Barcelona - Part Dos

On our second day in Barcelona we headed down to the Gothic Quarter or "Old town".  This was definitely one of our favorite days! Seeing building and walls that had been there since the Roman settlement of the area was incredible.  It's really almost impossible to describe the beauty of the buildings, churches, and even the walls here.  Old town is made up of narrow, winding streets and makes you feel like you stepped back in time. 

City Hall

Carrer del Bisbe Irurita

 

Adorable narrow streets full of balconies

 We stopped at the famous Barcelona Cathedral for a tour. The Cathedral was constructed from the 13th-15th centuries and is a piece of art! It is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona.  The story says she was a young virgin who suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city.  She was reportedly exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street.  Her tomb lies in the cathedral and there are 13 white geese in the center courtyard that are representative of the age at which she died.

Gorgeous stained glass windows

One of Eulalia's geese

Fountain in the courtyard for drinking water

For 1 Euro you could light a fake candle/ligth bulb....kinda weird

Up on the roof

We basically wandered around all day taking in the glorious scenery.  Everywhere you turned there was something beautiful to look at.  These winding, small, alley-like streets were filled with shops, restaurants, and more.

Cute little bake shop

Just chillin'

Love, love, love these quaint streets

Chad can I have one of these???

This little chihuahua was guarding his balcony and barking his little head off!

 While wandering the streets we stumbled upon a Carhart store....yep right in the heart of Old Town Barcelona.  Well of course we went in and got Chad a couple pairs of jeans. It was a little snazzier than our Carhart stores...no coveralls or hunting gear.

We also stopped for ice cream and let me tell you...Barcelona has some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted. After our first taste we were repeat offenders everyday - we were on vacation after all.

My tiramisu ice cream....worth every calorie!!

On tomorrows agenda....Day 3 and our Barcelona Bus Tour : )