Pyrenees and Barcelona (29.03.-02.04.19)

After mistakenly joining the line of cars that were being waved out at the Andorra border, we finally made it to Spain after a short wait. Our next destination was a large and beautiful reservoir near Berga.

On our arrival day, we were too tired to explore the surroundings, but we made up for it the next day with a hike to a small mountain village. This hike took us across huge pastures and past a kennel with noisy barking hunting dogs, where we picked up the pace. Once our adrenaline levels had calmed down a bit, a large dog suddenly ran towards us. We quickly climbed up a small hill at the side of the path, as the farmer from the farm we had reached came driving towards us in a tractor. He gestured to us that the dog was friendly and that the hiking trail went through the farm. Finally relaxed again, we crossed the farm and soon reached the mountain village, where we discovered an almost 1000-year-old church. We also noticed the many yellow ribbons and bags that were tied or painted everywhere. They are a symbol of Catalonia's independence supporters from Spain. They accompanied us all the way to Barcelona.

On our way back from our hike, we met a nice Spanish couple who recommended the hike to 'Pedraforca'. This is a mountain that is about 2500m high and is shaped like an 'M'. Pedraforca means 'manure- or hayfork made of stone' in Catalan. It is one of the most famous mountains in the region.

So, our next destination was set, and we set off the next day. We started our hike at the foot of the mountain and soon had a gigantic view of the high mountains. The higher we climbed, the colder it got, and we bundled up more and more. On the way back down, we gradually took off the layers of clothing. In the end, we sat in the car, exhausted and happy. The rest of the day, we relaxed and gave our legs a bit of a break.

Next, we wanted to go to Barcelona. To avoid not finding parking like in Andorra-la-Vella, we parked on a nearby campsite and took the bus into the city in the morning. Once there, as our second breakfast, we treated ourselves to a typical Spanish hot chocolate. With this delicacy in our bellies, we had enough energy for the day. Our second stop was the Sagrada Familia. The large church impressed us very much, and we admired it for a while before continuing to the harbor. At the nearby beach, we watched the surfers. Then we strolled back into the city to see the many culinary delights at the market. We reached the top of a mountain just in time for sunset, from where we had a magnificent view of Barcelona and the sea. After this amazing day, we took the bus back to the campsite.