2024 Tour Day 7: Aix-en-Provence, Carcassonne, and Barcelona

Both excitement and sadness filled the air as today marked the beginning of the second leg of our tour. We said goodbye to Aix-en-Provence and France as we boarded our buses to Barcelona. This was a great time for everybody to catch up on some much needed rest after yesterday’s tiring day.

We arrived in the city of Carcassonne for free time and lunch around noon. As a group we visited the Basilique Saint Nazaire before splitting into groups to get lunch. I was fortunate enough to try authentic French macarons before our departure. After our free time, we sadly had to say goodbye to our wonderful French tour managers as we headed to Barcelona.

However, we were excited to be greeted by our new tour managers, Nacho and Rocío in Barcelona. Before a coveted rest stop at a gas station, we made it into the city of Barcelona. Upon arrival in our hotel rooms we had a little bit of time to relax before heading down to a group buffet dinner in our hotel. The buffet food quickly proved to be delicious, and excitement filled the air when it was announced we had a little over an hour of free time to explore the city or get some rest.

Wanting to explore the city, my group realized the proximity of La Sagrada Familia, and we decided to take the 15 minute walk to have the opportunity to see it at night. Although we will be viewing the iconic Roman Catholic landmark with the group in a few days, it was a once in a lifetime experience to see it under the night lights. We were amazed as we watched how it lit up in the night, and the pictures from our adventure can speak for themselves. We are excited to be able to view other works of art designed by Gaudi.

Our seventh day on tour proved to be as amazing as the previous, and the entire group is incredibly excited for tomorrow’s coveted (and final) performance in the Palau!

– Evie, violin