Ralph, knowing how proud of a Pinay I can still be sometimes teasingly asked, "So Jizzle...what do you think of being in the country who conquered the Philippines for 300 years?" Switching my game face on with an arched left brow replied, "Funny. And personally, I still hold it against them." Yeah right...España, we've arrived!!!

Relief took over as soon as the 10hour train ride from Paris to Barcelona became a thing of the past. Though a cloud still hung above us because of the sad news in the City of Love, things looked a bit more hopeful. Compared to the web-tangled metro's of two of Europe's biggest cities, navigating Barcelona's metro was a breeze. Much to my utter jubilation, we said good riddance to hostels at least for now, and welcomed the room, Ralph's relatives had for us. 

Refreshed, renewed and repleted, we took Barcelona on foot to experience the country that landed on Philippine soil with the purpose of 3G's - God, Gold and Glory. And if there is ever an award for Best Street and Best Dressed Street Characters, Barcelona takes it all! Las Ramblas, the city's main boulevard bustles with slippery shell games, pet vendors, souvenir kiosks, restaurants, flower shops, human statues, local artists and street performers. It's an all-day party where everyone comes to play! Two of the highlights visiting this fun street was seeing the capoeira performed by a group of local break dancers, and the ingenuity of a hanging Blue Piccolo human statue. Euro in hat! 

Towards the end of the street, we reached the gigantic Christopher Columbus statue. And for 4EU per person, we went up Columbus' tower and saw magnificent Barcelona from top!

After a trip down Ramblas, we ventured on a quest to see some of Barcelona's unique architectures, beginning with Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia, the unfinished work of Gaudi, looks straight out from Alice in Wonderland. It's a cathedral built and still being built with a touch of fantasy and whimsy despite the cranes and construction around it. The Cathedral's completion is not expected until after the next two decades with more towers and unusual structures looming in the horizon. Other distinct buildings we visited included the Block of Discord, Palau Guell, Torre Agbar and the Palau dela Musica Catalana. 

Besides the amazing Spanish and Filipino dishes prepared for us by Ralph's relatives, we also took home eyes satiated with the Museu Picasso. The first Picasso painting I ever saw was then to me an ugly, scary looking old man all in shades of blue hanging at the office of my previous job. Little did I know that that piece actually belonged to his sentimental and somber Blue Period paintings. Like a child discovering a treasure box, visiting the museum helped us understand art a little better especially with the museum's presentation of Picasso's recreation of "Las Meninas." Combined with technology, the museum featured how Picasso transformed the "Las Meninas" painting into his own style of cubism. It was quite genius!

So much left to do, yet so little time! And a couple of rain showers, shopping bags and days later, we left Spain in hopes of coming back to the city who has been known for its Philippine expeditions. No wonder, Ralph's relatives easily spoke the language. But, the Swiss Alps were already calling us by name. Hasta Luego España and ohhhh...

Switzerland, we're coming for ya!

Second stop - PARIS
Via Train from St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord
Total Travel Time: 3 (including travel from hostel to train station)

Call time was at 0400AM, and despite the eventful happenings on top of other eventful happenings for the past days now including uhm...Ralph's trip to the Emergency Room for an eye infection, and our Epic Fail side trip to Surbiton to get our booking tickets from Paris to Spain...we were packed and ready to bid adieu to my still favorite city, London. 

Hopeful, that our trip will be slightly better...we caught the early morning train using our now Eurail passes just in the nick of time. Clambering for sleep - 1-- 2-- 3-- 4-- 5 of us were completely knocked out, but thankful that we at least arrived in Paris with some kind of renewed strength. The train came to a halt at around 0800AM just enough time to check-in, grab some breakfast, rebook our Paris-Spain reservations, roam around the city then get going again the next day...or, so we thought. Nothing could get worse right? Right!

Well Halo, Paris.

And welcome to the world where people barely speak English. Hoping for some Parisian croissants, Ralph & I decided to rebook our seat reservations from Paris-Spain first, to get it out of the way. As part of the planning process, Ralph booked these seat reservations with another "recommended" Eurail booking company, which if I knew beforehand would have totally voted against. Apparently, hubby had mentioned the exact date we were leaving and unsurprisingly, the company promised we'll get the paperwork in time. We didn't, see the $200 flying freely away from our pockets? At that moment, the "mannelly-ness" had oh so risen like red-headed Phoenix from X-men! Trying my best not to bawl over spilled milk, I was consoled by the fact that there was at least something we could do to remedy it. Piece of cake, eh? I mean, Ralph & I just also visited Paris this year. We should know, right? Uh, WRONG. 

Being amateur Eurail pass holders, the hunt for the right Eurail reservation window began. There were about 8-10 ticket kiosks and windows from different train companies (ask us how we know), and just about a thousand ticket machines. And no, it did not help not knowing French and when people do not or refuse to speak English! To make the long scouring short, it was about noon when we had finally seen the light outside the walls of Paris Gare du Nord. Thank God we made it out alive!

After losing half-a-day to our one-day visit, everything from there seemed to go smoothly. Thanks to Ralph's amazing navigation skills, we had found our hostel in a breeze, got some complimentary croissants, checked-in and dropped our bags. Determined to scratch Notre Dame and the Louvre off our Afternoon-Sights-List and squeeze a big brunch in, we were back up our feet trekking the cobbled streets of Paris. Thankfully, we found the Louvre food court, eliminating the saga of another scavenger hunt for a place to eat!

With the Louvre ticked off, Notre Dame here we go! But before finally bidding Mona Lisa's home with a buckled au revoir, a conveniently located, wi-fi equipped Apple store lured us in to catch up on emails and sorts...Then, some bad family news. Mama Febe, Ralph's grandmother, with her recently acquired pneumonia on top of her waning health...had passed away that same day at the age of 88. Dumbfounded, tears fell from Ralph and the in-laws. The future of this Euro Trip looked bleak...Decisions, however painful, needed to be made. So while the whole family tried to come out with a unified plan, there was nothing we could really do, but to wait for further news, ease the grief and find a bit of solace in the promised wonders of Paris. 

Ralph's family went up the Eiffel while we stayed down to spend some alone time. By 0800pm, we sat down for dinner at a local Creperie, a mile-walk from the Eiffel. And as the night grew deep, mom and dad in-law including myself, set out for the hostel to catch some zzz's, while Ralph and his sis made their way to Champs Elysees for Arc de Triomphe. And like a rotten cherry on top of our mediocre gelato's, our chosen hostel sucked way more than the last. I could've beaten myself to death for having read the reviews way too late in the game. Oh, so late...

Two and a half years into marriage, and Ralph and I are finally finding ourselves sandwiched in the process of adjusting. Our recent Euro Trip, in-laws in tow, proved how this adjustment process can be (sigh)...difficult. It was really a test of our teamwork, of how well we work together which...we unfortunately survived with a "D." Free-willed Ralph set his reigns loose while I, in hopes of dodging the inevitable marital squabbles involved in the planning process, acted like a "mannelly" - Ralph's invented term of endearment when I put on the crabby, bratty and melancholic mood(S). 

Soooo get this. 6 countries, 9 cities in 3 weeks by trains with night stays at hostels...serious backpacking was the plan. Ralph  booked, inquired and researched every country, every city and there I sat, ho-humming nonchalantly in the background, trying to hold my tongue over some of the decisions he'd made. I let it fly...thinking that it was for the best. But I was wrong and here's what I got from taking the easier route.

First stop - LONDON
Via Plane from Treviso Airport to Stansted Airport
Total Travel Hrs.: 6 (including travel from home to airport and waiting time)

Ah, yes indeed! Been in just twice but fell in love with the city! 10 Stars if I have to rate it...but, its also the first city we're staying at a dun...dun...dun...dun....HOSTEL (insert shriek). Okay, they're not that bad. Actually its very affordable for those just looking for a night to stay, but to assume it as a place to get some R&R, think again. Rooms usually accommodate 4-12 beds, typically as bunks, rented out to different people. So privacy, cleanliness and safety can be an issue especially to those uncomfortable with communal living. 

So what happened the first night? Everything went well until our door clicked at 3 in the morning. One of the girls we were rooming with, chose to get drunk and there...sadly, the shhh-ing and hushing of her friends only added to the already garish scene. So much for that coveted sleep and yes...Welcome to the world of hostels!

Still, judging a place for its hostels is just plain ridiculous and shallow, because London = awesome. Am I being totally biased? I think so. But could I just say this? I love London because its a fusion of theatre, arts, books, fashion, and diversity! And talk about reading...almost every single train ride we're in, its almost too rare to not find someone's nose buried in a newspaper or a book. And I can dress to kill without being judged or feeling overdressed. Love! Love! Love It! 

We visited some of the most popular landmarks in London i.e. Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Thames River, Tower Bridge, and this time, the Tower of London and the British Museum. The Tower of London, which houses the royal family's, high-priced Crown Jewels is definitely a "MUST." What I love about it is actually not the crown jewels themselves (although still worth looking at) but the re-enactment of medieval history throughout the Tower. Not only was it entertaining but it gives life to the "once was" of the Tower of London. We've watched the story of Margaret of Anjou, portrayed as the conniving, unsympathetic Queen fighting against the House of York. It was worth watching the 20-minute play, that when the Queen's maid ended with somewhere between this line, But, that story is reserved for next time, the crowd can't help but give a short, collective sigh. 

The British Museum, on the other hand, accommodates one of the largest collections I've seen so far. Besides the famous Rosetta Stone, which is why we came the first place, seeing the Americas, Polynesian and Asian treasures came as a surprise like the manga display and the Rapa Nui statue. Then again, it would not come as a surprise if I actually did the research and browsed through their website. Perhaps, ignorance is sometimes a bliss???

Oh, saw and screamed for Zac Efron during his St. Cloud London Premiere...if that counts for anything.