Walls in Spain: March 2019

Saturday was a beautiful day in Barcelona - sunny, high of 70 degrees and being outside was mandatory! Bucky and I decided to spend the day at the Tibidabo Amusement Park which was built in 1900 atop the highest mountain in the Barcelona area which allows for fantastic views! The park is hard to miss from Barcelona and we have wanted to visit for some time and we chose the perfect day. Because it is March, there were virtually no tourists, but there was plenty of people watching available as local families were in abundance!

We went for it and purchased the day pass that allowed us to go on all of the rides. Fortunately, Bucky got the senior price that was just nine Euros! My ticket was 28,50 Euros so being old definitely has its advantages! Our first stop was the plane, a replica of the first aircraft to fly from Barcelone to Madrid in 1927. It is the attraction that is the foothold of the park so a great place to start. Only ten people at a time can ride so the wait was long, but we were not in a rush and had no squirming children to attend to, so we enjoyed the lovely view.

We then headed to the roller coaster which was so fun, we did it twice. The log ride was also a thrill. Getting wet was part of the experience, but they had this cool dryer right outside of the ride so you could actually dry off! Something I had never seen before - you stand in it and for three Euros, you get dry! We then went to a new ride called the Tibidabo Express. It looked like a roller coaster, but the riders were wearing virtual reality glasses so we were unsure of what the experience would be like. Well, we were impressed! It was really a cool, fun ride that exceeded our expectations.

Most of the rides were fun, but even more fun for me was probably people watching. The place was full of families enjoying each other and the day. Lots of people were picnicking along the walkways and consuming sweets and treats that were for sale throughout the park. Because it is located on a mountain, the park is on different levels and requires lots of walking up and down steep slopes. The parents with children in strollers and those people pushing wheelchairs were definitely getting their workouts in!

Before going home, we decided to visit the cathedral right outside the park entrance. The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an imposing monument that overlooks the park and the city of Barcelona. The church is immense and ornate and another place to get a spectacular view of the city. All in all, our day was perfect - lots of sun, love and laughter. A great memory for the Walls in Barcelona!

Happy at Tibidabo. First good selfie ever!

Ferris wheel fun!

The iconic airplane!

The roller coaster! It was so fun we went twice!

Two boys drying off in the stand up dryer outside of the log ride!

View from the cathedral!

Bucky on the ferris wheel taking a picture with his old camera.

The cathedral from the park!

One ride we didn't go on, but enjoyed watching!

The red band signifies Senior!

Bucky and I obviously enjoy Cadaques! We wanted to share it with Nancy before her study in Barcelona ends so we spent the weekend there last week. It did not disappoint! We stayed in an Airbnb apartment that was new to us and it was really great - well appointed, bright, and lots of space. It was located a bit more outside of the town, but was super easy to walk down to the main drag - walking back (UP) is what was challenging!

The first evening, we showed the town to Nancy. We made sure the sunset was on point so that she would be awed by the place! Of course, we had a glass of wine at the Maritim Bar on the water. For dinner, we wanted to go to the pizza place we discovered last time, but they were closed for the season so we headed to La Gritta and had their yummy pizza instead!

On Saturday, Nancy and I visited Salvador Dali's house located in Port Lligat. I had been before and insisted that Nancy go. It was especially cool for her to visit because she had spent the day before at the Dali Museum in Figueres with her classmates. She is now a Dali expert!

Afterwards, we had a very leisurely lunch al fresco at Casa Nun. We spent at least two hours there and shared as many bottles of wine and we all even went for dessert! The view was spectacular and people watching was great so we really enjoyed our afternoon. The rest of the day, we did some shopping, wandered around, played cards and enjoyed a simple dinner at our apartment.

Sunday we went on quite a hike. Bucky, India and I had tried the hike before, but aborted before we made it to the end because we had started so late in the day. We were determined to complete it this time. We hiked to the lighthouse at Cap de Creus and it was no small feat, at least for Bucky and me. Per usual, Nancy and India led the way. We were pretty much on our own until about 45 minutes in to an hour and 45 minute hike, when a gaggle of fast hiking french people came up behind us.

We graciously let them whiz by us, but we eventually caught up with them while they were resting. We were now in the lead and enjoying the view, but the fast french hikers gained on us again. We stepped aside and they flew by. Nancy and India definitely could have kept up with them, but luckily, they opted to stay with us. When we got towards the end of the hike, where there was an obvious push to get to the top of the mountain where the lighthouse was, the path was somewhat unclear. The fast hiking french folk pushed ahead on a treacherous route so we followed. Big mistake.

By hook or crook, we made it through the treacherous, rocky area that scared me to death and back on the path. We immediately agreed we would definitely NOT go back that way. We rewarded ourselves for completing the hike with a beer and a basket of chips at the summit! Yum! Then, we had to walk back. I was exhausted. Bucky was probably equally exhausted. Fortunately, Nancy is young and healthy and an athlete so she was in charge! And we made it safely back - tired but proud of our accomplishment.

Nancy heads back to school in the States next week. She will certainly be missed. We loved having her visit and appreciate her spending time with us as we explored some cool places. She is great company and motivating to hike with. Plus, she has great navigation skills! We are thankful for the memories that we made together and look forward to making more!