We are lucky that here in Norway there are several holidays that happen in the Spring that allow for a 3 or 4 day weekend. So we took advantage of one of those long weekends to go on a short trip to celebrate my belated birthday in Barcelona. We visited Malaga, Spain a few years ago and it remains one of our favorite trips. The advantage on this trip was that we didn't have to deal with jet-lag! Makes trips around Europe so much easier, especially with a baby!
Xander enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with Dad as our flight is landing in sunny Spain!
A bit of a long travel day but here's the standard We've-Arrived-Stautzenberger-Thumbs-Up. As hard as we tried Xander completely passed out on the taxi ride from the airport to our flat.
The boys at breakfast the next morning. One of the things Norway really lacks (at least in my humble opinion) is a variety of affordable family dining options. Everything in Stavanger really caters to the oil and gas industry so there are a lot of expensive (but still not so great) places. So it's always a treat when we travel to eat out. Our lovely flat in the Exiample district was surrounded with hundreds of resturants and cafes within just a few blocks! It was heaven!
One of the perks of our flat was the HUGE outdoor terrace. It was literately bigger than the entire apartment. We were visited daily by a very friendly cat which our animal loving child was delighted by. And I enjoyed laying out in the sun during during nap time and enjoying a glass (or 2) of the local rosé.
One of the highlights of our trip was the visit to the Sagrada Familia basilica. It is an absolutely fascinating building because it has been in constant construction since 1883. The current estimated date for completion is 2026. I'd love to come back and see it when it's finished. Xander would be 12!
Each of the 5 interior walls represented a different earth element. This side was water.
We found a corner with the apostles creed, read it to Xander and then documented with a picture of our very reverent child.
If you've spent any time around Xander you know his THING, his love above all other loves, is lights. So the increidble colorful light spilling in from towering stained glass windows was like his dream! Arthur carried him around in the baby carrier and Xander spent 90% of the time leaning backwarding and "OOOOOOOH"ing in awe! Everyone who saw couldn't help but giggle.
True life...trying to take a nice family picture on holiday.
We found a quiet corner inside the basilica and let Xander crawl around for a while to get some of his energy out.
On our way back home we stopped for tapas and sangria at a cafe on the street corner across from the basilica and marveled at it one last time. Also...there was some GREAT people watching in that area of town :)
The next day we headed to the beach. Now Arthur and my last experience on the beach in Spain was nothing short of perfection. Think private lounge chairs and umbrella, bottomless sangria, endless fresh tapas, and warm sunshine! Oh yeah...that was life pre-baby. It was a little different this time. Xander did not love the sand. In fact, he wouldn't even let us set him down in it. The texture freaked him out for some reason. And it was really windy, another thing that makes Xander cranky. So we found a little beachside cafe and made the best of it...with our super expensive watered down sangria. Hey, at the least the company was great!
This paella was the single best thing I consumed while in Barcelona. Because, as I've already pointed out, when in Spain...FOOD! Our last day was spent exploring the Gothic quarter. It's a really interesting area but VERY touristy. We had a hard time finding a cafe that looked authentic when I spotted some very savy looking diners on top of a roof over looking the Gothic streets. We found a secret elevator up to the rooftop which opened up to an amazing hidden restaurant with a rooftop bar.
The service was amazing, the food was incredible. And Xander was just SO so good. We stayed for at least 2 hours savoring our last tastes of Barcelona. I only wish I could remember the name! Then headed off to find the boys some ice cream and play in the large city fountain before heading home.
The trip back was 2 short flights. We made a quick connection in Amsterdam and Xander invented a creative way to ride a suitcase. Our savy traveler ALWAYS makes life interesting.
He passed out on our last flight from Amsterdam to Stavanger and I couldn't help but snap a picture because is there anything cuter than sleeping babies???!!!
