Barcelona, Baby!

Our next stop on our ama-z-zing post-programme travel was Barcelona, Spain.
What a fantastic city! Our hostel was legit (Sun and Moon...reccommended) and in a central location. We got in late so we just went straight to bed. Next morning was Good Friday and we were woken by all the bells of the city ringing in remembrance. It was really beautiful. I worried about spending Easter away from my family - it is one of my favourite holidays and I've always been home for it- but it was actually ok. There was a Roman Catholic church on our street so we stopped in to hear a Good Friday chant and watch a procession with an icon of the crucified Lord. It was incredible.
Then we went off to find Parc Guell, playground of the famous artist, Gaudi. It was nuts! It looked like Dr.Suess had got all up in ére - the buildings were all funny shaped with wavy towers, there was a pathway through something that looked like a sandcastle that some bully had poured water all over, and there were bright mosaics all over! Would have been perfect if it had not been pouring rain.
So we headed off to find Gaudi's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia - one of the wierdest buildings you will ever see in your life. I'll post pictures when I get back on my own computer. Gaudi worked on it for 42 years and only stopped because he died, but work continues today. How bizarre.
That night we saw a HUGE Good Friday procession with floats and bands and huge crowds of cheering people. Barcelona is a good place for religious holidays if you want to keep in the spirit...just what I needed.
The next day (Saturday?) we headed out to find MontJuic and walked the wrong way around it...but we lucked out because we could walk through Olympic Park, see the art gallery, and take a bus up it...instead of a gagillion stairs! There is a castle on top so we checked that out, and we got the most incredible view of the Mediterranean Sea, the beaches and the harbour. Little bit of paradise. Then we took the gagillion steps down and walked along the harbour to the beach. By now the sun had finally come out and it was gorgeous! The water was cold, but the sun and sand was warm, and there was a fantastic band playing...
We also toured the maaaany open air markets that are everywhere in the city, they sell some cool stuff, gorgeous handmade jewellery and bags, and bizarre antiques. Sweet.
Barcelona is such a fun city. The architecture is incredible, the people are friendly, and there is so much to do! I love it...
And then I hopped on a bus and attempted to fly to the Netherlands, except for the huge thunderstorm that delayed by flight, the plane parked waaaay out on the tarmac that we had to get bussed to and my broken seat. But who's complaining! I made it to Holland!
**Keep in mind that I don't know how to pronounce most of the place names I've put in here...good luck.**