We left the Pyrenees and France behind just in time, because the weather started to be whimsical, so we headed to a warmer Spain.
Map to Barcelona
We took the motorway until Malgrat del Mar, avoiding to go on the coast of Costa Brava because of the strong wind and rain. Although it's a fantastic place (we did the coast in the beginning of last summer) that you should not miss while crossing the frontier, has quite narrow roads with many serpentine and we preferred to avoid it this time.
On the road again, while Toto is arguing with Luis :D
Instead of encountering a mild weather, seems that Cataluña had other plans for us... We faced for the first time temperatures below zero in the van with no heating system. Thankfully, we have the oven and a gas tank big enough to warm up the place and a kettle full of tea.
Great parking near the beach
Having fun with Toto and Neko
Even for Toto and Neko it was too cold. They had the courage to go outside the bed late in the morning and surprisingly, spent only 10 minutes outdoors.
Neko's face when she got in contact with the icy sand
While we've waited for the sun to thaw us, we were witnesses to this amazing sunrise
Good-looking dawn
With the frozen noses and with the hope that the next destination will be more gentle with us, we headed to Barcelona, where, according to Freddie Mercury's lyrics - 'La musica vibró' (I've left here the song so you can listen to it while reading this post :)).
Enjoy the ride
We searched in advance for a quiet and free of charge place to park the campervan and we found the perfect spot on the Montjuïc hill, near the Botanical garden and Montjuïc castel, which offered us a spectacular view over the city and the silence we wanted. It's forbidden to park the motorhomes here, but we were disguised very well by our van, so we didn't had any problem during our stay.
Free parking in Barcelona
With a great view
Vibrant city early in the morning
We didn't planned to do many things in the city, but a visit to Palau de la Musica Catalan it was a must and the best way to take advantage of this wonderful concert hall designed in the Catalan modernista style, is to 'see' it through it's sound and acoustic. So we booked two tickets a day before, in order to attend a symphonic and coral concert which, to our surprise, were even cheaper than an ordinary visit of the building. From the Montjuïc hill till the Palau de la Musica it takes less than one hour walking, but the descent through the Jardins de Joan Brossa and the geometrical streets is very pleasant.
Wonderful Palau de la Musica Catalan
We kept the rest of the afternoon to roam the streets of the city, looking for the well known Gaudi- designed houses in modernista style. It was a nice walk through Plaça and Rambla de Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia, where we discovered architectural treasures at every corner.
Detailed architecture in modernista style
My favorite building on Rambla street
The advantage of living almost outdoors is that you can catch breathtaking sunsets and sunrises without too much effort. That's also the case when you have a pet to walk and wake up at 7 o'clock... you receive great 'presents' like this stunning moonset over Barcelona.
On the second day we took the metro (here you find a useful website with transport network and prices) down to the Park Güell to admire Gaudi's innovative and playful architecture under the warm sunlight of December.
Streets of Barcelona
But before, we got the chance to see another magnificent panoramic view over the city. If you come by metro, descend at Vallcarca station, take Avinguda de Vallcarca and get on the Baixada de la Glòria up to the south entrance of the park where you'll have to climb the Turó de les Tres Creus and enjoy the view!
Panoramic view from Turó de les Tres Creus
Colorful Park Güell
The park was full of this funny visitors
We could not leave the city without paying a visit to the famous Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. From the park we crossed the city up to the church, following it's impressive towers. We've visited already some of the well known churches, but this one captivated us from afar. It is harmonious and elegant, impresses through its harmony of lines, the richness of details and the inner light of every stained glass and rosettes. Gives you simultaneously cold and warm feelings and chills down your spine when you take a moment to acknowledge its grandeur. This building it's so complex that no wonder it took 135 years of construction and still counts the years to completion.
Impressive Basilica de la Sagrada Familia
On the way back home, we made a stop at the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria to delight our eyes with the richness of colors and the freshness of the products from the market and excite our papillae at a restaurant nearby. Check here our experience at Casa Guinart.
Once in a moonlight
