Mime artists and street performers along the colourful street called La Rambla kept us all enthralled. They stand still for ages and if you give them a couple of euros you can have your photo taken with them. The kids and I actually found some of them a bit creepy (too real)
Barcelona is great! What a city! We really enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city for a change. So much to see and do. We made a stop at Figueres to visit the Dali Museum which was amazing. I was so amazed I forgot to take any photos, sorry about that but if you've ever seen any of Dali's work, it's interesting to say the least.
We arrived in Barcelona on Sunday. Driving in Barcelona was terrifying, so much traffic, all hurtling in various directions. We find arriving in a new place hard with the unfamiliar street names but with Andrew's skilful driving we managed to find our unit in Barcelonetta which is near the Port.
We went to a shop called El Corte Ingles which is a department store similar to Myer in Australia. The huge range and quality of clothes was amazing. The shopping in Barcelona city is gorgeous. The people are very well dressed. They look like they’re in their Sunday best every day. Very stylishly co-ordinated and accessorised.
Our first couple of days were warm and sunny as predicted but then there was a day of serious cold and rain and we were wearing almost every piece of clothing we had brought with us on this day. It was so cold. We had been told how warm it is in Spain, well today it was freezing and raining. There was snow storms all along the Pyrenees mountains which we are heading to next.
We ended up buying 2 umbrellas from a man selling on the street. He wanted 5 euros for one umbrella but we haggled him down to 5 euros for 2 umbrellas and they are rubbish umbrellas anyway, Andrew’s is already falling to bits after one day in the rain.
We tried to practise the Spanish words for please and thank you, hello and goodbye everywhere but we keep saying the French words instead purely from habit over the past couple of months. The kids were funny. They seemed to be saying alot of their french words in Spain more than they do in France.
We’ve found the people very friendly and helpful in the shops, hotels, restaurants and even if they don’t speak much English they still seem more than willing to be as helpful as they can.
It is noticeably cheaper in Spain but having said that, we had a couple of costly learning experiences in the buying drinks department. So be warned, if the price isn’t listed on the menu, ask because no doubt you’ll be in for a nasty surprise.
We found the parking situation atrocious which is normal in a city. You’re not allowed to park in the street unless you’re a resident. We ended up using the underground parking areas which was another huge expense but the safest option considering what everyone was telling us about the crime.
The photos below are a bit out of order but should give you a general idea of what we got up to.
The best market I have ever ever seen! The Market of the Boqueria (of Sant Josep), the way the food was displayed was amazing. It was all so artistically presented. This colourful photo is a lolly stand.
Place Catalunyna
The dragon at the entrance to Park Guell. Park Guell was originally designed by Gaudi as a residental development and landscaped gardens .
Park Guell
Park Guell
As you can see from how rugged up the kids are it was freezing this day but we still enjoyed it anyway.
Samuel and Ella showing their interest in the Picasso Museum while Andrew and I wandered around each room. They're playing Pokemon cards.
Lining up in the rain at the Picasso Museum. The queue was intimidatingly long but it seemed to move quickly and the kids were happy. 
Had to take a photo of the bathroom in the unit we stayed in. It was so small your head touched the wall when you sat on the toilet. Ella's got her arms stretched out to give an idea of the size. Her arms are not very long.
A whole shop just selling Hello Kitty stuff. I had to get a photo. Ella loves Hello Kitty.
La Sagrade Famille (The Sacred Family) Cathedral
The outside of the unit block where we stayed. Not in an especially nice area. We ended up deciding to stay an extra 2 nights after this unit because it was all so interesting and new. And found a 3 star hotel right in the centre of the city which was fantastic for walking to everything.
Typical unit block, with all the washing hanging out the windows. 
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