Turin, Barcelona and Alicante

Today was a travel day. We flew from ORD-JFK and had a pretty long layover and we had every intention of going to the city for the day, but it was cold and rainy, so we went to the TWA hotel instead! Got to walk around the cool 60s displays, and felt like we had traveled back in time. They have restaurants and bars throughout and it was a relaxing way to spend a few hours before heading to the international terminal. My daughter had to get a run in, and luckily they had day pass options for the gym, so she was able to get a run and shower in! We didn't do this, but there is an option to book a room for 4 hours so if you have a long layover and need to take a nap or want to shower, it's a great idea that we may try next time!

We spent the first leg of our trip visiting family in Turin, Italy. Day 1 we toured the city center with cousins and had gelato at a yummy ice cream shop. Day 2 we went to the local farmers market with my cousin as she shopped for some groceries. My daughter found a cute dress and some bracelets--one of a kind! We also grabbed some local artisanal honey. Day 3 was more sightseeting with cousins, a museum and pizza in the city center. Day 4 we drove 2 hours to their mountain home in Gimillan, which sits on the hill of the Aosta Valley right at the base of the Alps. We had lunch at Hotel Belvedere which had the most breathtaking views of the town of Cogne, in the Aosta Valley.

In Barcelona, we chose to stay at the Green House Hotel because it was walking distance to the pottery intensive my daughter was taking. The hotel was clean and the staff courteous, but the refrigerator was small and there was no restaurant onsite, so no option for breakfast in the morning. An apartment would have suited our needs better for a weeklong stay.

We loved the neighborhood we stayed in! It didn't feel touristy at all, and since I speak Spanish fluently, I felt very comfortable. We also felt very safe!

I'm not crazy about going to the super touristy spots, but we really wanted to see the Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera, and neither disappointed! Be warned however, that if you're scared of heights, you can take the elevator up but you have to take a long narrow spiral staircase down! La Pedrera was magical, especially the rooftop with the sculptures and of course the view.

We really loved walking around the Poblenou neighborhood. It was touristy, but also felt quaint.

We went to the Chocolate Museum (Barcelona is known for chocolate), but to me the museum was a disappointment. They had some exhibits but that's about it.

I would highly recommend Flash Flash Tortilleria for some authentic Spanish tortilla. It's not the same as Mexican tortillas, it's more of an omelette (but made with potatoes and eggs) and the atmosphere is straight out of the 70s.

I would also highly recommend Orxatería Verdú for some authentic Spanish horchata. It's different than Mexican horchata in that it's made from a tuber called chufa. It's light and refreshing, and perfect when it's a hot and humid day!

There were many gelato places and every single one we went to was delicious! My favorite was Elisa Gelateria in the Gothic Quarter. Gelato in Spain is just as delicious as gelato in Italy! Speaking of Italy, we also found a few Sicilian restaurants that sold l'arancini (rice balls) and focaccia pizza slices. Les Due Siciliane was our fave!

Alicante