On our third full day in Barca, we decided to check out Montjuic (a hill - translated to Jewish Hill), mainly for the view, but also to see some other things in the area, like the Olympic stadium. Unfortunately, because of some big conference in the area, we didn't go up the supposed normal way by the fountains, but instead had to take side streets. I'm so thankful that they have escalators! Otherwise, it would've been a long(er) and somewhat painful hike to the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya). As we ascended on the escalators, I couldn't help but look back and admire the view of the city. It was such a beautiful day and the city was just gorgeous.
We stopped on the steps on the MNAC to eat the sandwiches we bought for lunch, with wonderful view of the city and there was even a man in front of the steps playing the guitar, which definitely added to the ambiance. I remember just sitting there, eating my ham & brie sandwich, basking in the sun (got to pull out my sunglasses, yay!), looking at Barcelona, listening to the guitarist playing "Piano Man," and just feeling so... content. I'm not even sure if content is really the right word, but at that moment, I knew that I loved that city and I was just happy sitting there. It was a feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time (and it definitely wasn't a feeling that I had when looking at Béthune :P).
Eventually, we decided that we couldn't stay there all day, so we took more escalators and headed towards the Olympic Stadium from 1992 (during the tour the day before, I learned the Barcelona wasn't a big tourist town before the Olympics...). We just wandered around the outside, but it was still pretty cool to be standing in a place where the Olympics were held almost 20 years ago!
Afterwards, we made our way to the cable cars to take one up to the top, where the castle is. With my fear of heights, I wasn't exactly comfortable during the ride up, but the view was incredible. I tried to focus on that as the wind shook our cable car, making me even more uneasy.
From the castle, we got good views of the harbor (woo, not terribly exciting) and of course took advantage of the magnificent photo opportunities up there. But once we got to the top of the castle, the view of the city was absolutely breathtaking. I can't even describe how amazed I was, but as soon as we got to the edge of the wall, all you could hear were our murmurs of "wow" and gasps of amazement. Being there on top of the castle, taking photos in the wind, is probably one of my most memorable moments of my trip and one of the reasons why I love Barcelona. I know these pictures can't do it justice.
Throughout the day, there were so many "wow" moments and I wish that my camera could've captured everything like how I saw it through my eyes. Unfortunately, my photography skills aren't that great, so even if you think the pictures are good (or not), you actually have to go there and experience it yourself. I highly recommend it.
Bis x
N
