BARCA!

Game on!

We can't wait!

Today we left Mallorca. To get home we had to take a 30 minute plane back. It took so long because after we landed the air flight people moved everyones luggage to a different carousel and didn't tell anyone. We were waiting for an hour! When we arrived back in Barcelona we had some dinner earlier than usual because tonight we were going to the Barcelona v.s Madrid soccer game!!!!! We got to see the best players play like Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, and even Messi!!! At the game everybody was wearing Barcelona jerseys and had Barcelona face paint colors on (even me and Tobin)! There were 100,000 people there to watch the soccer game...that's the size of Kelowna!!! At the game Messi scored, Pedro scored and Xavi scored for Barcelona, for Madrid Ronaldo scored and Di Maria scored.  That means Barcelona won!!!!!!!! When anyone scored a goal the crowd would go CRAZY! Everybody was screaming at the top of their lungs, pressing loud horns and waving flags when Barcelona scored, but when Madrid scored the few people cheering for them got fingered! We were all so happy that Barcelona won! After the soccer game it was super packed outside! Our family thought we would be okay though because we were taking the subway home but when we got to the subway it was closed! It was 1 a.m and we had no idea what to do so we stopped for an ice cream at a little shop while we waited for the crowds to die down but that didn't really work and it was still crowded outside. Then we decided to wait at the night bus stop but we waited there for half an hour and there were no buses in sight.  Then we decided to walk to a lesser known area of town to see on the off chance if there was a taxi anywhere but there was still nothing and it was still busy. It was like everyone in Kelowna trying to get a taxi! All of us were VERY tired and needed to get some sleep but nothing was anywhere so we decided to wait in a big line for a taxi while Dad went to go look for a different one. I was completely asleep on the side of the road when half and hour later my dad came and had finally got a taxi for us.  It was 3:30 in the morning!!! Once we arrived home we jumped into bed and fell straight to sleep!

Monastery de Lluc

The Monastery

Small statue

Fishing  in the Mediterranean

Cliff jump!

Evening in Cala San Vincent

Today we went to the Monastery de Lluc. It's a big church with glass windows, cool statues and even live singing kids from the church! Also right out side of the church there was a metal staute of a man. Unfortunately when we were they the singing kids had JUST finished! On the way back from the church the grown ups wanted to stop at a winery so of course we did. At the winery they all tried different wines while me and Tobin checked out the place. We saw the people making the wine and what they made it with, the big wine fields and the big gate entrance. After the winery we went back to the beach cove near our house. When we were at the beach I went cliff jumping but only did it once from a smaller cliff because it hurt and a lot of water got up my nose. Also at the beach I went snorkeling again but this time actually caught a fish and kept in a bucket but then I let it go! It was time for dinner so we left the beach. For dinner we went to a seafood restaurant so I had fish with french fries, calamari and for dessert I had thin apple crisp, it was so yummy. We got home late so as soon as we got home I went to bed.

Cap de Formentor

The northern most part of Mallorca

Enjoying the warm waters

Covering Dad with the mud

Attack!

Today we went up to a big lookout on the way to the Cap de Formentor and saw all of the ocean. It was sooooo beautiful! The whole ocean color was magical and looked unreal! To get to it you had to walk up a million stairs but it was totally worth it! After the giant lookout we went to the beach. At the beach I went snorkeling (but didn't see that many fish), swam out to the buoy, walked along the shore with mom and covered my dad with mud. When we covered him with mud it was all over his back and it was so heavy he almost couldn't get up but when he did he flung it everywhere and chased me and Tobin! On the way back to our flat we stopped in Port de Pollenca to get a gelato. I got vanilla and chocolate cream mix. When we got home I jumped into the pool and practiced my diving. Now I finally can actually dive!!! Soon we had to have some dinner so Mom and Nat made pasta with tomato sauce and chick peas, my favorite! As soon as I finished dinner I hopped in the shower and then went to bed.

Hidden cove in Cala San Vincent

A new floatie to explore this amazing cove!

Can you find Mom, Tobin and I?

The water was amazing!

Looking for sea glass

Outside the restaurant (photo by Tobin)

Today we went to the hidden beach cove in Mallorca! At the beach I floated all in the coves on my floatie and collected sea glass to put in a bottle with water to make it look cool. Also I brought my snorkeling mask so I went snorkeling at the beach. There were SOOOO many fish - not joking there were maybe 100 fish just circling and swimming around me at one time. I loved it!!! After the beach we took a little rest at home then went for dinner at Modestos. At dinner we had a bunch of tapas and sugar and lemon crepes for dessert and then walked home and went to bed.

Mallorca!

The Arctic/Antarctic street at the festival

Our flat in Cala San Vincent

Going out for dinner

This morning we got up a bit early to see the streets one last time for the Gracia festival because today were taking a 30 minute plane to Mallorca (a island near Barcelona) and the streets won't be still up when we get back! When we were looking at the streets one last time we found a new Arctic Ocean street and a fantastic jazz band was playing on their street! We had to rush home quickly though because it was time to leave for our flight. Once we arrived in Mallorca it was 8:00 p.m so we checked out our flat and headed into the village to see if there was anything to eat. We ended up going to a restaurant down the street called Pepe's Bar and had fish and chips. After fish and chips we went back to our flat and quickly jumped into the pool and then after we were cooled off we went to bed.

And the winner is....

At Verdi West - the winner of the Gracia festival

Hip hop in the streets

Human towers

The Grand finale

Today we found out who won the Gracia festival!  First place was Verdi West, a cowboy street.  Second place was the circus street and third was the dancing and music street.  Can you believe it??? Star Wars didn't even place!!!  We went to see all the streets again, but saw a hip hop dance lesson in the streets and stopped to go to it. Everyone there all learned an easy, fun dance routine. After we went to the main square and saw the human pyramids. It's a bunch of people standing on each others shoulders making different pyramids, even kids! There were a lot of people there to see the big event because it's so amazing so it was VERY crowded. Some of the pyramids were up to 30 feet in the air and 40 people big! After seeing the cool pyramids it was late so we all went home and went to bed.

Our Friends

Doing the Macarena

Helados con mis amigos

La Pedrera - Gaudi's stone quarry (where the grown ups went...can't wait to see it myself!)

Today is our last day of camp :( For our last day we went bowling and went to see the streets for the Gracia festival. We stopped at a game street and played UNO. Also Marcella and I got our face painted - I was the sun and she was the moon. After camp I said bye to all my friends except for two - Marcella and Arturo (they're brother and sister) because they came over after camp!!! When they were over we played UNO, hide and go seek, took lots of pictures and went down to the squares and got a gelato. Near one of the squares there was a performing street so Marcella and I went on the stage and did the Macarena. When they left Tobin and I had leftover minestrone soup. Later the grown ups went out and Tobin and I stayed home and had dance party and then went to bed.

More festival

Cooling down in the Hotel Casa Fuster pool

Star Wars street

I'm with the band!

This morning it was time to go back to camp. Everyday camp is super fun because we do a lot of different activities like bowling, soccerball, basketball, gymnastics and swimming. I like swimming alot because me, Marcella, Tobin, Huti Huti, and Arturo always play Marco Polo. I also really enjoy camp because I get to hang out and see Marcella. After camp we went home and took a little rest before going out to see the Gracia festival. First me, Mom, Tobin and Nat went to the top of a hotel to see the whole view of the festival. Then we went to see some of the streets like the Star Wars one and a circus one. I like the Star Wars one because it had all the characters from the movies and they were really well done and believable. We were getting a bit tired after that so we stopped for a gelato and watched a band perform in the streets but I didn't like the band. When we got home Tobin, Dad and I stayed home (Dad was really tired because he stayed up late the night before) while Nat, Grumps and Mom went out. At the house we watched some videos and went to bed.

The Festival begins!

Firestorm at the parade

The Music and Dance street - one of my faves!

Candy!

The Rubix Cube street

Today is the Gracia festival!!! We woke up to a big parade! At the parade there were giant floats of dragons and lizards lit on fire, devils with humongous sparklers, drummers and big cannons that made the loudest noise in the world. Everyone was covering there ears, even Dad (I didn't like it because it was too loud)! After the parade we went to see the decorated streets. I like the Star Wars street and the Music and Dance street. We had to get home soon though because today's the day Grumps and Nat come to visit (my Grampa and his wife). Before they came though we finished the second Lord of the Rings. I liked it even more than the first because they showed more of Golum..."must have preciousssss". When they got here we all went out to see the second parade. It had all the same things as earlier except this time there were people in carriages pelting candy at you. I caught and grabbed a lot:)!!!!!!! Afterwards we took Grumps and Nat to see all the streets and stopped for some tapas for dinner and then walked home and went to bed.

We have to wear these fluorescent shirts to camp!

Carnival!

Tobin and I at "Euro Disney"

This day we had to get up early again for camp. At camp we went on a field trip to Parc de la Crueta del Coll which had I already been to with my family (the little pool we had played hide and go seek in which I explained about in my earlier blog). At the pool me and my friend Marcella played tag and find the goggles. After swimming we still had some time at the park so me and Marcella played ping pong and played at the mini park near the pool. When we got home from camp we had lunch and went to get groceries. But when we were getting home from getting groceries we looked down the street and at the end of it was a carnival so we went to it. When we were then I won a Raging Rabbit out of the claw and gave it to Tobin and played hit the cans but didn't win anything. Then we went into town to see the last preparations for the Gracia festival because it's tomorrow! Also in town we stopped to get some burritos for dinner. Afterwards we continued watching Lord of the Rings and went to bed.

Camp

EW!!!!

Today got up very early to start our camp which is right across the street from us. When we got there we first played bowling, then we went in the gym to play basketball, gymnastics and handball (a Spanish game kind of like basketball). For the last hour of our camp we went swimming. At camp I made a really good friend named Marcella who's 12, but she speaks Spanish and only little English so I speak to her with the little Spanish I know and basically play charades to understand everything else but it's still really fun playing with her at camp. When we got home from camp at 2:00 we had some lunch and then we went to the shops near our house and got a tasty slushie. We still had fresh fish to buy and other things but me and tobin were tired so we just stayed at the house while mom and dad got it at the local market. We enjoyed our fish then started the second part of Lord of the Rings and went to bed.

Festa Major de Gracia

We are not German!  It means siblings in Catalan!!!

Everybody's freaking out! 

The street by our flat

Decorating the street

Today was a quieter day.  We explored more of our neighborhood and watched all the locals prepare for the Gracia Festival that starts soon. A bunch of the streets compete against each other to see which street is decorated the best. Each street has a different theme. One of my favorites is the Star Wars street with all the characters and ships. The Chewbacca sculpture looked real even though he had those things that mops are made of for his fur. I also like the street with the big fort that is supposed to be the Wild Wild West. Another one of my favorites is a street with tons of colored things hanging from the sky. I guess I have a lot of favorites! Later we finished the first part of Lord of the Rings (I loved it) and got to bed a bit earlier than usual (10:45 pm) because we start an activity camp tomorrow early in the morning.

Bogatella Beach

Outside the bakery

Bogatell Beach

Getting our sweat on at the beach

Today we were excited to finally go to the big beach in Barcelona! First we explored an area by the ocean called Barceloneta and went to a popular delicious bakery called Bouillard. We got some pizzas and croissants and I got a chocolate cupcake...yum! Then we went to a beach called Bogatella Beach. It might be hard to believe but there were thousands of little gold flakes in the water that Tobin and I collected in a water bottle. My Dad says we can buy something to sift through the sand and find all the best gold. Tobin and I also raced up a giant red rope contraption and played at the very top of it. All along the beach boardwalk there were places to work out and Tobin and I stopped at all of them. When we got home we started the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and I love it. Golem is my favorite - my precioussssss. Then we went to bed.

Beach in the city

Playa del Eixample

Graffiti 

More graffiti!

Today we got up and finally got out a little earlier. When we got out of the house Mom thought she was taking us to a mall but it was just an information center for a mall. Luckily there was an outdoor pool close by so Mom took us there instead.  The pool is in the middle of the Eixample district and is surrounded by buildings and businesses.  At the pool we met two kids Javier, a seven year old boy and Yaixa, an 11 year old girl. We played piggy in the middle and hide and go seek tag with them. Later in the day when my Dad was done working we explored a place in our neighborhood that we had never been before. All over the neighborhood there was lots of cool graffiti such as hummingbirds, doves, elf ladies, and throwing up trolls! This day we ate at home for dinner. Mom made yummy food. Then it was off to bed.

Montjuic Fountain

Our clothes came back!!!

Plaza de la Virreina

Cera 23

Enjoying the magic of the fountain

Montjuic Fountain

Today we had a late start - again! But we found out some really good news! Our clothes that we had lost were here at our house.  The people at the hostel mailed them to us! I was so happy to have my clothes back! We finally left our flat around 4! Once we were out of the house we went to the squares nearby. At the squares Tobin played soccer and me and Dad looked around at the shops. After that we went home for a bit then went out for dinner with Nash, Zayne, Maddie, Laura and Stan again. We went to a restaurant called Cera 23.  My parents really liked it so we're probably going to go back there again. For dinner I had pasta and tempura vegetables...yum! When we finished our dinner we went to see a magical thing, a color water fountain! I LOVED it! It was a water fountain that went really high and had lights to turn it different colors! And it played music! I stood at the front where no one would go because when the water went to the top it splashed down and got me soaking wet! It was one of my favorite things here so far. Afterwards we took a cab home(thankfully it let me go in even though I was soaking) and went to bed.