Madrid to Barcelona

We began our day bright and early at 7:00 AM (this may not seem early to many people, but we were used to awaking around 11) While the majority of the group was staying in Madrid, a Core 4/Fantastic 4 were headed to explore Barcelona for three days. After a short cab ride, we arrived at the train station, Atocha, and were on our way. Ave, the Spanish rail service, is quite different than Amtrak. The cars were clean and modern, there was a movie playing overhead, and the train went over 190 mph. The train ride was more enjoyable than the plane ride into Madrid!

Blogging from the train

As soon as we arrived, we decided to check out the number one attraction in the city: La Sagrada Familia. The church was designed by architect Antoni Guadi, who had an enormous impact on Barcelona architecture. At his death, the church was not completed, and it still has not been finished, although there is construction currently ongoing. To get inside, tickets were necessary, so we decided to just see the outside and to tour it at a later time.

The spectacular front of La Sagrada Familia

By that time, we were ready for lunch, so we tried to find something to eat. The area around the church was filled with tourist traps, so we chose to take the metro to a different neighborhood. We purchased the 2 day unlimited metro pass so we could ride as much as we wanted. We ended up just taking the metro to a random stop and looking for food there. After searching for an hour around the neighborhood we ended up in, we wandered into a crowded restaurant. We ordered ceviche, clams, and a beef dish. The waiter was very nice and patient understanding my flawed Spanish and the food was great and reasonably priced.

Ceviche was our first meal in Barcelona

After that we decided to return to the hotel to rest, but on the way we happened to see a bar showing the Jets game. I didn't expect there to be a heavy Jets fan group 3,831 miles from Metlife stadium. We watched a bit of the game and then finally went back to the hotel. At the end of the day, we decided to have a late dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. The streets were certainly alive considering that it was passed 10 PM on a Sunday! The dinner consisted of a variety of different tacos. Walking back, we saw a gelato shop, so we stopped and had a cold treat. Our first day in Barcelona was busy, but successful in exploring the city.