When we landed in Barcelona, we could see a far-away church on a big hill – maybe we can even call it a mountain – overlooking the city. Josh said, “There. That is what I want to visit.” I said aye-aye, captain.
A big of quick Googling to find where we were going and how to get there and enter Tibidabo, one of my new favorite places. We took an old trolley then a funicular (we put the fun in funicular) tram that chunk-chunked its way up the steep incline to Tibidabo. The church, Sacred Heart, was lovely, outside and in.
Ever seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona? Remember the amusement park they visit? It was here, in Tibidabo. I’m a schmuck for many things, but Woody Allen films and rollercoasters are near the top of the list, as are old-timey things. The Tibidabo amusement park combined all three. We rode the little red plane in this photo. It went ’round three times, very slowly, and gave great views of the city.
The views from the church were great, too. If you go to Barcelona, take a few hours and visit Tibidabo. Take the subway to Plaza de John Kennedy, then look for signs right near the metro station for the red or blue tram. That’ll take you to the funicular tram, where you can buy a round-trip ticket to Tibidabo.
Rachael Cullins is a twentysomething American girl living in Dakar, Senegal, with her husband and two dogs. She blogs about her adventures in Senegal and travels elsewhere in West Africa. She will reside in Dakar until summer 2013, when she and her family will move to another foreign post as part of her husband’s career with the U.S. government. In addition to West Africa, she has traveled to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Costa Rica and plans to continually add to that list.
