Edinburgh, Scotland

We spent most of our time in Isle of Skye but after a few nights in Perth, we moved on to Edinburgh before heading back to Germany.

I found an amazing place on AirBnB in Edinburgh. It was a 3bedroom and parking! It also had an indoor pool. 

We had a few days to explore Edinburgh. Our first stop was the Edinburgh Castle. On our walk there we passed this lovely cathedral.  

Edinburgh Castle

Our next stop was the Tartan Weaving Mill. This place was huge! It was 5 storeys and be sure to see every square inch of this place. The bottom floor has a bunch of the machines and it was fun seeing them make the fabrics.

After buying a few things at the Tartan Weaving Mill we continued on the Royal Mile.

I highly encourage hiking up to Arthur's Seat. It is a bit of a hike but the view is worth it. My parents stopped half way up to rest and enjoyed that view while Rob, Rand and I continued on to the top. 

On our way down from Arthur's Seat, we noticed a ton of people gathering around the. Palace of Holyroodhouse. The QUEEN was coming! We quickly got a spot and waited to get a glimpse of the Queen of England. 

The next day Rob and my dad went golfing and I went to the Edinburgh Zoo with Rand and my Mom. It was very easy to get to from our rental. We just hopped on a bus and the stop was right near the Zoo entrance. 

Rand really enjoyed the Dinosaur part of the zoo.

We enjoyed our time in Scotland and I would LOVE to go back. I would spend most of the time back in Isle of Skye and do more hiking. I loved that area. It was just so beautiful and serene. 

Neunkirchen~ Zoo & shopping

Rob had a day off and the weather was gorgeous, so we decided to go to the zoo. We live about 20 minutes away from the Neunkirchen Zoo and not far is a great little mall, that has a TK Maxx!

We made it just in time to see the Owl and Eagle show at 11am. Rand had a blast seeing the owls and really wanted to give them a hug!

After the show, we made our way around the rest of the Zoo. Rand is such an animal lover and kept trying to climb the fences to go in and play with them!

I love this zoo because they have a great kids area with a playground and a petting zoo area with birds, rabbits, goats and pigs. Here is Rand hunting for rabbits. 

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!