Self-reward around Pyrenees

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Reward #1 - Toast with cava!:
After one full easy day, I was able to walk faster and pain was less going up the stairs. I wasn’t gonna sit around anyway. I’ve never seen the cava country mentioned in any guide book of Barcelona but it sounded like an awesome idea 😄. Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is ~1hr train ride west of Barcelona. The day started out early but not smooth 😞. It's just that nobody was going that far out of the city and people had no idea where this place was. First I took the wrong train cuz I couldn’t remember the name of the final stop. I got on and after I asked the ladies around me, it became a discussion of the isle. Somebody finally knew how to get there, phew. People went out of their way to help me, thank you!! After a few transfers, it looked like I was finally on the right train, great. Then I got too relieved and comfortable. When I realized (i.e. woke up), the sign on the platform looked blur. The door closed and it became clearer and clearer…rrrr, that was it!!! Luckily the reverse train from the next station left shortly after and arrived at Sant Sadurni d'Anoia station at 11:30m. I left to be on time for 10:30a tour at Freixenet but obviously, I was late. But at least I made it to the tour at Codorniu at noon.

Codorniu is known to have the most beautiful winery in the area. It was a Spanish tour as English tours of the day were full…cool. It seemed that the tour guides didn't know what to make of me but once the ice was broken, it was all over 😄. I had a very good time! After the tour, I asked for the walking route back to the station. A few minutes later, he chased me down and gave me a ride - so nice!!! Codorniu rocks!!! It was still ~2p at the station. Since Freixenet was right by it, I stopped by for tasting. By tasting, it was full glass, uy, I already had a few at Codorniu. I took the black bottle & malvasia. Malvasia was yummy. It was tough without lunch :p. Somehow made it back on the train but the Plaza Catalunya station came in a blink.

Reward #2 - Mes que un club:
Nice day finally! Before I checked out, I went for a short early morning stroll around Barri Gotic. I don’t need much. Just drop me there and I’ll be content, especially before the crowd roars into the area. Bakery cafes will be open and that’s all I need 😄. I checked out of the room and was back on the road again. I put my bags at la consigna at Sants station. From there, I walked to Plaza Espanya via Joan Miro park. It has 3-story tall primary-colored sculpture and serene palm tree-lined park. Plaza Espanya connects to MNAC, a palace-looking national museum on the hill. Climb was still rough on my legs but I made it to the top. In front of the museum, there is a mini amphitheater where you have the view of the city with live music performance - a perfect spot for a breather 😊. Continuing on to the other side of the park, there are two funiculars, one going up to Montjuic castle and another down to Barceloneta. I’m no sucker for these rides but both have great views!!! This time, I took the one down to Barceloneta 😊.

It was already ~3p and it was time to start heading to Camp Nou! Despite my super short stay, I was lucky enough to hit the home match day. It was a C-rated game (vs Real Madrid is A++, btw, and not even available to non-members) but it was hard to get a pair tickets!! Around the stadium, the merchandise kiosks were lined up along the stadium already. The air was fulla spirit and excitement!! I made it just in time for the museum, which is right in the stadium. At ~5:30p, people started showing up to the stadium. By the game time at 8p, it was fulla Barca fans. I saw maybe a couple with the Sporting jersey... All annoucements were in Catalan but I bet their game gets the most outsiders!! That's ok though. Catalan was just the intro and the fight song. All screens, including the big ones, showed only the score and occasional silent commercials. The scoreboard showed the elapsed time and the score, that's it. No breakdowns and statistics, simple 😊. People can totally smoke in their seat without an ashtray - the guy in front of us had a cigar, haha, you go!

Reward #3 - Carcassonne:
I spent a few days in Carcassonne, France. It is a medieval walled city, well preserved, and now a tourist mecca. 5hr bus ride from Barcelona took me to the city at 6am while still dark. I had no idea where I was, neither did the bus driver. Luckily, there was a cab and he took me to the walled city. It would have been too ambitions to find my way without a proper map in darkness anyway 😊. But since the cars couldn't go inside the wall, I was lost shortly after at the gate... But as always, so many people help me on my journeys. There was a street cleaning old man and he happily walked me to the hostel, thank you! My shattered French comes in handy at times - definitely needs work. Hostel was clean and has lots n lotza common space. I got to talk to a lot of people, traveling solo and not, who were very inspiring - front desk person who spoke every language under the sun, a guy biking from Bristle to Barcelona, Canadian professors on sabbatical, a French artist looking for retirement town etc. etc. etc.

The walled city sits on top of the hill. It’s pretty touristy with overpriced shops and restaurants but walking along between inner and outer walls was amazing! Besides the beautiful medieval construction itself, the view of the lower town was picturesque, with all roofs being pinkish orange. The roundtrip around the walled city took ~30min and I don't know how many rounds I'd made total 😄. Inside the walled city was a maze and I don't think I had a good grasp even on the 2nd day. It gets lit up at night and it creates another gorgeous view of the walls.

The first day of my stay was the market day in the lower town. There were lots of fresh-looking produce! I couldn't help but to pick up grape and red currents. Wow, I hadn't tasted grape with that ripen-on-the-vine sweetness in a loooong time, yum! Right by the plaza, I spotted a briocherie!! Really, such thing exists?! They sure know brioche, omg, soooo fluffy!!! Even at another nearby boulangerie, brioche was denser. I don't care which is more accepted, if there is any official criteria. This one from the briocherie showed no hint of high-calorie-ness, amazing!!! I got too excited with all the boulangeries I ate til I gave in to my stomach capacity.

Reward #4 - La Merce:
I adjusted my itinerary last minute to be back in Barcelona for one last day. It fell on La Merce festival weekend, one of the biggest in town! It was a sunny gorgeous day too! The concert stages were setup in various major plazas throughout the city and the events were going on from thu to sun at multiple locations, traditional and not, including concerts starting at 1am. Metro was running 24hrs during the weekend. When it comes to fiestas, they sure know the drill. Why is it that here, it becomes such a chaos and ends up being banned or cancelled the next year?? Montjuic castle held kids activities during the day and it was jam packed with stroller families. I took a nice long stroll up to and down from the castle. It’s always pleasant to go from MNAC through Fundacio Jaon Miro to the castle - a nice stroll with nice views. I finally made it to Pastisseria Santa Clara, my fav, and took the much-deserved coffee break 😊.

That night was Correfoc. “Correfocs, or "fire-runs" in English, are among the most striking features present in Catalan festivals. In the correfoc, a group of individuals will dress as devils and light fireworks. While dancing to the drums of a traditional gralla, they will set off their fireworks among crowds of spectators.” My first reaction - what's with the love for the explosives??? There was a huge hell's gate where a parade of people, drummers and giant monster figuring go through. After a draggingly long preaching/intro in Catalan in the beginning, all hell broke loose. Explosives and fire cracker went off at the gate, so close to the crowd. It continued on for a devil after another. Of course, the little kids were in the front row. And of course it scared them but the parents weren’t so worried. No pasa nada, decian. You go Barcelona!!!

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Photos

Codorniu
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Codorniu
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Codorniu
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Codorniu
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Freixenet
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Freixenet
Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

View from the room
Avinguda del Portal de l'Angel, Barcelona

Naaa
Parc Joan Miro

Hmmm
Parc Joan Miro