June 9

Jeff & Will arrived around 10:00am and were quite jet lagged after the flights which included a 5 hour layover in New York so we let them nap for an hour.  We had checked out a boat trip in a wood sailing ship and there was a 1:00pm sailing so we all went for the 1 1/2 hour sail out of the harbor and into the Med.  It was quite windy but the views of the city were great.  We got back to the marina and stopped for some tapas & beer.  We then walked along Barcelona's most famous street, Las Ramblas, where the center is a walking street with shops, craft stalls, mimes and a lot of crazy people.  The street is always crowded and fun to see.  We diverted into a large market which has fruit & vegetables, fish, meat, candy, eateries and much more.  It's amazing the variety of fish and food they have there.  We continued exploring Las Ramblas and then toured through Guell Palace, a home designed by Antoni Gaudi.  Gaudi is Barcelona's most famous architect who designed intricate and expressive buildings in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  The house was a real highlight and we all enjoyed the visit.  We forced Will to stay awake and went to the tapas restaurant next to the hotel to eat.  Will & Jeff went back to their room to crash and Pat, Sue & I wandered around the Gothic quarter where our hotel is located, stopped for another glass of wine and went back to the hotel.  Even though Barcelona is expensive by Spanish standards, a nice glass of wine only costs $3.00.