As we head towards the end of our stay in Barcelona, we have noticed we wake up later and later... on Wednesday we headed towards the famous Sagrada Familia where we saw the amazing building designed by A. Gaudi. Aftwerwards we decided to take a nice trip north out of downtown to the Park Guell. The air was fresh and the walk was very relaxing as we took in the views of the ocean and downtown Barcelona. Jen was afraid of heights so we didn´t climb to the top of the Three Crosses but instead we sat and listened to a guitar and saxaphone player who created a nice mood on top of the mountain. As usual we took plenty of pictures (we will post them soon, there are just too many).
After Park Guell, we headed towards the Passieg de Gracia to window shop along the designer boutiques and stores. Jason noticed the Burberry store and took a picture for his mom who likes that stuff. As we walked along Passieg de Gracia, Jason noticed he had not eaten the entire day and Jen only had a cup of coffee and croissant in the morning. It was today that Jason had noticed that Jennifer must have had at least 1 croissant for everyday we were in Europe and have decided to keep a croissant count. After scouring the passage for about 4 blocks we caved in and dove into an inviting McDonalds for some much needed comida. Jason ordered a Big Mac with french fries (patatas..) and Jen had the six piece chicken McNuggets.
After a wonderful late lunch we met up with our friends from L.A., Birava and Sandeep who were also visiting Spain and Europe. There was another couple as well from the Bay Area and the six of us strolled down the Passieg de Gracia and continued down the Ramblas again. The girls stopped for some Sangria and then we took a walk along the marina until we reached Salmanca Restaurant again and all of us had dinner on the beach overlooking the Mediterranean. We had such a good time we planned to all do a bike tour the next day.
Croissant Count as of today: Jason-2 Jennifer-7.5
The next morning Jen and Jason met up with their friends downtown and they decided to do the bike tour of Barcelona. It was much more laid back than the one in Paris and we rode through the Gothic Quarter downtown, saw another Arc de Triumphe, and rode by the Barcelona zoo as well. It was a fun bike tour and to end the tour we all went to a bar along the beach and had some claros (beer + limon) and some sandwiches. By now Jen and Jason were getting pretty tired and bid farewell to their friends. But before heading back to the hotel, Jen had to look at some purses and wallets she liked and Jason was trying to find some new shoes. We didn´t buy anything and went back to the hotel to pack for our train ride to Madrid the next morning. After getting ready and packing, we got hungry again and went around the corner to our friends at the local chino restaurant. We decided to celebrate our last night in Barcelona with won ton soup, egg drop soup, shrimp fried rice, beef noodles, cantonese style pork, and chicken with bamboo. This was all finished off with some flan.
Croissants: Jason-2 Jennifer-8.5
Wake up call at 6 in the morning.. and then off to the train and Madrid.. farewell Barca!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Fun and Sun in Barcelona!
We arrived in Barcelona to great weather, lots of sunshine and the big blue Mediterranean Sea. Jen was happy because she could now wear her summer clothes that she brought and Jason was happy to switch from sneakers to flip flops. So many things to see and so many things to eat. Right away we checked into our hotel which we both loved.. its modern, new, and much more spacious compared to the ones in London.
After checking in we headed straight for the infamous Las Ramblas, the main shopping and tourist boulevard that leads straight to the ocean. Of course we dined on tapas right away as we headed towards the sea. To Jen´s delight, there were all kinds of food for us to try and Jason enjoyed the Gothic Architecture which he read so much about prior to the trip. Dinner was had at a little cafe run by someone from China, a ¨chino¨... at first communication was a bit ill, but then we noticed his chinese writing and finally we were able to communicate in broken Mandarin. We had the typical ¨menu del dia¨ which is usually a 3 course meal had in the mid to late afternoon. After our 3 hour siesta, we decided to head to the Restaurante Salimanca, which Jen´s brother suggested, where we feasted on razor clams and seafood paella. With our bellies full, we decided to trek back to the hotel since the metros by now were shut down. We walked from Barceloneta back to our hotel which Jason estimated to be about 3 miles or 5km for those readers accustomed to the metric system.
Our second day was filled with more siteseeing as we checked out our local area and went to the Park Montjuic where the 1992 Olympic games were held. The view was incredible as we could see all the city. We then toured the Ramblas again and had another ¨menu del dia¨ where Jason ordered the only thing he could pronounce which ended up being steak, potatoes and grean peas so he was happy. Jen ended up with a Spanish potato salad and some nice fish. We then headed to the Picasso museum and walked to the beach to soak in some sun. We finally ended the day with some tapas and being hungry for Asian food, we went to the local chino restaurant and had some of the best fried rice and beef noodles we´ve ever had. More to come from Barca!
After checking in we headed straight for the infamous Las Ramblas, the main shopping and tourist boulevard that leads straight to the ocean. Of course we dined on tapas right away as we headed towards the sea. To Jen´s delight, there were all kinds of food for us to try and Jason enjoyed the Gothic Architecture which he read so much about prior to the trip. Dinner was had at a little cafe run by someone from China, a ¨chino¨... at first communication was a bit ill, but then we noticed his chinese writing and finally we were able to communicate in broken Mandarin. We had the typical ¨menu del dia¨ which is usually a 3 course meal had in the mid to late afternoon. After our 3 hour siesta, we decided to head to the Restaurante Salimanca, which Jen´s brother suggested, where we feasted on razor clams and seafood paella. With our bellies full, we decided to trek back to the hotel since the metros by now were shut down. We walked from Barceloneta back to our hotel which Jason estimated to be about 3 miles or 5km for those readers accustomed to the metric system.
Our second day was filled with more siteseeing as we checked out our local area and went to the Park Montjuic where the 1992 Olympic games were held. The view was incredible as we could see all the city. We then toured the Ramblas again and had another ¨menu del dia¨ where Jason ordered the only thing he could pronounce which ended up being steak, potatoes and grean peas so he was happy. Jen ended up with a Spanish potato salad and some nice fish. We then headed to the Picasso museum and walked to the beach to soak in some sun. We finally ended the day with some tapas and being hungry for Asian food, we went to the local chino restaurant and had some of the best fried rice and beef noodles we´ve ever had. More to come from Barca!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Farewell Paris, Hola Barcelona
We have arrived in Barcelona after our overnight train ride from Paris. Jason still feels like he is on the train and Jen can't decide which sandals she wants to wear.
Paris was a blast, the weather was perfect except for our last day when it rained. We did a fantastic fat tire bike tour of Paris at night and we had such a good time we plan to do the same here in Barcelona. Riding at night in Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up was simply breathtaking. The tour also included a stop at the famous sorbet/ice cream shop Berthillion on the Ile St. Louis. Jason had a double scoop of banana and vanille and Jen had a single scoop of praline. We finished the tour with a boat ride on the River Seine and we got to view Paris at sunset and at night.
Our second day in Paris consisted of much walking and site seeing as we went to the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and we even waited outside to try to catch a glimpse of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding ceremony. We got to see the Mona Lisa, did some shopping, and mingled with the infamous flying ants of Paris. For dinner we returned to a bistro near our hotel where we dined on duck confit, mussels, roast chicken, and of course french fries. After dinner we returned to the hotel to pass out only to wake up later in the night to go hunting for crepes and a diet coke for Jason.
All in all, Paris was amazing, Jen's favourite so far while Jason is still making up his mind... we left Paris after picking up some baguettes, petit fours, and foie gras for our overnight train ride and as we welcome the ciudad of Barcelona.
Paris was a blast, the weather was perfect except for our last day when it rained. We did a fantastic fat tire bike tour of Paris at night and we had such a good time we plan to do the same here in Barcelona. Riding at night in Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up was simply breathtaking. The tour also included a stop at the famous sorbet/ice cream shop Berthillion on the Ile St. Louis. Jason had a double scoop of banana and vanille and Jen had a single scoop of praline. We finished the tour with a boat ride on the River Seine and we got to view Paris at sunset and at night.
Our second day in Paris consisted of much walking and site seeing as we went to the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and we even waited outside to try to catch a glimpse of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding ceremony. We got to see the Mona Lisa, did some shopping, and mingled with the infamous flying ants of Paris. For dinner we returned to a bistro near our hotel where we dined on duck confit, mussels, roast chicken, and of course french fries. After dinner we returned to the hotel to pass out only to wake up later in the night to go hunting for crepes and a diet coke for Jason.
All in all, Paris was amazing, Jen's favourite so far while Jason is still making up his mind... we left Paris after picking up some baguettes, petit fours, and foie gras for our overnight train ride and as we welcome the ciudad of Barcelona.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Hi from London!
Well, we've been in London for almost 2 days now :). After a long flight from L.A., we landed yesterday, a little tired, but in good spirits. We really like our hotel...it's in a quaint neighborhood in South Kensington. As expected, the room is not huge, but very clean and modern...just like the pictures in Orbitz.com. We hit some major sites yesteday afternoon...we took the underground to the Tower of London and strolled along the south bank of the River Thames...a little cloudy to say the least, but not rainy and definitely a cool breeze. We walked across the Milennium Bridge that lead us straight to St-Paul's Cathedral. London reminds us a SF/NYC/Montreal all smashed into one. We really enjoyed the old world architecture blended with the fast-paced lifestyle. We ended the day with a great Indian fest..we didn't know where we were going, but found a place near our hotel called Memories of India. There were numerous restaurants to choose from, but this one was Zagat rated. We had lamb chop tandoori, chicken masala tikaa and yummy saag paneer. The staff was great and we were definitely satisfied :)
Our 2nd day in London started early as we woke up at the crack of dawn and began planning for the day.. unfortunately but happily we fell back asleep and didn't leave the hotel until close to noon. Jen likes to sleep, what can I say?.. For breakfast/lunch we found a local cafe/deli near our underground stop. We then planned our day over quiche, coffee, paninis, and croissants - first stop was Big Ben and Parliament, and then we walked through the mall to Buckingham Palace. We then walked through Green Park and strolled through to Piccadilly Circus (I suppose their version of Times Square). Jason bought a Chelsea soccer jersey and then we kept walking towards Covent Gardens. We window shopped many of the boutiques and walked along the markets. Then we walked through to SoHo, Chinatown, and back to the Theatre district where we bought tickets to see Wicked tonight at the Victoria Theatre. After all this walking we found a nice pub and had our first taste of English cuisine which consisted of fish 'n chips with mushy peas and sausage and mashers, all followed by an English london ale. More to come soon as we are leaving for Paris tomorrow morning...
Our 2nd day in London started early as we woke up at the crack of dawn and began planning for the day.. unfortunately but happily we fell back asleep and didn't leave the hotel until close to noon. Jen likes to sleep, what can I say?.. For breakfast/lunch we found a local cafe/deli near our underground stop. We then planned our day over quiche, coffee, paninis, and croissants - first stop was Big Ben and Parliament, and then we walked through the mall to Buckingham Palace. We then walked through Green Park and strolled through to Piccadilly Circus (I suppose their version of Times Square). Jason bought a Chelsea soccer jersey and then we kept walking towards Covent Gardens. We window shopped many of the boutiques and walked along the markets. Then we walked through to SoHo, Chinatown, and back to the Theatre district where we bought tickets to see Wicked tonight at the Victoria Theatre. After all this walking we found a nice pub and had our first taste of English cuisine which consisted of fish 'n chips with mushy peas and sausage and mashers, all followed by an English london ale. More to come soon as we are leaving for Paris tomorrow morning...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Meeting up with our friends in Barcelona
Birava and Sandeep - here is how you get from your hotel to ours in Barcelona.... :)
Gallery Hotel to Hotel Villa Emilia (2.7 km)
1) Head northeast on Carrer del Rosselló toward Passeig de Gràcia 0.1 km
2) Turn right at Passeig de Gràcia 0.5 km
3) Turn right at Carrer d'Aragó 0.7 km
4) Turn left at Carrer de Muntaner 0.4 km
5) Turn right at Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 0.8 km
6) Turn right at Carrer de Calàbria 0.1 km
Monday, July 2, 2007
Sunny to Rainy, Mild to Hot - How do you pack??
Weather!!!!
London
Wed Jul 04: Light Rain 19°/14° (66°/58°) 90 % chance of rain
Thu Jul 05: PM Showers 21°/16° (70°/60°) 30 % chance of rain
Fri Jul 06: AM Showers 20°/14° (68°/58°) 30 % chance of rain
Paris
Fri Jul 06: AM Showers 22°/14° (71°/57°) 40 % chance of rain
Sat Jul 07: PM T-Storms 27°/14° (80°/58°) 60 % chance of rain
Sun Jul 08: Showers 22°/14° (72°/57°) 60 % chance of rain
Barcelona
Mon Jul 09: Partly Cloudy 27°/21°(81°/69°) 0 % chance of rain
Tue Jul 10: Sunny 27°/20° (81°/68°) 10 % chance of rain
Wed Jul 11: Sunny 28°/20° (82°/68°) 0 % chance of rain
Thu Jul 12: Sunny 28°/20° (83°/68°) 0 % chance of rain
Madrid
TBD :)
London
Wed Jul 04: Light Rain 19°/14° (66°/58°) 90 % chance of rain
Thu Jul 05: PM Showers 21°/16° (70°/60°) 30 % chance of rain
Fri Jul 06: AM Showers 20°/14° (68°/58°) 30 % chance of rain
Paris
Fri Jul 06: AM Showers 22°/14° (71°/57°) 40 % chance of rain
Sat Jul 07: PM T-Storms 27°/14° (80°/58°) 60 % chance of rain
Sun Jul 08: Showers 22°/14° (72°/57°) 60 % chance of rain
Barcelona
Mon Jul 09: Partly Cloudy 27°/21°(81°/69°) 0 % chance of rain
Tue Jul 10: Sunny 27°/20° (81°/68°) 10 % chance of rain
Wed Jul 11: Sunny 28°/20° (82°/68°) 0 % chance of rain
Thu Jul 12: Sunny 28°/20° (83°/68°) 0 % chance of rain
Madrid
TBD :)
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
1 more WEEK!!!
Here are our FINAL arrangements:
Flight
Los Angeles to London, England
Tuesday, July 3rd
Depart: 8:35PM
Arrive: 2:50PM
Flight number: AA134
Hotel
London (July 4-5)
Avni Hotel
74-76 Courtfield Garden, London
44-20-73733331
South Kensington: Gloucester Road Station or Earl's Court
http://www.avnihotels.co.uk/index.php?displayhotel=1
Train
London, England to Paris, France
Friday, July 6th
Dep: 10:40AM
Arrive: 2:17PM
Train number: 9018
Confirmation: QSRBND
Hotel
Paris (July 6-8)
Jardin de l'Odeon
7 rue Casimir Delavigne, Paris
33-1-53-102850
Arrondissment 5 Line 10: Odeon, RER B: Luxembourg
http://www.hoteljardinodeonparis.com/
Train
Paris, Austerlitz to Barcelona-estacio De Franca
Sunday, July 8th
Depart: 8:32PM
Arrive: 8:24AM
Train number: 477
Confirmation: PU-11093039-Z6L6
Hotel
Barcelona (July 9-12)
Hotel Villa Emilia
Calabria 115-117, Barcelona
34 (93) 2525285
http://www.hotelvillaemilia.com/
Train
Barcelona-estacio De Franca, Spain to Madrid Atocha, Spain
Friday, July 13th
Depart: 9:00AM
Arrive: 2:00PM
Train number: 1598
Confirmation: PU-11109926-J2E5
Hotel
Madrid (July 13-15)
Hotel Preciados
Calle de Preciados, 37 28013 (Centro) MADRID
34 914 54 44 00
http://www.preciadoshotel.com/index.php?idIdioma=2
Flight
Madrid, Spain to Miami, Florida
Sunday, July 15th
Depart: 11:10AM
Arrive: 2:40PM
Flight Number: AA69
Miami, Florida to Los Angeles
Sunday, July 15th
Depart: 4:20PM
Arrive: 6:40PM
Flight Number: AA267
Flight
Los Angeles to London, England
Tuesday, July 3rd
Depart: 8:35PM
Arrive: 2:50PM
Flight number: AA134
Hotel
London (July 4-5)
Avni Hotel
74-76 Courtfield Garden, London
44-20-73733331
South Kensington: Gloucester Road Station or Earl's Court
http://www.avnihotels.co.uk/index.php?displayhotel=1
Train
London, England to Paris, France
Friday, July 6th
Dep: 10:40AM
Arrive: 2:17PM
Train number: 9018
Confirmation: QSRBND
Hotel
Paris (July 6-8)
Jardin de l'Odeon
7 rue Casimir Delavigne, Paris
33-1-53-102850
Arrondissment 5 Line 10: Odeon, RER B: Luxembourg
http://www.hoteljardinodeonparis.com/
Train
Paris, Austerlitz to Barcelona-estacio De Franca
Sunday, July 8th
Depart: 8:32PM
Arrive: 8:24AM
Train number: 477
Confirmation: PU-11093039-Z6L6
Hotel
Barcelona (July 9-12)
Hotel Villa Emilia
Calabria 115-117, Barcelona
34 (93) 2525285
http://www.hotelvillaemilia.com/
Train
Barcelona-estacio De Franca, Spain to Madrid Atocha, Spain
Friday, July 13th
Depart: 9:00AM
Arrive: 2:00PM
Train number: 1598
Confirmation: PU-11109926-J2E5
Hotel
Madrid (July 13-15)
Hotel Preciados
Calle de Preciados, 37 28013 (Centro) MADRID
34 914 54 44 00
http://www.preciadoshotel.com/index.php?idIdioma=2
Flight
Madrid, Spain to Miami, Florida
Sunday, July 15th
Depart: 11:10AM
Arrive: 2:40PM
Flight Number: AA69
Miami, Florida to Los Angeles
Sunday, July 15th
Depart: 4:20PM
Arrive: 6:40PM
Flight Number: AA267
Bon Voyage!!!
Our friends Birava and Sandeep are taking off tomorrow to Europe...! We actually planned our trip to coincide with theirs so that we can meet up and hang out! Their itinerary is actually the opposite of ours but we will be crossing paths in Barcelona! Have a safe flight guys and see you in Barcelona!
Monday, June 25, 2007
9 MORE DAYS!
It hasn't hit us yet, but in 9 days, we will be in Europe! We ran some errands this weekend...we finally got our money belts (no, not fanny pack) and our day packs taken care of...Jason got his shoes and right now, it's just luggage we still need to decide on. Oh yeah, our day-day itinerary is yet to be defined too!
I picked up some cute little pop-up maps from Barnes and Noble last week...super compact and really durable -highly-recommended! All I can think about is eating awesome food and just taking tons of pictures... :)
I picked up some cute little pop-up maps from Barnes and Noble last week...super compact and really durable -highly-recommended! All I can think about is eating awesome food and just taking tons of pictures... :)
Friday, June 15, 2007
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