Never Been to Spain

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Another guest, another guest blog! We spent a week-and-a-half with my sister Beth and her husband while in Barcelona and the south of France. We invited Beth to share her thoughts…Thanks, Beth!]

Hello! I’m John’s sister, Beth, and here is my guest blog… many hours invested, and several edits later. While John has a degree in English, mine is in Chemistry, so my writing is not as polished. (A factoid: John once corrected our cousin’s Thank You note IN RED PEN, and then returned it to her, so you can understand why I was feeling some additional pressure.)

A little over a year ago, John and Amy shared their plans for this “pretirement” trip around the globe, and asked if we would like to join them somewhere along the way. Without any hesitation at all, my husband, Rick, and I answered, “We’re in!” Almost as quickly, we knew we would join them sometime in July or August as that was the time frame our schedules would allow. That would mean Europe!

We began planning our trip. Our son, Kevin, and his girlfriend, Michelle, would join us. Ultimately, Kevin, Michelle, Rick and I flew into Munich, Germany, on the sixth of July. We made our way through Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and the French Alps to meet up with John and Amy on the 16th in Barcelona, Spain. (On a side note….John and Amy have not been to Liechtenstein OR Switzerland!! Who would have imagined that we’ve been somewhere they have not?!!) Kevin and Michelle would be in Barcelona for a couple days before flying home. The rest of us would remain in Barcelona a little bit longer before heading to St. Lary-Soulon, France, for the 17th stage of the Tour de France.

While we’ve been on some wonderful vacations, we’re not experienced travelers like John and Amy. The planning of the first ten days exhausted Rick and me. We were spent. So many of the details of our time with John and Amy were left entirely up to them. Of course, as John’s sister, I’ve travelled with him before. That was a long time ago, and it involved climbing into the family station wagon before the sun rose, and heading to a campground near our vacation destination. These family vacations often included our grandmothers, and great memories were made on these trips.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: John is the youngest. Beth is clearly the young girl. And our brother Bill was seemingly not pleased with these Kodak moments.]

I was sure this trip, though different in many ways, would also be something special. And I was right.

In Barcelona, we had an awesome apartment right in the Gothic Quarter, Barri Gotic, located just off Plaça Sant Jaume. Just walking to and from the apartment was an experience. The narrow streets of this area are lined with shops of all kinds. We enjoyed a Fat Tire Bike tour which was extremely entertaining, and through which we saw many of Barcelona’s highlights: Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Plaza del Rei and the Palau Reial (courtyard of the royal palace where Ferdinand and Isabella received Columbus on his return from the new world), La Catedral (Gothic Church from 1298), Palau de la Musica Catalana, Parc de la Ciutadella, and Barcelonetta beach. We strolled through the La Mercat Boqueria (an open air market filled with fresh fruits, seafood and meats), walked down Las Ramblas, and toured the Roman ruins.

Anyone who knows John and Amy know they LOVE good food and drink, and enjoy sharing their favorites with others. Along the way, we shared many things that delight the palette… Octopus, Razor clams, and of course, the delicious Serrano Jamon leg! Some of us even tried some fried brain…which resembled chicken nuggets.

WE HAD SOME THINGS TO CELEBRATE!!! Kevin and Michelle had gotten engaged the night before our arrival in Barcelona, and Kevin turned 24 while there. John and Amy, ever thoughtful, made sure we had champagne (in actual champagne glasses) to toast their engagement, and arranged for a birthday dinner in the wine cellar of a wonderful restaurant.

After Kevin and Michelle returned to the States, we toured La Familia Sagrada, the cathedral envisioned by Gaudi, that’s been under construction for over 100 years. It was inspiring. The colors created by stained glass were fantastic, and many elements of nature are incorporated into its architecture. Anticipated completion is in twelve years, but there is still much to do. We agreed that in 20 years, we’re coming back on a Mediterranean cruise to see if it’s completed. Anyone care to join us?

When our stay in Barcelona was finished, we all piled into “Cleo”, John and Amy’s leased Renault Clio, and headed to the French Pyrenees for the 17th stage of the Tour de France. For the details, please read John’s post, “Bicycle Race”. He did an excellent job telling the story, I could never tell it better. (Remember the aforementioned undergraduate degrees…English vs. Chemistry…need I say more?) We had a blast! We laughed, we drank, we ate, and then we laughed some more.

The only way this trip could have been any better would have been to have our son, Kyle, with us. He was presented with an amazing opportunity when he secured a position with a research team in the Arctic Circle for the summer, and wasn’t able to join us. We missed him! Through the miracle of technology, we were able to have him with us in a small way.

So, thank you, John and Amy! Thank you for inviting us to join in your adventure, and making us feel so welcome every moment that we shared with you. Thank you for helping us to create memories that will last a lifetime. We love you both.