Barcelona, Spain - A "Parent Port"

On the sail to Barcelona we were super excited to see our parents and in turn were slightly distracted in class. We were also looking forward to receiving care packages and mail from home. By the time the last class rolled around on arrival day (math for me) we were too excited and preoccupied that the teachers just gave up.

We planned a bit of a performance for our parents as we docked. Some of the floaties dressed the yards on the foremast (that is, we were up the riggings in special formation waving to the folks on the dock) and the Sorlandet Music Group (also known as the Jam Club) dressed up as pirates and fittingly played the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean as we rolled in. A massive crowd of parents and family members cheered and hollered at us in greeting.

It was really great to see mom – like having a small bit of home come to me. We had so much fun together! We shopped, went sightseeing and I had the opportunity to introduce her to all of my floaties as well as put her to work "brassing". Mom stayed in an apartment with four friends from her Jazzercise days. It was located in the center of the Gothic neighbourhood about a twenty-five minute walk away from the ship. Below the apartment there was a delicious little tapas bar. An ice cream parlour and an outdoor cheese market were also close by. We had the perfect spot! It was really handy to have an apartment. I got to nap in a real bed and shower EVERYDAY. The water was hot and I wasn’t limited to ninety seconds! It was BLISS. Mom even made me her homemade spaghetti.

It was delicious and I got to invite several friends, who did not have family visiting, to join us for dinner. We had a great time! No food lines, no rationing … it was super!

 

One of mom’s friends is a fitness teacher and she came down to the ship early in the morning to teach us Zumba for PE class. Check it out on You Tube!

One of my favourite things about Barcelona was the food market. It was AMAZING. There were colorful stands upon stands selling fresh fruits, smoothies, Iberian ham (if you ever visit Spain, you must try some!), other meats, mushrooms and numerous variety of nuts. The smoothies were the best ever. My favourites were mango coconut and kiwi coconut. Especially after the long sail, all that fresh fruit was HEAVENLY.

Barcelona is loaded with great stores and the shopping if fabulous! In Spain, shoes and accessories are no laughing matter. By the end of our shopping spree, our wallets were considerably lighter!  Mom and I also checked out some Gaudi architecture while wandering around the city. It was very cool.

For our port program we visited Monserrat – an old monastery town in the mountains. You may be familiar with the famous choir of young boys that live, study and sing there. We were fortunate enough to hear a performance in the massive cathedral that was in the centre of town. We also headed up the side of the mountain for what turned out to be a disappointing view: so foggy you couldn’t see two feet in front of you.

Luckily, by the end of the day it did clear up a bit and the view was quite spectacular and well worth the wait.

Barcelona was great! Although it was difficult to say goodbye, I really enjoyed the trip and spending quality time with Mom. Thanks for coming!