Family and Friends 6 (Extensive reading: British English and American English)

Hi Helen,

How are you? I'm on holiday with my mum, dad and brother in Barcelona, in Spain.

We've been here for a few days now and we're having a fantastic time!

We flew from London to Barcelona airport. Our aeroplane was crowded and the food wasn't great, but they showed some good films on the journey. I saw Ice Age 3. Have you seen it? We arrived in Spain at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon and took a taxi to the city centre and to our hotel. Our room is huge and it's got a balcony.

We went straight out to a restaurant because we were so hungry. I had paella and chips.

Paella is a Spanish dish made with rice and fish or chicken. It's Lovely!

The next day, we got up early and explored the city. We walked up and down La Rambla, which is a really busy street here. We stopped at a café for breakfast and we all had hot chocolate, toast and jam. After that, we did some shopping. I bought some postcards at one of the shops on La Rambla and my brother bought some new trainers because his old ones were too small and they hurt his feet. My mum bought us some sweets and some chocolates because we were hungry again!

Yesterday, we went to Park Guell. This park was designed by a famous Spanish architect called Gaudi. It's full of colourful sculptures of animals and shapes and it's a really interesting place to walk around. My favourite sculpture was the lizard at the entrance.

It's bright blue and yellow and has water flowing out of its mouth. It's really cool!

We've also been to the Sagrada Familia which is a fantastic building in Barcelona.

Gaudi designed this too. He worked on it for 40 years but died before it was finished. I think they still want to finish it one day. You aren't allowed to climb up the stairs of the tower, because it's too dangerous, but there are lifts you can go up and down in. The views are fantastic from the top.

We're going to Barcelona zoo at the weekend. I'm really looking forward to it.

Bye for now!

Jessie

Hi Josh,

How are things in New York? I'm on vacation in Europe with mom and dad right now. We arrived in Barcelona, in Spain three days ago. The journey wasn't great because our airplane was delayed. We got here late in the evening, so we took a cab from the airport to our hotel in the middle of the city. We were so tired that we had pizza and fries in the hotel restaurant. We have a TV in our room, so we watched a movie in our room and went to sleep.

The next morning, we got up early and walked down La Rambla. This is the main street of Barcelona and it's really, really busy! Along the street there are lots of different kinds of stores, markets and cafés.

We stopped after a few blocks and went in one of the cafes for breakfast. I had a cup of hot chocolate and some churros, which is cake that's fried in oil. It's a bit like our doughnuts. My mom and dad had coffee, toast and jelly.

We also stopped at a huge market place. They sold lots of different types of food there including all kinds of delicious fruit. They also sold clothes. I had a look at the clothes, but they're pretty much the same as back home, so I didn't buy anything. Most of the young people here wear jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. The older people are quite well-dressed though.

I got some turrón at the market. This is traditional Spanish candy made of honey and nuts but you can get all different types of turrón. Anyway, it's delicious. I'll bring some back for you if I don't eat it all!

Barcelona is great for art because there are so many art galleries and museums here. Have you heard of Gaudi? Well, he was a famous Spanish architect and he designed some awesome things in Barcelona. He designed a park called Park Guell and filled it with tons of colorful sculptures. He built a big, pink house in the park and lived there for years. It's now a museum. He also designed the Sagrada Familia which is a really tall and amazing old building. You can go up to the top in an elevator which is pretty neat.

Another thing I Like about Barcelona is the food. We just had some great tapas in a restaurant. Tapas is the name for small dishes of food Like olives, salads, meat and fish. You order lots of dishes at the same time and they're all delicious.

We're Leaving Barcelona on the weekend and driving up to Madrid. I'll email you when I get there.

See you soon!

Sam