Day 12 - Final day in Spain

Day 12 - Final Day in Spain


Espana.


Our sabbatical tour began with nearly two weeks in Spain, and we leave behind pieces of our hearts.  Today was our final day in this wonderful country, and we enjoyed a much slower day while we packed up to fly to Switzerland. 


Today, Aaron and I both took runs around the Marina, we got pedicures as a family, walked to Firebug for a delicious brunch, visited the Cathedral de Barcelona, and walked through the Parc de la Ciutadella. Aaron took the boys for a dinner at McDonald’s, after reading an article by Daniel Pink about the five things you must do when traveling to a foreign city (buy a local paper, journey to the highest peak in the city, use local public transportation, shop at a local grocery store, and visit McDonald’s). Needless to say, they enjoyed seeing the differences in McDonald’s, but ended up with stomach rot, which was to be expected. 


Reflecting on our time in Spain, we were so enamored with the many cultures within one country.  The boys frequently enjoyed the enthusiasm they received from locals when speaking the language, and it’s been fun to continue to develop my own use of Spanish, which I found particularly helpful on this trip.  The delicious cuisine, including our favorites of Iberian ham, Spanish Omelettes, Oxtail, gelato, and basically every brunch we consumed, kept us at restaurants more than cooking at home.  The gorgeous views of the Mediterranean, the urban energy and shops, and most of all, the incredibly welcoming people made us fall in love with Spain.


A few surprises along the way include:

  • Mosquitos! We didn’t expect them and they were at all three locations.

  • Our Europcar rental bill post-Seville! We took our car back early because we had such a hard time navigating the streets. What we failed to do prior to returning it was fill up with gas! Whoops.  The mistake was costly: 150 Euros in gas including a service fee. We won’t make that mistake again.

  • This price of gas. All around the world gas prices are at all time highs. In Europe, I am not sure why one would own a vehicle. Currently, the price equivalent is $7.50 per gallon. It’s bananas.

  • The heat. It is hot here. We brought too many jackets.


Our favorite experiences include:

  • The amazing views in La Herradura

  • The Alhambra in Granada

  • The kind Spanish people

  • The almost daily gelato

  • Three layer chocolate mousse at Pelayo Bar

  • Oxtail at Pelayo Bar

  • Biking to Parc Guell and a very fun scavenger hunt

  • Getting jerseys at FC Barca and watching the Futsol game

  • Iberian Jamon

  • Rueda white and Tampernillo red wines

  • Cafe Americanos in todos los cafes!








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