This Gaudi bloke was a man of many talents. Not content with designing magnificent buildings, he also turned his considerable talents to the outdoors. The legendary Park Guell, perched high on the dusty hills above Barcelona, is pure Gaudi - at once whimsical and tortured without a hint of an oxymoron.
Looks suspiciously like gingerbread, although UNESCO discourages the eating of World Heritage relics.
Gaudi's organic, living structures often appear to melt under the intensity of his vision. Today they actually are, it's stinking hot out here.
Rangers? It's all Barcelona and Messi in these parts. Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!
Nice to see that gym membership is paying off. Nothing like showing up a few inanimate stone pillars to boost one's ego.
This is how those who can't swim go surfing.
Had enough Gaudi yet? There's only so much of this weirdo you can take before it's time to head back to the real world.
In Spain, life is simple. Man may not live on bread alone, but add a little jamon, a dash of olive oil, and an ice cold cerveza, and he'll do very nicely indeed.
No time for a siesta, the beach is beckoning. Look yonder, that fancy sail-shaped W Hotel is soon going to belong to Dr. Merkel. Might be time to allow pantsuits in the poncy penthouse club.
Tops are very much optional on this stretch of paradise. Is this a great country or what?
Get with the crowd, when you're bankrupt the best path to austerity is to buy only the bottom half of the bikini.
Can't find someone to finance your pie-in-the-sky venture? Never fear, Spain always stands ready to sink good money where others won't. When in Doubt, ask for a Bailout (TM).
Apparently this is the way to interminable 70 hour work weeks, a paltry 10 vacation days per year, and the chance of being bankrupted by a visit to the doctor. Go New World.
On the other hand, if you ignore that dude on the pole and head the opposite direction there's tapas and cerveza aplenty. No contest.
Around here you don't order jamon by the gram, you order it by the pig. Mei will take three, thanks.
Speaking of pigs, you all know what Zhu means right?
The alleys are so narrow and the tapas bars so plentiful that one wonders if Rock will actually be able to fit through by the end of the day.
Here's something a little more original that 14th Street and 5th Avenue.
You know you're walking in the shadow of history when even Google Maps doesn't have every twist and turn of the ancient streets mapped out.
Apparently some of the early criticism of Gaudi's epic Sagrada Familia was that it would detract from Barcelona's other monumental cathedral. Guess those same critics will be up in arms again now that this senorita is stealing the show.
Now the coke can knows how Rock feels...
Exquisite detail in the Gothic quarter. Now we just need Christian Bale to come crashing through in a Batmobile.
Boqueria Market, purveyors of fine root canals since 1217.
Just in case you want to balance all those sweets with a bit of spice.
Nah, sweets will do just fine thanks.
Rambling on La Rambla. Barcelona's most famous promenade weaves its way from the sparkling Mediterranean into the heart of the fashionable downtown. Mei's powering, she knows Louis Vuitton lies at the other end.
Time to hit the road. If you're going to squandering your country's future on a binge of cheap debt, at least you can do what Spain did and build some kick ass highways. Next stop the ancient mountain monastery of Monstserrat.
With a view like that it might be worth giving up worldly pleasures for a life of pious devotion to a higher calling. It all depends on if they have cable internet up here.
It's going to take more than an afternoon hike to burn off that plate of jamon.
A chapel greets the weary hikers at the end of their trek. A blessing is nice and all, but how about some a/c?
This dude could use a few more tapas. Mei has no such problems.
A sanctuary high in the mountains. Always better to be up high, you tend to get better reception for the Big Guy's wifi network.
Nothing wipes away the grumpiness of a three hour drive like a stewed chicken.
A brief stop at the castle town of Lerida gives Lord Rochester an opportunity to survey his Catalan domain. Gotta keep an eye on those pesky peasants, make sure they're hard at work fattening up the next cut of jamon.
The overnight stop of Zaragoza is deserted after an afternoon storm. No prizes for guessing where everyone is... the tapas bars are already buzzing.
The mighty Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar dominates the central square. In Spain one quickly falls into the "seen one church you've seen 'em all" mindset, but this one is worth a second look for it's stunning Baroque architecture culminating in four spectacular bell towers.
Nothing like cheap debt financing to bring out the best in modern architecture.
As usual, the toughest task of the day is to choose a tapas bar for dinner.
Hard to go wrong with the one that was awarded the coveted prize of Zaragoza's Best Tapa 2012.
Lights out, another long day of driving ahead. Especially with Rock and the wheel.
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