We moved to Barcelona from Ontario, Canada in August of 2013. Living and traveling in Spain with 4 kids is not without its challenges, but well worth the extra effort. This blog is a record of the neat things we have seen and done here. I hope that it can also be a resource to other families living or traveling through Spain and Europe.
During our free walking tour with Sandeman's New Europe tours the guide told us about some of the other tours that they offer. One of them was the Gaudí and Modernism walking tour. This tour costs 10€/person and lasts about 3 hours as well. We started at 2:30pm at Plaça de l'Angel and walked through the Born district and up Passeig de Gràcia, jumping into the subway and ending up at the Sagrada Familia. It was fascinating, and I learned a lot about some of the most famous buildings in Barcelona. I would highly recommend this tour.
Casa Lléo-Morera
Casa Amatller inside entrance
Casa Amatller from the outside
Casa Batlló right beside Casa Amatller
Facade of the Nativity, Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia newly finished facade
February 27th, 2016
Saturday, we had lunch in Barceloneta and then Kimi and I walked down the beach. We did a bit of shopping and then we waited until after 5pm and got to go inside the Catedral de Barcelona, Santa Maria del Pi and the Santa Maria del Mar churches for free. We also celebrated Kimi's birthday with a chocolate cake!
It was not a particularly warm day, but you can see all the people surfing
Deserted beaches
Kimi's birthday cake
February 28th, 2016
In the afternoon, Kimi and I visited the Museu Maritim. It is of course free on Sunday afternoons. It was a very nice museum, probably even worth the price of admission. After touring the museum we jumped in the metro and went to Montjuic as we were going to visit the National Museum of art of Catalunya or MNAC. It was free on Sunday afternoon, but we didn't know that it also closes at 3pm on Sunday afternoons and we got there after 3pm. So then we decided to do a long walk around Montjuic. We saw so many parks and monuments, it's amazing how much stuff is in Montjuic. We wanted to see the Magic Fountain Show at 7:30, but again I got my information wrong. In the winter months, there is no fountain show on Sundays and the fountains did not even turn on at all. Oh well, still a beautiful place to walk around on a Sunday afternoon.
As soon as we got back from Huesca, I got a message from Maricarmen Vasquez a member of our church and fellow choir member in Cornellà Ward, she told me that she would be participating in the "International Music Week" with her two sons and asked if I wanted to join them. International Music Week is a week long musical bootcamp, organized by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are also professional musicians. The event attracts musicians and singers from all over Europe and this year it would be held in Barcelona.
The week culminates with three public concerts. The first concert was to be held in Santa Maria del Pi, which is a beautiful 14th century church right in the heart of the Gothic quarters (Barri Gòtic) of Barcelona. The second concert would be held in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. How amazing would it be to sing with a choir in the Sagrada Familia!!! The last concert would be held at the Barcelona Stake Centre.
The Music Week started on Monday August 24th in the afternoon and there would be practices every morning and afternoon until the first concert on Friday August 28th. Bob was very supportive and looked after the kids allowing me to attend the practices. It wasn't easy. The music was much more complicated than I was used to. Fortunately for me, most of the songs were in English, although we did sing a couple of songs in Latin and in Spanish. It was fun meeting singers and musicians from many different countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Australia and from all over Spain.
So many young amateur musicians performed along side seasoned professionals like Igor and Vesna Gruppman (Igor Gruppman is the conductor of the Temple Square Orchestra in the Utah). I dragged Ciara and Rylan with me to the concert at the Santa Maria del Pi and even Rylan was impressed. Bob came with all the kids to the concert at the Sagrada Familia on Saturday August 29th. It was inpiring being around so many young and talented musicians, made me wish I had practiced a little harder when I was a kid ;)
Rylan and I in Santa Maria del Pi
Vesna and Igor Gruppman performing in Santa Maria del Pi
Choir getting ready to perform
Vesna and Igor Gruppman performing Vivaldi in the Santa Maria del Pi
Choir performing Halleluja in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia
You can't see me very well because I'm short, but I am in the second row, middle section
