We are home safe and sound in Egypt after an MCC retreat in Spain.  Barcelona is a place we had never imagined we would visit, and we were pleasantly suprised by the beauty and vibrancy of our destination.   We will let our photos do most of the talking, but simply put; our time in the Spanish region of Catalonia was amazing!

The retreat was held at Marti-Codolar, a residence on the North end of Barcelona.  Here we joined our MCC colleagues from across the Middle East and Europe.

Constant rain did not stop us from taking advantage of our free time.  Here we visited Antoni Gaudi's spectacular Sagrada Familia, which is still under construction after 130 years.

We visited the monastery of Montserrat as a group,
braving wind and rain to reach the mountain's summit.

We embraced Spain's proud culinary tradition,
highlighted by tapas- a diverse selection of scrumptious appetizers.

Eventually the sun came out, and so did the turtles pictured here at the retreat center.

Downtown Barcelona was very, very impressive.  
Despite our high expectations, Barcelona more than lived up to its golden reputation!

Enjoying a 360 degree panorama atop a hill in Barcelona.

The last day of retreat brought a sad goodbye to a wonderful group of people.
It was truly a privilege to spend time with such a thoughtful and inspiring bunch.

After Barcelona we rented a car and made our way up the Costa Brava (meaning Wild Coast).
Small coves and beaches like this marked the coast around the town of Begur.

Drinking delicious espresso and milk with our dear travel-partner Phil.
The only downside of the cafes is that now back in Egypt, I will have to
relearn how to drink Nescafe.

 On one hike we decided to get off the beaten path a little, only to find ourselves stuck between a rock, a hard place, and more rocks.  It was quite an adventure!  Here Wanda braves the heights, while I embrace the frigid waters.

Our food staples throughout the trip: baguette, spanish ham and cheese!  I ate brie wedges like they were slices of pizza.  And all of this was washed down with affordable and
delicious Spanish wine.

Our base for two nights, the lovely medieval town of Pals.
Snow-capped mountains to the West, Azure waters to the East, 
and gorgeous rolling farmland in between.

A breakfast of xuixo; buttery pastry filled with rich creamy custard, deep-fried, and rolled in sugar.  In terms of pure delectability, it is at the very least in the same ballpark as Kanafeh.

The final night of our trip was spent with our wonderful country reps Tom and 
Judi in Cadaqués, a lovely and unique town near the French border.

Insulated by the rugged mountains, Cadaqués was the perfect place to wrap up our trip. 

We are thankful for the wonderful time that was.  The MCC Europe/Middle East team, the amazing city of Barcelona, and the beauty of the Costa Brava, will always hold a fond place in our hearts and memories.