Cruisin' Spain (Part 3)

We wrapped up the cruise in Barcelona, Spain, but we had one final stop in Marseille, France before we arrived.  The highlight in Marseille was taking "Le Petit Train" around the city, with a stop at the highest point, the Notre Dame de la Gard.  I realized that my favourite moments in sightseeing are either on the water (like the Cote d'Azur), or at a high elevation to enjoy the best views.  The photos can't really give the same "top of the world" feeling you get when you're there in person, staring out over the buildings and sea.

The Notre Dame de la Gard was very beautiful inside - more bright and colourful than most cathedrals we had been in.

Barcelona after the jump!



We really only had a few hours once the cruise docked and we disembarked, so we took a bus tour around the city and were dropped off at the airport.  But we managed to see the most famous parts of the city!  Including this statue of Christopher Columbus:

Plus a stop at the Olympic Stadium, home of the 1992 summer games.

This circular building is the shopping mall!

The building below was designed and built by architect Antonio Gaudi, who is responsible for many buildings in Barcelona, which were different from any other architecture I have ever seen.

The Segrada Familia is a famous church - which has been in construction since 1882!!  At the time of Gaudi's death in 1926, only a quarter of the project was complete.  It has continued since then, relying on private donations and is set to be completed in 2026.  Like I mentioned, the design is completely unique.  Almost looks like a sandcastle in parts!  The 4 facades are based on the story of Jesus, from his death to resurrection.

This is how it is supposed to look when it is completed:

At the Olympic port, we saw this huge fish.

This was crazy - that's a cemetery!  The tombs are stacked on top of one another, in the side of the cliff.  It was huge!  I have never seen anything like it.

And that's it!  It was quite the adventure.  If you have any more questions or are considering this type of vacation in the future, we'd love to pass on our "behind the scenes" advice!