Home at last.

We arrived at Barcelona Airport at 8am on Friday morning (6pm NZ time). Our flight was delayed slightly but 12 and a half hours later we arrived in Singapore. Here we got a few hours sleep before exploring Singapore briefly. After 14 hours in Singapore we got on our next flight of 9 and a half hours to Christchurch where we arrived at 9.50am this morning.

Beautiful tropical gardens in Singapore.

Great to be back in NZ. Talking to other travellers on our flight home who all felt the same way. We had all been to amazing places and had awesome experiences, but even the 4 degrees temperature couldn't persuade us back onto the plane (well not yet anyway).

Coming from a 35 degree day in Singapore it was a bit of a sensory shock to stand at hockey and watch Beck play in a very cool (positively freezing) southerly breeze. Singapore was lovely today and we had a quick tour around the city for last minute shopping and a chance to get out of the airport. Beautiful gardens and lots of greenery.

Trying to stay awake while I finish my blog but really struggling now, think I might go and have a wee nap, need to be ready to get back into the classroom tomorrow. My children who have been following my blog each day have just informed me that it is full of spelling and grammatical errors - oops!!! sorry about that. 

Last day in Barcelona

Windswept on a mountain top, 32 degree heat and the most amazing views in Monserrat. We spent several hours here exploring, finding out about the history and taking many photos of the stunning scenery.  

Some amazing shaped mountain structures which took on a character of their own.

The chapel of Sant Joan. To get here we had to ride up a steep hill on the funicular then walk up the hill around under a large outcrop and then behold we could see for miles. I think today I could see all of Spain.

The view from the train window as we made our way up to Monserrat high in the hills.

When we finally got back to Barcelona around 7pm we finished the day off with a meal of tapas, including green peppers (my favourite) and octopus (Phil and Matt's favourite), calamari and a jug is sangria. Nice way to end a pleasant day in the mountains, and to be honest away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Well our journey comes to an end on Sunday morning when we arrive back in Christchurch. We have had a fabulous holiday and met many interesting people along the way. What have I learnt along the way? Be prepared to do lots of walking, learn the basic language, always look both ways before crossing the street, have fun and don't hold hands in hot countries. All joking aside, be yourself enjoy the experience and as my son keeps reminding me it is not the destination that is important but the 'journey'. 

Perspiration Plus

Temperature hit about 34 today, and high humidity. Needless to say that at some stages I thought I was about to melt like an ice cream in the hot sun. We started out the day by walking about 20 minutes to Barcelonota Beach where we stayed until about 12 when it started to get too hot and the crowds started to arrive. Beautiful beach, warm water and just really lovely.

Next we went on another walking tour. This time we went to see all the 'modernist' buildings and many of the famous Gaudi structures around Barcelona.

This is Casa Batllo designed by Gaudi and built early last century. We went back to visit this later and viewed the amazing interior of this very interesting and very different building. It was designed to represent a dragon which is common place in Spanish mythology and culture.

On the roof.

The view of other structures from the roof of Casa Batllo. Houses are all very close together.

The interior atrium which goes up the middle of the building and represents the sea.

Wonderful wood work and features throughout as well as cleverly designed mosaics.

Next stop, something to eat. Matt and Phil tonight tried baby octopus, I tried one or two but felt sorry for the little things.

Really they weren't that bad. Most meals we have enjoyed tapas and these are meant to be shared so you get to try 4 or 5 dishes in one sitting. Great flavours and a nice way to share a meal together.

The other famous Gaudi building we visited was the Sagrada Familia which they started building in 1905 and they hope to finish in 2026.

Hot, hot, hot.

30 degrees in the shade but felt like 40 in the sun. Very energy sapping and man do you sweat when it's that warm. Needless to say we drank lots of water. Went on a walking tour of the old area of Barcelona and going on another one tomorrow of the 'newer' areas. Really informative and well worthwhile to gain local knowledge.

Couple of hobos who kept following me. This was taken in a small square where tragedy struck in The Spanish Civil War in 1938, when a bomb was dropped and killed 42 children running to the bomb shelter.

Shrapnel marks still remain in the walls in memory of this event.

Some of the old quarter with narrow streets and cobblestones.

Even the more modern streets are still quite narrow, and houses are close together.

Stunning, the background.

Barcelona from up high, almost melted getting to this spot but again well worth the effort.

Finished the day with a swim at the beach and peaceful stroll home on dusk. Still 25 degrees outside and a lovely evening.

Paris to Barcelona by TGV

The TGV is a train which travels from Paris to Barcelona in 6 and a half hours. It travels at about 300km and hour along some stretches. The change in the countryside is quite stunning and we saw a lot of French and some Spanish countryside in a very short time.

On the train happy to be heading to Barcelona.

Along the way the scenery was really lovely. Outside temp somewhere in the thirties. Much nicer on the train.

Arrived safely in Barcelona and met Matt at our hotel. He walked our legs off to the beach, paella for supper then walked back to our hotel, may have stopped at a bar on the way home to ask directions. Still very hot, around 26 degrees and very humid. Going on a walking tour (more walking, Phil and I walked round Paris til midnight last night) around Barcelona tomorrow. Way to see the world.

Stunning during the day.

Spectacular at night. As we walked away the tower began to sparkle for the next five minutes or so. Worth the late night and sore feet.

View from up high

Today we went to Montmartre and we climbed 300 steps up into the dome of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre. Panoramic views of the whole of Paris made it well worth the effort. Although we timed it perfectly and beat the crowds, thank goodness.

The view from the back of the Sacré-Coeur. We climbed to the top of the dome on the left.

Wow!!! No wonder one young lady had vertigo when she reached the top and had to cling to the walls. What an amazing view from here.

Next we visited the Palace de Louvre and sat for a while and pleasantly watched the world go by. The scale of the place is enormous.

On our way back to our apartment we were passed by thousands of roller blades.

Siesta time again now. Hope to get a picture tonight of the Eiffel Tower under lights. Travelling to Barcelona tomorrow.

Escargot

Finally we found snails on the menu, Bon appetit.

Not bad at all.

The real Statue of Liberty.

The Eiffel Tower from the boat.