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Observing life of the locals.

Another full-on tourist day in sunny Barcelona. To start off the day we bought our 3-day passes on the metro and went up to the Hospital desinged by Gaudi. Very beautiful and could have been easily missed had not someone recommended we go there. After taking in the beauty of the hospital we headed down to the very famous La Familia Sagrada.

It is spectacular and unmissable when visiting this beautiful city. Walking around the unfinished masterpiece it was impacting to see how many Biblical illustrations had been used. Of course the audioguide helped me spot them as they were mostly on the very high facades and I wouldn't have noticed them had they not been pointed out to me. It was a great visit, although it did feel a bit like walking in a herd of sheep at times...me and the other tourists with their headsets on.

Full of impressions from the Sagrada Familia, our tummys were feeling a bit empty so we went down to the Gracia area for a bite to eat. Easier said then done. The usually full-of-life (or so we hear) student area was quite deserted and as we walked down the narrow alleys we didn't see many people- or places to eat (food).

Finally we ended up at a square called something I can''t remember which I'll find later on and edit into this post. We sat down on some plastic chairs and ordered some chicken and chips, which turned out to be a plate of greasy chips, breaded chicken, and a fried egg. It was nice to finally eat, although it wasn't the most exquisite meal I've ever had.

Sat there I heard some noise on one side and realised it was a family coming to sit down a bit further on. It was such a lovely sight seeing the women in their patterned black dresses flurry around the children, and different people come chat to them. There was such a family feel over it. Two of the little girls took out a skipping rope which they were swinging until the little boy who was a bit older came and interrupted their game. After another while the little boy took the blue flip-flop from the little girl who was wearing a pink summer outfit and was teasing her. By the tables dad (I presume) was holding the little baby, while the women were busy chattering away. They could of course be tourists, but I choose to imagine them being a typical Barcelonian family having an afternoon out.

The day contained many more observations and impressions which I might or might not record later on. Tonight we might check out a local Salsa dancing place...

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