May 2020 my friend Katie and I were going to go to Barcelona. No need to tell y'all why we didn't but we didn't. And now, we finally are! Covid tests in our backpacks and all. This is really my first big girl trip where I'll be doing some things on my own (unlike that time I went to Canada to try solo travel and realized I just took myself to mini Denver, I do feel like I will be challenged this time!) including spending four days in Madrid solo.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I will meet Katie in Barcelona where we will join up with the folks from ACE Camps Travel and take a culinary tour of Barcelona as well as spend a day on a coastal town called Costa Brava. From there we will go to Tangier for a week as well as spend a day in Chefchaouen, the blue city. Then Katie heads to Holland to see her brother and nephew and I will go on to Madrid for a few days, where I am sure I will be out of money and plan to spend each evening in the Prado Museum during free hours. Lucky for me there are a few museums that have free hours plus a huge park near where I am staying.

I wish I could remember which art history class I first learned about La Sagrada Familia (pictured above) but...I cannot. It's been since then that I've wanted to go to Barcelona. While I will not be touring the towers of the grand building, I couldn't even make it to the top of Bishop Castle in Rye, CO, I'm sure it will be quite the experience even without the towers. In preparation, I have been reading about Antoni Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia's architect. I am learning a lot about other buildings in Barcelona too so I can't wait to see those as well. Who knew I'd become so crazy about buildings. When I think about the next places I want to go, it's mostly because of buildings I want to see. Like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or the Alhambra in Granada.

So. The books. I'm reading the Gaudi biography and also picked up a lovely Taschen edition with photos of his building. I also learned George Orwell wrote a book called Homage to Catalonia which is about the Spanish Civil War and will be my "light" airplane reading. I also picked up Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, which I've never read, because he wrote most of it while in Tangier. I'm not excited by this book so we will see if I get through it while I am there. If not, I have a copy of Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun about a Moroccan brother and sister who end up living in Barcelona.

The one thing I want to find while I am on this trip is a copy of Alice in Wonderland in Arabic. Cross your fingers for me! I am only taking a carry on so I cannot bring much else back. The book alone might set me over my weight limit but I will wear it on my body if I have to do so!