Barcelona pt4 Sagrada Familia and Castle Montjuic

Today, Saturday we are going to take a look around some of the Guadi designed buildings, starting with the Basilica Sagrada Familia.

Still being built, and has been for a very long time from what i have found out.

                               Every part is different , amazing detail all over the building.
                                        using my 100-400 L to pick out interesting detail.

Moving around one of the adjacent parks and shooting over the lake using the trees to frame and hide the cranes .

                                         The opposite side has Four of these beautiful spires.

                                                            Framing with trees again :)

We are now heading to see the Casa Mila and then to Casa Batllo but stopped to take this image, love this building .

                                                                               Casa Mila

       Standing opposite the stunningly beautiful Casa Batllo , this is a 6 frame vertical panorama.
                                                                 5dmk2  17-40 L

                                                                  5dmk2 with 100-400 L

                                                                       Phone panorama

             Now to go find the Las Ramblas , passing the fountains at Placa de Catalunya

                                    Las Ramblas ,  absolutely packed with people.

                                      Modern Art or old?      Placa de George Orwell

Time to head back to the hotel , and after a short rest we are heading back out to go to the Castell de Montjuic for sunset.  we take the bus towards the Magic Fountain and then get a bus straight up to the castle.    
                              Waiting at Placa d'Espanya for the bus to the Castle.

 Arrived at the castle, but found out it closes at 8 pm so no waiting for sunset from the top , Arghhh

                                                 Up top and looking around......

                                                  Great views looking over the city

            Using the long lens to pick out buildings as the low setting sun starts illuminating them.

                                                        Looking towards the marina.

                                                       The stunning Sagrada Familia

                                                    shows just how huge it is from up here! 

                                                 Cant take Jan anywhere near a statue!!!!

                                                                      Phone panorama

                                                                               Two Jan's :)

                   Time to leave, in other words we are being kicked out at closing time!
We are going to walk back down and meet up with Ellie and Patto for the evening somewhere.

                       Walking down the zig zag hill watching the sun turning the sky orange.

Eventually we have met up with Ellie and Patto in a side street with all the open air restaurants and bars , its buzzing around here .

 We have gone back to the small bar where we had the Vermuth the other evening before heading back to the hotel , exhausted!

The end of our last full day in Barcelona ,  although we have most of tomorrow due to a very late flight back home.

Barcelona pt 3 Montserrat

Today we are going up into the mountains to Montserrat Monastery , its about an hour on the train and then we go up on a cable car to the top.
First we have to get the bus to the Magic Fountain which is near to the train station.


        Lovely early morning light on the Palace, but we have no time to stay and take photographs.

                                             The train station is near to the big pillars.

After sitting on the floor of a very packed train we have arrived at the Cable car stop,  there is also a furnicular train that goes up to the top from the next train station, but we want to ride on the cable car.

                                      That is where we are heading, on a rickety cable car!
It costs a little bit more (11 euros ish ) for this 5 minute cable car,  than the price to come 21 miles from Barcelona on the train!

 There is a big queue for the cars, it has a maximum 30 people limit which is being strictly adhered to.  luckily we are probably going to get on the 3 rd car in.

 

                                                                          Almost to the top .

                                                               What a view from up here!

 We have walked up to the main square , and its really warm up here , the forecast was saying about 5-8 dgrees so we put big coats on  , we are going to bake  Doh!

               Amazing rock formations, and so different from all the surrounding mountains.

                                                                       A wind blown selfi .

 We have walked along through to see the Prayer candles ,its especially busy as this is Easter weekend and there is a huge queue to go into the monastery.  maybe another time we will go back when its quieter.

                      Panorama of the square, amazing mountains in contrast to the buildings.

We are now going to walk around the mountain to see if we can find the Cave Chapel , going down the main path towards another funicular train which goes even higher up the mountain.

 Its getting quite hot walking in the sun, and to think its chucking it down back home,  shame!
This big path winds down and then around the mountain side.

                                                      Looking up to the monastery.

                                  There are sculptures all along set into the mountain side.

                           I can see a large cross in the distance, looks a good photo opportunity.

                                              The cross is in deep shadow unfortunately.

                                                                           More statues.

                                                         The cave Chapel is now in sight.

                         An  Inside image, as we both forgot to take one of the outside!  Ooops

                                                       Beautiful stained glass windows

                       The snow covered Pyrenees in the distance, taken with 100-400 mm lens

                                                            Amazing views from here

                        On our way back now , must have missed this one on the outward walk.
                                                               Dont know how    lol

                                                              Wonder how safe this is!!!!
                                             Yes i asked Jan to stop for a photo under it :)

                         Back at the top after a hard climb.   what a fabulous area it is up here .

Time to get the cable car back down now , its really busy but luckily it was a good decision to allow plenty of time otherwise we could easily miss the train, which only run every hour today.

                                                              A view from over the valley.

Waiting on the platform now, only 10 minutes before the train is due,  if we had waited much longer for a cable car we probably would not have made this train.

Thats the end of a great day in the mountains ,   think we are going to have a look around the city tomorrow at all the architecture.