Exploring Northeastern Spain

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.”
― Salvador Dali

In October, my camera took Randy and me on a two week-long journey.  Our journey began in Barcelona,

Spain.  This was our home base for the first week of our adventure.

Our hotel, Hotel Ofelias, was located right next door to Las Arenas de Barcelona.  Las Arenas de Barcelona, a former bullfighting ring, reopened in 2011 as a shopping centre filled with shops and restaurants.  We enjoyed several meals there as well as the views.

On our first full day in Barcelona, we took the Gaudí tour.  If you missed my post about that experience, you can access it here.

Next, we enjoyed a half-day tour of Montserrat.  The monastery has breathtaking views of the mountain range.  We spent our time there enjoying the views, learning the history of the monastery, and listening to the boys’ choir.

That evening, we enjoyed the Barcelona Old Town Tapas Tour.  Our guide took other travelers and us to five establishments for tastings of tapas and beverages.  We had a lovely time walking and sharing stories along the way.

Following a restful night’s sleep, we went with our guide to her home, Girona.  Her love of her city was evident as she gave us a tour.

This photograph was taken from the Eiffel Bridge in Girona.  The bridge was constructed by Gustave Eiffel’s company in 1876.

From Girona, we made our way to the Dalí Theatre-Museum, located in Figueres, Spain.  I was so inspired by the work I saw there.  Immediately upon my return home, I ordered a book of his work for further study.

Our last full day in Barcelona, was one of my favorites of our time spent in Spain.  Randy and I started the morning touring the Picasso Museum.  We had a knowledgeable guide who explained Picasso’s work in chronological order rather than the order we encountered it in the museum.  This was extremely helpful.

Following that, we made a short walk to the Mediterranean Sea.  We enjoyed lunch and the sights there.

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The fabulous week in Northeastern Spain concluded with my photography events that were held in Barcelona.  If you did not see that post, you can view it here.

Reluctantly, we packed our bags to prepare for the second part of our adventure in Portugal.  We could have easily spent at least another week exploring where we were.

We are so grateful for our experience and the thorough planning and help from our incredible travel specialist, Hope Martin, with AAA Carolinas.