Megan and Chris in Barcelona and Amsterdam
January 2006

Besides the tapas and sangria, the highlight of our weekend in Barcelona, Spain, was the modern cathedral-in-progress conceived by architect Antoni Gaudi. We have been awed by the majesty and history of Medieval Catholic cathedrals in other European cities. This one was awesome in its own way: a work of modern art in huge proportions. The cathedral was started around the time of the US Civil War and is still under construction. They estimate it will be finished in another 25 years. This might seem ridiculous, but it's on par for Medieval-scaled cathedrals.

Here is Megan and one of Amsterdam's many, many canals. And bikes. Bicycles permeate the culture of the city. Next to the church in the background is where we found the Anne Frank House, Otto Frank's business with the attic in which the Frank family hid from Nazis 60 years ago. It was a powerful, emotional museum. The movie star photos that Anne pasted to her wall are still there. You see the cramped spaces. You read about their experiences, see photos, and at the end of your tour, are reminded of their ultimate fate.

Chris in front of the maritime museum in Amsterdam. Unlike the tallship in our hometown (Cutty Sark) this one's a fake. A replica of a vessel from the golden age of Dutch exploration and trading.