Barcelona, Spain: Part One

So here we go... Spain pictures* and commentary. Enjoy! :)

 

*Photography on the go with a toddler is hard (for me) so please ignore the quality of the photos (I'm trying to just be happy that I have any at all).

 



Barcelona: Day 1

Our hotel was right on Las Ramblas, a mile long stretch perfectly situated for exploring several different areas of Barcelona all via foot, which of course we did. 

 

Exploring a new city is not an option on an empty stomach, though, so our first stop was the Mercat de la Boqueria, a large public market filled with all kinds of fruits, veggies, meats, candies and drinks.

I also grabbed some treats from Escriba, one of the oldest patisseries in town (a couple of times, actually).

Then it was on to the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) where we began our wandering at the Placa Reial. This lamp in the Placa is some of the first work of Gaudi, a famous Catalan architect whose mark is all over Barcelona.

Parker had more fun with the pigeon than he did admiring the lamp.

P had no time to stop for photos. Let's go, Daddy!



P insisted on pushing his stroller all over Spain.

We spent some time winding through the narrow streets and ended up in another area, El Born. Here we saw the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, built from stones carried from Montjuic (some ways away). 

We also had lunch. A lot of our meals looked like this. Don't judge. ;)



We made another stop at a different market, Santa Caterina, where we bought some things for a picnic the next day.

Then we got a taxi to Montjuic, where we played in fountains, walked through parks, saw amazing city views, visited the Olympic stadium, and ended with a music and light show at the Magic Fountain (which was hysterical. I mean, Tina Turner was the choice for an English song?!)

My heart. And P's "cheese" face kills me!

After the show we got a taxi back to the hotel. We decided to go to dinner at Succulent, a place that came highly recommended and just so happened to be close to the hotel. The concierge helped us out with directions and we set out. Long story short, we got turned around several times, a downpour came out of nowhere (thankfully I had an umbrella, a compact one, but still better than nothing), and when we got to the restaurant at 8:00 p.m. it wasn't even open yet! We were exhausted, soaked, and hungry. The staff was so nice and let us go in and sit down until it was time for them to officially open and take our order. Turns out, it was all worth it. We had such a good tapas style meal and really enjoyed ourselves. Great food isn't a bad way to end a day.  

It's A...

GIRL!!!

Thank goodness Parker has a couple of pink cars too! ;)

February Baby Update

In February:
*My bump has grown... quickly. What they say about showing sooner the second time around is definitely true.
*My sense of smell is so super sensitive. This really has been true all along.
* I started feeling a fluttering sensation early in the month and I've seen my tummy move just a teeny bit.
*I've had the tiniest bit of heartburn. Does this mean hair? Parker didn't have all that much so we'll see.
*I really miss caffeine.
*We officially find out the gender on Thursday (March 6)! Thanks to the test we took earlier we have a good idea, but since there was a little quirkiness with getting the results (the nurse didn't complete the paperwork correctly) we haven't said yet (outside of immediate family) what Babe likely is. Can't wait for confirmation!

Baby Bump in Seville, Spain- February 2014

Espana Preview

The Cronins (yes, all 3 of us- Keith, me, AND Parker) went to Spain for 8 days! Sure it was sometimes stressful and frustrating at times, but when is life with an almost 2 year old not?  Parker is an excellent traveler and overall did SO well. Thankful for a baby (sorry, toddler) that handles delays, re-routings, 9 hour plane rides, and multiple bus and train rides like a champ and throws temper tantrums only because he'd rather be pushing his stroller than riding in it. Such a fun trip with my boys! I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Our stops included:

Barcelona

 Seville

Ronda

and Madrid.

Details coming soon (or eventually). 

Around here lately (and not so lately)

Before several big things happen around here (like our trip to Spain, the arrival of Cousin Claire, and P's SECOND birthday), it's time for me to play catch up and jot down a few things I want to be sure I remember. Like:

*Way back in December Parker and I tagged along with Keith and his co-workers to Opryland. We went to ICE. It was my first time to go and I was so excited to take Parker. Turns out, Parker hated it. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that it was beyond freezing and P was so bundled up he looked like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. Literally. Needless to say, a meltdown ensued and P and I skipped out on dinner much to the relief of the FTI gang I'm sure.

*He's really starting to talk lately. He'll repeat (or try to at least) things that we say a lot. At dinner a week or so ago he was inhaling some roast beef and kept asking for more "beef please."

What melts me every time is when he whispers "I love you" every night before bed.

*Speaking of food, he has been going through a growth spurt lately. The boy is a garbage disposal. He's regularly eating all 3 meals, his normal snacks (fruit, cheese, crackers, cheerios, etc.), plus a post nap "snack" of an entire PB&J.
*We went to the mall the other day and rode the escalator for the first time. As we approached P got excited. He sat down at the top and started to scoot towards the stairs. It took me a second to figure out what he was doing, but I realized that he thought it was a slide!
*He loves to play Hide and Seek with Daddy. He's a terrible hider (he can't stay put!), but a great seeker.
*He will randomly come up to me, put his arms so tightly around my neck and give me the biggest squeeze and won't let go. If I kiss his neck he'll break into a fit of laughter and squeeze harder.
*He has a new "game" where he'll stand on my feet and I'll walk around. It's a great work out for me!
*My work schedule got switched around so I was able to spend Valentine's Day with P. We went to the Lane Motor Museum. He had a blast playing with the cars (and running up and down the ramp) in the kids area and just walking around looking at everything.

*Of course, I couldn't let Valentine's Day pass without any kisses.

*And just because. :)

 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 The boy is obsessed.

Sunday Snapshot