Up another mountain
Trip Start
Feb 16, 2008
1
16
25
Trip End
Ongoing
Barcelona,
Spain
Monday, May 12, 2008
Final shot of the blue tram
A few people had told me that Tibidabo is a great place to go for views of the city (at 512 metre above sea level) and to get away from the hustle and bustle without leaving town. So we took the train to the bottom of the mountain and proceeded to take the touristic route to the top. You can take the good old city bus for a fraction of the cost, but we decided to take the blue tram because it looked fun and because I'm determined to try every mode of transport in this city. As we made our way up the first hill, we caught our first glimpse of houses in Barcelona. But most of these houses were University campuses or private businesses - adding merit to my theory that probably next to no one lives in a house in this city.
Tibidabo amusement park 2
At the end of the blue tram line we transferred to the funky yellow and blue funicular to take us up the mountain. It was fun except for the tourists that pushed in front of us and stole the last good seats. Hmphhhh. At the top we explored the free parts of the amusement park and then went to the church to take the elevator up to the towers for a great view. It didn't dawn on me at the time, but now that I type this, I wonder what the church parish thinks of sharing the space with an amusement park. It seems an unlikely combination of two things that you would find at the top of a mountain. But it seems to work. 
Tibidabo church
The view from the top of the church is amazing. You can see 360 degrees of city, parks, forest and the sea. Too bad it was a bit overcast, but it was still worth the trip. Besides, we wanted to check out the amusement park for times in the future when we have family or friends visit with kids. But the price is a bit steep for us tight wad Canadians. Perhaps it is on par with European theme park prices but there are some things that I still find way too expensive in Spain, and this was one! Or perhaps I was just spoiled by Argentina where the theme parks are $8. 
