I decided to push through with my 4 day, 3 night extended weekend, post-birthday trip to what remains to date, my favorite city in Spain, BARCELONA!! This was my 5th trip to Barcelona so I decided to do things differently this time.
Firstly, I would like to thank my generous friends, J and K, for hosting me in their beautiful mansion. They live in the city center, walking distance from the La Rambla which makes almost everything accessible. My good friend J also invited me to attend their Sunday worship which I absolutely loved. Even if I am a Catholic, I am very open to embracing and getting to know the different ways of praising and glorifying our Lord Almighty. Thanks J and K, for the beautiful experience.
Secondly, I am writing this post to chronicle my beautiful post birthday weekend in Barcelona. I am not used to travelling by myself on holidays. All of my individual trips are business or work related. So this post-birthday trip to Barcelona was special because I spent my holidays in my solitary solitude and organized my itinerary on sites, places that I haven´t done before. I got lost, I had to figure my way on my own, Google Maps was my best friend, I ate alone and ate to my heart´s desires, walked alone, I meditated, I took all the photos that I liked. And yes! It was an enriching experience!
And here´s how it went, which to date, a month and a half after, I still remember vividly.
My firsts:
Monsterrat Monastery and the Black Madonna/La Morenita: This place is outside Barcelona main city. The most pragmatic way to visit this is through an organized tour which I reserved via https://www.klook.com/ and selecting the packaged tour of Montserrat Tour with cog wheel train from https://juliatravel.com/en/tours/?destinations%5B%5D=BARCELONA . This was so worth it and a dream come true. It was a well organized tour which started in the pick-up point in Estacio de Noord. The trip was approximately 45 minutes and upon reaching the foot of the mountain, we rode a cog wheel train which offered scenic views of the mountain and which took us to the monastery. The tour has a total duration of 4,5 hours including the travel time. But the highlight was being able to enter the church and see the Black Madonna/La Morenita. I did pray and asked for my wishes. At that time, I had a an earnest wish which was not granted to me but I know in God´s perfect time, my petitions and my prayers will be heard.
The Black Madonna/La Morenita
Beautiful view of the mountain
Afternoon sail/boat ride enjoying the coast of Barcelona: This is also reserved via https://www.klook.com and I recommend that you reserve ahead of time. While my afternoon boat ride was good, there were other choices such as yatch with jazz music which were already fully booked. This was a relaxing way to spend my afternoon. And I so loved this experience.
Day trip, side trip to the beautiful, majestic medieval city of Girona: I wanted to do things differently this time so I researched for nearby cities worthy of a day trip from Barcelona and Girona was on the top of the list! Girona is a beautiful, small, quiet and quaint city which boasts of its medieval characteristics. I did not join any packaged tour for this trip. I reserved a train ride from Barcelona to Girona, approximately 30 minutes. I was not afraid to get lost in this charming city as there were a lot of tourists and is small, very manageable compared to Madrid, Lisbon or London. While it is famous to be a shooting location of Game of Thrones, there´s more to it than that. It is old fashioned, accessible, clean and enchanting! The walls and the streets are organized and spic and span. There is glamour and magnetism while walking on its perfectly gleaming cobblestone streets; it was really like a walk down memory lane. It is a hilly place so be ready by wearing comfortable clothes and your safest, lightest footwear! I was able to complete my day trip in a total 7 hours and I was able to:
1. Walk, walk, walk and enjoyed every corner of the quiet city
2. Enter and visit the Cathedral (there is an entrance fee but you can buy same day; no need for reservation)
3. Enjoy the breathtaking yet simple view of the Eiffel Bridge and Onyar River
4. Visit Arab Bath
5. Explore the Jewish Quarters
6. Go through various paths leading to Passeigh de la Muralla
7. Spend a quiet recharge moment in Plaza de Independencia
8. Eat ice cream and buy chocolate goodies from https://rocambolesc.com/es/
9. And did I say, walk a lot?
There were a lot of restos and coffee shops where you can enjoy the typical catalan dishes at affordable prices.
One of the many uphills where itcan lead you to the best tourists spots.
Arab Bath which has a very reasonable and economical entrance fee
Facade of the Cathedral
From the other side of the Cathedral
The Onyar River, the colourful houses and the Eiffel bridge in a snapshot
And these are my usuals, my go to places to visit which are a must in Barcelona: La Rambla, Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona Cathedral which has an entrance fee that includes the visit to the terraza, rooftop which is 118 steps but has a good view of the city, La Boqueria Market and the Plaza de Colon. As a bonus, if you would like to try freshly baked bread and pastries, please visit this Filipino owned bakeshop Forn de Manila Bakey Barcelona
It was a short but really a sweet holiday; a beautiful, memorable and gratifying way to celebrate my birthday and my life. I did miss my husband and my son but it was just a quick getway. Now, we are back together, snuggling and annoying each other. :) Thank you my Almighty God for the gifts of blessings, love and life!
No comments:
Post a Comment