In Terrassa is an excellent Science and Technology Museum which has a wonderful collection of exhibits. Here’s just a small sample.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0540-Terrassa-Museum-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0549-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0552-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0545-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0569-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0572-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0574-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0577-1024x768.jpg)
The computer section was especially interesting to me, and they’ve got an amazing collection.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0555-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0556-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0558-1024x768.jpg)
Gosh, an Intel MDS. I developed software on one of these back in the late ’80s:
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0560-1024x768.jpg)
The museum is housed in an old textile mill which has the most amazing roof.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0566-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0579-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a03-d-dscf0582-1024x768.jpg)
Wednesday:
Time for a long scenic train ride. We took this ordinary suburban train out of Barcelona.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0585-1024x768.jpg)
After a three hour ride through the Barcelona suburbs and eventually up into the mountains we arrived in France at La Tour de Carol. This interesting station, formerly a border post, has three different types of train: Le Train Jeune is a metre gauge line over the mountains from Perpignan, there is a standard gauge French Railways line from Toulouse, and our broad gauge route from Spain.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0591-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0592-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0589-1024x768.jpg)
Last time I was here I arrived on the metre gauge, intending to travel on to Toulouse and beyond, but due to a strike I had to take a bus, so it looks like I will have to come here for a third time to do the standard gauge!
You can see the long station building, mostly closed up now that there are no border formalities.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0598-1024x768.jpg)
Returning to Spain, we stopped off at Ribes de Freser where there is a rack railway for a scenic ride up to the ski resort of Núria.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0600-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0604-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0612-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0609-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a04-d-dscf0607-1024x768.jpg)
Thursday:
At Capellades is a fascinating museum of paper-making which was a significant industry in this area due mainly to the characteristics of the local water supply.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0628-1024x768.jpg)
These hammers are used to “beat to a pulp” the raw materials. Very noisy in operation.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0618-1024x768.jpg)
I’ve never seen anyone actually making paper by hand before.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0616-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0624-1024x768.jpg)
The museum also covers the history of printing.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0626r-768x1024.jpg)
We headed to the town of Igualada for lunch and unexpectedly found a preserved gas engine which had powered a textile mill here until 1955.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0637-1024x768.jpg)
In Martorell where we were staying is the mediaeval Devil’s Bridge. Sadly it was destroyed during the civil war (As was the transporter bridge in Bilbao) and this is a 1965 reconstruction.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0645-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0648r-768x1024.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a05-d-dscf0654-1024x768.jpg)
Friday:
At Vilanova there is an excellent railway museum.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0658-Villanova-Railway-Museum-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0660-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0665-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0672-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0678-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0679-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0683-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0689-1024x768.jpg)
Most of the railways in central Barcelona have been hidden underground over the years, but the Estació de França remains as an impressive terminus.
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0692-Barcelona-Franca-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0693-1024x768.jpg)
![](http://postcards.philwieland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4a06-d-dscf0694-1024x768.jpg)
And so a great holiday draws to a close, it’s time to fly home.