Spain was incredible

We just returned from 2 weeks in Spain -- 9 nights in Barcelona (with a day trip to Gerona and Figueres ...very cool!), and 4 nights in Madrid (with a day trip down to Toledo). Madrid is a larger city, but I think we did it right by devoting more time in Barcelona. There is so much of architectural interest in/near Barcelona, and Picasso and Dali museums nearby ...and of course there would be FC Barcelona! (the real reason we stayed some extra nights in Barcelona was to be able to attend a match ...and it was incredible)

Pictured here (click the thumbnail for full image) is the Sagrada Familia - designed by Antoni Gaudí, and in a perpetual state of construction :) ...A big part of our attraction to Barcelona is the influence that Gaudí had on the city's architecture.

So a few observations for now, and many pics and videos and info to be posted later:

• While octopus sushi is way too chewy, properly prepared octopus tapas is fantastic
• Garlic shrimp tapas and vino tinto cannot be beat
• It seems that simply ordering cerveza anywhere in Spain results in a glass of decent beer. No need to designate brand (although I did also have a pint of Guiness a couple of times :)
• The Metro in Barcelona and in Madrid is great. I rank Barcelona's a little better than Madrid in terms of ease of use. We used the Metro to go everywhere
• I know several folks from Ireland. They each have a different accent. None is as thick as that of the Irish gent with whom I was chatting at the FC Barcelona match. I had to tell him quite honestly, "I'm sorry, but I didn't understand a word of that". His buddy, from elsewhere in the UK, had to translate for us :)
• Cars in the city are much smaller than we see in the US (we've noticed that elsewhere in Europe as well). But we were surprised to note that as we got further out from the city (on the way to Gerona) the cars got larger, looking much more like the oversized vehicles in the US
• Voter frustration is not confined to the US. I was chatting one evening with a buddy from Barcelona who lamented about the dearth of real choices
• No matter how much we enjoy seeing other places and cultures, it's always good to get home to one's own bed :)

Cheers