I must be the first one back on the ship...computer room empty, with nary a 007'er in sight. Of course, I made the mistake of booking barcelonataxi.com to pick us up at 9 a.m., instead of the Todd-led excursion that was to begin at 10. Our driver Michael was great. First he took us through a little nieghborhood where a lot of the fishermen live, tiny streets with lots of laundry handing out, then on through the area that has the beach to stop for a bit and take in the sights, through the area that housed the Olympic atheletes that used to be an area of lots of factories. Then we went to the huge Cathedral that has been under construction since 1925. What a work in progress. I really liked that our driver pointed out so many things about the building, the old and new parts and how the style is evolving. Then on up the hill to the big Gaudi designed park....so many things going on here...elephants that you don't see until they are pointed out, the way a snake wraps around the park and comes together as two heads meeting each other, the columned area with a flutist playing beautiful music, the method of water collection to provide the water to irrigate the park, and the mushrooms that top the little buildings at the entrance. We came to the conclusion that Gaudi must have been eating mushrooms to come up with most of his stuff. Then on to a couple of other Gaudi buildings with fascinating stories behind them before heading to the Gathic quarter and a walk into the Jewish section of the old city, where a couple of Romanian young girls whom Michael knows as pick pockets stalked us for just a bit. After that, I was uncomfortable, as I was carrying the cash to pay the driver in my purse, and I would have been an easy target. I found photo ops less than ideal in this city, as you are always too close to get the grand scheme of things. Nonetheless, it was a great "first time" visit to a city I have looked forward to touring.

Michael's hope was to also take us to the area up the hill where they have the Olympic stadium, but our time had run out, kids were hungry, and so we called it a day and had lunch at a small place where Brice and Jen had eaten on their honeymoom last year and wanted to revisit.

Last night was a lot of fun at Signatures. After the SSS party, where Marcie and Tom won a beautiful wine cask for 292 days (in only two years!) we had two tables of 6 in signatures. On to VL for dancing and more revelry. As I was leaving, I walked across to the casino, and there was Karen, who had just won $170 on the slot machines! Tony was at the craps table, don't know how he did.

My son has a vibrating noise in his cabin that is annyoing him. But has he reported it? Oh no, and when I suggested he get someone in this afternoon, he said "nap time, can't do it". So let him live with it!

It is already getting toward the end of this cruise, and of course, I don't want to get off the ship. Wish I were staying on with Joanna and Tony and meeting the other lct'ers coming aboard. You are going to have so much fun! Hopefull Marcie, Todd, Karen and Joanna will post soon and tell their adventures of the day. Oh, and please forgive all those little tyupo's above!