Montserrat & Barcelona, Spain | August 20th-22nd, 2019
The journey to Barcelona began with a stop at the Monestir de Montserrat just outside of the big city. This Monastery is located high above the valley floor, allowing breathtaking views. Although the many switchbacks easily make you car sick, the structure built into the mountainside is really worth the trek.
The whole Riley/Vaughan fam parked just outside of the entrance gate and chose to hike the trail leading to the spiritual spot. It was a neat trail with lots of altars along the way; I would recommend taking this route if you’re up for a peaceful walk!
There’s lots of history related to this structure and it’s religious purpose. Many monks still live within these walls and it is home to the Escolania Boy’s Choir, which is one of the oldest in Europe. Although it is still a sacred place, it has been opened to tourists who are happy to shop from some of the local vendors selling cheese, honey, and many other goodies. There are also a few restaurants to enjoy as well as a train ride to the tippy top of the summit.
After our mountainous visit, it was then time to head to the big city of Barcelona! The family had a chance to sleep in a hotel located in one of the old buildings right next to Port Vell. Like us, mom and dad were overwhelmed with the driving situation in the big, European city! We found that the hotels here are pricey and come with unexpected costs such as parking (because it’s impossible to find parking in the city unless it’s in a garage) and meals at the hotel. We never once came across “continental breakfast”. Even though it was stressful and expensive, we were still able to enjoy the beautiful port and the walk down a famous street called La Rambla. Dad was in awe of some of the “mega yachts” parked here! It was really neat to see and we all fantasized about what our dream yacht would look like.
Our cousin, Benjamin, was able to join us at this point in our trip too! He met us at the shopping mall near the port and happily went along with all of our shenanigans. That night, we rode the lions under the Columbus Monument and enjoyed the nightlife on La Rambla. There were street performers, restaurants, vendors, and much more.
We also visited the Montjuïc Castle while there. This fortress has an amazing view of the ocean on one side and the city on the other. The entrance captivates you with its greenery and drawbridge opening. We saw old canons, learned some facts, and walked the gardens in the back.
Some other attractions we saw but couldn’t spend much time at include the Casa Milá, Hemp Museum, and Sagrada Familia. Casa Milá and Sagrada Familia are awesome structures that are a cool representation of some of the neat architecture Barcelona has to offer. You should definitely check them out if you get a chance! But make sure you book tickets well in advance! Mom, Cass, and Sav visited the hemp museum and said it was a great learning experience. If you are interested in learning about the many uses of hemp, you should definitely give this a visit.
We wish we could have stayed longer in this magical place to see some of the other big attractions, but we had to keep moving in order to get to our booked Airbnb in Italy. But first, France!
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