Wednesday May 16th

We began today a little later than normal, our group meeting at 9:45 this morning outside the hotel. Our hotel is actually located on La Rambla, the main drag through Barcelona, so we are within walking distance of many local destinations. Once all the group members were accounted for we walked a little ways down La Rambla to a local bicycle rental store. We met our tour guide at the store and proceeded to grab our bikes and began pedaling around town. The bicycle tour was much appreciated by most all our group as we have walked almost constantly throughout our trip. The tour took us all over Barcelona, from the immigrant neighborhoods to the beach boardwalk. While I enjoyed seeing the sites via bike, it made it a bit hard to take pictures of all the sites and fully understand exactly what we were seeing.

La Sagrada Familia

After the bike ride, the group dispersed to grab a quick lunch and tour around town for a bit. A couple of the group members and I decided to grab sandwiches and walk around the local market. The market literally had every type of food imaginable; from live lobster to fresh bread to assorted candy. After touring the market we again met at the hotel to finish up our tours for the rest of the day.

Following our morning bike ride, the rest of the day was devoted to touring some of Antoni Gaudi’s greatest works. Gaudi, a Spanish master-builder who designed, engineered, and built his works, is well known across the world for his interesting buildings. Our first visit to his creations was to the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is a magnificent church located in Barcelona that is actually still under construction. While the building of the church commenced in 1882, four tower cranes loomed over the massive church as we visited it today. This is my third visit to renowned churches so far this trip, but the Sagrada Familia is by far my favorite and the most awe-inspiring. Although pictures show some of the incredible details of the church, they do not do the church justice in regards to its beauty.

La Sagrada Familia's Ceiling

Following our visit to the church, we walked to another of Gaudi’s greatest works, La Pedrera. Originally designed as apartments, the building now functions as a museum of Gaudi’s great works and allows visitors to learn more about the great master-builder. As a student of construction, it was awe-inspiring to see how meticulous Gaudi was in his creation of buildings.

View from La Pedrera

After finishing our tour of La Pedrera, our group was released for the evening. One of my friends and I decided to find a restaurant where we could find a nice, local meal. We decided on a restaurant with a rotisserie full of chickens in the front window. I ended up ordering a roasted rabbit with potatoes which was delicious, albeit different than anything I have ever eaten before. Tomorrow we have another early day full of activities, so for now it’s time to head to bed.