Day 18: on our way home...

So here we are boarding our flight to Frankfurt back to Canada - by way of Toronto. Sadly time to go. Gladly back to be with the girls, who we've missed. 

On the way home we found interesting things too. For one, neither of us wanted to be the first to breakdown and have "fast food" but we had to in Frankfurt so we both had a McDonald's sandwich - longing for bocadillo at that point. 

Long familiar tunnel from Frankfurt gate A area to gate B area. 

Okay, look closely under the wing. Not cool to have another airplane so close to mine, that's all I'm saying. 

Cool shot of Greenland mountains. 

Day 17: last full day in Spain :-(

Today is our last day in Spain. Lucas and I went to el Oceanigrafic y la ciudad de artes y ciencias (The Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Science; largest aquarium in Europe). We grabbed the bus and headed out early. Spent 3 hours at the aquarium then two hours at the science centre. It's my third time there and I never tire of it. We caught the dolphin show this time and it was great. 

We decided to walk back to the apartment, unwittingly without knowing it was 27 degrees C and no breeze - ouch. 

By the time we reached Los toneles, a nice tapas bar, we stopped for a bocadillo and drinks. Mmm good! Lucas had un bocadillo de puntillas- breaded deep fried squid in a bun. Didn't give me a bite!!

Sadly, we leave tomorrow but it's been a fantastic trip; one that Lucas will always remember, as I will. Just as I fondly remember the last trip with Laurel. 

Day 16: trip to Cheste to visit some family

We went out in the morning to Plaza Redonda so Sonia could get some last minute gifts for her family, then went for a small walk to El Corte Ingles. Stopped along the way for a quick "pincho" and then to the supermercado to get some pastry and wine for our visit.

After that we went back to the apartment to get ready for Emilio to come get us. 

We picked up Pilar (Emilio's wife) and then arrived at Mari Angeles' house where Miguel (husband) was waiting and Sonia (Mari Angeles' daughter with her daughter Nora) quickly arrived. Enrique (my cousin) and his wife Louisita arrived first with their sons Ignacio and Juan Carlos. Then Armonia (my cousin) and her daughter Rosamari showed up, but Sergio couldn't make it because of work.

My cousin Adelita and her sons Cesar and Xavier didn't make it either. I think that covers everyone. 

Lively conversation, lots of shouting (as it should be), some intransigence on the part if one JC with respect to the morality and threat to the human condition of homosexual relationships - apparently female partners are ok but not make partnerships (hmm, a little psycho-erotic thinking here.?)

Anyhow, a nice time. We went to Emilio's house afterwards to see his daughters that had just gotten off work - Ma. Pilar and Ma. Jose with their daughters Martina, Carolina (Pilar) and ?.?

After a short visit with Emilio's family, and a tour of his house, which still has his father's, my uncle Emilio's, carpentry shop with all the original tools and walls. I remember going there for lunch when I was seven - memory lane. 

Then back to Valencia where he dropped us off and we went for a nice dinner to celebrate Sonia's birthday - finally found time and a day where we weren't stuffed from lunch! Lunch had dorado asado (grilled giltfish), I had solomio con foie  (beef with chicken liver) and Sonia had some of the appetizers and un bocadillo de solomio. 

It was a nice dinner, quiet after all the hubub of midday, and a nice way to end the day. 

Day 15: Bye bye Barcelona, vamos a Valencia

Well as fun as Barcelona was, it's time to head back to Valencia as we wind down our visit to Spain. I have to say I didn't feel dirty as I walked around Barcelona with my Valencia CF manbag (don't laugh, it's amazing what you need to carry and how handy they are; like saddlebags in the old west). It wasn't like cheating on VCF, more like visiting a family member.

We rode the Renfe Euromed train back to Valencia and left the rain behind in Barcelona. We arrived to blue sky in Valencia, where apparently is had rained the whole time we were away. We had a visit with cousin Paco and his wife Adelina and afterwards we did more walking. We ended the day with a little bit of Sepia a la Plancha and bocerones fritos (small fried fish)

Day 14: Barcelona Day 2.5, more hop on/hop off

So, we woke up to rain. Just enough to make riding the hop on/off bus a bit wet and uncomfortable. But we went anyhow. Saw the west side of Barcelona (need more time, or another trip (jeje) to see all the sites). We did go to an awesome cathedral. Huge, cathedral that holds 98,787 believers, open to the air, partly sheltered, and arranged as an amphitheater of sorts. It lacks the ornamentation of more traditional places of worship, but it does have a multimedia pantheon that rivals any other. I'm speaking of the mecca of futbol, Camp Nou - home of the FC Barcelona. Okay, I'm not kidding when I say it's a religious experience going in there. But it's also like DisneyLand as they make you feel great as they take your money and you smile all the way out the gates back to the tour bus. :-) Barça. Més que un club!!

Day 13: Barcelona by Hop On/Hop Off

Had a wonderful day on/off the hop on/hop off tour bus in Barcelona. Saw the Pedrera (house by Gaudi) and then went to his basilica, La Sagrada Familia (whoa!!) amazing architecture. I will say it's impressive but lacks the history of the churches and cathedrals we saw in Toledo and Valencia. All the same, it's an amazing structure. Went up the Passion Tower and walked down - not sure how fitbit would count it - but it was worth the walk down the narrow nautilus shell-like stairs.

Other sites that day...