It’s a travel day, so the distance is long, and the blog is comparatively short! My final early morning walk in Barcelona took me to Montjuic. It looks over the city and port, was the site of many of the Olympic sports (remember the Diving footage?!?!), and also provided much of the sandstone that we’d seen in buildings around the city.
Gaudi’s design for the Sagrada Familia tops out at 172.5 metres – divisible by the magical 7.5 that appears throughout the temple, and deliberately less than the 173m of Montjuic. I opted for A LOT of stairs on the way up, and enjoyed a nice downhill run on the way back!
It was well worth the view of the rising sun waking up the city. It stretches a long way, generally low rise and fairly flat, ensuing that the distinctive Sagrada Familia under ongoing construction stands out.
The height also gives another perspective of the port and marina. Montjuic is at the South West of the city, and provides the perfect visual barrier to the shipping area of the port, still so close to the city.
I had heard there was a cable car and funicular to Montjuic – turns out there’s also a second cable car from the beach at Port Vell. Clearly, any cable cars hold no appeal for Mum and I, and the guys testing and maintaining the equipment left me glad that it was his job, not mine. No thanks.
The Catalonian flag at Montjuic Castle felt like a fitting symbolic end to this part of our trip. It’s been fabulous to explore the city, and I’m so looking forward to coming back!
Next stop, Granda in Southern Spain at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This city was such an important and special part of Rachel’s life, and we’re looking forward to learning more about the area, the people who live here, and the time she spent here in the coming days.
We hopped off the plane via the front stairs, into about 32 degree heat. It felt like a reginonal airport in Queensland, minus the humidity!
Rachel first came to live Granada in 2001 to study Spanish. While she was here she met Eric and Pascal, aka ‘The boys’ and they became the best of lifelong friends.
It’s a surreal and special experience to finally meet people that you’ve heard so much about, and who have played such an important role in supporting someone you love over many years. Instantly, we felt like the best of family with our shared love for my beautiful sister.
Eric and Pascal have had so many great times with Rachel in Granada, and just like the rest of our trip, we’re here to do some of favourite things. First stop was tapas at Bodega Castaneda, one of the oldest (est 1927) and best tapas bars in Granada.
Rachel and Eric spent many an afternoon here grabbing a beer after their Spanish classes. She affectionately renamed it ‘The Bull Bar’… maybe it was the decor 🙂 It’s great to be with some locals who can help us get more adventurous with the tapas, while also reintroducing a few more veggies back to our diet!
It’s going to be a fabulous few days in Granada, and the perfect way to close out our trip!
Love M & BB x
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