We woke up to a beautiful for day for the last day of our adventure! After breakfast we headed for the El Rastro Market, a flea market that runs every Sunday and public holiday for the past 250 years. It goes for blocks and blocks; with 3500 stalls we barely scratched the surface. There is a miriad of jewelry, textiles, leather goods, ceramics, clothing, household, and lots of second hand as well. The treasures I could find if only I had a bigger bag! We got there right as they were opening and made our way through the main area before the crowds got to be too much.

Breakfast! The most important meal of the day! We had a morning tour scheduled so we got a delicious breakfast across from the hotel and meandered the short route to our meetup. 

We were up and ready early to catch a ferry and fly off to Madrid. But since no one likes a goodbye, Griff rode over on the ferry with us. He was telling us about a great hole-in-the-wall sandwich spot with delicious tuna sandwiches. We didn't think we had time before the airport so we said our goodbyes and were on our way. Just through security with plenty of time to spare, Griff called from inside the airport with sandwiches for us. Tony had breezed through security most quickly, so we sent him back out! Those sandwiches hit the spot--thanks Griff!

We left Barcelona to spend a couple of days on Formentera. It is the smallest of the Balearic Islands, and one of the prettiest places I have ever been. Tony's cousin, Griff, has lived in France, Barcelona, and primarily Formentera for the last 15 years. He was gracious enough to host us and show us a little around the island.

We started our last day in Barcelona with a morning walk and big breakfast. The city is alive with people rushing to work, construction underway, vendors opening stores, and tourists wandering around. I love the storefront roll up doors that come down at night, protecting the shops from theft and vandalism. Doors are painted with murals and a few have graffiti, but tags and random graffiti is promptly removed from the walls of the buildings.

The sunshine is back--that's more like it!

We got out early in search of breakfast. I was feeling a bit down yesterday after the train ride, missing my house, my people, my dog, but everything looks fresh this morning and I'm recharged for part 2! The streets were pretty quiet but we found a couple of coffee shops open with options for breakfast sandwiches.  

We tiptoed out of Paris this morning, wheeling our bags along the cobblestones to the métro and then to the train station. Our train was already docked when we eventually found the hall we needed and managed to scan our tickets. 

This would be our last day in Paris, so we got going early. We've given up trying to get breakfast at a cafe because we're practically ready for lunch when they start serving. But coffee, granola, and fruit hold us over nicely. 

It was a gorgeous day! Flowers are blooming and it warmed up to 68! We shed our coats and caught the Ligne N to Versailles. The public transit is fairly easy and accessible, which is not to say we haven't also managed to screw up... but we generally get where we're going. We have a lot more trouble walking... signage (French, English, or other) is poor and we do a lot of walking in circles before we find the route we need. 

We had planned to "que" for Notre Dame this morning as I have been unable to get a reservation, but when I checked early in the morning, I got a spot for Friday! This gave us a free morning to take it slower and, importantly, get some laundry done. I went for a run while Steve walked and sat out on a sidewalk with a capucino, like a proper Frenchman. Spring has suddenly sprung in Paris, and it is gorgeous! Running by a dog park, I had to stop and watch the games of fetch. The kitties are friendly, but I sure miss my dog!

Steve has had Normandie on his bucket list for some time, so we set aside a day and arranged a guided tour. He reports: "It was da bomb!" Dad-joke game is strong.