Old Aberdeen Walk

Date of this event: April 27, 2013

Our inspiration for this walk around Old Aberdeen was to visit the Church of Scotland's St. Machar's Cathedral. Unfortunately, we didn't check the opening hours, and we arrived after the closing time. Instead, we had a wander around the church grounds before continuing our walk to the University of Aberdeen.

Seaton Park

Thanks for joining us on this walk, Kristal and Steve!

The University of Aberdeen

"Founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen is Scotland's third oldest and the UK's fifth oldest university. William Elphinstone established King's College to train doctors, teachers and clergy for the communities of northern Scotland, and lawyers and administrators to serve the Scottish Crown. Much of the King's College still remains today, as do the proud traditions which the Bishop began." 

[Living in London makes me appreciate all of the space in and around many of Aberdeen's homes!]

Barcelona- Paella, Sangria, and the Beach

Date of this adventure: April 20, 2013

Parc del Laberint d'Horta

We found this labyrinth in Barcelona's oldest garden listed on TripAdvisor, and we knew we needed to visit. When we arrived, we were surrounded by Spanish families. (Not many tourists make it to this park because it is outside of the  city's center.) With an air of confidence we strolled into the labyrinth thinking we would be at the finish line in no time.

It was not as easy as it looked. We weaved back and forth through the hedges wondering how the partially see-through "walls" were so good at deceiving us.

After quite a while navigating the maze, we ended up back at the labyrinth's entrance... We felt quite defeated at this point.

Eventually we made it through, and we were quite pleased to have completed the challenge. If you have already seen the "must-see" attractions in Barcelona, then I recommend visiting this garden, particularly if you have any kids.

Looking at the labyrinth from above

Paella and sangria for lunch

Warm weather made a welcomed appearance, and everyone in Barcelona flocked to the beaches. Laying out on the beach was quite an experience. Despite having to cover our faces (equally to protect our eyes from immodest swimwear and to protect our faces from getting burned by a sun we hadn't seen in ages) and having to tune out the locals who were selling drinks by shouting "Mojiiiiiiiiiitos!!!!!," we really enjoyed soaking up some sun on the beach. [Tip: This beach is not exactly where I would recommend going is you want a perfectly relaxing and peaceful day by the ocean.]

[Can anyone teach me how to make this kind of bread?]

After attempting (and failing) to get FC Barcelona tickets to the game that evening, we ended up watching the game a a local cafe while enjoying a Spanish ham sandwich and Spanish hot chocolate. Very tasty. 

Watching a football match with the locals always makes for an exciting evening!

Barcelona- Churros & Chocolate and Montjuïc

Date of this adventure: April 19, 2013 (P.M.)

Back to La Boqueria for some tapas

We finally stopped for some highly anticipated churros and chocolate! Delicious.

We spent most of the afternoon wandering around Barcelona's parks searching for great views of the city.

Montjuïc Castle, an old military fortress

We seriously enjoyed the empanadas.

Trying some Spanish Cava

Barcelona's Olympic Stadium held the 1992 Summer Olympics.

It was a lovely end to our evening when we finally got to watch the performance of the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.