Barcelona day by day

Hola,

Estamos en Barcelona, yey!
But I did find a couple of minutes to write (very punctual) some of our impressions so far.
Day 1:
We got here an hour later, due to some never-ending airport formalities but the "aerobus" was on time and Placa Catalunya was waiting for us.
The hotel, Room Mate Emma - a real delight, priced like a three-star hotel but offering technology like at least a four-star one. On the way to the hotel we've walked by Gaudi's two famous houses: Batllo and Mila. (and everyday afterwards we've passed by them on our way to the subway station).
As tired as we were, we still went to see the Magic Fountains show of light, water and music. It was like you were descending to a fairy tale and never want to go from there.
Day 2:
Had our (overpriced) coffee on the Rambla, admiring Casa Mila on the daylight. Then, we've walked towards Sagrada Familia, which, like a ton of other monuments is still in a re-construction phase. Impressive artwork, amazing details at every corner and all the towers were displaying biblical stories and characters.
After a couple of cervezas, we've headed down south to see Parc de la Ciutadel with its fountains designed by who else? Gaudi...
Day 3:
Since Barcelona has a couple of kilometers of beaches to the Mediterranean Sea, we've decided to dedicate a full morning (and 17 Euros) to sunbathing. As for swimming, it's almost impossible...cold water, strong currents and abrupt edges at the seashore. On the beach one feels like home: tens of street vendors yelling their merchandise: sun glasses, massages, scarfs, tattoos etc.
In the afternoon I've decided to take a chance in trying Barcelona's traditional dish: paella. Big mistake! Not only it had clams, semi-cooked squid, bones of a (supposedly) chicken, but the rice itself had the weirdest taste. The soup, gazpacho, it was a little better, like a cold cucumber and tomato soup, very refreshing.
Afterwards, we've headed to Gaudi's most prestigious park: Parc Guell. Situated at a higher altitude (luckily there were some escalators), the park stretches on a couple of ha area but we only went to see the columns, the windy benches and, of course, the lizard. For the latest we had to wait a little bit, as there was a scene of a movie getting filmed there and the area was closed.
Day 4:
This day was a relaxed one, we've only went to see the Cathedral and Placa de Colum (with its huge statue of Columb towering the port).
Just an FYI: the Chocolate Museum closes at 7pm weekdays :)
Day 5:
We got up really early and went to MNAC; impressive by its size and location, as the palace has more than 100 rooms (I wonder how they didn't get lost in the past there?), all forming a labyrinth (and I bet there are a couple of secret entries, too).
Tonight we'll see the fireworks (hopefully) for the St. Joan holiday. These fireworks can be bought almost from everywhere, together with "petardas" - it's going to be a loud night, I bet.

Weekend in Brasov

The previous weekend (4-6th of June), before the heat wave hit us here, we went for a short trip to a beautiful mountain area: Brasov.
Situated in the middle of the country, it's taking about 5 hours by train to reach it but it's worth it, no matter the outside season.
Like usual, we went to the old part of the city, where Piata Sfatului reigns, surrounded by all sorts of hundreds-old buildings (like Biserica Neagra) intertwined with a couple of new age constructions.
Everywhere you'd turn you'll find a coffee shop, beer garden, outdoor restaurant, etc. This concentrated diversity tends to look at a certain point like a single entity but it is nevertheless charming.
Lucky as we are, our second night there we got to listen to free jazz (as there was an international festivity) and the third day we witnessed a folk festival, gathering costumes and folk music from all parts of Romania.
I'm sure I've skipped a ton of stuff worth telling but, maybe when the Golden Stag will be held there in September, I'll watch TV and remember to update this post :D