Day 1 - Brussels + Barcelona

When Trever's boss gave him the opportunity to speak at a conference in Valencia (which included airfare and 3 free hotel nights), we jumped at the opportunity. We were very lucky that our friends stayed with the girls for the first 24 hours and that Grandma and Grandpa were able to cover the rest of the week. Leaving our girls in such capable, loving hands, helped put my mind at ease. Although I was excited to going on such an amazing trip, I was also nervous (not so much about our kids but for our safety). And, the prep for leaving was a bit exhausting, but lets be honest, there is really nothing to complain about.

After 2 hours of sleep the night before/morning of our trip, we headed to the airport to catch our flight. I had tears in my eyes as we drove down 101, but was good once we were checked in at the airport. Our first flight landed in Washington DC and we had a short layover before boarding the next plane to Brussels. Trever arranged the flights so that we would have a long enough layover in Brussels to explore the city. Once we figured out the transportation, everything fell into place.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Brussels and was very quiet and peaceful. Most of the shops were closed, except for the belgian waffle shop across from the popular tourist attraction of the peeing boy. So of course we took pictures and ate waffles.

The streets of Brussels were old but beautiful and the architecture was really amazing. After walking for a bit, it was time to eat again. We had delicious brunch at a small cafe which included our first of many chocolate croissants. After brunch we returned to the airport and boarded our final plane to Barcelona. 

We landed in Barcelona around 3 pm on Sunday and then took a bus and taxi to our apartment, located in the Gothic Quarter. The man renting the place was very kind and the apartment was perfect. We tried to ease our jet lag by taking a nap before heading back out to explore and eat dinner. The tapas we ate were amazing and the meal was probably one of our favorites from the trip.