Berlin and Lego Land

When we started planning our trip to Berlin, I knew I wanted to be in a good location since we were arriving mid day friday. I found an adorable apartment right near Check Point Charlie on AirBnB. I do recommend confirming how many rooms you need if staying here. I assumed 2 bedrooms because it said "2 bedrooms" and because of the price but only 1 room was unlocked. The other was never unlocked and Rob had to sleep on the couch. I left a message for the owner and never heard anything back till after our stay. 

Anyways...

We only had 1 full day to enjoy Berlin so we decided to do the Hop on, Hop off bus tour. It was perfect for us because 1. Rand loved getting on the buses 2. It was really crappy weather and it was nice to see the sites and not get soaking wet 3. One of the stops was right near our rental 4. We got to see the main highlights of Berlin without even leaving the bus. I wanted to see the inside of the Reichstag Building and visit the Memorial of the Berlin Wall and the The Holocaust Memorial but we ran out of time. 

Around Berlin you may spot some unusual pedestrian signals. These are Ampelmännchen (little traffic light men) in the former East Germany. You may even find women traffic figures but we didn't see any. 

My favorite stop in Berlin was the Ritter Sport Cafe. We enjoyed our hot chocolates and chocolate dessert. 

One of the final stops on the Hop on, Hop off was at Lego Land. My only regret was not buying our tickets ahead of time. Not only is it MUCH cheaper online but the line to buy tickets at the door were insanely long. 

Rand had such a fun time at Lego Land. I don't know what he enjoyed more; the Lego Berlin with a working train or the 3D Lego movie! 

On our way out of Berlin, we made a pitstop and let Rand stretch his legs a little at this great little rest stop.

After our time in Berlin, we headed to Dresden but not before stopping at Tropical Islands Resort first.

Barcelona, Spain

Spain! I was so excited for our trip to Barcelona! I couldn't wait to scratch Spain off our map of places we have been! We flew Lufthansa straight to Barcelona and took a bus from the airport to a stop near our apartment. I found a great deal on AirBnB on a 2 bedroom apartment in the city. I have been LOVING using AirBnB lately. We have booked some amazing apartments for cheap.

The apartment we stayed in was in a great location. A huge indoor market was right next door and we scored lots of delicious food for cheap. A major bus stop was also nearby.

The next day we headed off to a nearby bus stop to get on the Hop on Hop Off bus. I liked this company best because it has three different routes around Barcelona. Our first stop was La Sagrada Família. I pre-booked tickets online which is a MUST! The line to buy tickets was wrapped around the block so be sure to buy ahead of time. We had to go at a different entrance because we had a stroller; it was the group entrance around the side. 

This was a very unusual cathedral. It was beautiful and very unique. The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Even though Gaudi died in 1926,  La Sagrada Família is still under construction and is expected to finish in 2026. Gaudi dedicated half of his life to this church and it has all been funded by donation. 

After we toured the La Sagrada Família, we jumped back on the bus to tour the rest of Barcelona. Here are some photos of the beautiful city. The architecture in this city is truly unique and I could stare at them for hours. 

I was so excited to put our toes in the sand!

Off we go to the Barcelona Zoo!

 Rob could not pass up the chance to ride a golf cart around the zoo. 

I do not know who had more fun, Rob or Rand. 

After a full day of sightseeing we ended the evening with an interesting ride on the bus with Rand. Poor kid was super tired but very excited about his front row seat!