Today we went back up Montjuic by Metro, funicular and cable car. The cable car (teleferic) delivered us to the Castell de Monjuic which overlooks the port. It was built in 1640 as a military fort and is the site of some unpl
easant events, including imprisonment, torture and execution. In 1842, the garrison (loyal to the Madrid government) shelled parts of Barcelona from the castle. The Catalan nationalist leader Lluís Companys was executed here in 1940. Apparently the Catalans don't much care for the castle due to the historic events, but it may be converted in the future to a museum dedicated to international peace. The views from the castle were the main attraction for us, and we enjoyed watching the action at the port below. Lots of containers, some being moved around, and three cruise ships parked for the day. We noted how the port seems to be hidden from view around Montjuic from the marina and beach areas of Barcelona.
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| Henry was sure that the cable car ride would be scary, as shown by his somewhat theatrical expression as we boarded. |
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| One of the gondolas heading down as we were heading up. |
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| Kids check out an old cannon. |
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| View of the port far below us. |
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| The moat around the Castell de Montjuic, now very nicely landscaped. Without a doubt, the most attractive moat we've seen this trip. Woohoo! |
Instead of returning by cable car, we walked down the hill, passing up a couple of playgrounds in favor of a swim in the diving venue built for the '92 Olympics. Sully asked if the pool would be shallow and my response was that there were no toddler wading events in the Olympics, so no. Madeleine and Henry, apparently inspired by the surroundings, practiced their diving a bit. The swimming pool here is only open in July and August, and we thought that the diving pool was closed to the public, but as we were leaving after the pool closed, there was a large group (of locals we assume) jumping off the high dives.
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| Looking down over Barcelona from the Olympic diving venue. |
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| The water was fine! |
Tomorrow my mom and I plan to get up early and take Madeleine and Henry to see Sagrada Familia, which Nik really enjoyed a few days ago. The end of our trip is starting to feel close, so we are determined to savor these last days of our big adventure.
- E
And what a trip you have all had. Amazing. Bravo. Well done. Are you ready to return home or wish you were staying? I think vacations are hard to say goodbye to. No doubt this will be a favorite memory for all of you for years to come. Good night.
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