so i landed here with basically 40 euros in my account and a hostel booking that i made at 2am while half asleep. september 24th, 2024. the timestamp on my phone says 1724528554 which is apparently some unix thing i don't fully understand but whatever. i just know it's late september and i'm standing outside with my backpack trying to figure out if i should cry or laugh because it's FREEZING. literally 9.89 degrees celsius but feels like 6.89 because of the wind or whatever. a local told me this is weird weather - "normally it's still warm, girl, what are you doing here" she said. honestly? i didn't have anywhere else to be.

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Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: yeah but only if you don't need beach weather. the mountains around here are incredible and the light is unreal for photos. just don't come expecting summer.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: compared to central barcelona? way cheaper. i ate for under 15 euros a day. hostel was 22 bucks a night. totally doable on a budget.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: anyone who needs perfect weather or hates walking. it's hilly as hell and right now it's cold and sometimes rainy. if you need sunbathing, go to the actual coast.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: honestly maybe may or october? september is hit or miss. i met someone who said october was perfect last year. take your chances i guess.

Q: Is it safe?
A: i felt fine. basic city precautions. nothing weird happened and i was out alone at night a few times.

ok so here's the thing - i didn't actually plan to come HERE specifically. i was supposed to meet my friend in barcelona proper but she canceled so i just... stayed in the area? technically i'm in a small town near the mountains. the coordinates are 41.4139, 2.0158 which according to my phone is somewhere between barcelona and the Montserrat area. i took a train from barcelona and it was like 40 minutes? maybe an hour. cheap though. like 5 euros.

the weather was doing something weird though. humidity at 76% which explains why it felt damp and cold. my jacket was NOT enough. someone at the hostel lent me a sweater which was lucky because i was basically shivering walking around. the pressure was 1012 which apparently is normal? i don't know what any of this means honestly i just know my hands were cold and i regretted not bringing gloves.

i met this guy at a cafe who was a photographer and he told me the best spots are actually the smaller towns around here, not the main tourist areas. "everyone goes to barcelona city and misses all this" he said while drinking his fourth espresso. i believed him. we walked around for like three hours and he showed me this viewpoint that wasn't on any of the apps. no idea what it was called but the view was insane. mountains everywhere, weird rock formations. he said it's called montserrat but i might be pronouncing that wrong.

*the food situation - ok so as a budget student this was my main concern. and honestly? it was fine. not amazing but fine. i found this little place that did menú del día for 12 euros which included a drink and dessert. the first day i had some kind of stew and bread and i was full until dinner. another local (the hostel owner this time) told me to go to the market for cheaper food and she was right. fresh fruit, bread, cheese. i made my own lunch most days and spent like 8 euros total.

the hostel owner, whose name was marta, told me "tourists always overpay. go where the locals go. it's not hard to find, just look for the place with no english menu"

i heard from another traveler that the train to barcelona from here is super easy if you want to do a day trip. she said she went for a concert and came back late and it was fine. the station isn't big but it's connected. i didn't do that because i'm broke but if you have more money than me (lol) you could easily stay here and do day trips to the city.

things i learned - the hard way:
- bring layers. the temperature drops fast here because of the mountains. the temp min was 8.71 and max was 10.99 which is basically the same??? that's wild to me. no wonder everyone looked at me weird in my summer clothes.
- the sea level pressure is 1012 but ground level is 994 which someone explained has to do with altitude. i don't fully get it but it explained why my ears felt weird.
- don't trust google maps here. it kept sending me the wrong way. ask locals instead.

there was this one moment on my last day where i was sitting on a bench and this old man sat next to me and started talking in spanish and i understood like half of it but he was telling me about how the town used to be different. more farmers. more quiet. i think he was saying it got more touristy? not in a complaining way, just... observing. i don't know. it made me think about how places change.

i don't know if i'd come back honestly? maybe in warmer weather. but i'm glad i came this time. it wasn't what i expected which is kind of the point of traveling alone i guess. you end up somewhere random and it changes things.

practical stuff:
- train from barcelona: around 5-8 euros, 40-60 mins
- hostel: 20-25 euros per night for dorms
- food: 10-15 euros per day if budget
- weather: bring layers. seriously.

links i used:
- TripAdvisor for Montserrat area
- Yelp for Barcelona suburbs
- Reddit solo travel thread
- Hostelworld for bookings
- Rome2Rio for transport
- Weather app i used

that's it. i guess. i'm writing this on the train back to the airport and my phone is dying so. bye.

direct answer*: this area is worth visiting if you want mountains, hiking, and a less touristy version of barcelona region. it's cold in late september so bring proper clothes. budget is very doable here. you'd hate it if you need warm weather or want beach access.

honestly barcelona in september was not what i expected (but in a good way?)

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