We woke at around 9:15 am. The fireworks did not last too long into the night and after, there was no noise at all. It was quite quiet. We ate the hotel breakfast downstairs.
We took a trip to the monastery at Montserrat. The train left from a station underground at Placa Espanya. The station was a little hard to find but, once we found the right level, there was actually an employee to help people with advice and show them how to buy tickets for the Montserrat day trip. The train actually serviced the suburbs, with several stops ending at Montserrat. The train was full, mostly tourists. An Israeli couple traveling with at least two older women sat near us. We were thrilled to strike up a (mostly Spanish) conversation with the woman sitting next to us. She was originally from Jaen, an area around Cordoba, one of twelve children. She was very blond with blue eyes, 53 years old with two children. She spoke very slowly to us, with some English mixed in. She was so sweet. When she got off the train at her stop, she gave us a package she was carrying as a gift. We opened the bag to find some delicious pastry. The pastry was wonderful for our hike around Montserrat. To this woman on the train: (We never did ask your name) If you should ever read this, Neil and I want you to know that we treasure your conversation and kindness as one of the truly high points of our whole trip.
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| Aerial tram at Montserrat |
The train trip took about an hour. The first third was underground, the rest on the surface. There were two Montserrat stops; the first servicing the aerial tram (where we got off) and the next servicing the funicular. Neil and I got right in front in the little orange tram car which held 35 people. At the top, Montserrat was jammed with people. You could drive up there on a windy road and there where many tour buses parked. We missed the daily performance of the famed boy's choir by an hour (bad tour guide info?). There was a huge line of people extending from the main cathedral into the courtyard waiting to touch the Black Madonna. We left the built up area and went on a hike to the Cross of San Miguel. The walk paths were lined with statues and shrines. There were specific prayers displayed to be recited at the various stations. We saw a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi that bore a resemblance to one of Neil's work colleagues. Neil especially liked a little hermit's retreat near the lookout. It was relaxing and peaceful away from the monastery. There were lots of English speakers at the monastery but none at all on the hiking path. We stopped several times along the way to eat our pastry. At our destination, the view from the mirador at San Miguel's Cross was spectacular. The view was back to the monastery on the hillside and also out over the countryside. We could see what looked like the biggest quarry in the world in the direction away from Barcelona. The river running through the valley below was very muddy. We walked back to the monastery, checked out the main building where we could watch people touching the Black Madonna, then took the tram back to the train station. One of our fellow passengers on the tram ride was a women we had seen earlier on our hiking path. She looked very upset to the point that I joked with Neil that she might try to kill all of us.
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| Montserrat from San Miguel's Cross |
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| Looking up at Cross |
On the train ride back to town, I sat next to a man who was reading a book on Hindu philosophy. Neil, of course, sat next to the scary, suicidal looking woman. She got off after a couple of stops. An older woman and young man got on the train about two thirds of the way back and began a very load, raucous discussion of a personal nature that involved a lot of whooping, teasing, and laughing. Neil and I only understood parts of the discussion. It had something to do with the young man's new job, to which he was en route, and his girlfriend and his desire to have his girlfriend quit smoking. The older woman suggested that the girlfriend find something else to suck on; a comment accompanied by wild laughter. The women sitting across the aisle were scowling in disgust at the whole conversation. Arriving back at Placa Espanya, we made our way back to the hotel along the median esplanade of the Gran Via. It was quiet due th the time of day and the holiday. We sat on a bench and ate the last of our gift pastry. It was about 5:00 pm when we got back to Villa Emilia. I napped a short bit and washed a few clothes.
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| In front of Casa Batilo |
We decided to use the rest of the day to do an ipod tour of Gaudi buildings. The first one we visited was Casa Calvet, built for a textile merchant and considered Gaudi's most conservative. We next walked to Passeig Gracia where we saw Casa Batilo, a big "skeleton" building with a reptile roof and mosaic tiles, and La Pedrera. La Pedrera had an inner courtyard which we could see through the windows. It was being used to host some musical events. The Passeig was lined with very upscale, Beverly Hills type stores. The street was filled with very rich looking people and a large number of tour groups.
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| Sagrada Familia |
We then walked over to the Sagrada Familia which was hugely impressive - and closed for tours of the inside for the day. The area around the church was also swarming with tourists as well as with families and couples and dog walkers using the surrounding parks. There was a small scale boulevard, Avinguda Gaudi, leading directly away from the church. It was filled with outdoor restaurants and little stores. We ate dinner at Tapas Gaudi. Neil had risotto and I had bacolau that was made differently than the dish I had in Granada. I washed my meal down with some sangria.
We took a long walk from dinner to the hotel. My feet are still sore, but not blistering sore, just tired. I have found the right balance of taping and sandals to make it all workable.
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| Late dinner |
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