Spain

 We spent a few nights at this vacation home, located an hour north of Barcelona and a short drive from the coast.  It's owned by Margrit  & Antonio ~ our Swiss aunt & Spanish uncle who live in Germany.  Unfortunately, their vacation didn't coincide with ours so we weren't able to see them, or benefit from Antonio's expertise at guiding tours in his native country.

Our first day, we found our way to Sant Feliu de Guixols, a welcoming coastal town in which to while away a few hours.  The guys lounged on the beach and frolicked in the Mediterranean.  I develop a nervous tic when exposed to too many bare boobies and men in skimpy Speedos and opted instead to explore the side streets.

 Mid-afternoon, Hans & I sat at the beach cafe, having a drink.  The all-important Euro Cup game between Spain & Portugal was slated for that evening, and I displayed my stellar language skills in assuring the server that I was allergic to the Portuguese.  He rewarded me with a wristband, cap, and t-shirt to don during the game and display my loyalty.

 The drive down the coast offers one breathtaking view after another, such as this look toward Tossa de Mar.

 Tossa, like so many beach towns, has its share of unattractive clutter on its perimeter, but the medieval, walled Old Town is glorious.  We absolutely loved poking around these ancient streets.  Although Per, as evidenced in the corner of this photo, still found time to mess with his phone and anticipate the aforementioned soccer game.

 The setting sun cast a golden glow over the stone castle walls.

 Ambling through the old town.

 We found a comfortable restaurant in Tossa in which to eat good food and watch Spain defeat Portugal in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out.

Time for a day trip to Barcelona and how I do wish Columbus here would have pointed us directly to our destination ~ Camp Nou, home to the almighty FC Barcelona soccer team.  

Stuffing a family of seven into a mini-van with a questionable transmission and fairly useless air conditioning ~ on a day when the temperature reaches 106 F, nonetheless ~ and driving around a city with a street layout that defies logic is FUN!  Ahem.  But at long last, we arrived at the much-vaunted stadium, ready to begin our Camp Nou Experience.

The "experience" consists of forking over ridiculous sums of money and, along with thousands of other similarly possessed fans, shuffling through the museum ~ where the team history is relayed and memorabilia and trophies are displayed, all in truly worshipful fashion.  

This chapel alongside the tunnel to the stadium confirms the relationship of sports and religion.  Here our heroes may go and petition God for success on the field.  

Cost of the tour?  A pretty euro.  Reasonableness in spending the majority of our only day in a world-class city at a soccer stadium?  Questionable.  Value in seeing Per, our FC Barcelona fanatic, at the pitch?  Priceless.  After all, its "More Than Just a Club".

Post-Camp Nou, our time in Barcelona was limited to meandering about in an effort to find any space not occupied by approximately one gazillion other tourists.  

"Yes, guys.  For every soccer stadium visited, you must vist one building of genuine historical significance."  The Barcelona Cathedral filled the bill.

As night fell, we strolled the waterfront, welcomed the cool(er) temperature, and ate dinner in a suitably tourist-oriented restaurant where no self-respecting Barcelona resident would likely step foot.  But with seven mouths to feed and a Germany-Italy game to watch, it served our purposes.  

The next day it was already time to return to the Alpine region.  We took our time driving up the Costa Brava, again marveling at views like this.

I plan to spend my next life in the village of Begur...

...preferably at this villa, lounging under lemon & olive groves, drinking vast quantities of wine, listening to church bells toll, smelling the Mediterranean sea air, and occasionally swimming a lap or two for good measure.