The Spanish and Chocolate

The guide book recommended we try the Spanish version of hot chocolate: Cacaolat. It is nothing like any hot chocolate I've ever tasted. It was thick and very rich. Although it was served in a cup, you could spoon it out. The closest approximation would be chocolate mouse combined with steamed milk. It was definitely a hit with us!

We had quite a laugh in the grocery store as we perused the breakfast cereal selection. I think about 75% at least of the choices included chocolate! And I don't mean the 'coco puffs' type. There was a cereal that looked like Special K or Vector but with chocolate. I think my favourite was the cereal called "Fitness" which was also available with chocolate. I wish we'd had our camera in the grocery store. We certainly had a lot of fun!

Barcelona

I've heard Paris described as a "pretty blond." If so, then Barcelona is a pretty brunette. Nestled up against the glittering Mediterranean and festooned with palm trees, Barcelona is a very attractive city. The architecture is quite unique, as one of the leading architects in the 19th Century "modernista" movement, Antoni Gaudi, lived in Barcelona. His wacky buildings have fantastically curving shapes and are quite distinct from pretty apartment blocks with ornate wrought iron balconies and colourful shutters.

Gaudi was a Catalan nationalist as well as a devout Catholic. Probably the most famous of his buildings is a church, Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). It was begun in 1882 and only partially complete when Gaudi died in 1926. It still is a work in progress. The roof is supposed to be completed in 2010 and the whole church by 2030. Its tall spires make it a landmark easily seen from afar. Gaudi was very interested in bringing nature into architectural design: the pillars inside look remarkably like trees. The church inside is a construction site--you can see the labourers at work. The outside faces are incredibly detailed works depicting on one face the Nativity and on another the Crucifixion. It's a spectacular building--nothing like any other church I've seen--and more awe-inspiring for its originality that the Cathedral in Barcelona.