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Heading at our leisurely pace towards Barcelona, we stopped for a couple of nights in the Montseny region, about an hour south west of Girona. We camped at Collformic, at the head of a mountain pass, and from there walked up ‘Matagalls’. The cloud came in as we neared the summit so it was not unlike a spring walk in the Lake District! But we managed another outdoor shower when we got back to the van – something I doubt you’d get away with in the Lakes!
We arrived in Barcelona on 23rd June – the night of the St Joan celebrations. The Dia de Sant Joan is a bank holiday in Catalonia and celebrates the summer solstice. It’s celebrated, much like everything in Spain, with LOTS of fireworks and bonfires. We were a little distressed to find that none of the fireworks were stored safely in a biscuit tin! In fact many of the fireworks were purchased and then immediately thrown by fathers at their young children! We can only assume that this was an attempt to test their reflexes, but Spanish 5 year olds can run!!
We parked in a quiet back street during the afternoon where we thought we’d stay the night, but as night fell the noise got louder and louder. We’d like to have investigated further and attended one of the organised events across the city but Charlie is rather a wimp and spent those first few hours cowering in absolute terror. We didn’t think it fair to leave her in what sounded like a war zone and instead headed back to the peace and quiet of Montserrat for the night.
The next day we headed back to Barcelona and started our sightseeing proper. We had a walk around the gothic quarter of the city and the famous Ramblas (the name comes from the Arabic word for river as one used to flow here). We were parked near the seafront to the north of the city centre, so that night we went for a bike ride right along the front. There’s such a great atmosphere there with families and friends out promenading (still a popular evening pastime here), eating and drinking until late.
Barcelona is quite a sprawl so we used the city sightseeing bus to get around and see the sights quickly. Unfortunately when we got back to the van one lunchtime we found that someone had broken in and we’d been burgled! It was quite a shock to find all our belongings pulled out of cupboards and rummaged through. Charlie was in the van at the time so we can only imagine what happened there. She’s hardly guard dog material and probably spent the whole time in her hidey-hole by the footwell! David’s Nintendo and games were the only things taken so we seem to have come out of the whole experience fairly well. It could have been a lot worse.
Despite the natural impulse to get as far away as possible, we decided this wasn’t going to spoil our enjoyment of the city. We found a new place to stop, went clothes shopping to cheer ourselves up, and went out partying until early the next morning. In fact we enjoyed the nightlife so much we went out for 3 nights in a row! Things don’t get going in Spain until late – most people head out at midnight and many of the clubs don’t open until 3am. So we’d just left the dog tucked up in bed at 1am when we received a phone call from Daxa and Bex who’d just got in from the pub!
Our new parking place was the car park of the Catalonia Art Museum, on the hill of Mont Juic. It was very handy for the city centre, with outdoor escalators taking you down to Placa de Espanya. Unbeknown to us beforehand, we were in Barcelona when the annual Pride celebrations were taking place. So we watched the amazing parade and enjoyed the street party afterwards. The acts on the main stage were hardly big names. It seemed as though the runners up of the Spanish X-Factor were being given the chance to perform their ‘straight to bargain-bin’ singles! At one point someone turned to David and in a very camp voice asked ¿Quién está? (Who is this?!). Great fun though, and we only had to catch an escalator home!
The area we stayed in was first developed for the Great Exhibition in 1928. As well as being home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia, there’s the Poble Espanyol (a miniature version of Spain), and the Magic Fountain! Having spent many years in disrepair, the fountains have now been fully restored and crowds gather every evening to see the amazing fountain show which is accompanied by music tracks by Terrence Trent D’Arby and Craig David, amongst others!! Further development of the area took place when the stadium was refurbished for the 1992 Olympic Games. The Olympic sites are quite amazing. The open air diving pools sit on the hillside, giving spectators amazing views across the whole city.
After the excesses of Barcelona it was time to head for the hills! Well, the foothills of the Catalonian Pyrenees to be precise. It was great to reach some cooler temperatures after the stifling heat of Barcelona. We spent 2 nights in the tiny village of Ogassa, where we were able to get fresh water from the mountain springs. We also did a great walk following the route of the old railway line to Sant Joan de les Abadesses, with its medieval centre and monastery.
This was also a time for home improvements. Our first job was the shower. You may remember us saying that we couldn’t use the shower in our van. Well, we can now. It’s cramped to say the least, and the shower curtain does tend to stick to your buttocks! But at least we don’t have to rely on expensive campsites over the summer. We’ve been using the ACSI campsite guide for all our campsite stops. It’s a great bargain. For £12 you get a card that allows you to use the sites for 11, 13 or 15 euros a night out of season. Prices in July and August rocket - we’d expect to pay €30 or more – so being able to use the shower in the van will make a real difference.
Having fixed the shower, we suffered a toilet malfunction! But we’ll spare you the details of that little episode! It wasn’t pretty!
We’re reading the Rough Guide to Spain for advice on where to go and what to see, but it does seem rather obsessed with churches. Wherever you go, it seems determined that you visit every one in the area. Needless to say, we’re not always doing as we’re told by the Rough Guide!
Another frustration is with Tourist Information Offices - and this seems to be the case Europe-wide. Many are very good, but that tends to be the case when they’re quiet. Tourists would have to be queuing out the door, up the road, and into the next town however before they’d allow you to help yourself to a town map! This seems to be because the staff would have little to do if they weren’t able to hand you a map and scribble on it in Bic biro! It always amuses us that they feel they have to circle the big ‘i’ on the map (universal symbol for ‘information’) to show you exactly where you already know you are!
Our last day in Spain was spent travelling on the rack railway from Ribes de Freser up through the mountains to the ‘Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nuria’, and walking back down. Of all the religious relics and traditions we’ve seen so far, Nuria has to take top prize for the most bizarre. To cut a long story short, you’re supposed to kneel and put your head in a cauldron, apparently used by St Giles in the 1st century to cook for the local shepherds, while someone rings a bell above your head. Enough said!
After 9 fantastic weeks in Spain, it was time to head for France and a rendez-vous with friends near Nimes in a couple of weeks time. Next stop – Andorra!
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