The Luka in Europe Blog #9 Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Dubrovnik, Barcelona

WELCOME

to the Luka in Europe blog! Let's pick up where we left off from Germany, starting in Prague and then heading to Budapest, Vienna, Dubrovnik, and Barcelona. Here we go!

Dubrovnik 😍

Prague, Czechia

I rode the FlixBus from Munich to Prague to begin the next leg of my journey. My first stop was a building that caught my eye on the bus called the "Dancing House," and I could see why it earned that name with its funky shape. I was excited to learn that it was designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry who I had just been reading about in my book How Big Things Get Done. 

Frank Gehry's Dancing House

Atop the Dancing House admiring the city awaiting my exploration

The lads from high school—Sam, Jay, Jeremy, and Mateo—arrived that evening. We've been close for so long that no matter how long it's been since we last hung out, it always feels like no time has passed. We grabbed a beer on the rooftop of our hostel then had another pint and a traditional Czech goulash with bread dumplings for dinner. We quickly learned that the phrase we'd been hearing about Prague was actually true: "Beer! It's cheaper than water."

Reunited with the Bethesda Boys in Prague

A very Czech image

Our hostel wasn't the greatest. We had no AC and a major tram line was right outside of our window, so none of us slept very well that night. Sam and Jay even moved to a hotel. But the show must go on, and we had an amazing trip the following day to Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world. Even more impressive was St. Vitus Cathedral contained within the castle complex. It had such intricate detail in every piece of handiwork and construction. I also just absolutely love stained glass windows.

The beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral

Inside the cathedral with one very happy Jeremy

Epic stained glass windows

A 500-year-old suit of armor and two 22-year-olds

We had another beef and bread dumpling meal for lunch, but this one, called Svíčková, was fire. The seasoned traveler Sam Watson back in Germany gave me a great tip to ask ChatGPT what to do and eat in each city, and this tool became supremely useful for planning itineraries and ordering food. 

Svíčková - a great recommendation by ChatGPT

Next up was one of the highlights of the trip: a historic pub tour of Prague. Our tour guide Lukša, who is the same age as us, was a super fun guy. He brought us all around the Old Town, taught us the history of the city, and he absolutely loved beer. No wonder he took a job as a pub tour guide. As I said, beer in Prague is often cheaper than water, so Lukša said he even drinks beer for hydration. We went to some very old pubs from the 1500s, restored after the war, and tried the classic Czech beers: Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, and Kozel Dark. I had never been a fan of dark beer until I tried Kozel Dark, and instantly we all loved it. 

Enjoying a Pilsner Urquell - high froth to reduce bloating

Kozel Dark - our new beer of choice

Historic Czech Pub

Epic Kozel logo. The Czech are very particular about their coasters

One very big source of pride for the locals is that Czechia drinks the most beer per capita of any country in the world, almost double the next highest country. Another fun fact I learned is that the reason you clink glasses when saying cheers is so that beer from each glass spills into your friend's glass to ensure you aren't being poisoned. In Czech, cheers is "Na Zdraví!" Probably the most fun cheers to say of any language I've heard. By the end of the tour, we had consumed a good amount of beer and were really enjoying ourselves. Lukša brought us to a famous pub to eat Pork Knuckle to finish off the tour.

Pork knuckle - safe to say we were very full after eating this

Our beer tour group - turned out to be all Americans

We had bonded with the tour group over the previous few hours, so that night we reconvened with Lukša and the other young guys on the tour at an arcade bar. We had a great night bar hopping, dancing, and chatting away.

The ubiquitous Marilyn Monroe watching me pee

The Czech drink the most beer in the world per capita

We explored Prague's Jewish Quarter and walked around a beautiful park overlooking the river and orange rooftops. We saw a stream of people in fancy clothes and followed them back to Prague Castle, where they were hosting the Czech "Top 100," a selective event for 100 of the most important businesspeople, officials, and leaders in the country!

Ice cream in Letná Park

Enjoying the views

Barcode babies

That evening, Jay, Jeremy, and I rented out a boat, pedaled around the river, and explored the islands as the sun set. Then of course we had to get some Döner kebabs for dinner.

It required quite the maneuver to hand off my phone for this photo

At this point, we still hadn't paid for a tram ride despite using it pretty frequently. They operated on the same system as Germany: hop on and hop off and only show your ticket if somebody is checking. We tried to pay for the tram the first time we got on but didn't see anywhere to buy tickets. We had no issue, so we kept riding it without paying until, of course, our very last tram ride on the way to the bus station.

It was early in the morning, not too busy, we had our backpacks with us, and something felt wrong as soon as we stepped on the tram. One stop passed and nothing happened, but then two big muscular men wearing casual polos and fanny packs approached us, asked for our IDs, and flashed their hidden badges: Czech government. We tried to plead our confusion and buy new tickets but they were having none of it. They fined us each 1,000 Koruna (~45 USD) and were so smug about it as if they secretly enjoyed it. At the end of the day, it was completely our fault and we should have just figured out how to buy tickets which were barely 20 cents per ride. But it was still devastating.

The damn trams

Sam and Jay flew while Jeremy, Mateo, and I rode the bus to Budapest. Inspired by Prague, I read Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis on the bus ride, which I found sad, thought-provoking, and a little strange.

Budapest, Hungary

We learned our lesson from Prague and the first thing we did was buy 72-hour public transport passes. It was a great call because the officers checked our tickets on the very first train we got on!

To get acquainted with the city, I went on a run from our hostel along the Danube River and across the bridge to Margaret Island. I passed by the grand and impressive Hungarian Parliament Building which catches your eye from pretty much anywhere in the city. More on that later. I also saw the memorial of the Shoes on the Danube Bank honoring the Jews who were massacred there after being told to remove their shoes (valuable items) by the fascist Hungarian militia during WWII.

Shoes on the Danube Bank honoring the murdered Jews

That evening, we met up with Sam's friends from college for an unlimited prosecco cruise down the river. And when they say unlimited, they really mean it. For under €20, our glasses were topped up all night by servers who would come by even if your drink wasn't finished. Safe to say, we had a great time and enjoyed the sights of the river despite the extremely heavy wind coming off the water. As soon as we got off the cruise, it started bucketing down rain and we all got completely soaked, but it was actually really fun. 

Cheers to unlimited prosecco

Luka and Jezza

In the morning, we toured the Parliament Building which truly is the jewel of the city. It's the largest building in the country, and it's stunning from every angle, both inside and out. Note to future tourists: reserve ahead and arrive at your tour on time—we arrived ten minutes late and were forced to buy later tickets with a German audio guide. Luckily, Sam figured out how to reprogram the audio guide to English despite the staff telling us it wasn't possible. The building is filled with ornate ceilings and paintings, royal red carpets, and grand golden decor. They used 40 kilograms of gold during the construction of the building between 1885 and 1902.

Luka and Sam at the Hungarian Parliament Building

40kg of gold was used in this building!

Where the politics took place

One of the snacks we kept seeing around the city was Kürtőskalács: Chimney Cakes. They're a tasty strip of sweet, sugary dough rolled around a cylinder.

Yummy chimney cake stand at the metro station

Jay enjoying a chimney cake

Our next stop was the famous Széchenyi Thermal Baths. It's a huge complex of baths from natural springs with indoor and outdoor heated pools, a sauna, and a cold bath with temperatures ranging from 18°C to 38°C (64°F to 100°F). There are several thermal bath complexes throughout the city, some dating back to the 16th century, but Széchenyi is the biggest and most famous. It was so relaxing to chill in the warm pools outdoors, especially after going from the oppressively hot sauna to the freezing cold bath. The entire complex was beautiful.

Széchenyi Thermal Baths

We took the old, rickety M1 train line home, and the driver seemed to be in an extreme hurry: she'd close the doors right as the last person was stepping on or off and instantly slam the accelerator, jolting everyone back. It was a bit startling at first but became very funny watching everyone have the same reaction we did.

Getting off quickly was a life or death scenario

There was a bumping outdoor food court right by our hostel called Gozsdu Udvar which was the perfect spot to pregame a night out. We had an Asian fusion meal and remarked on how commonly we had seen or been to Asian restaurants on our trip.

Great beer and great vibes at Gozsdu Udvar

We headed to Szimpla Kert, one of Budapest's most famous Ruin Bars. Ruin Bars are essentially run-down buildings that were preserved before demolition and converted without major renovation into eclectic spaces filled with quirky furniture and decorations. Szimpla Kert was filled with tons of interesting decor, disused items, and artworks that created a great atmosphere.

Szimpla Kert: Budapest's premier Ruin Bar

We ended up at a techno club, and I have to say, although the Europeans love it, I do not like techno music one bit. It's deafeningly loud and extremely repetitive, but as they say, to each their own. Another thing I dislike about Europe is how commonly people smoke. Especially outside of clubs but also in general, the secondhand smoke is horrible and the air throughout the city never really feels clean. While we're on a Europe rant, the fact that you have to pay for drinking water and to use public restrooms is ridiculous. These should be human rights!

While everybody slept in, I explored the streets myself, visiting the Hungarian State Opera House, Andrássy Avenue, and St. Stephen's Basilica.

The beautiful Andrássy Avenue

Hungarian State Opera House

The massive St. Stephen's Basilica

Once we were all up and out the door, we ventured into the 800-year-old labyrinth formed by the hot water springs underneath Buda Castle Hill. Parts of this underground cave network were pitch black, so you had to hold onto a cable that bends along the walls and reach your hand out so you don't walk into something. It was fun exploring and joking around down there.

Down in the labyrinth

Back atop the hill, we saw Buda Castle (on the Buda side of the river; Pest is on the other side) and the nearby Fisherman's Bastion. This was one of my favorite buildings with its intricate architecture and patterned roof. 

Admiring Fisherman's Bastion

I love this photo

We went to a nearby cafe on a perch overlooking the river and Parliament Building and tried some Pálinka: Hungarian fruit spirits that were insanely strong and hard to drink, usually between 40% and 70% ABV.

These Pálinka spirits were ridiculously strong

Check out the view (not me silly, the parliament building)

We spent the rest of the day exploring the less touristy parts of the city, observing the local streets and parks, appreciating their peacefulness and beauty, and eating local food. I had an amazing beef stew called Marhapörkölt Galuskával which was the best meal I'd had so far at that point of the trip. 

The residential streets of Budapest

Jay didn't get the memo

This beef stew slapped so hard (Marhapörkölt Galuskával)

Yet another shot of the Hungarian Parliament because why not

On our last day in the city, we went to a massive market called Central Market Hall with Sam's college friends. It had produce, souvenirs, meat, clothes, and so on. I got some blueberries, peaches and a Hungarian dessert called Langos (essentially another form of fried dough). Some of the meat they sold at the market was pretty gross like whole duck heads. Jeremy bought a horse sausage to bring home to his brother, but we all had a bite and it left a very unappetizing taste in my mouth. He wrapped it up and kept it to bring home to his brother, but with almost three weeks left on the trip, I wasn't sure how he was going to achieve that.

The bustling Central Market Hall

So colorful

Paprika: a pride of Hungary

Ew. Duck heads

Jeremy holding his horse sausage

Jeremy, Jay, and I split off from the others to hike up to a monument overlooking, once again, the river and Parliament Building. At a lookout spot, there was a Hungarian man playing his guitar very beautifully. We started chatting with him, and he told us about his town upriver called Szentendre with clean water to swim in and nice places to explore. We made a spontaneous decision and rented bikes half the way and trained the rest of the way there.

The local man that shaped our evening

We spent the evening exploring this small Hungarian town at the end of the train line. The locals there barely spoke English, so we ordered dinner with Google Translate. It was nice being in a non-city landscape for a bit. Jeremy and I stripped down to our undies and swam in the Danube River after sunset, and it was surprisingly warm. The current was also very strong - we swam full speed against it and stayed in place! We got some ice creams then headed home. It was the perfect way to conclude our time in Hungary.

In the peaceful town of Szentendre

A beautiful night swimming the Danube

Vienna, Austria

Another train trip brought us to Vienna! It was nice to be back in the familiarity of a German-speaking country. We explored the MuseumsQuartier, Hofburg Wien, and a few other central historic buildings. It's a pretty city, though it didn't stand out to me in any particular way, maybe because I'd seen such similar sights in the preceding cities.

Welcome to Vienna

The lads exploring downtown

For the next NUS reunion of the trip, we got dinner with my friend Tony, a Vienna local. He brought us to his favorite Irish pub downtown. It was great catching up with him and introducing him to the guys.

Tony reunion!

Our next meal was a staple of Austria at the famous Figlmüller, the home of the Wiener Schnitzel since 1905. We had the classic combo of pork schnitzel with potato salad. The schnitzel was delicious, but the underdog potato salad stole the show.

The Figlmüller Schnitzel was so big that it didn't fit on the plate

Polished it off. Cue the food coma

I could barely walk after eating the enormous schnitzel, so we went to a park by the Danube for a lie-down. After resting, it was time for swimming in the Danube part two. It was a considerably colder water temperature here than in Szentendre, so we swam across to the island in the river to dry off and walk around. It turns out it was a private island but nobody stopped us!

Back in the Danube

We headed straight to the renowned Vienna Operahouse to buy same-day standing tickets. However, the dress code for men is such that you can only buy a ticket if you are already wearing long pants. I was the only one wearing jeans, so the others went home and I went to the theater on my own. In the line, I befriended a group of three German high schoolers from Dresden on a class trip and we watched the show together. We ordered drinks for the two intermissions that were labeled and waiting for us when we got out. I felt very fancy.

The grand Vienna Operahouse

I felt so classy having my intermission drinks waiting for us here

The performance was a traditional ballet of Don Quixote. It was immensely impressive how graceful the dancers are. The opera house itself was also beautiful and ornate. The only problem was that from our cheap standing tickets, half the stage was blocked, so of course all the major plot points happened on that side of the stage. But at least we got an overhead view of the pit orchestra, the unsung heroes of theater, which was super cool to watch.

Enjoying stage left of Don Quixote

I met up with the other boys for drinks and a night out after the show. There was a fire 24-hour Döner stand right by our hostel, so we had to slam some döner on the way home.

Döner Kebab: my go-to meal

In the morning, Jeremy and I went on a quest to find germknödel, a sweet treat that Jeremy has been craving since his last time visiting Austria. We went to four different places, each of whom recommended we find it at another restaurant that didn't have it. So instead we settled for a tasty serving of kaiserschmarrn.

This kaiserschmarrn was almost as good as Sonja's in Türkenfeld

Cute pedestrian signal

One of the highlights of Vienna was visiting Schönbrunn Palace, the imperial residence of the Habsburg rulers. I found it interesting that every room had a different design and furnishing. The Oval Chinese Cabinet room was my favorite. Behind the palace was an enormous and meticulously maintained garden with a garden maze.  

Inside Schönbrunn Palace

The gardens behind Schönbrunn

We stopped by Naschmarkt on the way home and grabbed some tasty fresh fruit. Jay and I headed to Belvedere Palace and enjoyed the museum inside with a collection by Gustav Klimt, including his famous piece "The Kiss."

Belvedere Palace. The Austrians love their palaces

Klimt's "The Kiss"

I liked these heads

This is cool

So much life conveyed in just a hand

That concluded our time in Vienna. Sam got us into the lounge at the airport for a quick meal before our flight which was awesome.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Onwards to the next country of our journey! The view from the plane window flying along the coast was stunning. We arrived at the Airbnb to find our Dutch friend Hugo Cramer from way back in elementary school waiting for us! It was a great reunion for me, Sam, and Hugo. We spent plenty of time reminiscing on nostalgic memories from our childhood. Our Airbnb was so nice with an amazing view overlooking the water and the Old Town. Finally, with our own kitchen, we did groceries and Hugo cooked us a great dinner.

The gorgeous view from our Airbnb

As a fellow Luka, I had no choice but to buy a Modrić jersey

My friend Noah from Michigan also happened to be in Dubrovnik and he was leaving the next morning, so we all met up for a big night out, starting at a busy Irish Pub with live music. It was awesome to see Noah again and to meet his friends, including a group of South Africans he had met on the boat earlier that day. Some rich and extremely drunk Finnish dude from the table over bought us wine, so the night just kept getting better. We hopped around bars through the narrow streets of the Old Town and had a great evening.

Noah and company in Dubrovnik!

Super tasty squid ink risotto

We went out the next day to explore the Old Town only to be bombarded by a torrential rainstorm. We took refuge in a church with a bunch of other hiding tourists. Dubrovnik was packed with tourists at every turn. In fact, it's the most overtouristed city in Europe with a whopping 36 tourists for every local!

Hugo doesn't look happy about this rain

The highlight of our time in Croatia was a boat tour that Noah recommended and Sam treated us to as a graduation gift. It was a double-decker boat with about 30 other people on board. Over the course of the day, we headed to three different islands to explore and swim on the beaches. The water was crystal clear blue, and the backdrop was a combination of cliffs, islands, and bright orange rooftops. It was amazing. 

Antics on the beach

We were all perfectly relaxed during the taking of this photo

Crystal clear water

On one of the islands, we found an old Croatian woman with a stall on the edge of the street. I bought a 100 mL bottle (to fit on the plane) of Croatian olive oil for Mum, and Jeremy bought his parents a bottle of walnut liqueur. As we walked around the towns and beaches, I kept hearing people yelling my name. I'd always turn and see a kid running to their parents and I remembered that heaps of people here are also called Luka!

Arriving on the island

A beautiful street vendor selling olive oil and liquers

A wild Jeremy spotted in the Croatian islands

Back on the boat, they served us a delicious whole fish for lunch which was the catalyst for one of the most magical moments on the trip. They collected all the leftover bones, heads, and uneaten fish from lunch and started tossing them off the edge for the seagulls to eat. This attracted a huge flock of gulls who began flying alongside the boat as we were moving, practically face to face with us on the top deck. It was a beautiful sight; the seagulls were gliding, glowing in the shining sun, and chirping different noises. Everybody on the boat grew silent as smiled in amazement. I took a fish head and held it out, and a seagull flew right up to me, floated there for a second, then plucked it right out of my hand. It was surreal.

What a moment

Pure joy

Boys on the boat

This part of the holiday was a great chance to relax. We chilled on the rocky beach as well as back at the Airbnb, playing card games and hanging out.

Card games with the boys

We said goodbye to Hugo who headed back to the Netherlands, and the rest of us walked atop the city walls that surround the Old Town. We saw a castle from Game of Thrones, great views of the town from above, and we spotted an awesome cliff-diving spot.

Kayakers heading back to shore. Dubrovnik was just so beautiful

I love the orange rooves of Europe

Peek a Boo

At the cliff, there was a huge queue of people trying to build up the courage to jump, but Jeremy has nerves of steel and I already had practice in Germany, so we skipped the queue and jumped straight off. It was probably about 30 feet/10 meters high and once again was a bit scary once you were in the air. It was also important that you jump forward because if you just stepped off the ledge you could've smashed into the rocks below. Sam jumped too then grabbed his phone to film my second jump. He got an awesome shot for his montage where he brought the camera underwater upon landing. It looked epic. Bucketlist stuff, and a great way to say goodbye to Croatia.

Cliff jumping!

Free falling

Brace for impact

Splash

Barcelona, Spain

Rather than writing this part chronologically, I'll split it up into four things Barcelona is famous for: Gaudí's architecture, delicious cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and FC Barcelona. Plus an "other" section for stuff that doesn't fit into those categories.

Gaudí's Architecture

Antoni Gaudí was the Catalan architect that designed much of Barcelona, including his masterpiece La Sagrada Familia. Our first stop was of course the famous unfinished church. Its fame is well-deserved; the building is a fascinating, untraditional blend of architectural styles with Gaudí-style curvature. To be honest, I think they could have finished building it by now considering it's been more than a century, but the unfinishedness has become part of the appeal.

You already know it: La Sagrada Familia

Packed inside

The next Gaudí banger is Park Güell, a park located atop a hill that looks over the city. It was full of cool shapes and mosaics mixed in with the trees and garden. The only problem was how busy it was. Barcelona felt cramped and packed everywhere we went because of the sheer volume of tourists.

The wavy structures of Park Güell

Playing ninja in the park. Good times

Pretty mosaic tiles

Our hostel was in a great location in the Gothic Quarter, the historic center of old Barcelona. We rented out street bikes and explored Las Ramblas, an iconic tree-lined boulevard, on our way to the next Gaudí piece. Casa Milà is another wavy facade that Gaudí designed as a private residence. What stood out to me most wasn't Gaudí at all: there was a sculpture in front of the house of the exact same style as a sculpture we have on campus in Michigan. I read about the sculptor Jaume Plensa, and he's a Barcelona local that showcased a series of similar pieces all over the world. See below for a recreation of a photo from Ann Arbor to Barcelona.

Jaume Plensa in Barcelona

Jaume Plensa in Ann Arbor (March 2022)

Strolling along Las Ramblas

The final Gaudí stop was Casa Batlló. This was also a super cool house that looked very Gaudí, but it was overrun with tourists and the entrance fee was absurd, so we just admired from the outside.

Casa Batlló. Gaudí just kept churning them out

Delicious Cuisine

Barcelona's food was hands-down the best of the trip, though it helped that we splurged a bit more on dinners than we normally would. I love tapas meals because you get to try so many different flavors, and it's so communal.

After visiting Park Güell, we tried to escape the crowds and found a nice lunch spot on a quiet side street. We saw a decent amount of locals which was already a great sign, the menu prices were amazing, and the food was delicious. If you're ever visiting Park Güell, I recommend LaGranja Restaurant.

Tapas including Iberian ham (more food came - I promise we ate vegetables!)

Dinner stole the show. A restaurant called Viana was one of the Top 10 meals I've ever eaten. Jay found it online with his tried and true method of Google Maps > Open Now > 4.7 rated or above. We shared plates of salmon, beef cheeks, lamb, white fish, squid croquettes, and an on-the-house appetizer, plus a bottle of wine. For dessert, I had a divine cheesecake and ice cream. The food was unbelievable and the service was excellent. For what we had, I was very pleased with a price of €45 each, including tip.

So delicious. Photos can't do it justice

Scrumptious cheesecake

Lastly, we ate brunch at an artsy cafe. I had a banana peanut butter smoothie and a vegan Buddha bowl. The bowl had a vegan protein called Heura with fantastic taste and texture. It's a Barcelona-based startup that you should keep an eye out for.

Heura Vegan Buddha Bowl. Best meat alternative I've tasted

I licked the sugar around the whole glass

Vibrant Nightlife

Before we even got to Barcelona, the one thing we kept hearing from other travelers and friends was "You have to go to Razzmatazz." So we went. It's an enormous club with three floors and five different rooms, each with different music. We spent most of our time in the main hall which has a capacity of 2000 people. It was a great night out: the stage had dancing dinosaurs, the venue was exciting, and I enjoyed the music and of course the company. On the walk home afterward, we had to wave off dozens of guys on the street who'd walk up and offer "weed, blow?" 

Dancing dinos at Razzmatazz

An epic night

One part of Spanish culture that I really enjoy is Siesta. Basically (at least traditionally), everyone goes home and takes an afternoon nap, usually after their midday meal. It's a great way to recharge for the rest of the day when the afternoon drowsiness kicks in. We took a siesta most days in Spain, especially before a night out.

One awesome bar we went to was called the Dow Jones Bar. The idea is that drinks are priced variably like the stock market. Prices fluctuate up and down based on what people are and are not ordering. It's such a cool concept, and we got to see the price of a drink spike after we ordered four pints of it. Every 15 minutes or so, there's a "market crash" and all drinks drop to their minimum prices to encourage you to go order more. I loved the idea.

Live drink prices at the Dow Jones Bar

Such a clever concept

Finally, we went to a bar called Paradiso, rated "Best Bar in the World" of 2022. I can see why critics would like it; it was more of an experience than a bar. It was dimly lit with quite a fancy interior, and every cocktail had a special element to its presentation. Sam's drink, "the Tesla" was probably the coolest. It was presented with a real Tesla coil and two types of gas in the glass so that it changes colors when your fingers make contact with it. It was cool and all, but the chairs were very uncomfortable and the drinks didn't actually taste that great, so it felt like it was designed more for Instagram than real life.

Sam marveling at the Tesla cocktail

FC Barcelona

Ok to be honest, we didn't do much related to Barça but I just love soccer so I wanted to include it. I had already been on the stadium tour with the fam back in 2013 so I didn't go again. But it seemed like everyone and their dog was wearing a Messi jersey. I'm excited to go see him play live next time Inter Miami comes to play DC United.

All aboard the Barça Bus

Other

Alright, back to the final chunk of content. There was a hilarious image and figurine we kept noticing around the city and in souvenir shops that we couldn't make sense of. It was a man squatting with his pants down taking a big poo. Eventually, we stumbled across an entire store dedicated to it and finally understood the story. It turns out he's a character included in Catalan nativity scenes, and his poo is like fertilizer for soil, representing good fortune for the year ahead. This store was awesome; the owner had handmade hundreds of these pooping figurines with depictions of famous politicians, athletes, and movie characters. I bought one for my brother Hugo to be included in our joke nativity scene at home.

El Caganer - "The Pooper"

So many poopers

Everybody poos

Barcelona is a seaside city so I made sure to check out the beach, but it turned out to be super crowded with dirty water and annoying hawkers everywhere. But I still love beaches, so I just lay there to eat and read my book. Lastly, we visited the Picasso Museum, and I was impressed by his versatility. There was a lot more than just cubism which was the image in my head of Picasso.

Döner on the beach

I liked this Picasso piece

Remember that horse sausage from Budapest? Let's just say Jeremy never gave it to his brother

A funny park where the benches had pedals

One final funny tidbit I wanted to share from Spain was at the movie theater. We went to see the new Indiana Jones movie and made sure to find a showing in the original language with Spanish subtitles, not the other way around. The only problem was that the first 20 minutes of the movie was German dialogue between Nazis and we couldn't read the subtitles, so we had no clue what was going on!

Conclusion

The final leg of my journey was to Portugal, but this blog post has gone on long enough, so stay tuned for next time. Thanks so much for reading. See you later!

I want YOU to have a good day