Goodbye 2006. Hello Barcelona.

One of the best perks offered by living in Switzerland, besides it's being located in the center of Europe, is great last minute deals offered by airlines to visit many of Europe's most exciting cities. And as luck would have it, one such deal came around for us for New Years Eve.

It was two days before NYE and we had no plans. So we logged on to the Internet, "just to see what was out there." A Barcelona for dirt cheap, airfare and hotel. We looked at each other and nodded our heads and booked it.

The next day we're in sunny Barcelona enjoying a cold beer in the sun while doing some top self people watching along the tree-lined Ramblas. That night we savored some excellent tapas down in the narrow twisting streets of Old Town. The next day, NYE, we explored the city, took a stroll around the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí's Magnum Opus, and ate more awesome food. Then it was time to ring in 2007. After more tapas, we headed down the Ramblas to the waterfront for a view of the fireworks and to walk among the hordes of people gathered there. The fireworks weren't much to speak of, but the atmosphere festive and everyone was in fine spirits. The next day we explored Parc Güell, another Guidi masterpiece, and slowing slithered our way to the La Boqueria. Probably, the best food market in the world. I started to feel a bit ill, but I didn't let that stop me eating one of the best fish meals of my life. (Later I lost it on a side street - but that's another story.) After some healing sushi and a short nights sleep it was back to Zürich.

You can't beat it. A wonderful last minute dirt cheap trip that compares with any planned European vacation. It's times like these that it's great to be an expat in Switzerland.