Viva Barcelona!

Hola!! So, after two trains, a Ryanair flight, a bus, a taxi, and significant drama (and complaining, and trying to be positive, and complaining...), Hannah, Branson and I made it to Barcelona at about midnight last night.

Since then it's been tapas, sangria, and frolicking around Barcelona! It's beautiful here - very Parisian with the juxtaposition of old world Europe and modern times. Today we went to see the Casa Batlio, Gaudi's absurdly amazing creation - we decided that there must have been some sort of acid involved in his creative process. Currently having some siesta time, then it's back out to Barceloneta for dinner and mas sangria! Pictures!

(Gaudi house!)

(frolicking around Barcelona)

(street vendor by the beach - mom do you like the one in the middle? I thought of you when I saw it)

Hasta luego! More soon.

Adios!

Laura

Casa Machiavelli

"A toast in the Machiavellian spirit....to Fortuna!!"

Took a field trip to the Tuscan countryside today to see Machiavelli's farmhouse - to which he was exiled by the Medici (tragic...not). Inside this house, he wrote molto famoso works, including, of course, The Prince. After Machiavelli's house it was off to lunch (with George's toast to Fortuna) then to a wine tasting at a vineyard near Siena. Tons and tons of pictures! :

(the ridiculous view)

(inside)

(the first copy of The Prince! and George sitting in Machiavelli's desk "channeling Machiavelli")

(Hannah. Branson. Mio...and George!)

(Jon: what's the Laura pose? Me: it's like: "YAY I'm in Italy!!" Jon: ok, can we do the Laura pose?)

(everyone!)

(wine cellar in Machiavelli's house)

(Branson was being a paparazzi...jeez..ok and maybe I was being a ham)

(at the vineyard, watching the machine bottle vino!)

That's all for today! Tomorrow have some art history business to tend to in the morning, then it's off to Barcelona for the weekend tomorrow night! More soon!

Ciao Amori!

Laura