Travel Therapy: Barcelona, Spain Part 2

Hi all, this is my very first post in the month of October! I know, I know...quite shameful. Today I am concluding my Spanish adventures in the wonderful city of Barcelona (see part 1 here). The final part highlights my last day in my most favorite European city. I was fatigued from the last few days of tourist activity, and since I had one more European city to tour before heading back to the States,  my travel buddy and I decided to to take it easy and calmly enjoy the last day in Barcelona.

The day started with these photos in the courtyard of the apartment we stayed in. Gothic Quarters also known as Barri Gòtic is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Barcelona. With its narrow streets and medieval landmarks, it was the perfect place for me to call home, even if only for a few days.  

After  my photo session, my travel buddy and I headed to one of the restaurants in our apartment building for a final breakfast in Barcelona

Spanish pastries

After breakfast we headed to Parc Guell to explore Antonio Guadi's colorful wonderland. However, we encountered a mammoth crowd, so we settled for pictures outside the ticketed park area and headed on our way.

Definitely not as dangerous as it looks. The ground was only 2 feet below on both sides.

Had we explored the interior of Parc Guell, we would have experienced this magic!. Source

Once we were done at Parc Guell, we headed off to explore Gràcia district, the neighborhood the park is situated.

Photo op in front of  a squat house and old guard post, Kasa de la Muntanya.

How colorful is this Gràcia district street?

Can you tell I am fascinated by the colorful buildings!

When the wall matches your coat.

Soon after, we made our way to Plaça Catalunya, a large square in  the heart of Barcelona. The plaza is a busy place and a major transportation and shopping hub.

Made some new birdie friends at Plaza Catalunya :-)

Came across these colorfully dressed gypsy beggars

My travel buddy was heading back to Switzerland, so we said our goodbyes and I went off to explore Arc de Triomf

How beautiful is this palm tree lined square

Came across this colorful floor map of Barcelona, and of course *snap, *snap

Montjuic mountain and Jardins de Miramar was my next port of call. The Montjuic mountain is a hill with an amazing view of Barcelona. It overlooks the city harbor and also houses the Miramar Garden. I arrived at the hill at a very good time and I was able to see the sun set over Barcelona. 

Amazing view of the sun setting over the city

The Harbor

Miramar Gardens

Giant cactus at Miramar Gardens

After a brief stint at Jardins de Miramar, I headed to the Magic Fountain which is also situated at the end of Montjuïc mountain.

Font Màgica/Montjuïc Magic Fountain--what an amazing sight

The main fountain, Font Màgica

There is a light show every evening, but I didn't wait for it

Entertained by this street performer while people watching at the Magic fountain

Then hopped on a tour bus as my ticket from the day before was still valid. We drove by Poble Espanyol,an open-air architectural museum.

Camp nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona soccer team was one of the sights I encountered on the drive back to Gothic Quarters.

The day ended with paella(soggy:/) for dinner and yummy pistachio/strawberry cheesecake ice cream and creme brulee for desert. With that, my adventures in Barcelona came to a delightful end.

Ha!ha...not to worry locals, I am on my way outta your city

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed seeing Barcelona through my eyes. Do you guys have any trips coming up soon, or are you just back from a trip? Where did you go and what was your experience? Please share with me in the comment box. Hope to hear from you.

Travel Therapy: Portland, Maine in one day!

Daycations are an ideal way to get away from reality for a little while. They are inexpensive and offer a quick way to see another city. So having visited all the states but one in New England, I decided to take a day trip to Maine and complete the sixth New England state. 

Portland is a charming coastal city in the state of Maine. It boasts of lighthouses, scenic seaside views, quaint shops, colorful buildings, and some of New England's most expensive homes, and of course, the best lobster in the entire world! 

Portland has a very vibrant art scene and this is evident in the numbers of artsy stores and cool wall art around the city. 

Now let's get into my trip. Enjoy!

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I was visiting Portland from Boston and the Downeaster Armtrack from North Station was the most convenient mode of transportation. The train ride was a little over two hours, so I brought my breakfast and enjoyed the scenery as the train traveled through several cities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Since I was going to be walking for several hours while exploring Portland, comfy shoes were a must!
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Two hours later, I arrived at Portland Transportation Center and took a short uber ride to Downtown Portland. My first port of call was Portland  Museum of Art, but with the  limited time I had in the city, I did not want to spend hours indoors, so I ditched the museum and went off to Old Port District.

Portland Museum of Art

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While making my way to The Old Port District, I came across the home of  famous American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Congress street. I studied some of his poems in high school, so it was a pleasure running into the childhood home of this literary genuis.

Longfellow Garden
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The Old Port District of Portland is a charming water front area with wharfs, quaint stores, and interesting buildings. It was at the Long Wharf water front that I found a real piece of the Berlin Wall.

How cool!

The Berlin Wall, Portland-- A time for peace

Love Lock Bridge, Portland: Mirroring the Love lock bridge in Paris, Hundreds of padlocks are locked on a chain fence at the waterfront.
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After taking in the scenery at the Old Port District and water front, I decided to hop on a trolley tour to see one of Maine's light houses. I opted for Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth.

Photo op before hopping into the trolley

Very post card-esque

The guided trolley tour was a good idea, as it gave me the opportunity to see places I wouldn't have been able to see had I explored on foot only. 

Here is a home in the west end neighborhood. West end is known for its architecture and history. This neighborhood houses some of Portland's most historic homes. "It is one of the best preserved Victorian neighborhoods in the country"
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Finally made it to the Portland Head Light. I lived and breathed Famous Five book series as a child, and I had always wanted to visit a light house since reading about the light house adventures of the Famous Five kids.

Portland Head Light House is in Fort Williams Park, so I made time out to explore the park and walk the cliff.

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After the light house adventure, I headed to Casco Bay water front to get my grub on. Maine is known for its lobster, and skipping a lobster meal was not an option!

This was the best lobster ever! 

A view of  Casco Bay as I enjoyed my lovely meal

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After my hearty meal, Commercial street in downtown was next on my itinerary. Chock full of restaurants, colorful buildings, quaint stores, and unique merchandise, Commercial street was a delight to peruse.

Snaps after my hearty meal

Uber colorful Commerical Street




Popped into one of the local stores to get a fridge magnet

Keep calm and eat more lobster

Chilling seaside, eating lobster is definitely the way life should be. 

That's all from my lovely day trip to Portland, ME. Do you guys have any upcoming trips? Please leave me a comment and let me know where you are headed.

Have a great day y'all!