#96 - Go to a New Country

So, instead of giving gifts during the year for birthdays and Christmas, my family travels together. 

In December 2019, we went to Costa Rica. 

In November 2020, we were supposed to go to Florence, Italy. The thing is, November 2020 was not a great time to visit Italy, specifically, so we went no where. 

Then, in December 2021, we decided to go back to Costa Rica. We'd all been vaccinated. We'd have our own house. Nearly everything we would be doing was outside. And when we got there, we found that Costa Ricans were taking the pandemic and precautions much more seriously than Americans. So much so that we actually felt safer there than in the U.S. Everyone was masked, unless they were eating, including in outdoor areas. To enter a restaurant, even an outdoor one, you had to wash your hands. And none of us got sick. Interesting.

In December 2022, we went back to Costa Rica again because, well, we kinda love it there. 

In 2023, my brother wasn't available during our usual time of year, so we decided to go somewhere in August. That obviously limits options, especially as he wanted to stay in the Central or Eastern time zones, so he could work some. So we decided to go to the Finger Lakes. Found a nice house. Would find fun things to do.

Then, in May 2023, I got a call from my mom, who was at lunch with my brother and dad. She said, "Hey, instead of going to the Finger Lakes in August, do you want to go to Barcelona in March of next year?" 

Um... yes.

So we changed the plans. We spent almost two weeks in Barcelona. We rented an apartment in the Gothic Quarter and then just explored. My parents had been to Barcelona many times, so they had a few suggestions, and we had a few suggestions, but mostly we just kept it low key. 

I love a city that is very walkable and has great food and wine. That's definitely Barcelona. 

I went for a walk in the Gothic Quarter every morning, exploring all of the narrow streets and alleys. I ran most days, either heading to the beach or a nearby park. We visited markets. We went to La Sagrada Familia. We ate tapas. We drank wine (or beer or vodka). We went to the Picasso Museum. We rented a car for a few days and saw the coast and the Dali Museum. And I got to spend a really lovely day with my friend Maria, who lives here.

I'm so thankful we took this trip together and look forward to future trips to this beautiful city!