Our tour is really starting to wind down.  It's been very nice to have a little bit of extra time and a more relaxed schedule; I'm finally starting to feel more rested and able to stop to take in the beautiful views of Europe around me.

Cortney and I made a rushed attempt to spot the Barcelona beach before we had to be back for the game and saw the sea, sand, and palm trees for all of two minutes before having to book it back to the metro station.  The rush was all my fault; even though we've been seven hours ahead of Sioux Falls time this entire trip, I'm so used to counting back six hours from all our visits to England.  We didn't have a clock in our hotel room, so we were relying on my computer to keep us on track.  My computer is still on Sioux Falls time, so when I counted ahead to figure out what time it was, I calculated with six hours instead of seven.  Hence, we were a whole hour shorter of time than we thought!  After spending such a hurried hour, I just wasn't in the mood for too much more action, so I opted not to go to the Barcelona football game last night, after all.  I know, I know....I'm sure there are some people out there who think I'm pretty crazy for giving up a chance like that.  Still, I know it worked out for the best!  I was able to save 40 euro, pack, eat a healthy dinner, and have some solitude before turning in for the night (none of which would have happened if I had gone to the game).

Our rushing wasn't over after last night, however - we got up this morning thinking that we had a whole hour more than we did to get ready!  We managed to make it to the bus only ten minutes late, which wasn't too bad, considering that we had not only to get ready but to pack and get all our luggage downstairs.  Once on the bus, we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the four-hour drive to Pamplona, Spain (Pamplona was made famous for its bull running tradition in Ernest Hemingway's work).  A heavy fog had settled for most of our ride to Pamplona, but when it wasn't foggy, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.  Everything was so green and lush, and vineyard after vineyard rolled past.  There were thick trees everywhere, and the landscape was full of gently rolling hills and tall, majestic mountains.  It looked exactly like the Spain I always imagined.

Pamplona was incredible, also.  Much of the city was modernized, but the part that we spent time in was a perfectly preserved reminder of Hemingway's time.  The buildings were so quaint; most were painted different colors, and they were made of either brick or stone.  The windows had lovely moldings and ornate balconies, and the cafes around the main square were very reminiscent of bygone days.  We walked up a narrow cobblestone street to a hilltop that looked down on the walls of the original citadel and marveled at the stunning view!  Unfortunately, my camera died last night, so I wasn't able to capture any memories of one of my favorite places I've visited thus far.  Still, I kept telling myself that - because I wasn't so focused on snapping photos of everything - I was able to be much more in the moment and enjoy the time I had in Pamplona.

After spending a few hours in Pamplona, we boarded the bus again and drove two more hours through Basque country to the city of Bilbao, where we'll be staying now for the remainder of our tour.  Tonight is just a quiet night at the hotel to get caught up, and tomorrow we will be spending the day at the Guggenheim and in the downtown area.  It's crazy to think that the trip is winding up already!