Spent our honeymoon in/around Italy, Easter Sunday occurred in the middle, were in Sicily, dinner @ Fiasco d'Oro in Siracusa.

Evening before Easter, huge processional thru town.

Because in this country, spring breaks are spread out over a good six weeks, which means there's heavy travel on the weekends for much of that time. And a Sunday, Easter or not, would be a prime day for returning home, meaning flights would be full.

Flying from the U.S. to Spain would be somewhat different. I haven't a clue if those flights would be busy. Perhaps the airline itself could tell you.

I can curate the art. The plan is 4 full days in Barcelona, train to Paris for 4 full days.

I just found out that Delacroix painted a few religious paintings for the church of St. Surplice in Paris, the second largest in the city. So I'll be putting that on our "must see" list. Am getting tickets to the ballet performing at the Garnier, a fabulously beautiful theatre where Degas' ballerinas danced and where Marc Chagall painted his wonderful ceiling.

Hoping we can pass the Covid test before we leave the city. This could be a problem. Even tho I'm up to date on ALL shots, I'm nervous about that happening. That's one reason I will wear a mask everywhere I go (and maybe have a test here soon, just for getting that info....

I wrote a piece on the story behind that ceiling for my new book, The Gladdened Heart:The Art of Music, which I just finished (my first husband's death was cause for me to put a hold on writing it).

The book is in process with my talented daughter doing the design. I'll send you a copy when it is finished.

Here is the cover by her (3 variations for me to choose from: file:///C:/Users/Jeanette/AppData/Local/Temp/Gladdened%20Heart%20Cover.pdf

I think I chose the third version.

and events in many cities around the country really do last a whole week. ... Many Spanish also take this week as holiday, either to go back home and visit family or visit someplace new.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/11-easter-traditions-and-customs-you-should-know-about-in-spain/#:~:text=The%20Easter%20period%20in%20Spain,do%20last%20a%20whole%20week.&text=Many%20Spanish%20also%20take%20this,family%20or%20visit%20someplace%20new.

If you’re a child in Barcelona, or simply have a sweet tooth, then your favorite moment of the Easter celebrations is probably Easter Monday. During the Easter Sunday celebrations with the family, godparents give their godchildren a special type of cake known as the Mona de Pascua – but the sweet treat is not eaten until the following day, Easter Monday. This cake was traditionally made using leftover boiled eggs from Lent, up to one for each year of the child’s life.

Today, however, the Mona de Pascua has evolved and there are many different varieties of cake available, decorated with everything from popular children’s icons to more traditional Easter eggs and spring themes. Many of the city’s most famous bakeries – such as the Pasteleria Escribà – will have beautiful displays featuring ornate cakes and chocolates.

The Easter weekend is a popular time to visit the city of Barcelona, with many travelers from across Europe making the most of the long weekend to treat themselves to a short city break and some early sun. On the other hand, many locals also take advantage of the time off to escape the busy city center and head to the countryside for a relaxing weekend with family.

That sounds fabulous! But that makes me wonder about getting hotel reservations. I would love those bakery items!

However, my purpose is the art and there are too many museums to tour already. My daughter cannot be away more than four days for Barcelona and four days for Paris. Too much going on in her life.

Thank you for sharing this! If you think of anything more about Barcelona or Paris please contact me via DU (if possible)!