July 29, 2021
I'm doing this a bit out of order. I already published a blog about my trip in early August to Port Angeles and Seattle, WA where I spent a lovely 7 days in the hospital with Covid!! UGH. However, BEFORE I went there, I started off with several days in Barcelona. Think of this as the precursor to my USA trip.
Everything went smoothly at the Palma airport. I didn't have to show anything related to Covid. After a long period of almost no tourism, the airport was swarming with 20-something Brits and Germans. Mallorca is a hugely popular summer getaway for those groups.
Barcelona is only a 40 minute flight away. My bag showed up at baggage claim the moment I walked up. I exited the terminal...again, no one asked me for anything.
I hopped the Aerobus which took me directly to the heart of Barcelona, then onto two lines of the Metro (subway). Some old parts of the Barcelona Metro are quite antiquated….no elevators and LOTS of stairs to go down under and ascend out of. Many have escalators but only in one direction. Great for my knee!! At my stop, I only had 2 blocks to walk to my home exchange apartment.
Friday, July 30th
I caught the 9am train bound for Montserrat which took about 2 hours. The 'rack railway' train was waiting to transport us 5 more kilometers up the steep mountainside to our final destination. But, why stop there? I switched to a funicular and rode up a 65% incline to the very tip-top to soak in the view!!
Some factoids about Montserrat:
- Located over 4,000 feet above the valley floor
- It was destroyed by Napoleons army in the early 1800's.
- In the late1930's during the Spanish Civil War, the monks had to flee. 23 monks were killed. The autonomous government of Catalonia saved Montserrat, and freed it from looting and destruction.
- The community today is made up of some 80 monks. As at all Benedictine monasteries, the monks of Montserrat follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, devoting their lives to prayer, welcoming pilgrims and visitors, and working.
- What's there? The Basilica, apartment rooms, 2 funiculars, rack railway, aerial gondola, pastoral center, museum, plazas, a few restaurants and shops, and several hiking paths....some short but also a few that are much longer (5 - 7 km).
My video will show you more than just my mere words.
Tip: If the video is jerky, re-start your computer which will restore your memory, then try it again!
Or click here: https://youtu.be/qqbsypGxFTs
By the way, if you're interested in viewing any of my past entries about travelling around Europe and where I live in Mallorca, simply scroll down past my signature to the end. There, you'll see 'Blog History'. You can click on any Month/Year to see the titles I published at that time. Simply click on the title you're interested in and it will take you to that page.
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