Hello all (oh and I forgot to say happy new year last time soooooo HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

This is just a short blog as I am tired and have to go to bed soon. This morning it was raining so we decided to something indoorish, ie. visiting the Picasso museum in Barcelona. There were so many hundreds of thousands of painting and drawings and I looked at them all! My favourites were the little semi-normal paintings he did at the beginning, before he followed cubism. However, I did have some exceptions like this painting of his wife Jacqueline which I think is rather cool.

After a lunch of baguettes and little creamy pastries we went for a rambling walk (it was still raining) to try to discover some of the modernist architecture (you know, the weird, mushroomy buildings). We went to one of them, designed by Gaudi. It was like something out of willy wonka or disneyland - a bit warped (I loved the crazy windows). Then we went to another building and (as an excuse) went into a free Rembrandt exhibition to see the inside.

At night a crowd started to build along the streets and we wondered what they were there for, sowe went home and looked up on the internet. We found out that it was a parade for the 3 kings (I assume the same ones who brought presents to Jesus, but I may stand corrected). It sounded interesting so me, emma and laura went and waited with the excited crowd (a lot of children). Finally the parade started - it was sooooooo sweet, very arabic. Just like that one in Aladdin, "Prince Alliiiiii, fabulous he, ali ababa..." only on a slighlty smaller scale (no live elephants much to laura's disappointment, but a very cool fake one!). There was giant floats, guys in massive turbans, hundreds of people in those aladdine pants and scarves carrying odd twiddly things. There were even a trail of camels (looking very bored with the whole thing). We soon received flags and little crowns (whoo hoo) and then began ducking because the people in the parade were throwing lollies. Not nice overhand throws but lethal thousands of miles an hour type throws. One hit me on the head and nrealy knocked me out. It was funny watching people shielding themselves. We saw the three kings of course, sitting on top of big cushions (all round and fat - as arabic sultans should be) and we waved our flags and shouted hurrah whenever they said anything. It was in Spanish, but we didn't let that deter us. Too soon, however, it was over.

so, tomorrow is another day - i think we are going to visit some more bizarre buildings and maybe do some shopping.

adios, kate