Last summer we decided to plan our March break around a time share opportunity we had in Mallorca, Spain.
We decided to invite my brother and sister in law and were so excited to finally take a trip with them after years of talking about it.
We decided we would spend a few days in Barcelona, then head to Mallorca for the week. They would leave a few days earlier before heading to Madrid.
We made our plans of what we wanted to cover in 3 days in Barcelona and made all the necessary bookings.
A few days before the date we were scheduled to leave, we had some flight changes. A couple of flights were cancelled, however even though a big pain, we were able to find flights – ones that were a bit more convenient too.
We flew during the night and immediately upon landing we heard the news that Pres Trump had announced that all Americans who were overseas would not be allowed to get back home. My brother and sister in law sent us texts giving us the heartbreaking news that they had to cancel joining us.
At this point though, things still seemed relative calm. We attempted to change our tickets at the airport but so many Americans were trying to get home, so we decided it would be best to wait it out and carried on to our flight to Barcelona.
We arrive in Barcelona and everything was calm and very normal. We walked around for a bit and went to get dinner. We headed back and tried to call Expedia and waiting online for hours and got cut off…
Meanwhile, Josh was en route to Botswana with his Dad.
The next day, we decided to head out and explore the city. We knew based on the news, to be careful and keep our distance. Everyone seemed very respectful of “this suggestion”. We spent the morning walking through the gothic area, checking out some of the beautiful cathedrals, admiring the waterfront. We walked up the famous las rambles, however we avoided checking out the markets or eating as it was a but busier.
We found a great tapas restaurant and had a lovely lunch at a secluded table outside.
We headed home and watched the news. We heard how bad it was getting in Spain and knew it would be wise to get out…. We spent the next many, many hours trying to get through to Expedia but to no avail. We finally thought to call our travel insurance, they answered and we got cleared to book flights home. Flights were limited and we realized most flew through Europe. Rob found one that routed us to Mexico City – so that is the one we booked!
The next morning we got up early and headed out. It was quiet, all attractions were closed (We had tickets for Sagrada Familia, but it was closed) so we went for a long walk. We picked up food at one of the few bakeries that was open ( restaurants were closed) and headed home to chill in our hotel room.
We spent the rest of the time watching news and seeing how it was all unfolding. We were worried about all our kids all over the world – anxious to hear from them all.
The next morning we took the long flight to Mexico City. We had a 8 hour layover, so we smartly had booked a hotel room at a hotel right in the airport so we could get some rest. We finally boarded our flight home, headed home and straight into quarantine….
Here are some snaps of walking through Barcelona. It is a stunning city. One day we will go back to explore it properly!
Upon our return, we spent the next few days trying to organize for Josh and his Dad to get back as their flights home had been cancelled. After a whole lot of stress and planning, we found them tickets and they arrived home safely too:)
