M + N 4-EVA (M's idea for a book title of our vacation)

On the roof of Gaudi's Palau Guell (these are some of the fanciful chimneys he designed)

More colorful chimneys--done in mosaic.  We thought Faith could do something like this in our permanent home on the floor

Christian and Faith--these were in the cathedral at the hospital we visited today.  We'd love to see you guys translate (use the Latin dictionary for words you might not know yet)

Today we woke up quite late—we got to bed late last night, and then there was a rock concert blaring in the park outside our hotel till well after 2.  Anyway, we made it to the breakfast before its 11 o’clock closing time, then hit the metro for the Hospital of San Pau, which is the only modernist (art nouveau) architectural site we’ve toured that wasn’t designed by renowned Barcelonan architect Antonio Gaudi.  Quite impressive, and still in a state of renovation.

After that, we walked to eat at a Nepali restaurant which was quite good, then headed off to the street we’d visited before, La Rambla, to catch a cable car ride above the port.  We didn’t know precisely where the terminus was, which resulted in an hour-long hike up a mountain we weren’t quite expecting.  The vista was amazing, though, and it dropped us off on the beach—crowded as all get-out, but interesting to see.

We arrived at Palau Guell, a Gaudi-designed house just off Las Ramblas, at about 6:30, and toured until it closed at 8.  Fascinating stuff.  We looked for a restaurant I’d discovered online last night—and which has a GREAT website—and found it both less appetizing than advertized AND closed.  So Nancy chose another place just down the road, where we ate.

I’ve usually been asking for tap water here.  The guidebooks recommend bottled, as they consider the tap water nasty-tasting, though potable.  I, however, have found it quite palatable, and much cheaper.  Even Nancy likes it, so I don’t know what the stink is about.  But tonight, our waitress said they didn’t HAVE tap water.  I relented instead of making a scene, but DID fill my bottle up in the bathroom sink.  And I still thought it better than the $2.50 bottle I got at the table!