Barcelona

Barcelona after a six+ hour bus trip and another hotel search. Having found the appropriate metro stop we came up from the subway and had little idea of which way to turn. After some discussion we headed (as it turned out) the right way – and down Diagonal Ave – towards the hotel. It was a long day.
Our first day we went to Sagrada Familia, again by underground metro and as we came up the steps there was this huge still under construction Basilica that just loomed up out of seemingly nowhere. A quick trip through the interior construction zone was followed by a lift ride to the Basilica top for some awesome views across Barcelona. The trip to the top of this Gaudi Basilica was very quick but the winding staircase down was slow and at various points as it spiralled around gave great and different perspectives of the city. The trip to the Sagrada Familia became the inspiration for our own self guided walking tour of Gaudi designed buildings dotted throughout the inner part of Barcelona. One of the most impressive in terms of its architecture and serenity was the old hospital which was a welcome retreat in a busy day. And because we could do it: Dos Cafe con Lychees and dos croissants served for a pleasant afternoon tea. Back to the hotel and out to dinner. We found a very cheap Chinese buffet meal in the Mall across the road from where we stayed (18 Euros with water!!) and dined out twice in the five nights we stayed. That, along with a regular little cafe round the corner at which we bought our breakfasts became our start and end points of our days (not that we ate Chinese all the time – but it was nice to be able to have a meal finished before most restaurants opened at 9.00pm.
We had hoped to do a cable car ride across Barcelona’s Harbour but on the day we tried the wind was too strong and the whole operation had been shut down. So instead we walked back to the metro and caught a bus (followed by a funicular) to the old fortress overlooking the Harbour entrance but as with a number of other days on this trip the cold biting wind meant we didn’t stay too long but good views back over the city were our reward.
One of our highlights was the trip we made to Montserrat a monastery on the top of a huge (extinct!) volcanic peak about an hour by train out of Barcelona. This monastery is reached by a tram which wends its way up a steep incline carved into the sheer face of the rock walls of the peak and from the monastery itself a near vertical funicular ride takes you up another stage from which you walk as far as you like (but not too far bearing in mind you need to get down again by funicular and tram to catch the train). The lunchtime performance by the boys’ choir in the monastery was popular – never seen so many different ethnicities gathered at once in a church. Tourists galore! But the views on this crystal clear day were spectacular – right across to the snow-capped Pyrenees. The environment was just barren rock – how anything can survive is a bit of a wonder but the Monks who have lived here for hundreds of years have been able to eke out an existence which has allowed for their survival.