OK, Barcelona is generally one of my very favorite places on earth. The culture is so distinctive, the architecture is incredible, the food is great, and there are beautiful beaches right in town. But it’s been especially fun to hang out here for a week in a cool apartment with my brother John, his wife Alma, and their amazing kids Jasmine, Ava, and Nico.

There is so much to do in this incredible city, yet we’ve all been happy to balance a bit of sightseeing with a good dose of just relaxing and hanging out together. Our apartment is right smack in the middle of the city, overlooking the bustling Plaça Universitat. We only have to take a few steps to get to nice grocery stores, fun shopping, or an endless supply of places to get tapas and sip good, cheap wine. It’s a pretty good life.

We have managed to squeeze in a few excursions. Jim and I had fun taking the kids on the train down to Sitges for a nice long beach day. We had to practically drag Nico out of the water. And everyone managed to ooh and aah over the incomparable construction site that is the Sagrada Familia.

And did I mention all the great food we’ve been eating? And no matter what we order, the kids seem to love it. Mussels? Can’t get enough. Octopus? Love it! Anchovies? Love them too. It’s really been a fun week so far!