We drove from the mountains down to Montserrat, a monastery in some mountains near Barcelona, and then on to our flat in the city. We ended our car rental and returned the trusty Skoda which has miraculously avoided getting dented in the traffic and tiny lanes that Maps.me insisted on taking us through. Quite a relief!
Maps.me is pretty useful, in that you can download maps and use them when you are off-line. Google Maps also has that option, and the two guides mostly agree, although not always. I think Maps.me's algorithm does a simple calculation of distance, and 'she' took us on a few merry rides which might have been the shortest route, but occasionally involved driving down stairs, or going along footpaths narrower than the car! She got the nickname 'Mad Maps'.
Building on the cliffs of Montserrat
Montserrat
We stumbled on a Catalan independence demonstration. It coincided with a trial in Madrid of twelve Catalan State politicians who organized a referendum on independence for Catalonia from Spain. Carles Puigdemont, previously Catalan State president, is in exile in Belgium. The vice-president, Oriol Junqueras, a former history professor, is threatened with a 25 year sentence for organising the referendum.
Here is an article explaining some of the history.
Barcelona Town Hall
In the referendum, declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court, about 90% of Catalan voters backed independence. But turnout was only 43%.
La Sagrada Família was designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It was started in 1882, and is expected to be finished in 2026.
There is a big emphasis on Gaudi in Barcelona. Major tourism is focussed on his works, which are indeed interesting, but I'm here to tell you that it is possible to be 'Gaudi'd out!'
There is a big emphasis on Gaudi in Barcelona. Major tourism is focussed on his works, which are indeed interesting, but I'm here to tell you that it is possible to be 'Gaudi'd out!'
Casa Milà was a block of flats Gaudi designed.
George on the roof of Casa Milà
The technique of using broken shards of ceramics to make mosaics is known as trencadís.
The stairwell and courtyard of Casa Milà
Parc Güell, a garden development designed by Gaudi in the hills behind Barcelona
Inspired by Hansel and Gretel's house
Trencadís roof
Sculpture by Joan Miro
Barcelona beach
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
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