AT THE BUNKERS DE CAN BARÓ

When having done their research prior to Barcelona, they thought they had all the great places nailed to their bucket list. You know, Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, Montserrat...

So when Dani in the lobby said he liked to give them tips on what to in the city, they said yes just to be polite.
...Yes, the heroines of this story can be a tad too smug sometimes... Because Dani of course had a whole list of off-the-tourist-track things to do, like the hidden bar behind the sandwich shop Pastrami and the Bunkers de Can Baró.

Bunkers? Like in the war? The girls were intrigued, and accepted his google maps-print outs, adding it to their checklist for the trip.

ART DECO meets WONDERLAND: Introducing PARK GÜELL

Pinterest sure has been a bigger influense in my plans and goal than it maybe should have. After finding amazing pictures, I pin them to my board "Oh the places I wanna go" and then they're stuck. I have no choice but to go there. 

That compulsive behavior led us to the inner China last year, seeing places I didn't even know exsisted for real before pinterest showed me they did. 

So even though I had been in Barcelona once before, I had no idea this kind of scenery could be found outside a Disneyland before I found a picture on Pinterest. It's quite an amazing world to live in compared to a couple of years ago. Before internet, there are just so many places I wouldn't have had the chance to see. 

But enough sentimental blabbering now. If I were you, I'd ask me to shut up and just keep the pictures coming. If you are looking for info on how to get here and stuff, there is a section for it in the end.

DAYTRIP: MONTSERRAT... & tapas & wine

Up on a mountain, long ago, a priest found a carving of a virgin mary. The priest wanted to take this holy piece home to his chapel to increase his power and wealth, but as farther he came from the place where the virgin was found, the heavier the statue became. Eventually, the statue became so heavy he could not carry it one bit further, so the priest realized that God had told him that the statue's rightful home was where he found it. The priest carried it back and instead started to build his church around it.

"And that is the story about Montserrat." our guide Francesco told us as we drove on the winding roads in the shadow of the mountain's ridge, on our way up to the legendary castillo. The mountain itself was impressive enough, towering like the back of a dragon.

"Monserrat mountain was Gaudí's biggest source of inspiration." Francesco continued and my heart purred in the chest. Gaudí had already become the biggest source of inspiration in my imaginary future carrier as a painter, so to see the place that made him create such beautiful pieces was going to be breathtaking.

Also, we were going to get wine. Which might not at all have something to do with the level of pepp we were feeling when the bus finally stopped in the scenic area.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.

BARCELONA FROM THE SKY