't think I will take a longer vacation there. *lol*

I will leave that for people who feel connected to the country and the people. (But I'll definitely make sure to thank my feet more often, to get books about Gaudi and Subirachs whose works I came to love)

SMILE! *g*