Barcelona was our next stop and the last stop on this part of the trip. We would be disembarking Freedom of the Seas and saying goodbye to a wonderful crew and many new friends. I had been to Barcelona a few times when I was in the Navy but the last time had been over 35 years ago and the city had changed drastically when it hosted the Olympic Games. We were looking forward to our 4 day visit.

We were staying at the Hotel Continental on La Rambla just a block away from the Placa de Catalunya. The hotel was like an oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of La Rambla. Our schedule in Barcelona was packed with things to do with just enough down-time to keep us refreshed. We walked La Rambla several times and always saw something new. We saw the outside of La Sagrada Familia on the first day but would return on day two for an inside tour. We experienced Park Gruell, the National Museum of Art.

We took a day trip to Montserrat and on the way back stopped at a winery Oller Dl Mas which is in Manresa.  

Heretat Oller del Mas has more than 1,000 years of history Surrounding the mediaeval castle that dates back to the 10th century and was completely restored from 1981 to 2008, the place exudes the captivating history of the Oller family: knights, noblemen, leaders, religious men and master craftsmen who have left their mark on the country’s history. Our small group had a wonderful tour of the grounds and winery and a really nice wine tasting where we sampled several of their wines.

Suggested by the Hotel staff, we found a fabulous restaurant named Cachitos where we would return on a future visit.

We loved our time in Barcelona but it was time to move on, so we headed for the airport and set our sights on Rome! You can read and see it in the next installment!