Barcelona – 18-22 September

Departed from a cold & wet Andorra & headed for a (hopefully) warmer & drier Spain. We followed the El Segre valley for many kms. The countryside gradually changed from high green mountains & cliffs to dry undulating farmland. Clearly a lot less rain this side of the Pyrenees.

As the rain had eased we stopped at the amazing hilltop Montserrat monastery & sanctuary. Perched at the top of very high cliffs, we and the other 1,000’s of tourists took in the stunning location. For me it was a little stressful as I found the whole concept of perching yourself on the edge of very high cliff’s quite unnecessary and a little hard to take – but it was amazing nonetheless.

Misty Montserrat

Montserrat

Montserrat

After Montserrat we negotiated the spaghetti trail of Autovias (freeways) into Barcelona. We have an apartment here for 5 nights which is really great – 6^th floor with partial views of Sagrada Familia Basilica just two blocks away. After the scary heights of Montserrat & the drive into Barcelona I was ready for an early night.

Despite the bleak forecast we woke to a sunny day & immediately headed to the Sagrada Familia Basilica for a tour. Gaudi’s building of mayhem & magic! What a truly stunning building! Not like any other church. They have been building it for 135 years & they estimate another 10 years to go?? It is weird, wonderful & amazing both inside & out. As we left we saw some locals playing a game (a mix of skittles & ten pin bowling) in the park beside the basilica.

Sagrada Familia

Inside Sagrada Familia

Inside Sagrada Familia

Next, at the suggestion of our host, we visited the nearby Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau. Wasn’t even on our radar when we arrived here! Originally a hospital it is now a cultural centre, offices & monument. It consists of 16 lavishly decorated buildings in lovely gardens. Would have been a great hospital to stay? A surprising little gem.

Ceiling in Recinte Modernista

Recinte Modernista

We enjoyed a ‘typical’ Barcelona dinner with a few ‘locals’, Bec (daughter of Anne’s friend Sue in Sydney) & her boyfriend Marco. Consisted of sandwiches (montaditos) washed down with a beer/wine. Quick, easy, cheap & very tasty. You fill in your own order form, take to the counter & pay, then wait for your name to be called. We sat out in the street with cars, bikes & roller bladers passing by on either side. A great night!

Purchased a 2 day ticket on the hop on/hop off bus to see the sites. It’s a great way to get a quick look at the most popular sites, then jump off for a closer look when something appeals. We first jumped off for a stroll along the beach (Port Olimpic) which offers topless bathing (but it seems you must be over age 65 to go topless?), whitish sand, blue water & 1000’s of boats & restaurants. We then wandered through the Barri Gotic (medieval) area followed by a ramble along La Ramblas & a visit to the Mercat de la Boqueria (food market). Purchased some great treats then jumped back on the bus to go home.

Placa de Francesc Macia  

In Barri Gotic

As we sat quietly typing emails after dinner, we experienced a really weird performance. Suddenly we hear clanging bells out the window. Then more & more. We step onto the balcony to look out & all the residents in the area are hanging out their windows banging saucepans, ringing bells, whistling & blowing horns etc. No idea why! It lasted about 15 minutes plus some added fireworks then sounded as if it moved on to other neighbourhoods?? Strange but fun. May be associated with today’s protest march about the possible independence of Catalan from Spain? Catalan flags everywhere & there was a protest march in the city! (Repeats of the performance have occurred around 10pm each night since. Subsequently discovered this is a common way for the locals to express their feelings about political issues. The protest marches have also continued each day with a very big police presence everywhere but little sign of trouble & everyone just goes about their business. Curious!)

First up today was a visit to another Gaudi favourite, Park Guell. A garden filled with typically strange Gaudi buildings & statues. In addition the site offered great views over the city. We next visited Montjuic, a vast area containing gardens, the National Museum of Catalan Art, Olympic stadiums and Castell de Montjuic. Lots of walking, some fantastic art works (the museum was free for oldies like us!), fantastic views over the city & a bit of history. Dinner on our rooftop terrace overlooking the city.

Park Guell

Park Guell

Park Guell

Moat of Castell de Montjuic

This is a great city to get around on foot. Apart from the old parts of the city & one diagonal street, the streets are in a grid pattern making it easy to get around & to find your way, many streets are wide with paths, trees & park benches down the centre but traffic is often chaotic & pedestrians, cyclists & motorbikes just go where they like & parking is ‘free form’?

A quieter day catching up on house work then strolling around our neighbourhood checking out the amazing buildings & stopping at a few bars for tapas & a drink. Very pleasant. Had an evening stroll to Sagrada Familia to see the lights accompanied by the drums, whistles & pot banging - even noisier at ground level.