BARCELONA!!

Jake, Clementine and I slip out of Cynthia's condo at 5:30 am into a heavy fog. Waiting for us is Tonya, a British expat who will taxi us to the airport. She's a chatty cabbie and gets us capably thru the mist, the rest of leaving Rome is just as uncomplicated. Vueling airlines is based out of Barcelona and we had a pleasant, if short, flight with them. Before this trip I was only familiar with Ryanair - both of my older children traveled extensively in Europe on Ryanair while spending semesters abroad  - but Europe is full of small airlines so the cost and the convenience often can't be beat.
Our hotel is very nice - we really love our room which has a deep, large tub, great shower and eco constraints on the lights and electricity in the room: nothing works until you "park" your door keycard in your room's receptacle. This way all the lights etc are out whenever you leave. The immediate neighborhood, Santa Estacio, isn't really very picturesque. It's more industrial/commercial with the train/bus/metro station across the intersection, but that said, it's convenient to how you'll be getting where you're going. We did enjoy a Basque style resto around the corner, lunch once for me and Clementine; tapas one night for us all, but mostly we took the metro away from Estacio and walked. Lots of walking everywhere, the whole time, the entire trip.
After a picnic of baguette and cheese on a park bench waiting for our room to be ready we shower and nap. C and I go for Basque food, a late lunch. We relax in our room until evening and head to the Sagrada Familia, which is all scaffolded up and on to see 2 of Gaudi's most famous residences, apartment buildings that look like jazzed up Disney, done in colorful mosaic tiles, nary a straight line on the exterior. Fun house houses. Gaudi and Dali share some crazy Spanish aesthetic, I do believe.
Gaudi's stuff is all over Barcelona. We will go to his park, Guell, tomorrow by the way!
More to eat!! Tapas at the street end of a bar surrounded overhead by hanging ham, like in any good
european bar. More walking. Sleep is most welcome after this long day and the beds are good.