A peninsula is a landform extending from a mainland into a body of water, such an an ocean or sea. The Iberian Peninsula is the second largest peninsula in southwestern Europe, occupied by Spain and Portugal. Its name derives from its ancient inhabitants whom the Greeks called Iberians, probably for the Ebro (Iberus), the peninsula's second longest river after the Tagus. Separated from France by the towering Pyrenees Mountains, this region's history and culture frequently evolved with an often-iconic non-European character. I opted for a 10 day tour mainly centered around Barcelona, Porto and Lisbon. Outlined below is an overview of some of the highlights from the Barcelona trip. 

Day 1: Barcelona

     I flew into Barcelona the night before and opted to stay in the Gothic Quarter as it was the most central location for a lot of what I had planned for this trip. After a good night's rest, I had an amazing breakfast at Benedict Brunch. I highly recommend their Eggs Benedict Barcelona!. Thereafter, I met a walking tour for 11 a.m. with New Europe Tours. Over the course of this 2.5 hour tour, we explored the Gothic Quarter and the El Born District where we stopped by Barcelona Cathedral, Santa Maria de Mer, Placa Sant Jaume and many others.

     Barcelona is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populus municipality in Spain. According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast. In the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the confederation of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona, became the most important city and the main economic and administrative centre of the Crown, only to be overtaken by Valencia. Valencia had been wrested from Moorish control by the Catalans, shortly before the dynastic union between the Crown of Castille and the Crown of Aragon in 1492. Thereafter, Barcelona became the centre of  Catalan separatism, briefly becoming part of France during the 17th century and again in 1812 until 1814 under Napoleon. It was the capital of Revolutionary  Catalonia during the Spanish Revolution of 1936, and the seat of government of the Second Spanish Republic later in the Spanish Civil War, until its capture by the fascists in 1939. After the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an autonomous Catalonia. Today, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is a major tourist destination. The city is also famous for being a home to alot contemporary artists. After the tour, I stopped by Mercat Santa Caterina. This spacious and modern market building was constructed on the former site of the Covenant of Santa Caterina, from which it takes its name. During the post-Civil War period, Santa Caterina became the main food supplier to the towns on the outskirts of Barcelona. People from Sant Adria, Santa Coloma and Mataro came on the tram to buy food in this market in times of shortage. Today, the market is home to food stalls and restaurants which serve outstanding quality produce. I had some calamari and a beer at one of the mini restaurants. The remainder of the afternoon was spent exploring the Gothic Quarter at my own leisure. I ended the evening with a delicious dinner at Bodega Vasconia. They have an amazing tapas menu that includes some fabulous seafood dishes. My personal favorites included the patata bravas (crispy friend potatoes with a spicy red sauce), the pulpo a la galiega (Galician style octupus) and the chipirones fritos (fried whitebait)

Day 2: Barcelona

     On the second day, I opted for a more local breakfast at La Cova Fumada. Opened in 1944, this restaurant remains a family business that everyone in the city knows by name. This cozy restaurant preserves the essence of Barceloneta, an old fishing district, and fresh fish that is never missing from the menu. I enjoyed the mussels, squid, sardines and the toasted bread with tomato sauce. (NB: they accept cash only). After breakfast, I took a stroll along the pier where I came across some interesting ships and the Museum of the History of Catalonia. 
I continued on La Rambla and made a brief stop at Mercat de la Boqueria. The market was way too busy for my liking, so I had a quick cappuccino and left. I took the metro to Montjuic where I explored the Magic Fountain and enjoyed views of the promenade from the National Art Museum of Catalonia. 
             Thereafter, I took a ride on the Montjuic Cable car for aerial views of the city and the port for cruise ships. 
At this point, I was famished. I headed to Colom Restaurant for a late lunch. I had the seafood paella, onion rings, Chistorra al Pacharan (Chistorra sausage) and a mug of sangria. Every dish was absolutely delectable.       Re-energized, I walked to the Fira da Santa Liucia Christmas Market at the Cathedral of Barcelona. The market was filled with vibrant shops that had miniature figurines to decorate the home with a nativity scene. However, the highlight was the abundance of Caga Tio for sale. Caga Tio, or the poo log, is a small wooden log painted with a huge smiley face and adorned with the traditional Catalan barretina hat. The Caga Tio is placed besides the fireplace and is cared for from 8th to 24th December by the children in the household. The children then keep Caga Tió warm by covering him with a blanket, feeding him sweets and dried fruit to fatten him up for their feast on Christmas Eve. This is when, usually after the main meal, the children start to hit the log with sticks, all the while singing a special song in the hope that he will excrete gifts and sweets for them. As the blanket is finally removed, after days and weeks of anticipation, a treasure trove of small toys, turrón, and Christmas goodies are revealed as presents for the children. And, in a tradition dating back to a time when rural families would gather around the fire, Caga Tió is then thrown amongst the flames to provide the whole household with much needed warmth.
     Thereafter, I took the metro to Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. Famously known as the Sagrada Familia, it is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church in the world. This iconic building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Spain. Construction began in 1882 and has been ongoing for over 140 years. The chief architect, Antoni Gaudi, dedicated his whole life to this project and still, by the time of his death, less than a quarter of the building was completed. However, with new donations, the completion of the project is expected in 2026 - the centenary of Gaudi's death. Once the spires are completed, Sagrada Familia will become the tallest cathederal in the world. I did not visit the interiors as I'm waiting on the completion in 2026 to make a return visit on its completion.  Infront of the cathedral was a Christmas market. I got a meringue and rested my feet as I ate.  About a 30 minute walk from the Cathedral is Casa Batllo - another fascinating building designed by Gaudi and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudi under orders of the induratrialist Joseph Batllo. The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones),as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. In 2005, Casa Batllo also became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I finished the day with a well deserved dinner at Bodega la Tinaja. I had the Catalan pork sausage on bread, a spicy fishball, calamari with peas, the cheese board and a bottle of wine.  By the end of this day, I had walked a whopping 40,000+ steps! 

Day 3: Monsterrat

     On the third day, I had an early breakfast at the Milk Bar. The eggs benedict were very delicious.

Thereafter, I headed on my day trip to Monsterrat. I bought the all in one Monsterrat ticket from Espanya station in Barcelona. From Espanya station, I took the train to Aeri de Monsterrat. From the foot of the mountain, I rode the cable car to the monastery.  Monsterrat is one of the most important religious locations for the Catholic Church and is a practicing Abbey for Benedict Monks. Roughly 1,000 years ago, a special statue called La Moreneta, or the Black Madonna, was discovered in a cave by a shepherd. La Moreneta is the Patron Saint for Catalonia, where Monsterrat and Barcelona reside. The Church has been attacked and destroyed over the years leaving very little of the original church intact today. What remains today is definitely worth the visit, even if you go just for the views and a hike. 

   Left: interior of the cathedral; right: The Black Madonna

Monsterrat derives from the Latin and Catalan meaning "serrated mountain." This name describes the moutain's jagged, saw-toothed appearance, which is characterized by its unique peaks and rocky formations. These formations have been shaped over millions of years by natural erosion process, creating a dramatic and distinctive landscape. 
      Top left: yellow cable car to the top; top right: view from the cable car; bottom photo: view from cable car of below station and highway

   Left photo: view from the upward funicular; right photo: view from the top of the mountain
For dinner, I ate at Taller de Tapas. I had the fried chipiron squid, and pan steamed mussels, which were both very tasty. The next day, I took a flight from Barcelona to Lisbon. An hour later, I took the metro from the airport to Oriente where I boarded the fast train from Lisbon to Porto. Three hours later, I checked into my airbnb. It was a long day of travel, but I had a good night's sleep in preparation for the Portuguese portion of my vacation.
Top photo: Barcelona train station; middle photos: snap of Lisbon from plane & pasteis de nata; bottom photo: Oriente station in Lisbon

Stay tuned for the Portugal itinerary!