New Pictures from first three days in Barcelona

Here are some pictures from our first three days in Spain.  Some nervous girls here but they seem to calm down after a while.

We arrived at 10:00 am and by 3:00 we were out walking around exploring Barcelona.

 This is a happy/nervous/tired smile!!

 Plaza Catalunya where their mother was taken when she was 9 months old.

     Lots of pigeons!!

 Then we go to the ramblas, the big walk way down from the plaza Catalunya to the port.

 One of the many buxters on ramblas.  This alien was one of the most popular.  He would move too!

 Lower ramblas on a side plaza.  Still tons of people!!

 The opening of one of the largest covered markets in Euorpe . . . the Boqueria.

More pictures later from inside.

 Side street into the gothic (medieval) quarter.

 Grandma walking up the street next to the main cathedral in the gothic quarter.

This street bridge is in the Jewish quarter.

 Inside the cathedral at the inside garden.  Notice the blocks with writing on the ground, these are where those people are buried.  It is kind of like their headstone.

Inside the cathedral.

 In front of the cathedral.  They are doing some cleaning of the cathedral.

 On the tourist bus taking pictures of all the neat architecture in Barcelona.

We could get on and off the bus anytime we wanted to.

Shopping!!!

 Inside of parc Guell.  Antoni Gaudí's proposed housing development at the turn of the 1900 but it is a park now with interesting gardens and ceramic decoration.

 Yeah grandpa got in the picture finally.  But look at the pretty girls!!

 Shopping again in the park for bracelets.

The vendors were all Africans trying to make a living.  If the police came they would gather up their wares from the corners of the sheets and run.

      The interesting walkways and architecture of parc Guell.

 This lady has been in this shop for over 70 years.  Here the girls have picked out some linen that this lady has embroidered.

     These are some roman columns that have been preserved from the first century.

Inside of a building now.

      Touching history.

                                               

                Here is our cooking classroom.

 Teresa was our teacher and chef who showed us how to cook several Spanish/Catalan dishes.

 The class was "hands on" literally, as the girls are separating out the yolks from the whites . . by hand.

          They are making crema Catalana (kind of a creme brulé/flan mix with strawberries).

                                  Several things going on at once.  Spanish omlette and crema Catalana.

                                      Teresa showing us to to tell when the custard is ready.

                                         Paella is next.  (Spanish rice dish with seafood and chicken)

                                             Grandma, tia Chacha and the girls.

                                 Grandma cooking a Spanish omlette (tortilla española).

    Show off!!

          Appetizer is always first.

      These cowgirls got to "brand" the crema Catalana (actually just caramelize the sugar on top).

Our class lasted 4 and a half hours.  We learned a lot about food, technique and we had fun.