I really have no idea where to start on these vacation recaps. How do you cram 10 days of fun into just a couple of measly blog posts??
So I’m going to give you guys the Cliffs Notes version. Which is still probably going to take me a week to complete. 
Let’s start by talking about the cruise ship.
Our boat was Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.
I’ve been on three other cruises, but this ship was by far the nicest.
It had three pools, including one geared towards the youngest sailors, and one for adults only. It had an entire promenade desk that looked like a mall, which included a coffee shop, pizza place, cupcake shop, and a Ben & Jerry’s! The ship also had miniature golf (Brandon kicked my butt), a rock climbing wall, and a wave rider, where you could body surf or try surfing for real (Brandon did both. I supervised. 
).
Each night, we had an amazing dinner.
Some nights were more casual nights.
While other nights were a bit fancier.
And we were incredibly blessed with some really great dinner companions.
Areen and Maria were from the states …
while Brenda and David,
and Sara and Jonathan were all from Ireland!
Dinners were always fun with this group. We also met them for a drink a couple of nights after dinner, because we wanted to continue the great conversation!
I’ve decided Ireland needs to be the destination of our next vacation. Well, if it ever warms up over there!
After dinner every night, there would always be a beautiful sunset.
And when we would return to our room for the night, we were always greeted with a friend!
This little guy was cute, but Brandon wasn’t such a fan of the hanging monkey the following night:
I think he looked a little too real. 
——–
The first and last city that we visited on our trip was Barcelona.
We spent two full days in Barcelona. During our first day, we spent most of our time exploring a street called Las Ramblas.
We wandered through a farmers’ market,
posed by beautiful fountains,
and saw plenty of street performers.
On the last day of our trip, we went on a three-hour bike tour.
We saw a lot of things on the tour, including several of the famous Gaudi buildings.
The most gorgeous, by far, was the Sagrada Familia.
This church began being built in 1883. When Gaudi died in 1926, the church was nowhere near completed.
And now, in the year 2012, it’s still under construction!
Can you imagine a modern building taking that long to be completed?? There’s no way anyone would have the patience!
Cheers to an amazing time in Barcelona!! 
———
Well that wraps up Part 1 of our European recap!
If you don’t really care about what we did on our vacation, sorry for boring you these next few days. You’ll survive, right?
Question for ya …
What are you doing this weekend?
Ever been on a cruise? What was your favorite part?
Ever been to Barcelona? Any other cities in Spain?
Anyone else watching Big Brother??
I’m not loving the season yet. I’m hoping it gets a little more interesting soon!
Your holiday looks amazing. I’ve never considered a cruise…sounds like a very good idea though!
Anna @AnnaTheApple recently posted..Wedding-related panic
I don’t blame Brandon– that monkey does look a little intense haha!
And hey, I’m living vicariously through these recaps of yours. Keep em coming!
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance recently posted..Dressed In Scrubs
Part 1 of your vacation looks like it was amazing! I love the architecture of those buildings! Eric and I have never been on a cruise before, but people keep telling us that we need to:)
kaceyjt recently posted..3-2-1 Shortcake in a Mug
i love seeing all your pictures, cant wait to hear more!! so beautiful!
Theresa recently posted..The comparison trap
I’ve never been on a cruise but my boyfriend and I have been talking about possible doing one next summer! And Barcelona was one of my favorite European cities that I visited a few years ago. I don’t know if it was the same market you visited, but we found one that was aboslutely gigantic and had every fresh food you could imagine!
Megan@ The Running Doc recently posted..Therapy Dog Training
I bet it was the same market!!
How fun! You two are so cute together! You’re going to have some beautiful ;dbabies.
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..Why Do I Blog?
Aww thanks, Ash!
I love seeing the pictures! I went through about 150 of them last night. Decided you need a wardrobe of shirts that say, “Will you please take our picture?” so you don’t have to ask EVERYONE who walks by! : )
Hahaha I love that idea, Aunt Loretta! But the shirts would need to come in Spanish, Italian, and French, too!
who would NOT care about what you did on your vacation? That just seems silly to me
I spy donut peaches in that farmers market. I LOVE THOSE! Everything looks so amazing and fun. I want to go on a cruise soooo badly. I might have to pick your brain when the time actually comes for us to go.
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..Winner, winner, chicken dinner
Donut peaches?? I’ve never heard of such a thing!
Yeah in your farmers market pic. There is a big mound of them right at the front. Peaches kind of squashed in little circles that resemble donuts!
Wow, you’re so smart!! This is why I’m friends with you.
Barcelona is one of the number one places I want to visit and your pictures make it look so beautiful! I would love to d oa cruise sometime to hit up all those places!
Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie recently posted..Friday Rest Day
Wow it sounds awesome! The cruise ship looks so nice. I’ve never been on a cruise, but if the ship looked like that I would be game haha. And Barcelona looks so neat!! I’m so glad you guys had a great time
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health recently posted..Bridesmaid Dresses
Wow! Love the pictures! Looks like you had a ball!
holy incredible vacation!!! i went to barcelona a few summers ago and absolutely fell in love with it. the sagrada familia is breathtaking!
so glad you had a wonderful time!
also, i love your green heels
What an AMAZING vacation it looks like you had!! I have to agree, that monkey towel does look a bit too real..haha!
Those pictures are beauitful! One day Craig & I will get to Europe..he’s been to Spain, but I have not. Would LOVE to go to England, especially right now for the Olympic games
Oh I am OBSESSED with Big Brother, it’s my favorite show. I don’t really love the whole coaches idea…wish they would just start playing the game. Love Britney…hope she goes far
Holly recently posted..The REAL Stuff.
I have a love-hate this with Janelle and Mike Boogey. They’re both so devious, you can’t help but admire the moves they make!
Loved seeing all of your pictures. Everything looks so beautiful, and perfect.. except that hanging monkey (I’m with Brandon on that one, haha). So glad to see you two had such a wonderful get-away together <3. Oh & all of your outfits are adorable, especially your dress in the first picture. Love it!
I've never been on a cruise, or to Spain. We are going to Greece later on in the year though
Jessie recently posted..Today Is A Good Day
You’re going to Greece?? Oh, I’m jealous! I would love to make another trip to Europe so we could go to Greece!!
yes! It was and hopefully still is happening in September. But My husband has just found out that it may have to be pushed back into October. Either way, I can not wait! Ah I wish you could too girl! I say you and the hubs go in Sept/October
haha
Jessie recently posted..I may just scream…
love the recap! i’ve been to barcelona and absolutely loved it. oh, and you should totally look into going to ireland – it’s fantastic! i went a few years ago + now the husband + i are thinking of going in the spring.
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..cantaloupe-basil agua fresca
Love that black dress! I’ve never been on a cruise before, how do you know who to sit with at dinner time?
You don’t know ahead of time. But Royal Carribean is really good about sitting people who are around the same age/place in life. So that’s how we ended up with three different couples, all around our age!
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I am convinced that cruising is the only way to travel! That black dress looks amazing on you:) I want to try the LIberty of the Seas!
After Baby Jacobs is born, you guys should plan a trip!!
Wow! Looks like y’all got a great slice of Spain in a short span of time. I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with my family in 96. We had a lot of fun, but I remember that we were all ready for some time apart at the end. (Those little cabins were too tiny for a family of 5!)*
Army Amy* recently posted..Scenes From The Week
Ooh goodness, yes. I told Brandon that I couldn’t imagine going on a cruise with my whole family … that’s a lot of time together in close quarters haha!
My best friend LOVES cruises and is always telling me to go. Love the hanging monkey and your LBD is amazing!!!!!!
Corrie Anne recently posted..Home Alone + Homemade Whole Wheat Flax Tortilas
Yes, you need to go on a cruise!! And I’m a total blonde … what does LBD stand for??
haha. little black dress. sorry!
Corrie Anne recently posted..Home Alone + Homemade Whole Wheat Flax Tortilas
Hahaha THANK YOU!! I’m such a nerd … I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me!!
Wow what an amazing trip it must have been! I’m so glad you had a fun dinner table and got to meet a variety of cool people.:)
This weekend I got to meet Lindsay and then went to my aunt’s party (29 years of being cancer-free!) and spent a couple nights in Nashville. It was fun but I’m wiped and ready to sleep in my own bed!
natalie @ southern fit foodie recently posted..french toast pancakes
Hey girl!! Wow, sounds like you had a great weekend! I saw that you met up with Lindsay. That is so awesome! I told her that we need to plan a Nashville meet-up soon!
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