Torino (Turin) was our first destination.  Nestled in the mountains, the town was the site of the 2006 Olympic games and also played a big role in the development of Italian cinema (at the height of Italian cinema, before WW II, Torino was like the Hollywood of Italy, where all the studios were). While we were there we visited the National Museum of Cinema, which was like no other museum I have ever visited.  Taken through a history of cinema, starting with the recording of movement, we learned how the cinema has evolved over the years to become a source of entertainment as well as a lucrative business.  We ended up wandering through lots of movie sets. Each set was a mini exhibition, arranged around a screen that was continuously showing a film.  The set and film in each exhibit were made to showcase the different genres of film.  Also in the museum, for an extra cost, you could ride up to the top of  "The Mole", which at 85 meters is the highest point in the city.  After looking through the museum we rode to the top to watch the sunset and take some panoramic pictures. 

One other memorable thing happened while we were in Torino, one that made us glad to be American. If you haven't been to other countries, I will preface this anecdote with a quick explanation of European public transportation.  The EU does not have a standardized way of running their public transport; each country decides how to run their own.  So in each new country we visit, we have a new system to figure out: where, how, and when to stamp/validate our tickets. Many countries, especially ones in Eastern Europe, use the scare tactic to make sure everyone pays to travel. By this I mean you have to buy a ticket and validate in at a machine when you get on the bus/metro/tram.  A ticket checker, in plain clothes, sometimes comes around and checks.  You don't know when they will come or what they will look like, but if they catch you without a valid ticket, you get a hefty fine. Now up until Torino, we had not had our ticket checked once.  Not once.  So on a crowded tram in Torino we didn't think we would have any problems. We could not stamp our tickets and save them for the next day.  Well, we were wrong.  About two stops away from our hostel, three uniformed ticket checkers stormed through every entrance of the tram (the Italians aren't so discrete).  I had the two "invalidated" tickets in my pocket and handed them to Dave, in hopes he could reach the machine and quick stamp the tickets.  Nope. We ran right into one of the ticket officers. Time to play dumb tourist!  We did some miming and playing dumb and at the next stop we got off…with the three officers.  One spoke a little English, and asked for our ID's.  Dave slowly dug in his pocket, trying to avoid taking out his wallet, as he still had several "validated" tickets in it from the past few days.  He managed to stealthily pull it out and show it to the officers.  "Oh, American?!", they were impressed.  We managed to explain to them that we had just gotten here and didn't quite know the system; we just thought we had to have tickets.  They kindly motioned for us the way to validate, which we mimicked, thanking them so much for showing us the way.  After nodding and repeating "America" smiling a few more times, they allowed us to get on the next tram.  Jumping on, we waved goodbye and reassured them we would follow the rules by pointing to our tickets and pretending to validate them. We got on made a beeline to the validation machine, both thankful that we escaped the fine they were about to give us. Hopping off at the next stop we headed right to the grocery store for a bottle (or maybe it was 2…) of wine and went back to our hostel to salute our country!

I found us an apartment to rent for the week, which turned out to be cheaper than a hotel and a much better choice. We had a living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, a balcony and even a washer and dryer. My mom found her favorite spot to be the balcony, which she made her post, watching the daily lives of the peculiar Spaniards.  If you ask my dad his highlights of the trip I would guess he might say a few things. One might be watching the Packers on Monday Night Football (in Spanish time), and another might be the chicken salad at Flamont.  

There are countless options for places to eat in Barcelona. The task of deciding where to dine can be overwhelming and quite a burden, especially when hungry.  Due to my mother's great skill in people watching, we discovered that the restaurant right next door to our apartment was quite popular.  Hoards of people gathered outside of it the first night we were there, smoking and chatting, awaiting their turn for a table.  Any previous doubts we might have had were cleared and we knew that the next night we must try this place that everyone in Barcelona seemed to be going!

The next night was Sunday, and the place was far less busy.  We found out, though, why this was the "place to be".  White tablecloths were arranged amid modern décor and the menu featured unbeatable prices. It was no wonder we returned 3 times!  My dad discovered this chicken salad that we would all come to decide was the best thing on the menu.  Pesto dressing mixed with a little balsamic vinegar was drizzled over cool slices of grilled chicken and pine nuts on a bed of radicchio and arugula. Full of flavor and refreshing, it was a great start to any meal.  The main courses were great too, as were the bottles of wine.  The struggle of deciding where to dine was eased a bit with this great place right next door!

Our fondest memories of the visit were in the time we spent with the people we love. Nothing in the world, as many places and things that we see, can compare to the company of our family and friends. We miss you all, and hope that through this blog you feel like you are spending a little time with us!