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Since I have over 2000 pictures, I thought I’d share a few of the highlights from our trip to Spain.  Thanks so much for keeping up with me while I was gone.  Hope you enjoy….

Albany  XO

Spain Takeoff

A quick wipe down of everything before I started "nesting" in for the next 8 hours...

No need for an airline blanket with my Marvelush Poncho.

 

I packed all my "essentials" in a clear pouch so they were easy to access.

OMG---SO GLAD I brought along hubby's Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones.  They made all the difference in the world!  I could actually hear the TV Show without distortion on my iPad without turning it all the way up; and they blocked out all the ambient plane "buzz."  Definitely adding these to my Gadget Girl Must Haves!

Barcelona

Mercat de Sant Josep--Barcelona

Loved strolling through the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria.  The heritage of this outdoor market is amazing--- The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217!!! In 1826, the market was legally recognized.  And a new fish market opened in 1911.  Don't think we can boast that timeline on any of our grocery stores :~)

Entrance to Mercat--- just off La Rambla at city center

OK....not totally a door; but the glass above the door was so beautiful and vibrant.  

The Produce stands were intoxicating with color and smell.  

Even in the dead of winter there was no shortage of fresh flowers! 

The spices were gorgeous.  I would love to have these hanging in my kitchen!

This fish was weird and cool at the same time.  I couldn't get over how much fish and meat was being sold OUTSIDE?!?!?  No health laws?  I guess there is a lot of ice there??

Fruit cups--- now this is my idea of "fast food!"

I don't think I've ever seen more varieties of dried meats.  Made for a very pretty display.  You could order up a pound or a little snack to take with you.

Monserrat

On this excursion, I learned that I am quite the adventurer ON THE GROUND!!!!  I can positively say that sitting in the front seat of a motor coach near the expansive window and driving in dizzying circular motions up the side of a steep cliff while listening to the tour operator tell the story of the trams breaking and people falling to their death was not the best start to this tour.

I can also tell you that when the bus needed to “stop for a moment due to some strange engine sounds,” my hands started to sweat.  But when the driver told us that the bus was indeed “having mechanical problems and would need to be replaced for the trip down; but was fine to get us the last 2 miles up to the top,” of the mountain on the aforementioned steep, curvy, scary roads where people were plunged to their death, I was NOT getting back on that bus!  Well that was a problem because it was 26 degrees out and I was on the side of a mountain. 

Yep, you guessed it.  I walked the last 2 miles up to the Monastery.  Very carefully.  Looking at the ground the entire time.  No way was I gonna look over the side to see where those poor trams had landed!  Seriously, my hands are sweating as I type this…..SIGH.  Oh, I and should tell you that my 69 year old Mother In Law walked with me….BLESS HER HEART!!!  I can’t believe I got us into this mess.  Once to the top (4000 feet up), I was way too tired (physically and emotionally) to do the entire tour…..what a shame; but I don’t think I’ll ever go back. 

Instead, I drank two glasses of wine and begged the tour guide to please walk down the mountain with me.  Not Kidding.  He said, he didn’t think it was a good idea to walk 20 km in the snow down a mountain.  I said it could be an adventure.  He said the only other option would be to take the Funicular down. What?!?!?  So I’m too scared to take the bus and you want to put me on a Cliff Rail?!?!?  No thank you.  He offered more wine.   In the end, I covered my eyes, held onto more wine, and prayed my way down the mountain on the bus.  Not a proud moment; but I survived. 

You won’t believe this; but Nana signed us up for two more mountain tours!  Thankfully, those did not have the steep, circle-y, broken bus ascension and we made it just fine on those.

La Sagrada Familia

What an amazing step back through history...and it is still not done.  They are hoping for the 100th anniversary in 2026 that it will finally be complete.  Still gorgeous anyway! 

Visited a Glass Factory

This was memorizing watching the artist turn a blob of glass into an elegant horse.

 

Madrid

Arenas de Barcelona  (where the bullfighting happens)

Toledo Day Excursion

Toledo is a beautiful walking city high atop a Mountain/ Hill.  One of the standout moments was the Cathedral of Toledo.  According to our tour guide, it’s the richest cathedral in Spain, and one of the three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain.  We were not able to take pictures inside most of the buildings.

 

Valley of the Fallen

This was another trip up a mountain.  At the Valle de los Caídos (The Valley of the Fallen) in the Sierra de Guadarrama --on top of a rocky cliff known as Risco de la Nava at 4600 feet above sea level.  

Standing with our tour guide, Christina, at the foot of The Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen; which is the largest in the world at almost 500 feet!

 

Mother Nature seemed to set the tone on this day of reflection with the fog encircling the top of the cross. The base of the cross is like a marker to the hidden Basilica that’s build below it inside the mountain.

Food:

If you were following me on Facebook or Instagram, you already know that I fell face first in love with the food--- especially the Botifarra Con Judias Blancas (Catalan Sausage With White Beans); which I now know is a traditional Catalan dish.  Some restaurants called it Peasant sausage.

Another Catalan tradition I enjoyed were the "condiments" of Olive Oil, tomatoes, and fresh garlic.  These were left on the table for you to eat with your bread.

Here are a few other favorites:

 

 

Q Friends in Spain

I think sometimes I forget just how big of a global presence some of our QVC vendors have.  So grateful for the opportunity to bring their items to QVC US.  There were Clarks and L'Occitane stores everywhere... and they were always PACKED!!!

Looking at all these pictures again has really got my wanderlust up and running again.  I am already thinking about my next grand adventure--- minus the mountains!