Our Lady of Montserrat and Parc de la Ciutudella

in front of the Black Madonna

Next up was a trip to Montserrat Spain I used Julia tours. I had read about this place near Barcelona but getting there on my own just seemed to be a challenge and in the end this tour was almost as cheap.  I wanted to visit the Black Madonna  as much as I hated waiting in line I did because I wanted to see it up close. It was a bit of a wait when the mass ended and finally I got to the area after climbing some stairs to see it. I went in and saw it said a quick prayer and snapped a couple of photos then I headed back down to the church. It was very crowded downstairs and I waited until a spot in a pew opened and went in and said a prayer. I then used my zoom lens to take some pictures. 

Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey

up the way up the stairs

quick snap as I waited my turn

the view from the pew

After we arrived back in Barcelona I had a bite to eat grabbing a salad at the nearby market and then headed off. I had seen a park area from the tour bus the day before and decided to see if I could find it. I walked for awhile when I first found this red looking entrance and passed under and walked for awhile I was starting to get tired and was ready to go back but as I sat and rested awhile I could see some gold looking statute in the distance and decided to go and check it out.  The park was Parc de la Ciutudella in it was an amazing fountain known as Cascada which is the arch at the center of the waterfall it was originally designed by Josep Fontsere and his student Anoni Gaudi.

Triumphal Arch

Desolation -- Josep Llimona

Aurora's Chariot

Dragons

Visiting Girona and Salvador Dali museum in Figueres

Kissing the butt of Lioness

For something different I decided to book a tour and visit Girona and also Figueres which was the home of the Salvador Dali Museum.  First up was Girona we had a short walk around the town including the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona. It was quite a feat for me to climb the stairs but I did it. Then we came across a statue of the Lioness and I decided to do the thing and kiss the butt I was able to hand someone my camera and get a shot of me doing this. Afterwards we had some free time to look around Girona and it was quite packed you could barely move. I headed back to the meeting place for the bus and got a bit lost but I made it.

up those stairs I go 

Cathedral of St Mary of Girona

interesting creature in the air

walk along the Onyar

We then boarded the bus and headed to Figueres, we arrived and had a chance to look around a bit before we entered the museum. I have to admit I really did not know much about Dali. His complete name was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech (or as my mother would say pull up two chairs) Marquis of Dali de Pubo. He was a prominent Spanish surrealist born in Figueres. Born in 1904 and burst into the art scene in 1929 and rarely left the public eye until his death in 1989. Some quotes attributed to him include "Don't do drugs I am drugs"  "Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings" and "Have no fear of perfection-you'll never reach it. I also visited the church of St Peter where Dali was baptized the church was built in late 14th century

  

  

You need to look close to spot the Lincoln face

this is how it actually was 

when you looked through the scope

The glass encased 18th century sculptural group entitled  Sorrows bu Ramon Amaden

the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher by Frances Torres