There is a long list of things the Catalonian region (Barcelona, Spain) has given to the world: amazing paella, an incredible football team,  and one of the greatest modernismo architects: Antonio Gaudi.

We are going to take you on a visual day tour of the greatest Gaudi masterpieces in Barcelona.  You are going to see futuristic designs, wild abandoned whimsy and holy edifices that rival the best of Rome!

First off a little primer on Gaudi:

The most famous architect of the 20^th century was born in Rues (or just outside, depending on what account you believe) in the Tarragona providence of Catalonia, 50 miles south of Barcelona.  After enduring a childhood troubled by rheumatism, the son of two coppersmiths travelled to the Catalan capital to enroll as a student at the Escola Technica Superrior d’Arguitectura where he duly studied from 1873 to 1877.  Even his professors did not quite know what to make of his work, and when he was awarded the title of architect in 1878, Elies Rogent, the director of the school, declared:  “Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius?  Time will tell.”  http://www.barcelona-life.com

Lets start our tour!

 Park Guell

One of Gaudi’s wealthy patrons wanted to build a par for the blue bloods of Barcelona.  He wanted to build a gates community before the advent of gated communities.  He wanted a park setting with fountains, dramatic vistas and swanky amenities.  Gaudi was up for the challenge.

Park Guell sits atop a gentle hill with views of the city, the sea and another piece of Gaudi’s handiwork the Sagrada Famila.

Today you can stroll through the park setting and take in some amazing vistas.

 Casa Mila-La Pedrera

At the top of the mighty tough fare Las Ramblas is the Modernismo masterpiece, La Pedrera.  La Pedrera means The Quarry.  It is the precious gem of Barcelona.  The apartment complex was commissioned with money made in America by married couple Roser Segimon and Pere Mila.

The address quickly became the pinnacle of success.  The façade of the building reflects the rolling waves of the sea.

Perhaps the most photographed part of the structure with its unique statues and fireplace chimneys.

Sagrada Familia

Gaudi has been nicknamed, “God’s Architect”.  While this might be a little presumptuous, one cannot argue his dedication to integrate what he say in Creation with a capital C into his creations with a little c.

The construction of the Sagrada Familia predates Gaudi’s involvement.  It began its construction in 1882.  Shortly there after, Gaudi was brought in and completely transformed the scope and design of the project.  Gaudi employ his skills building the cathedral until his untimely death in 1926.   At his passing the building was a little over 25% complete.  The Sagrada Familia is still a work in progress.  Gaudi’s grand vision outstripped his lifetime’s devotion to building.

When objections were raised as to the extended completion date of the Sagrada Famila, Gaudi said:

“Don’t worry, my client isn’t in a hurry.”

Since then the project has been on again off again.  It is projected that the completion date will be around 2026 the centennial of Gaudi’s death.

Gaudi’s work is on full display in beautiful Barcelona.  Don’t miss it!

Are you looking for Free Coupon Codes or Southwest Airlines Coupon codes?  You just found them.

During our recent trip to Barcelona, Spain I went on a mission to really see what the aftermath of hosting the Olympics really is.  The answer I found truly shocked me.

First off, you must know, that both Luci and I are huge fans of the games.  I remember fondly of donning my PJs to watch the games on our little black and white tele, watching the games.  Names like Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Mary Lou Retton are synomisus with my view of the games.  Victors of the games become national heroes overnight it seems.  Needless to say, I am bias when we start to talk about the games.  One must no overlook the international unity that the games create.

But what happens after all of the gold is given out, the spend-happy tourists have been lightened of their coin and the lights are dimmed?  Then what?

Barcelona an Olympic Story

From the start of the games with its dramatic torch lighting display, there was something magical about the Barcelona games:

The before and after picture of Barcelona is just as dramatic as one of those cheeky weight loss pictures where a huge hulk of man is turned into a bantam weight string bean.  The Olympics certainly changed the face, the mind, the strength, but certainly not the heart of Catalonia.

Barcelona 20 years after the Olympics

The Olympics have long been a huge endeavor for the cities that win the bid.  The sheer expense of building venues, building infrastructure to get to and from the events not to mention the efforts to attract the patrons that help pay for all of the above.

Here are the quick facts:

Expense:

Installation and prep for facilities ($460 million usd)

Services to Olympic Family ($370 million usd)

Telecommunications and electronics ($240 million usd)

Competitions ($100 million usd)

Commercial Management ($10 million usd)

Ceremonies and cultural acts ($90 million usd)

Image and promotion ($80 million)

Security ($40 million)

Key Revenue:

Sponsors:  $580 million

Television Rights: $635 million

Bottom line:  It is estimated that the direct investments related to the games of Barcelona from 1986 to 1993 reached over $8 Billion.  Staggering.

Source: http://olympicstudies.uab.es

Infrastructure Legacy

The Olympic Stadium

The entire area of Catalonia is dotted with improvements.  The stadiums and venues, primary located in Montjuic, Diagonal, and Vall d’Hebron, are a lasting tribute to the games.  A lion share of these venues are still in full use today.  Transportation improvements were significant.  The improved ring roads of the city, improved mass transit capialbities made the city much more easier to navigate for come lately tourists like myself the and millions that call Barcelona home.  There was an increase in new sewage systems of 17%, new green zones and beaches increased a staggering 78%!  The results of these key infrastructure investments continue to pay mighty dividends today.

One of the infrastructure highlights is what has been dubbed, “the Most Beautiful Dive Pool in The World”:

Seeing the Olympic side of Barcelona today

Start your visit at the Joan Antoni Samaranch (The father of the 1992 Games)  Olympic Museum.  Located right next to the amazing Olympic Stadium.  Wander around the many venues located on top of Montjuic.   Footstep of famous Olympians adourn the sidewalk outside the entertaining Museum.

The Olympic Museum in Barcelona

One of the many interactive exhibits at the museum

Money, Money, Money?

Over a third of the game’s infrastructure improvements came from private hands.  This is impressive by any standard.  The Spanish state, regional authority and local municipalities footed the remaining 2/3rds of the bill.  The build up to the games and influx of investment caused a boon for those involved.   The population employed in construction grew 72% from 1985 to 1992.  The consumption of cement rose 74%!  The trickle down effect of this massive influx of investment spread across the entire region.  Average family incomes as well as tax receipts increased dramatically.  (http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/od006_eng.pdf)

What might be one of the most telling reflections on the Barcelona Games is the number of cities submitting bids to host their own.  The total cities submitting bids went from 6 to 12.

Back to our original question asked at the begging of the post, do the games really help cities?  In the case of Barcelona you must say yes.

Go expiriance Barcelona1  Why not catch cheap flights at GoCheap Travel?  You can also compare hotel rates on their excellent site.

Besides our ever popular “Fighting couple” board, we have a couple more that we want to give you a background on:

Flight Fashion-  One of our more popular posts was our review of the flight fashion of some of the leading airlines.  Haven’t read it?  You have come a long way baby!

Finding Hemingway-This is my favorite board.  I am such a Hemingway fan.  This is my chance to collect some quotes and unique pics of papa.

Una Historia Sin Palabras (a story without words)-We admire great photogs.  Sometime one picture can tell you a novel.  This is the case with this board.  I stare at these pictures and they summon emotion, wonder and passion.  My fave of this board is of course the Tiananmen pic.

Je Ne se Quois- This is Luci’s section.  Do you ever stumble across a picture that just takes your breath away?  It could the beaty of a fall scene, or a tender moment of a child.  Of course George Clooney made this board!  Enjoy!

So do you have a favorite board?  Can we be Pinterest friends?

The Perfect Day Date

The Boqueria is the perfect spot to get a start on your day date.  Wander around that many tempting booths of fruits and veggies.  Try some tapas.  Do some sampling.  Pick out some ripe strawberries, a passion fruit?, select a loaf of sour dough bread, and your fave beverage.  Best of all, don’t forget to buy some of the amazing Catalan Chocolate!  Head for the lovely vista of Montjuïc.  Take the metro, or hike to the end of Las Ramblas and walk along the harbor to the hill.  Once atop, you will have a commanding view of the city, and the harbor.  A beautiful sight on a sunny day.   There are many gardens along the north side of the hill.  Find your ideal secluded spot and enjoy your finds from the market.  Read some versus of the famed Catalan poet Salvador Espriu. As day turns to evening walk down the hill and take in the waterworks of the magic font.  A perfect ending to a perfect day.

How to Make a Purchase

If your Spanish or Catalan is limited, the market can seem like a daunting challenge.  Don’t let your heart be troubled.  You are among friends.  This market is one of the more easier markets we have found to make purchases without a command of the native language.  Step one is to survey.  If you are looking for fruits, walk up and down each of the alleys to scope out your target.  It may be helpful to pick a both where there is not a line of people.  This will give you a chance to chat up your stall attendant.   Once you have identified the object of your desire, flash a big smile and point and ask “Quanto Questa?”  The response back will likely be in English.  Discuss quantity, fork over the euros and bam!  You have your items.  Now was that so hard?

A word of warning about the market.  It is not immune of the pick pocketers.  It is close quarters inside the market.  Keep your belongings close by.

A Little History

The market was founded around 1200.  At that time it was an over growth of another market in the area.  For the next 600 years the market held a butchers market, a pig pen and then in the mid 1800s the market was formally recognized by the town.  At the turn of the 1900s the metal roof that exists today was installed.  Today, the market is a destination for the local and visitor alike.

Have you been to Boqueria?  How was your experience?  What tastes did you have?  Leave a comment below and let us know.

5 Things Every Man Should Know About Women…While Traveling.

Not long ago we did a post relating little know secrets about how to travel with men.  We have now turned the tables and offer you hommes a few insights on how to travel with the fairer sex.  While every person has their own travel style, and we certainly don’t want to paint every woman into a box, there are a few helpful general tips, that if understood, can help couples find greater harmony on the road.  So here we go:

Miramare Castle, Triste, Italy

It all about the journey, not the destination.

Men, for whatever reason have a “let’s get there attitude” when traveling and doing other things. As women, we tend to focus a little more on the path.  Men: build in a little extra time into your schedules.  Be flexible. Here’s an example from our recent trip to Venice which turned into another 1000 fights. We were driving from Triste, Italy to Venice.  We were looking through tourist books and spotted an amazing castle cradling the bay outside of Triste.  It wasn’t in our plan.  Mike had an Excel spreadsheet that kept a strict schedule with everything we were to see that day and the castle wasn’t on the list. He didn’t even know about the castle. Of course Mike was like, “Gotta get on the road, got to see Venice, got to obey the spreadsheet.” After a fight that resulted in zero pictures of Mike and I together at the castle (in fact, Mike wouldn’t even take pictures of me-our friends were the photographers), we went to the castle.  We ended up seeing one of the most incredible sites of our entire trip.  Mike admitted he was wrong three weeks after the trip, and I have a few pictures of a fairy tale castle in Italy. Guys take the hint.  Be flexible.  Slow down a little and enjoy the ride!

Cleanliness is next to Godess-ness

I don’t know how many times I have said…for men…the world is your urinal.  Traveling, as we have in third world countries, the facilities are not always ideal.  No problem.  But there is a clear and bright line between rustic and disgusting.  Third world or first world, some truck stops are dens of disgusting.  Men take this little hint, when the facilities are sub par,  DON’T ARGUE.   Try saying things like…”Let’s find another place” or “There is a hotel just down the road, lets go over there.” My hero!   One option we highly recommend is skipping the hotel and renting a vacation apartment instead.”

Pictures are the best souvenir

Its all about the social media and the Christmas card.  Deep down, women are vain.  We really are.  Men could care less how their outfit looks or if their makeup is smudged.  OK maybe most men don’t care about their make up.  For us frau-lines, we truly want our vacation pics to look really good.  Why do we take vacation pics?  To show them off to all our friends on Facebook!   Our photo shoots might take a little long.  Guys, take it from me, you want us to look hot for these pics, it will make all of your old girl friends # jealous!

The whole flowers thing

This is likely the hardest concept for men to understand.  Women like cute things.  Cute things can come in the shape of purring cats, daffodils, teacups and cutie-bug kids.  We are going to take pictures of them, we are going to cuddle them, we may put an entire tour on hold to take pictures of a bunny.  I can’t tell you how many pictures we have of the dafodills in front of Jane Austen’s house!  They were incredible!  Guys, this is really going to test your patience.  Take a deep breath.  Count to 10.  Trust me, if you make a big deal about this, you will be removed from our “cute” list.  This will not bode well for you later.  Girls can I have an “amen?!”

A little more talk and a little less action

Women need to talk.  We need to communicate.  We need to discuss.  Guys: a couple of different options for you.  Some of you are talkers as well, so no problem.  Some of you are good listeners, no problem.  If you are neither or your name is Mike, a few ideas for you.  Let your spouse known that you need some time to talk. You finally have some time together, and for women it’s all about communication. If you don’t know what to talk about, we suggest “The Book of If: Questions for the Games of Life and Love” by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell.  On a four hour drive through Croatia, we found out a lot about each other. Like, “If you could fire someone from work, who would it be,” or “If you could relive one romantic date from high school just as it was, which would it be.”  Some answers we had to plead the “fifth.” But overall, it’s a great way to get a conversation going.

If communicating together isn’t your thing, join friends you meet on the tourist trail for drinks before/after/during dinner. Meeting fellow travelers is one of the most dynamic experiences that can create lifelong friendships and maybe a few Facebook friend requests!

Gentlemen, these are a few little hints for keeping us gals happy whilst on the road.  Every women is different, but take these ideas into consideration and know your travel partner.

Gals, did we miss anything?  If you could tell you guy just one thing that would make life a little easier out there, what would you tell him?

When we travel, we typically do two or three dressy dinners.  After a day a traipsing on the tourist trail, it is so refreshing to clean up and spiff up a little for a nice night on the town.  Sitting down at a nice restaurant and revisit the day’s conquests is a moment that we savor.  One of the challenges is packing for these nights.  I highly recommend that “little black dress”.  Bring something that is easy to iron and care for.  One challenge I have always had is jewelry.   I don’t typically travel with a ton of “bling”  but I do bring some nice accessories to separate myself for the dusty “backpacker” crowd.  (Nothing against the backpacker crowd.)  Security of these items is always a top concern.  That’s why it is critical to keep everything together and organized.  How you ask?  Meet the Diva!

The Diva collection by Keli’s Kreations is the perfect solution to keeping your precious things organized, safe and accessible.  The collections come in a number of different sizes from the Diva Lite which is perfect for those weekenders to the full-on Diva Deluxe which can house an entire collection of fine things.

So how does it work?

The Diva Collection is pure genius.  Each Diva size is made up of two parts, the attractive case.  Faux alligator leather on the Deluxe size and a ton or different colors and textures on the smaller two versions are available.  (I went with the pink and white foulards design, cute huh?)  On the inside, you have an ingenious sorting system with pockets, clasps and buttons that keep everything from getting all tied up into a big jumbled mess.  Honestly, this is the only product that I have found that keeps everything from becoming a tangled glob.

The Diva Collection is perfect for the sophisticated female traveler.  One that can hit the trails and museums all day and then shine up for an evening on the town!  For you gals that travel out of town on business, the Diva is the perfect companion.

We at 1000Fights love to partner with small business people.  Keli’s Kreations is a great success story.  It is owned and operated by Ms. Keli Hazel of Atlanta.  She saw a need and designed a product to solve it.  Besides producing beautiful products, Keli is a great person.  Keli gives a portion of the proceeds from her creations to Haven House, a non-profit organization that helps women who have left abusive relationships recognize their worth and start a new life.   Kudos to Keli!

Guess what?

Would you like a chance to win your very own Diva?  Thanks to Keli’s Kreations, we are giving away a Diva Lite!  You get to pick your colors and everything!  Sweet!

So here’s the skinny in three easy steps:

1)      Give 1000 Fights a like on facebook HERE

2)       Give Keli’s Kreations a like on facebook HERE

3)       And lastly leave a comment below: where you dream of taking your “Diva”.

Paris? NYC? Shanghai? There are no wrong answers.

Easy huh?

A few rules:

Prize can only be shipped to the US.  (Sorry, I know this stinks.)

Must complete the three steps above. (duh?)

Winner will be selected at random with the help of www.random.org

Entries will be accepted till March 30, 2012 7pm Mountain time.

Void where prohibited.  (I would hate to live there…sorry.)

Just so you know, we were provided products to review in this post. (Thanks again Keli’s Kreations!)

Don’t wait to win the contest!  Order your Keli’s Kreation Diva today!

1. Bulgarian – Obicham te

2.  Belarusian – Ya tabe kahayu

3.  Bangla – Aamee tuma ke bhalo aashi

3.5 Basque –Maite zaitut

4.  Cantonese Chese – Ngo oiy ney a

5.  Catala – T`estimo

6.  Cheyenne – Ne mohotatse

7.  Chichewa – Ndimakukonda

8.  Creole – Mi aime jou

9.  Croatian – Volim te

10. Czech – Miluji te

11.  Danish – Jeg elsker dig

12.  Dutch – Ik hou van jou

13.  Esperanto – Mi amas v

14.  Estonian – Ma armastan sd

15. Ethiopian – Afgreki`

16.  Farsi – Doset daram

17.  Filipo – Mahal kita

18.  Finnish –Minä rakastan sinua

19.  French – Je t`aime/ Je t`adore

20. German – Ich liebe dich

21.  Greek – S`agapau

22.  Gujarati – Hoo thunay prem karoo choo

23.  Hawaiian – Aloha wau ia oi

24.  Hebrew – Ani ohev otah (to female) and Ani ohev et otha (to male)

25. Hindi – Hum tumhe pyar karte hae

26.  Hmong – Kuv hlub koj

27.  Hopi – Nu` umi unangwa`ta

28.  Hungarian – Szeretlek

29.  Icelandic – Eg elska tig

30.  Indonesian – Saya cta padamu

31.  Irish – Taim i`ngra leat

32.  Italian – Ti amo

33. Japanese – Aishiteru

34.  Kannada – Naanu nna preetisuttene

35.  Korean – Sarang heyo

36.  Latin – Te amo

37.  Latvian – Es tevi miilu

37.5  Lithuanian–As tave myliu

38.  Malay – Saya ctakan mu / Aku cta padamu

39.  Mandarin Chinese – Wo ai ni

40.  Navajo – Ayor anosh`ni

41.  Norwegian – Jeg elsker dek

42.  Persian – Doo-set daaram

43.  Pig Latin – Lay ovlay ouyay

44.  Polish – Kocham Ciebie

45.  Portuguese – Eu amo-te

46.  Romanian – Te iubesc

47.  Russian – Ya tebya liubliu

48. Serbian – Volim te

49.  Slovenian – Ljubim te

50.  Spanish – Te quiero / Te amo

We know that a number of you speak these languages, so if we spelled them wrong, or you have hints on how to pronounce them, shoot us a quick email below.  Thanks!  Now go find someone and tell them, “Ich liebe dich”!

Buckle up, make sure your tray tables are up!  We are going to introduce you to a travel blogging couple that is always on the move!  So, what do you get when you  mix two marathon runners, a beach comber, a run with bulls in Spain, and a lust to wander?  Answer:  Jillian and Danny of www.Ishouldlogoff.com.  Each month we highlight a couple that are living their dreams….and telling everyone about their adventure.  Meet Jillian and Danny:

Jillian and Danny Tobias spent 21 months traveling around the world. Together they have explored 50 countries, covering famous overland routes like Capetown to Cairo and the Old Silk Road.   Traveling mostly overland, the couple experienced the eccentricities of the world and lived to tell the tale! From eating grasshoppers in Mexico to exploring underground tombs in Sudan and hand carved grottoes in Western China, they took life by the horns.  They blog about their travels and adventures off the computer at their website: www.IShouldLogOff.com.  You can find them on facebook: www.facebook.com/ishouldlogoff or follow them on twitter: @ishouldlogoff.

We put our infamous 7 questions to this wandering couple.  Here are their responses:

1) Tell us about running with the bulls!!!! 

It was actually much easier than you’d think.  I had had a ‘procedure’ done to my foot the day prior so I played it safe but basically I waited for the gun shot announcing the bulls were off.  Everyone started stampeding and so did I.  Next thing I knew, there were bulls and everyone was standing to the sides of the street.  The bulls ran by and we kept on running after them, now singing triumphantly!

She Said: Indiana Jones – you know every day is going to be an adventure!
He Said: Ben Franklin.  Not sure why, it’s just what popped into my head.

1000Fights:  Ben Franklin? Are you into kite flying?

He said:Africa.  Everyone always asks for a favorite country and it’s just not possible to choose one as they’re all so different.  Africa on the whole though, felt like legitimate travel where something unexpected could and did happen each and every day.  It was difficult and challenging but in hindsight it was also the most rewarding.

She said: Africa without a doubt.  I loved the adventure of traveling somewhere seriously off the beaten path.  It was certainly a challenge, but we were fortunate to meet lots of great people and our overall experience was amazing.  Traveling in Africa really opened my eyes to true hospitality – it is a very humbling experience to be offered food and water by those touched by famine and tragedy.

She said: One last meal ever?  I’m depressed even thinking about it! I think I would get fish tacos in Baja, Mexico.  Delicious, fresh, spicy… I don’t think I could ever get enough, those were incredible!

She said: HA! Sometimes it takes us a long time to get that right.  At the Taj Mahal we kept having Indian families sneak into our picture.  It became somewhat hilarious; eventually we gave up and walked closer to the Taj where we took the “perfect” picture after six more attempts!  In Beijing we tried lining up the shot before handing it over to a Chinese man who didn’t speak English. He took shots of the sky before handing the camera back to us.  Eventually we found an English speaking tour group and just asked.  By the time we finished the trip we were experts at timing!

She said: Education is a good one, but I think clean water is really the next big step the world needs to make.  Having access to healthy drinking water will save so many lives, and have a trickle down effect giving children the opportunity to go to school and women the opportunity to participate in economic development.

She said:  Well we certainly bickered a lot. It is hard to stay mad at someone or have a big blowout when you depend on someone so much.  Most of our fights revolve around the idea of too many captains on the same boat… We both like to control things.  Let’s say we don’t tandem kayak well together…every time we get in a tandem boat we begin fighting, almost instantly!

He said:  I’m not allowed to talk about that….

1000Fights:  that’s a little bit of a cop out!  A huge thanks to Jillian and Danny for sharing!

One Great lesson we can learn from Jillian and Danny is to get out there and see the world.  What  a great example to couples.

Dino and Shannon Watt’s mission is to improve marriages around the globe.  They host a weekly podcast that highlights real world ideas and hints for couples.  They also run a great relationship site called:  The Business of Marriage.  We took some time to chat with them about the benefits of traveling as a couple.

Topics we cover:

What are the 5 things every Woman should know about traveling with a man.

How to travel really, really cheap.

And how to get a man to go see Jane Austen’s house.

Click on the link below to hear our recent interview:

A Photo that takes my breath away

Far and away one of our favorite destinations is the Amazon.  The Peruvian Jungle offers so many adventures and lessons.  We captured this sunset our first night in the jungle.  It was so amazing!

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

You know those pics where someone is doing something “interesting”  in the background?  Yeah?  Well we had one during our visit to the Louvre in Paris.  We didn’t realize that we captured this “moment” until we got back from our trip!  Like they always say, when in Paris!

A photo that…makes me dream

We miss Africa!  This shot of an African Lion we took while visiting Kruger Park in South Africa.  It makes us dream of going back to Africa!

A photo that…makes me think

We spent the morning at Ephesus, Turkey.  One of the most interesting and enlightening attractions is the Celsius Library.  It has been restored and one of the icons of history.  Luci captured this shot when I was deep in thought…Ok..I look a little dumb.

A photo that…makes my mouth water

So I am guessing that half of the food pictured on this category will be from Italy!  We found a little cafe down from our hotel in Venice.   While Luci flirted with the handsome waiter, Mike gorged himself on the amazing food!  We cant tell you how good this was!  It was flat out amazing!

A photo that…tells a story

Bosnia.

A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

Anyone who has been to Machu Picchu knows just how hard this pic really is!  There are so many people!  We waited and waited and at the right moment, Snap!  The day was perfect, the sun, the green hills.  What a special place.

Those are some of our best pics!  Which is your fave?

Head on over and see the 7 Super Shots guidelines post which features a number of fantastic photos.  We would like to nominate to following bloggers for the ‘I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots‘  Contest!  

Cant wait to see their pics!

http://www.fourjandals.com/

http://www.donteverlookback.com/

http://www.passportandatoothbrush.com/

http://www.vowstotravel.com/

http://mrmrsglobetrot.blogspot.com