First trip – Spain Part 2

Valencia, a city that was built on the foundation of its historical conquests. The design and architecture of the buildings are a mixed of influences, showcasing the art and sentiments of those who did the hard work. Look and notice that not all of the figurines on the buildings are gargoyles and saints, they are a rebellion of different sorts.

This is also my first time staying in a city hostel on my own. I was prepared for it or so I thought, but forget how inconsiderate some people could be. The city was an assault to my senses, overloading them with noise, sea of people and pollution. I found myself looking forward to spending some quiet time in Montserrat.

The train journey from Valencia to Barcelona then Montserrat was simple enough since it’s a tourist destination. I was apprehensive but thought it would be better than the city and if I need to, I’ll just join the monk for the day if they’ll have me.

It’s a peaceful place for meditation and reflection after all the tourists left. All I could hear is birds chirping and time seemed to stand still. The beauty of the mountains with its uncompromising stillness forces my mind to slow down, to notice where I am in my lifetime, to take stock of who I am and what I’ve accomplished. Bliss…

The walks around the mountains featured the landscape at every turn with different perspectives. I didn’t even notice the bolts for climbing until I saw a couple of guys’ jacket lying around and they were no where in sight…’multi pitch!’, I thought then followed by annoyance. Not that I planned to climb, just annoyed cos I have everything with me and no partner to climb with 😤

After a couple days of walking around the mountains, it’s time to chill out and do some work…yes, things to do for people who mattered. This is also a test of how well I cope with tasks to complete and having a good time. Worked well so far, a few hours on the laptop every day and still managed to catch the Montserrat abbey boys choir, visit the museum and spend some quiet spiritual time in the chapel. A week of peace and quiet, it was time to rejoin the crazy civilisation that is the city. Barcelona!

Gaudí’s architectural design is the most interesting thing that I found in the city, so I spent most of my time surrounded by nature inspired structures. His work was indeed ahead of his time and of course, the Sagrada Familia (it’s still in progress) is impressive to say the least.

The Mercat de la Boqueria was amazing, I stopped there everyday to get my daily fix of fruits. I have learnt in my short journey through a few places in Spain, the people here love their food and after a few weeks indulging on them, I long for plain white rice and stir-fry meat and vegetables.

Apart from eating and sightseeing, a bit of culture definitely helped with the life in the city. I spent nearly 2 hours in the square just outside Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi, watching a band played while a host of people line dancing with joy and a couple of hours later I was in the Palau de la Música Catalana listening to one of the best musicians for flamenco dance, Pedro Javier González Quartet.

When it rained outside, I went indoors and decided to visit Sharma Climbing since I needed some training. The great thing about outdoor climbing is, it showed me what I need to work on for both techniques and endurance. I wasn’t sure about the place because of all the comments on greasy holds and rude staff, I went anyway so that I can find out for myself. The staff were delightful and the holds do look more dirtier than what I’m used to but climbed ok with them, so what’s the fuss about!

From Alicante to climb then catching up with friends in Moraira, Valencia for a bit of city then off to the mountains for chillaxing and finishing off in the city of Barcelona that so many of my friends have been raving about. Glad I did this short trip, well I say short but for most it’s long 3 weeks, to see what I really need and don’t need while on the road. I can certainly pack less.

Next on the itinerary…Portland, Dorset for some climbing and social commitments.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it.