The Allisons

After a soggy day, Thursday we were ready for some Spainsh sunshine. It was only about 2 hrs and 45 min from our hotel in Beziers, France to Barcelona, Spain.

I was oblivious to the border patrol eyeing me as I snapped these pictures before Mike ever so gently reminded me I should not be taking pictures as we crossed the border.

We took a double-decker, on/off bus tour.

This is Estacio de Sants. It's an industrial park built in the mid '80s on the site of an old textile mill. The crazy sculpture is actually a kid's slide and they call the other things lighthouse-style towers.

These were taken where we got off at Placa d'Espanya. The Venetian towers and the fountain in between them mark the gateway to the park of Monjuic: the setting for the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympic games. The building behind Mike and the boys a museum on Montjuic hill. A key spot fr leisure, culture, and sport. Our friend Rachel said she attended a water/light/music show at this giant fountain when she visited Barcelona. I guess it doesn't run during the day. :(

Right across the street from the museum was the Olympic torch. I don't know if the picture accurately portrays how big it is, but it is huge.

Our hotel was in the neighborhood of "Gracia". It was an independent town until 1897 when it became part of Barcelona. It wasn't too far from a couple of Antonio Gaudi's works of art. This (left) is Casa Batllo`. Built 1904-1906 it was actually a house (the levels above the street). It is particularly colorful at night.

This (right) is Casa Mila` or "La Pderera". Built 1906-1910, it is now a musuem for other of Gaudi's works and a period apartment. We didn't go into either of the them. As you can see, they were quite crowded.

We couldn't really decide if we really liked this cathedral, called Sagrada Familia, or really did not like it. It is another one of Gaudi's works. His life's work. It was begun in the late 1800s and is still under construction. Upon Gaudi's death in 1926, only one tower was completed. Now there are 4 in the front and 4 in the back.

This is the front of the cathedral. >

This is the back.

There was a park across the street (in the front and the back actually) which proved handy for some photo ops with the kids.

Acting silly. As always.

We paid our obligatory visit to Hard Rock-Barcelona. Here's a video of Jonas hard rockin' it as he's eating his hot dog.

On our way into town, we saw a cool fort/castle on the ohter side of the highway a made a mental note to stop on our way back. This was a Spanish fort in Perpignon, France. When the French conquered this area of Catalonia, they turned the fort into a prison/torture chamber for those who were unwilling to accept French rule.

We walked to the fort on a path from a rest stop on the highway. We arrived just as they were closing (the story of our lives!). Mike and the boys are supposed to be making sad faces (left). We've been working on "faces". Above and left are their happy faces. Under that, shows what is supposed to be their "serious" faces. They are as unconvincing as their sad faces. :)


A windmill on the way to Limoges, France. We stopped for just about an hour in the porcelain capital of France. I was hoping to pick up some cheap porcelain, but I didn't have much time to shop around. I ended up heading to a factory (with 30 min until closing time) and got just a few items. It wasn't as cheap as I had hoped.

Then onto our B&B in Bellac, France. It was by far, the most charming place we stayed. It was run by a Brit/Scot couple and their teenage daughters. It was a town house that was about 400 ears old. As luck would have it, my camera battery died. :( So I didn't get any pictures.