Living La Vida Loca

Monjueic and Hunting for a Neighborhood

The days so far had been very, very full and we definitely getting the groove of not rushing off early in the morning.  Once mobilized…at about noon or so…we decided to head for Monjueic.  Andrew and I started a little tradition of getting “cafe con leche” at a little bar/cafe just across the street from…

Esther Schorr
3–5 minutes

The days so far had been very, very full and we definitely getting the groove of not rushing off early in the morning.  Once mobilized…at about noon or so…we decided to head for Monjueic.  Andrew and I started a little tradition of getting “cafe con leche” at a little bar/cafe just across the street from the apartment and the Asian couple who run it came to know us and greet us each morning.  I have to say that the local coffee is far and away better than Starbucks.  I generally mask the taste of American coffee with soy and flavorings, but the expresso in Spain is awesome…not bitter at all and smooth as silk.  Happiness and a nice kick to start the day.

We took the Metro to the base of Monjueic, then took a gondola ride to the very top where the original castle/fortress still stands.  The view from the top is beautiful – the city spread out below, Mt. Tibidabo (home of a monastery we have yet to visit) in the distance, the Mediterranean in the east – very cool.  The mountain is also home to many museums, park areas, and other exhibitions and festivals during the year – we will have to come back for all of that.  The castle grounds were very well-maintained, with lovely walking paths, a big internal, walled plaza, some remaining battlements (big cannons), etc.  We stopped to watch a woman taking archery lessons on a huge strip of grass lining one side of a castle wall…it so happened that the wall was where the shooting squad had operated centuries before. Ack!

Up and away to Monjueic
The Funicular Fun
Ruth and Eitan were ready for a relaxing evening and Andrew and I really wanted to do a little scouting of neighborhoods we’d been told about as potential for our relocation.  So we parted ways at the Metro and the kiddos took off for a shopping expedition along the Gran Via (lots of booths are set up for holiday shoppers with local knick-knacks and street food), and we headed to the Zona Alta (upper area) of the city where the sections we’d been told about were.  We must have walked 5 or 6 miles by the time the evening was over, and meandered the streets of Gracia, Turo Park, the edge of Pedrabeles, Sarria and San Gervais.  These were all outlying “suburbs” of Barcelona but as the city grew they were incorporated into the expanded mapping and transportation grid and form the more affluent zone that rides along the north edge of the central city.  The apartment buildings are a bit less compacted, and there are some nice, wide plaza-like streets with concrete walks up the center.  There are some “pocket parks” along the way and a few city parks that are green interludes dropped in the midst of significant traffic areas,  and each section of this zone has it’s own strip of markets, cafes, pharmacies, etc.  We had our eye on the areas that would not only give us access easily to the center of the city and all that provides, but would be relatively easy for Eitan to get by public transit to the American School.  We are already formulating some preferences as a result of this on-foot research, and the next step will be to connect with a real estate agent to begin the real hunt for an apartment to rent in late summer.  There’s a good chance that one of us will need to return to Barcelona in the Spring to identify the landing pad, or the agent will need to send us videos (guess which one I prefer???),

Our feet were beginning to ache at this point – and going on 10pm we stopped in a small and cozy restaurant in Sarria called Martino’s for dinner of tapas and wine.  Run by the son of the original owner, I tried my hand at ordering off the Catalan menu and actually did alright choosing things we found more than edible…some thin-sliced ham with tomate bread (soft bread with a tomato jelly spread),  prawns in a yummy garlic sauce,  meat canellone,  and creme caramel…and wine.  Sigh – a great end to a busy, busy day with lots to think about.

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