Wandering

It's always good to start Day One with a walk. Maps are only necessary if, and when, you get lost... which we did! And of course you need at least one focal point for this initial orientation, and in Barcelona our goal was chocolate. This area is well known for their expertise with the Cacao Bean, specifically drinking it. Picture a small cup with warm, thick - so thick you can barely drink it - hot chocolate. It coats the small spoon like a pudding, its creamy too, and not too sweet. And of course there are many choices of baked goods to dunk in it. I need you to picture it in your mind because I was so enchanted by it that I forgot to get a picture. Oh well, I guess we'll have to go back and repeat that step!

There are cafes and patisseries on every block of this big city. The eclectic variety of restaurants is also staggering. A frequent offering here is Tapas, which amounts to several selections of small plates featuring local food. Sometimes you pay by the plate, sometimes they count how many toothpicks you've accumulated, as each one had held together a layered creation topping a slice of baguette. Of course this is accompanied by wine, and if you are a connoisseur of delicious wine, Spain will surely delight you.

We (You and I) walked through an amazing covered outdoor market, the esteemed Boqueria. There are dozens of vendors selling seafood, produce, cheese, meats, eggs, you name it! We sampled pizza topped with their famous cured ham called Jamon de bellota, which is made from the famed acorn-fed, black-footed Spanish Pig. We strolled down to the beach to take our first peak at the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the frigid temperatures today, in the mid-30's, there were plenty of surfers catching some large waves. And no walk through Barcelona can fail to miss the Gothic and Modernistic range of architecture. From soaring Cathedrals to the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi - we have a lot to see. Sagrada Familia

Now that I've designed my game plan it's time to collect the pictures and video that will bring it all to you. Today we're going to tour it all from a Scooter! Stay tuned... we've only just begun!