Here are Shelly and I representing - sporting our jerseys and flag before the game.
The US won 1-0, and yes there was a near blizzard during the game. Here is the US team recognizing the US fans that came out.
The dogs love the snow and it is a kick to watch them run around and wrestle. By the time I got them home their feet were incased in snow.
Winston gets pretty feisty and he usually ends up with a snowy fu-man-chu.
Our first day we arrived mid-morning and checked our bags at the hotel then explored the Gothic Quarter, La Rambla and the harbor. Our "room" was really an apartment so we had a full kitchen and did some shopping at one of the markets for some fruit and other snack items to keep in our room. Day two we got out to an early start on the tour bus and hit all the major sites including La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, both Gaudi works that are a major detour from typical European architecture. We also strolled around the Olympic facilities and stopped for some sangria on the beach at the end of the day. Day three we hit some of the museums and the aquarium.
We had some great food too. Like any tourist destination, the joints in the tourist areas are not the greatest. One of Shelly's coworkers went to Barcelona over the New Year and liked the city but complained about the food. We both love Spanish food so we were was disappointed (and a bit skeptical) to hear that the food was sub par. However, Lonely Planet did us right and pointed us off the beating path to some good places. One place we went for dinner was a GREAT Mexican joint. This place didn't open until 9 PM and by 9:20 was packed with a line outside. The restaurant was run by what we assume was a father and son. One of the coolest things was that when they made a margarita, they each took turns shaking the shaker until the drink was so frothy you couldn't hear the ice banging around inside. This was serious business; I would have taken a picture but I didn't want to break their concentration. I started out with a Negro Modelo but once we witnessed the making of a margarita I felt obligated to indulge. The food was prepared with the same care and ranks as some of the best Mexican food we've ever had. The city was great, but I think that meal was my highlight.
We thought the Spanish people were great, the laid back culture and vibrant atmosphere is just so much different than Germany. Basically Barcelona was a nice break from the day-to-day, Germany and our crappy weather.
--Ed
Well, I guess she's not as shy as we thought. Shelly had her next to last monthly checkup and TBD very explicitly gave up the goods - so we have a Madison. In the successive shots to the left you can make out Madison putting her hand to her mouth. All measurements were normal again, except for her head size which is a bit on the smallish size - so she's already taking after Shelly.
