Fort Pienc

We managed to get up and out a bit earlier today. It was still hot, but manageable. Using the trusty Barcelona Metro, we made our way to Montjuic Castle via a short funicular railway ride and a trip in cable car. I am not too good with heights, but this was not too far up and the small gondolas were fully enclosed. It was better than walking anyway!

At the top of the hill is Montjuic Castle. This is a military fortress dating back to the mid 17th century. It has been rebuilt and extended over the years, and equipped with cannons used to bombard Barcelona during various uprisings involving Catalan "rebels". As recently as the 1930s, political prisoners from both sides of the Spanish Civil War were held there, and many were executed.

While looking round the Castle it is obvious why it was built, as there are good views all around and the steep slopes would make it difficult for any attackers. An informative display told the history of the castle over the centuries and was helpfully described in English alongside Castellan and Catalan.

After we'd finished there we strolled down through Montjuic Park, a succession of gardens linked by pathways which gradually wind down the hillside. About halfway down we had the option to take the other cable-car to the beach area, but as it was described as "not for the faint-hearted" and looked to travel quite a way off the ground, we took a taxi instead!

We had a light lunch (having learned from yesterday) then visited the Aquarium. There was a long queue to buy tickets so we were glad that we had bought ours online, and could walk straight in.

It is a good-sized aquarium along the lines of the SeaWorld aquaria you get in the UK. Again, the displays were also in English so we were able to get the most out of our visit. After walking through a life-sized model of a sperm whale, we headed outside to buy an ice-cream and walk to the nearest Metro station for a short journey back to the hotel.

We rounded off the day with a meal in a vegetarian Indian restaurant. It was quite small in a fairly unprepossessing street, with a very 'Indian' style of decor. We arrived just after it opened so it was empty, but within about 10 minutes several groups had arrived - including one with a tiny dog!

All the food we ordered was very good, especially a Tikka Paneer dish and a Chana Masala, which was quite similar to the Sour Chickpeas we make at home. It was also very good value. Why aren't there more vegetarian restaurants back in the UK?Read more