Ken was not at all pleased when he learned that we had to be at the pick up point at 6:30 AM. We figured we were at least a 20 minute bus ride away if we happened to get to the correct bus stop at the correct time. Because we are accustomed to travelling by cruise ship we did not bring an alarm clock.All of the ships have wake up service. We do not have smart phones but I do have my flip phone with me. I tried to re set the time and figure out how to make the alarm feature function.
We went to be but between worrying about waking up at five and the continued problem with Jet Lag I got very little sleep and neither did Ken. We finally gave up and got up at 4:45. We left the apartment at 5:20 and headed to what we hopped was the correct bus stop. It was still pre dawn and it was raining lightly. The city looked quite beautiful.
We were in the correct place and the bus drive assured us that he was headed where we wanted to go. We were supposed to meet in front of the Hard Rock Cafe at the Park Catalugna. When we arrived there we started to disembark and the bus driver waves at us to reassure us that we were correct.
There were others waiting so being there at six did not make us the first to arrive. While waiting for the bus I discovered why I have not seen any parkades. They have underground parking.
Soon the bus arrived. Tickets were collected and passengers boarded. It was a beautiful big bus with comfortable seating. There were about 40 people on the 57 seater bus so it was not crowded. I heard several languages being spoken. Our guide said everything in English and then in Spanish so understanding was not a problem for most. It was still dark and it was raining quite heavily. That did not bode well especially since it is usually rainier at elevation.
As we drove through the city the guide pointed out landmarks and told of the history. Ken and I had heard most of it before but we listened anyway. When we left the city and headed into the mountain road was filled with switch backs and narrow roadways. I was almost glad that it was still dark because I really didn't want to see what our driver was attempting.
When we arrived at the bus parking lot there were 2 buses there already and it was still dark. After a potty break and some intructions we began to walk toward the monastery. At that point we were treated to an amazing sunrise. It was glorious and best of all it stopped raining. The rest of the day was sunny and warm.
The mountains are so unusual and spectacular that you just have to see them to believe them.
The Monastery is spectacular the way it is tucked into the sides of the mountain.
We were given a tour of the main area complete with cafes, gift shops, museums , apartments and hotels. There are many trails to hike and holy sites to visit.
Because we were early we were able to visit and touch and make a wish at the Black Virgin.
We were able to tour inside the basilica before the crowds got bad so I was able to get some very nice picture of the inside.
We were given 2 hours of free time so we had a snack and shopped and saw a video presentation. Soon we were back on the bus for the wild ride back to the city.
Later in the day we found a place to buy stamps and a post box. These are very different from those at home and we had to ask a shop keeper to make certain we were putting those post cards in the correct place.
We had wanted to go out for pizza but the restaurant did not open until eight. We went to the Supermarket, got a few groceries and made supper. Sandra is away so we have the place to ourselves. Both of us is exhausted from the lack of sleep and the long day. We will call it a night early. We have nothing planned for tomorrow. If it is bright and sunny as predicted Ken wants to go to the beach and I want to find a mall. I need to check out the shopping here.
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