Day 27: Zurich to Lucerne

Our first and last morning in Zurich, we went to Banhofstrasse, the shopping mile in Zurich. Plenty of watch and jewelry stores, and malls. For lunch, we went to the restaurant on the topmost floor of Manor department store, and it was a "pick-your-meal" option with varieties of food and dessert and fresh fruit juices. Really nice! You pick your food on your tray and pay at the counter.

After lunch, we left for Lucerne by train and reached in an hour. We did the Lucerne river cruise - which the kids were included, because of the year long transport pass, and we paid 25 CHF per person. Beautiful scenic lake and the ride was just over an hour long.

Dying Lion monument, Lucerne

Later, we went to see the Chapel bridge up close, and the Dying Lion monument.

Lake Lucerne

Beautiful swans in Lake Lucerne

Chapel bridge, Lucerne

Day 26: Venice to Zurich

Initially while booking our trip, we were looking at options from going to Venice to Zurich, or skip Venice and go from Rome to Zurich by flight...
Finally, we did include Venice in our trip and the two options came down to going by flight or train. We had read about train journeys being very scenic across Italy and Switzerland and decided to book the Frecciarosa (Trentialia) from Venice to Zurich.

We took the Vaporetto to the train station and found our train platform. Trains platform numbers are only listed about half hour before the train leaves (sometimes only ten minutes before), so if you are early, you can visit some stores on the train station or just relax :)

The train ride was 2 hours from Venice to Milan, an hour break and then 4 1/2 hours to Zurich. We waited in the platform area in Milan, where unfortunately not many eating options. We had some Nutella and bread with us and some fruit,  and it was a handy meal for us on the train.

We reached Zurich at 4:30pm, and asked the tourist office (on the station) for ticket options to Lucerne the next day, from Lucerne to Interlaken and finally from Interlaken to Geneva, from where we had our flight back to London, completing the Europe part of our trip.

Swiss towns seen from the train

She suggested the kids buy a pass for the year for 30 Euros each, which was cheaper than buying half-price tickets to and from each of these destinations. We both got the regular fare tickets. We bought all these tickets at once, since the tickets are valid for the day you buy them for, but no time is specified, so we could be flexible to go by any train we chose. The trains left every half hour.

That evening, we walked the main street in Zurich by the river, and came by a Turkish kebab place, which made the most delicious shawarma sandwich. It was good!

Scenic views from the train

Grossmunster church, famous landmark in Zurich 

From there, we walked to the lake shore, and spent some time in the city.

Zurich is mainly a city, not the green, natural beauty of Switzerland that is so famous for...


Maybe go to Lugano instead!

Day 25: Murano and Burano islands off of Venice

We visited the islands of Murano and Burano on our second day in Venice.
Murano to see the glass factories, and Burano to see the picturesque fishing village.

We went to St. Marco stop by Vaporetto and then walked over to S. Zaccharia stop (5 minutes walking from S. Marco  along the bank). From there, we got #7 Vaporetto to Murano. It took about 20 minutes.
By the way, we got a one day pass the day before, as we had planned to go to Murano and Burano and it was a better deal than buying individual ride tickets. Day pass: 21 Euros  per person, and single ride is 7.5 Euros.

Glass scuplture in Murano

When we got off at Murano, we were called out by the person from the closest glass factory to come see their demonstration of making glass objects. It was wonderful to see the glass being blown and made into a fish and a vase. From there, you can browse their shop, which holds innumerable objects made from glass and some were just amazing!

Since our next stop was Burano, we asked directions for the waterbus stop, and it turns out that you pretty much have to walk the entire island of Murano to reach the stop which is right by the lighthouse. :)
We walked by Duomo Ostaire restaurant, and I really recommend this restaurant if you are in Murano at lunch time, because they had the largest selection of veg and non-veg pizzas in all the places we had been to. It was a nice restaurant with open-air seating and nice service and food, and reasonable too.

Fishing village of Burano

We got the Vaporetto to Burano from Faro waterbus stop and we were there in 20 minutes.

Burano is very scenic with colorful houses along the canal and it was a sight for the eyes! They have lots of souvenir shops as well, selling lace and pasta and such.


We took the #12 Vaporetto back to S. Marco Square and it took little more than an hour as it made a few stops along with way. 

Day 24: Venice - Rialto bridge, St. Marco Square

Our train journey from Florence to Venice took two hours. The train station also has a Vaporetto (water bus) stop. We bought one way tickets for the Vaporetto on the first day. It is 7.50 Euros per person. The day pass is 21 Euros per person.

It was not too hard to board the Vaporetto with our luggage. We reached our stop San Stae in about 20 minutes. From there, our Airbnb host came to pick us up. We walked back with her through the streets with some small bridges on the way over narrow canals.

Venice is so unique with no cars, just boats going by the canals.

We reached our apartment, right by Campo St. Augustin. It was 5-10 minutes walking from Rialto bridge and another 5-10 minutes from there to St. Marco Square. I found the streets charming with old-world feel to it. The Campo (open areas) are like meeting places for people with a restaurant or two, and maybe a church as well. Very nice.

Rialto Bridge, Venice, with vaporetto on the right

In the evening, we went to Rialto bridge, which unfortunately has boarded up windows, for some repairs, so you can't really look from the bridge. The bridge has stores - souvenirs, leather goods and so on.

We decided to do our Gondola ride from Rialto Bridge which takes you through the canals near the Bridge for about 1/2 hour.

Gondola ride through Venice (above - not our gondola :))

 You walk across and take a right, and a left then to keep walking towards St. Marco Square. There are painted signs as well on walls, showing you the directions, so it's pretty easy to walk from place to place. On the whole, Venice is a small city and you can walk everywhere.

We reached St. Marco Square and went up the Campanile, there's an elevator here, no stairs, thank goodness! :) We got a nice view of the Canal, and Venice city. Later, we spent some time in the Square and went back home.

Day 23: Pisa, Accademia, Florence

We took the Trenitalia from Florence to Pisa Centrale  (pronounced Pisa chentraaley). From the station, we walked the half hour to the tower. All through the streets, they have brand name stores and souvenir shops. We finally arrived at the tower and yes, it is a sight to see.
Lots of tourists too ofcourse, and we found a spot to sit in the shade and look at the tower and the hordes of tourists who were doing the "holding the weight of the tower picture" or "pushing the tower over" picture and it was amusing to see the different poses from our angle. :)
Got some pictures and our own "leaning on the tower of Pisa" picture (had to get one) and then walked back to the train station.

Leaning tower of Pisa

We reached Florence back by 2pm and went straight to the apartment to rest.

By evening, we were ready to venture out again and decided to go to see the statue of David at the Accademia. Again, we walked there - about 15 minutes and were in line by 5:40pm. Around that time of the day (museum closes at 6:50pm), the line was only 15-20 people long and they let in a bunch of people together - we were in 10 minutes later. We bought tickets at the counter too (8 Euros per adult, under 18 years no charge). We had looked up the option to buy online and it was 2 Euros more, and it didn't give us an option to buy for the same day. It probably helps if you come at peak time (mornings) and it saves you some time by not standing in the general line.

The statue of David is 14 feet tall and at that point in time, to get the proportions exact with a massive piece of marble was an extraordinary feat. You must visit it, if you are in Florence. The rest of the museum has biblical paintings and we saw a video on how they do panel paintings, which includes a wood base, paper on it, and then tracing the drawing on it, then painting it, and later carefully applying gold leaf in gentle layers, and finishing up!  - it takes months to complete. What an amazing technique!

Statue of David, Accademia, Florence

Panel painting at the Accademia, Florence

Day 22: Florence

Thursday morning, we had our train booking from Rome to Florence. (booked months in advance). The trip took 2 hours and 20 minutes. Our Airbnb was only 1/2 mile from the station, but we took a taxi since we were not sure of the roads with the luggage. We were happy to find that it was a well-renovated one bedroom apartment one block away from River Arno and Santa Trinita bridge. Also ten minutes walking distance from the Duomo (dome of Cathedral of Santa Maria del fiore).

After settling down, we went for lunch to a nearby century-plus old restaurant - Trattoria Sostanza (recommended by our host). We had their signature dishes (butter chicken and steak) and walked back to our apartment.
Florence citizens pride themselves on their cuisine (Tuscan food) and a more clean and refined city.

Florence's charming streets are narrow, cobble-stone roads, with earth-tone buildings with mostly green shutters and it is very old Italy. Loved walking through Florence.

We left our apartment and walked up to the Duomo. We bought tickets at the Musee L'Opera office behind the Duomo (15 Euros per person). It gives you access to the church, top of the Duomo, the Campanile (tower) next to the Duomo, and the Musee L'Opera for 48 hours.
We decided to climb the steps of the Campanile. It took about 1/2 hour. The view is beautiful from the top. Lots of red roofs , churches, Campaniles (Bell and Clock tower) and scenic mountains engulfing the city of Florence.
The pink and green marble work on the outside walls of the Duomo is mind-blowing.

Duomo (dome) of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

From there, we went to see the famous Ponte Vecchio (ponte = bridge) with jewelry shops on either side. We walked across, had some gelato (our first in Florence ! :)) and saw Pitti Palace from outside, as it was closed by that time (around 7pm). One the way back, we walked across Santa Trinita bridge, witnessing the most beautiful sunset on River Arno.

The day was good! :)

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Sunset view from Ponte Santa Trinita

Day 21: Rome: Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum

Our last day in Rome, and we were looking forward to seeing the Colosseum.

Map of Colosseum and the Forum

We started off at the Pantheon (5-7 minutes walking from our apartment near the Trevi fountain - now that we knew the roads :)). We wanted to see the inside before the day got by, as we were going to the Colosseum and Forum and weren't sure if we would be back before 6pm when the Pantheon closes.

Dome of the Pantheon

The dome of the Pantheon, the largest unreinforced dome is not even visible from the front or sides of the Pantheon! It has an opening at the top which illuminates the interiors naturally. It was originally a temple for the Greek gods, and then the Romans came and changed it over to their gods.
Currently, there is an altar for Jesus Christ in there. You must visit the Pantheon to see the temple, and dome. It seems Bernini chipped off a small piece of the dome to see how it was built, for inspiration to build the dome of the St. Peter's Basilica. The spot has been covered now.

Loved this angle of the Colosseum

The rebuilt floor on the far end, basements of the Colosseum and the viewing gallery in the front

From there, we walked all the way on Via Del Corso towards the Colosseum. We had pre-booked tickets to the Colosseum from home, which gave us preferred entry to the Colosseum (long lines). We had printed the voucher for tickets and then you go to the Palantine Hill ticket office and exchange your voucher for the actual tickets. We all needed to be present to get our tickets.

One of the temples in the Forum

We saw the massive Colosseum - they have rebuilt some of the floor to give an idea, and the tickets give you access to the first and second floors. There are stairs. as well as elevators.

The Colosseum was abandoned for years and used a quarry for stone to build some of Rome's finest homes and temples.

We saw the Colosseum floor from a few spots and then we decided to come back to the apartment as we were exhausted under the hot sun. We got a taxi back home and took a short break in the cool air conditioned recesses of our apartment.

Around 5pm, we left again, to visit the Forum, which is a whole area of ruins of once-famous homes of Rome's elite population. Julius Caesar's home is there as well, and he walked on those very streets at one point!!
We read through Rick Steve's guide once more, and around couple of hours later, we were on our way back home.

Day 20: Pompeii

We booked tickets on Trenitalia from Rome to Pompeii just two days earlier to the trip, and the route is as follows: Rome to Naples (on Trenitalia website, you will only see the original name - Napoli, not Naples), and then Naples to Pompeii via the Circumvesuviana line. (going around Mt. Vesuvius)

We started off from Barberini as the day before (closest train stop to the Trevi fountain), and went to Termini station (main station in Rome). That took about 10 minutes.
At Termini, we found the platform for the train to Naples, and the ride took 2 1/2 hours. (if you book ahead of time, you can book a faster train at a comparable price). At Naples, we went to the underground level, called Garibaldi station, where you will get the Circumvesuviana line to Pompeii.

You will need to get off at Pompeii Scavi stop (there is another Pompeii stop, which is not the city of ruins, but a small village where you do not want to go). That journey took about 1/2 hour. This train is more local, with more crowds, and no reserved seating and no A/C. :)

Statues in the Forum, Pompeii

When you get off at Pompeii Scavi, you walk to your right, past the souvenir booths and restaurants, and in five minutes, you will see the entrance to the ruins. We tried to buy the entrance tickets online, but the website did not allow a two day advance purchase, or maybe it was not working - but there we were - the line was half-hour long, and in the meantime we had lunch at the small cafe booth which is on a small hill as you go towards the end of the line. They serve frozen pizza and the like, so very casual ! :)
As we neared the front of the line, we discovered another line, where you pay 5 Euros extra per person and cut the half hour line into two minutes. However, we figured, we needed to have lunch anyways, so all was good! :)

We entered the ruins, and again, we had the handy Rick Steve's guide with us and stopped at the main spots that the book highlighted - the forum, temple, baths, private homes, etc. There is an area with grills in front to block access which houses plenty of artifacts discovered in Pompeii, including some sand statues of people who were frozen in their position when the ash came over Pompeii.

One of the statues - heartbreaking to see

Marble pieces embedded in the road to reflect light at night

To think that the city of Pompeii was buried for ages, which kept it from being plundered by the Barbarians and other armies, and it was discovered by accident and then unearthed to find this vast city with many intact features -  huge bronze statues, the hexagons in the road to let people cross over when it rained, and made to let the wheels of chariots go by as well. Little marble pieces embedded into the stones on the road to reflect light at night!!

It was an educational visit to Pompeii, in short, very hot, short and sweet visit to one of the most ancient ruins in the world!

Some of the original ceiling in the bath

P.S. When we reached Termini station in the evening, we found an Indian restaurant (followed the signs on the main street  - sign across the station exit said -50 metres from here! :)),  New Delhi restaurant on Via Milazzo - we had the most yummy Balti chicken and naan after days of eating pizzas and pastas. Good end to a busy day. 

Day 19: Rome - Vatican City

For the first day in Rome, we had booked tickets to the Vatican Museum ahead of time, and boy! are we glad we did.

We walked to the Barberini metro stop, closest train stop near Trevi fountain to go to the Vatican City.
Rome only has two metro lines - A and B. They started off on Line C, but it quickly became an archaeological dig, and work is stopped as of now.

We bought single use tickets for train travel. We reached Ottaviano stop in about 10 minutes (you have to go west from Barberini). As you come up to the street level (walk towards Ottaviano street) from the underground walkway after getting off the train), you walk down the main street (Ottaviano) and take a right when you see the huge wall to your right. You will reach the Vatican Museum entrance after about 15 minutes.  The line was going around the wall till we couldn't see where!

The line for people with reserved tickets  (us! ) gave you almost instant entry to the museum. After security, we went to the bookshop and post office (near the entrance) and mailed a postcard home for memories, and also for the special Vatican stamp!

Globe monument in a Vatican courtyard

We started our tour through the Egyptian room, Octagonal courtyard, and then followed the arrows to the Sistine Chapel. On the way, we saw ancient tapestries with biblical references, and paintings with the same.

Finally, we were in the Sistine Chapel. It is so mesmerizing that it is possible to look at it for hours. We had downloaded Rick Steve's audio guide ahead of time and we heard it while we were in the Chapel. No photos or videos are allowed in the Chapel.

Mosaic on the floor - Vatican museum

St. Peter's Square - Vatican city

From there, we exited in the direction of St. Peter's Basilica and came out into the main square of the Vatican City.

Note: Take snacks with you to munch on during breaks at the Vatican museum. And lots of water. In July, it was so hot outside and very crowded inside. Some sugar (chocolates :), will keep you happier! :)
We entered the Basilica through the main doors and saw Michelangelo's Pieta, Bernini's bronze canopy, St. Peters statue (which had a long line to touch it) and we were just impressed with the sheer size of the Basilica. (60,000 people can pray in it at once).

Michelangelo's Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica

We came back home via train after the visit.
Later that evening, we visited the Trevi fountain to see the lights at night which was beautiful, and

Trevi fountain during the day

Trevi fountain at night

we walked to the Spanish steps (widest steps in Europe), but couldn't go on them, as they were in the process of being repaired.  The Spanish steps are about 10 minutes walking from Trevi fountain.

We walked back through Via Condotti, the main shopping boulevard in Rome, with all the brands right there - Louis Vuitton ( with the digital designs on the stairs), Hermes, Prada, Fendi, and on and on.

Spanish steps

Day 18: Nice to Rome, sightseeing in Rome

Our flight from Nice Cote D'Azur airport to Fiumicino - Leonardo Da Vinci airport, Rome took under an hour.

We reached our Airbnb near Trevi fountain (literally 100 steps from our apartment building) around 4:30pm, checked in and freshened up, ready to go sightseeing. We saw Trevi fountain first with it's throngs of tourists and droves of hawkers selling everything you might not need. 

We walked to the Pantheon (about 10 minutes from Trevi fountain), closed at the time, and then onto Piazza Navona (another 10 minutes) with it's beautiful fountain. Rome's weather was pleasant in the evening, around 70 degrees. We also had gelato at Della Palma, the place with 150 flavors (close to the Pantheon). We ordered the medium size, and we all looked like we had been hungry for days, with the amount of ice cream each cone had!! :). We wisely asked for a small scoop then on. 

The chocolate section at Della Palma, Rome

All the above locations are walking distance from Trevi fountain.

Day 17: French Riviera - Cannes and Antibes

Our last day in the French Riviera, we planned a trip to Cannes and Antibes. (go west from Nice).

Macaroons at St. Jean Paul, Cannes

By train, it took us about 20 minutes to reach Cannes. From the station, we walked through Old Town in the direction of the beach. On the way, had some delicious macaroons at an ooh-la-la store - St. Jean Paul, (which has a chocolate waterfall running down one of its walls), and again, hard to pick which flavor - good problem to have! :) This time, we tried Pina Colada (new flavor) and also our tried and tested favorites - chocolate, pistachio, strawberry, etc.

After another ten minute walk, we reached La Croisette, walking boulevard by the beach and harbor, and came upon the venue for the Film Festival, with red carpet and all! Also saw the Carlton hotel from far, the choice of all celebrities who stay in Cannes.

Carlton, Cannes

Sculptures around Antibes harbor

After Cannes, our next stop was Antibes - the beaches are sandy (like in Cannes) and we were looking forward to a few hours chilling at the beach. We walked from the station to the beach (about 15-20 minutes). The closest beach to the station is Plage de la Gravette. It was right outside the entrance to Old Town. The weather that day was in contrast to the day before, slightly cloudy, so pleasant to sit on the beach, but the waves were very strong that day, and we didn't venture too far out into the ocean.

Sculptures around Antibes harbor

There are several sculptures around the harbor in Antibes and we walked past some luxurious (small word) yachts (one had the Qatar flag in it - looked like a small building!) and then onto Old Town. Lots of restaurants, souvenir stores, and we happened upon Carrefour (like French Safeway) and got some groceries for breakfast.

Walked back to the train station and back home - packed and ready to fly out the next day to Rome!

Day 16: Beach day at Villefranche Sur Mer

Looking forward to a relaxing day at the beach - we headed east again towards Villefranche Sur Mer by train. (catch the train in the direction of Monaco)  The beach is right down the steps from the train platform. The water was calm as both sides are bound off by land and therefore, less waves.

It was pretty sunny, which made it fun to swim in the water, but hard to sit on the beach without shade. The beach has a restaurant as well - Deli Bo which rents out umbrellas for 20 Euros for a day.

By noon, we decided to take a break and walk to the village of Villefranche Sur Mer and look for a place to eat. After browsing some menus, we finally seated ourselves at Les Palmiers, and ordered some fish (catch of the day!) and pizza (safe option :)). It was cool and pleasant in the shade with the nice ocean breeze coming in. Most service industry folks know basic or more English, so it's not a must to speak French but appreciated by the locals if you do! :)

We went back to the beach for swimming - part two, and a tourist who was leaving for home the next day, asked us if we wanted to use two floats, and kids were thrilled to have some fun with it!

We were done by 6pm and climbed back on our train bound for St. Laurent du Vars and back home for some much needed zzzz's.

Day 15: Monaco and Eze

Our first full day in the French Riviera, we decided to visit Monaco, and Eze, tiny French village (glad we did! )
We reached the St. Laurent du Vars station, and bought tickets to go to Monaco, and Eze, a stop on the way, which we decided to do on the way back. We bought one child pass, along with which, the three of us got a discount for the trips we needed to make by train. So, for eg: the return trip to Monaco cost 16 Euro per person instead of 22 Euro. There is no extra charge for getting on and off, like we did at Eze.

Monaco: 

Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco

Monaco was hot and humid at this time of year (July) and we, being tourists, bore the brunt of the hot sun, as we wanted to make sure we saw Monaco (or any other sight, as it was warm everywhere this time of the year : ), before we left for Eze. From the train station, we walked up the hilly road and reached the casino, Monte Carlo in about 10 minutes. The casino had some fancy cars parked in its driveway, had a security check to go in and we could only go till the um...lobby. They charged 10 Euros per person to see the casino floor which we decided to skip. (Point of reference: if you have been to Las Vegas, you might find this old, yet landmark casino a little faded).

Monaco harbor

From there, we walked back down the hill, seeing the famous Monaco harbor with it's line of luxurious yachts on the way. We came across a bus stop and luckily, it was a bus that would take us to our next stop - the palace, hopped onto the public bus - Line 2, that would take us through the Old Town and all the way up the other hill where the Prince of Monaco resides, i.e. his palace.

Monaco - buildings and harbor in foreground

Once we got off, we were amidst colorful buildings (consulates and ministries)  with narrow alleyways between them, and small restaurants and souvenir stores everywhere. We walked till the plaza, where the palace stood and got a lovely view of Monaco from up there. We saw the casino on the hill across, the harbor and pretty much the whole country, :).

Monaco - casino in far right and harbor

After lunch, we got the bus back down to the train station, and on the way to our next stop, Eze.

Eze:

View from look-out point at the very top

We got off at Eze Sur Mer (after apprx 20 minutes), and walked in the direction of the street where the bus will take you to the top of the mountain, where nestled in the hillside is the old, old village of Eze. The bus ride took about 20 minutes and we were dropped off right outside of Galimard perfume factory and store. 

Streets of Eze

We decided to see the village first, and started up the road that takes you through the beautiful Eze with stone buildings, cobbled streets, and bougainvillea plants outside windows. It was so scenic, and we were glad we made time to go there. We walked all the way up where they have a look- out point from where you can see St. Jean Cap Ferrat and VilleFranche Sur Mer (two seaside towns on the Riviera). They charge a 6 Euro fee per adult for the lookout point. 

On the way, we browsed through the Fragonard Perfume store and since it was so hot (what better excuse:)) , we had our ritual gelato after a hard day of sightseeing! (sigh:))

From look-out point - the bus came up this road

View of Villefranche Sur Mer and St. Jean Cap Ferrat

View of Eze Sur Mer

Day 14: Barcelona to Nice, beach at Nice

Our flight from El Prat airport, Barcelona to Nice, Cote D'Azur aiport was about an hour. Our hotel  in St. Laurent du Vars, was about 2 train stops east from Nice Ville, the train stop for Nice.

Parasailing at Nice beach

After settling in, we took the train to Nice Ville (about 10 minutes), and walked to the beach. It was apprx. a 20 minutes walk from the station. On the way, we walked along Nice's main boulevard which was lined with stores and restaurants, and finally we reached the Place de la Massena - big plaza with pillars with statues of crouched humans on top. Another block away is the Promenade des Anglais along with beach. Nice beach is mainly pebbles and gravel, not sand! It is possible to swim in the ocean. There is a parasailing booth on the beach, which the kids tried. It was a nice experience.

Nice beach - full of pebbles and gravel

Day 13: Barcelona - La Rambla, Barceloneta beach, Tapas on Poble Sec and Flamenco show

Our last day in Barcelona, we went to La Rambla, Barceloneta beach, Poble Sec neighborhood for tapas and finally for a traditional Flamenco show in La Rambla.

Lovely streetlamp walking towards La Rambla

Flamenco dancers at Tarantos, Barcelona

We started off in La Rambla and visited the tourist office and bought tickets for a flamenco show the same night. Had lunch after that and came home for a short siesta. We decided to visit the beach (Barceloneta) again one last time, and then went to Poble Sec neighborhood for some local food - tapas. We took the metro to Poble Sec and walked down the street to find a table for four. All the restaurants has tables out on the street and the place was packed with people. We finally found a table and had a variety of tapas, that you bring from the restaurant inside and they charge you per tapa. Each tapa is 1 or 1.5 Euro.

We took a taxi back to La Rambla, as it was close to the showtime and reached Tarantos, where the show was. There was a shorter line for people with tickets, and it was first come, first serve seating.
It was a traditional Flamenco show with musicians and singers for part of the show and two Flamenco dancers (male and female) for performances in between the singing.

Barcelona was a nice city, with Gaudi's architecture, modern amenities added for the Olympics a few years before, wonderful cuisine and lovely beach.