Last day in Spain!

Continuing yesterday... I went to Park Güell. Originally designed to house a gated community, the project never came to fruition. Today it functions as a beautiful park. FYI, I think this is where America’s Next Top Model held their final catwalk a few seasons ago .. the one where the girls were ghost brides.

main entrance.

dragon.

catwalk?

view of the city, gingerbread house, and mosaic bench.

part of the park.

I wanted to share this shot so you would have a better idea of what the city is like. Many of the streets are tree-lined like this one, with large pedestrian spaces either on the sides (big sidewalks) or in the center of the road. It’s very nice.

Last night, I went to another tapas bar – this one is rated very high on tripadvisor.com. It was delicious. Here’s a shot to get a better idea of the place.

The staff are as frantic as bartenders, and the area around and behind the stools is madness. Good food though! I enjoyed a glass of sangria before I left Spain!

This morning I went to mass at the Cathedral. It is very gothic, plain, but beautiful and very BIG.

altar.

garden outside of the church; part of a cloister.

Next I visited La Pedrera.

plaster model of the apartment building.

rooftop with its insane chimneys, etc. and courtyard opening.

After that I climbed to the top of Montjuic, to see the castle and view of the city from up high.

castle.

city with mountains in the background.

view of the harbor and port.

I am currently at Starbucks and will be heading to the train station in the next few hours. I am very excited about going to Paris, but now I feel as if my time abroad is flying past. Today is the halfway mark. Aah. I know the blog hasn't been great the last few days, but that should change now that I will have an apartment with internet in Paris. Aren't you excited?

Oh, and I have heard rumblings about the volcanic ash possibly causing trouble again. Pray that it holds off until Mom makes it over here – then it can cloud up the skies as much as it wants!