Sunday, May 5 — Barcelona

Yesterday was low-key. Dennis was still not well and spent most of the day in bed. By  evening he was starting to feel better and had the first restful sleep in five nights. The rest seems to have helped him.

Its OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMother’s Day in Spain, so I get to celebrate the holiday today and again next Sunday.

After a leisurely morning, we met Elena at her house and then walked about 3 km across town to Montjuic . The weather was perfect for walking, about 70F, with blue skies. Being so close the Mediterranean, the air is clear, in spite of all the cars.

At the base of Montjuic, we walked by fountains. We used the escalator to  ascend thOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAe various levels (using Dennis’ weakness as a rationale to do so). One level had  the National Art Museum of Catalonia; another, the 1992 Olympic Ring (where Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballe sang “Barcelona”, one of my favorite songs), and then we walked up to the Botanical Gardens. At the top, we visited the Castell, a fortress which provide a wonderful panorama of the city and harbor.

We took a cable car and then a subway train back into the city. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThere we ate lunch at a vegan restaurant (Gopal): burger, potatoes with salsa brava, (“wild sauce”, a mildly spicy sauce made with tomato, garlic, onion, and vinegar), and shared a chocolate covered doughnut. Even meat lovers could enjoy this meal.

We visited Placa de Sant Felip Neri in the Gothic Section of town and where 20 children were killed in the Spanish Civil War. Afterwards, went to the parish of St. James, the Apostle to get the first sello (“stamp”) in our pilgrims passport. We are now pilgrims on our way to Santiago, even though we will not leave Barcelona until Tuesday morning.

About The Author

Jane V. Blanchard

I am an award-winning author of the "Woman On Her Way" book series, writing about my travel adventures. For more information on the books, please visit janevblanchard.com. I started the "Woman On Her Way" travel blog in 2013 to share my experiences as I explored 13 countries with my husband, traveling by ship, foot, bike, bus, train, and plane. Dennis and I continue to make memories and hope you will enjoy following along.