The main event was a week in Barcelona to meet up with some friends of ours. We rented a fantastic place from AirBNB; great photos are at the link and I can't recommend it enough for those wanting to visit Barcelona. 2 stylish beds, full kitchen, laundry, real bathrooms, for less than $200/night. http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/432482

The view from our window (instagrammed):


A few pics from Barcelona - first, the Palace of Catalan Music:


Mies's reconstructed Barcelona Pavilion:


Gaudi's Casa Mila - Chimneys and Doorway:



Some Delicious Morsels
Quimet y Quimet restaurant is on everyone's list, and is definitely worth a visit. Everything is made from canned food, but it's delicious. Foie Gras, pate with mushrooms, and mussel with caviar are below:


We lucked out that our friends have a connection with the chef at Dos Pallilos, in the Casa Camper hotel. 17-course, mind-blowing meal (don't worry, I've edited it down). One of the most unique, and delicious, meals I've had. The highlights:

A "sunomono" seafood salad like you've never seen before - every single one is precisely assembled just like this one:


Chicken sashimi (no joke - that's what it is, and it was pretty good too):


Grilled (and blowtorched) bone marrow with shaved preserved Tuna:



Bilbao
We took a day trip to Bilbao on RyanAir (hey, it's cheap, and you get 10 hours on the ground). No pics of that flight, but we loved the Guggenheim, especially the Jeff Koons puppy out front.




The Jenny Holzer, designed for this particular nook, is great:


But the truly gourmet treat on our last night? Pringles Jamon!


The time passed quickly - and it was sadly time to return.