Barcelona

Neus' heritage is Catalan, and she told us of the struggle for Catalan to be a recognised language. She also told us of the traditional Christmas stories that Catalan children learn....Every family has a nativity set up, but there is an extra character. This is the "shit log". A log is hollowed and filled with sweets, and when the time is right, children will bash the log and it "shits" lollies as presents. There is a little man in each nativity squatting near a log, with the King, Our Lord Jesus, lying in a manger not far away. It seems this is a people who don't take life too seriously.

This is a theme which continues through the streets of Barcelona. The Gaudi buildings are an amazing monument to the fusion between nature and traditional architecture. The scooter photo was taken from a landing in the La Sagrada Familia basilica . An amazing journey through this cathedral sends you skywards in staircases modelled on the inside of a seashell and then back down to the main chamber where columns look like gian bunches of sunflowers.

Chocolate, Jock's favourite thing in the world, well, third fave after me and Chimay, is in abundance in Barcelona. We found this fantastic chocolate shop which was a feast for the optic nerve as well as the scooplets of saliva forming when looking at the choclate wall. I highly recommend finding a cafe which sells the creamy, thick drinking chocolate. A mug will do you for breakfast!