Day 4 of Western Mediterranean Cruise 9 Nights 11 Days Trip: Barcelona (feat. Jackpot)

Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery

Travel Date: 2023.09.08 – 2023.09.18

Destinations: Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery, OBBA corea bbq, Casa Batlló, Sagrada Familia, Restaurant Central Rambla 26 BARCELONA, Churreria

Western Mediterranean Cruise 9 Nights 11 Days Trip Day 4

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Started with a sunrise at sea!

Costa Esmeralda

Costa Esmeralda

(The sea view is magnificent every day)

The main dining hall was too crowded, so I tried another breakfast restaurant.

This place had fewer options but was convenient because you could serve yourself.

And even if you go early, it’s much more relaxed than the crowded main restaurant!

Barcelona

Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery

08199 Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain

The building you see as soon as you get off the bus.

Inside, there are souvenir shops, restaurants, restrooms, etc.

You can use the free restrooms here.

The monastery is a bit further up!

As you follow the people up, you’ll see the monastery.

The cliffs behind it almost look like sculptures.

Maybe it’s just me lol

I wish Galaxy could do something about its wide-angle distortion…

This is the best photo I got.

Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery

It’s famous for the Black Madonna statue.

You can see it if you go to the front, but why didn’t I take a picture…?

We only had a short time, so I just took a quick look and left.

The path to the Black Cross, which has a spectacular view.

It takes about 15 minutes if you walk fast.

Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery

The scenery is truly breathtaking.

It’s like a vast land that opens up your mind.

The monastery, the sky, and the buildings below are all magnificent.

Another hot spot.

You can take a mini-train to the top of the mountain for another view.

However, time was tight, and the guide recommended the Black Cross view.

So I didn’t go to the very top.

It’s a shame I didn’t have more time!

I also browsed the souvenir shop and bought a magnet, which is a must!

(Paid) train ride down.

The scenery from the train was also beautiful.

You said the guide takes good pictures 😂

OBBA corea bbq

C/ de Nicaragua, 97, 08029 Barcelona, Spain

Lunch that day was at a Korean restaurant.

I wonder why they gave it such a weird name 🤔

Side dishes

Yuzu salad, stir-fried kimchi, spinach, potato stir-fry.

I remember the kimchi being unique, tasting like a mix between fresh and stir-fried kimchi.

The kimchi stew tasted like it was simmered with pork for a long time.

It was oily and just my style.

The kimchi was perfectly fermented and delicious, the best.

It was very strong flavored, so older people might not like it?

The soy sauce bulgogi was also good, but a little salty.

So it was perfect with rice.

They even gave us oranges for dessert! 👍

Casa Batlló

Pg. de Gràcia, 43, 08007 Barcelona, Spain

(Galaxy… *cough cough*)

Casa Batlló is famous for its architecture designed by Gaudí.

I didn’t go inside, just looked from the outside.

I didn’t fully grasp how amazing it was, but

the fact that it was designed breaking conventions was impressive.

I went to Casa Milà too, but why are there no pictures…?

Sagrada Familia

C/ de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

This is also an unfinished church designed by Gaudí.

So it looks like a construction site… (surprised)

(European buildings seem to undergo a lot of renovation… I thought.)

Zoomed-in shot and back view.

I wondered if I should eat here before trying Five Guys.

Souvenir shop.

I’m not interested in soccer, so I don’t know who this is.

Found sunglasses I liked.

Should have bought them!

The street art is incredible.

If you tip them, they do some kind of performance.

The woman covered in gold paint, I genuinely couldn’t tell if she was human or a statue.

What is this…? I wondered, then saw someone put a coin in and realized.

Free time.

I didn’t want to go far and was thirsty, so I just sat at an open restaurant nearby.

Restaurant Central Rambla 26 BARCELONA

La Rambla, 26, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

Beer 14 euros

Cocktail 25 euros

The cocktails are ridiculously expensive, but they are also huge.

Still, 35,000 won is too much…

Anyway, I couldn’t find the restaurant’s name because it’s a street vendor.

Please refer to the receipt…

It seems like there’s a main branch elsewhere and this is operated separately.

I also visited a souvenir shop, and as expected, Barcelona

There were a lot of soccer-related items.

I bought a baseball cap with Barcelona on it.

But I bought it in a hurry because time was short, so the size is wrong ^^ㅋ

When I wear it again in Korea, it’s too tight for my head.

Looking for someone to take the hat, it’s a really pretty navy color.

Xurreria

Baixos, Carrer dels Banys Nous, 8, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

The churros at Churreria are absolutely amazing.

It’s a bit far from the square, so someone bought them for me.

I don’t usually like churros, but these were incredibly delicious.

I’m still thinking about them, they were that good.

Tour finished, back on board.

The photo is of the Chinese film festival screening room.

I’ve never watched anything because I can’t understand Chinese or English.

The course meal that day was not great, except for the 3rd dish (cheese gratin) and the 7th dish (mille-feuille) ㅠ

But I wasn’t hungry because I filled up on churros etc.

Costa Esmeralda

Are you kidding me~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was bored on the ship, so I casually played every evening, and suddenly hit the jackpot;

It wasn’t a grand prize, but a major one, winning 1,290.74 euros! (About 1.8 million won!)

I was so excited. A passing waiter congratulated me and took a picture.

They wouldn’t let me leave my seat, and the screen froze like that.

Someone who seemed like a casino manager came and assisted me.

They gave me a slip like this, and I received my winnings at the counter. ㅎ!!!

The jackpot was great, but I felt incredibly happy because I wondered when I would ever have such an experience in my life.

I bought a drink right away because I was in a good mood?

Costa Esmeralda

Finished the night with a “Fake Lunomas” performance.

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