Day Trip to Monestir de Montserrat
We are headed to the mountains today to the remote
Monastery of Montserrat. We will brave the Barcelona subway for the
first time, to get to the train, which will drop us off at the cable
car, which will take us up the mountain to the Monastery itself,
before taking the funicular to the top of the mountain to St. Joan’s and
the holy caves.
Do you see the yellow cable car? That's us!
It’s a bit of a journey, so we are equipped with snacks and water, good walking shoes, and our best sense of adventure.
Once there, we find the beautiful (Square) Placa de Santa Maria, pausing to soak up the serenity this mountain retreat so generously offers. The breeze is cool, the sun is warm, and the church is welcoming.
The Virgin of Montserrat is a small wooden statue of La Moreneta, which translates “the dark one”, and it is said to be the soul of Montserrat. Believed to have been made by St. Luke and brought here by St. Peter in AD 50, having been kept hidden from the Moors in the nearby caves, we saw it be much revered by those of the Catholic faith, who stood in long queues to have the opportunity to have a face-to-face encounter, be it ever so brief, on their pilgrimage here.
After a rewarding visit to the Basilica, where the so nicknamed “Black Virgin Mary” is housed, we are anxious for a hike up the hill to see St Joan’s.
Indeed, the whole of Barcelona is seen in the remote valley distance.
Just above Saint Joan's, there are some really cool caves. We explored these, too, since we were so close.
There are all kinds of trails & hike up here if you're into that kind of thing. You need to come prepared, though. You can see my shoes are really not the best for this whole deal.
Now it’s time to head back to Barcelona. This time we catch the Funicular down the mountain to catch the train down the hill to catch the train back to Barcelona to take the subway back to the hotel.
Oh wait! We might as well go straight to one of our favorite restaurants for a Spanish-style dinner of fish (for me) and steak (for Mr. C), complete with a well-deserved pitcher of refreshing Sangria. (You might notice, when they serve me a whole fish, I have to cover up the eyes ~ a handy tomato does the trick this time. Can't really eat something that's watching me). And one last serving of fresh calamari (I’ve never had better than here in Barcelona ~ and I’ve consumed it all over the world, by now!).
I am sad to leave Barcelona behind. But cheers to another great day in Spain!
Oh, oh, oh! I love this! I am so ready to travel to Barcelona after reading your blog and seeing all your pictures! Cute sandals and if you have to wear shoes... Well then at least you have really cute ones even if not ones to hike in! They look good! It is hard to eat something that is looking back, so, cute that you solved that issue! Great picture of Mr C and so nice of him to take pics of you along the way on all these trips! Can't wait to read your next adventure! Keep 'me coming! They are fab!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, K, we really did love Barcelona. A wide variety of sights and activities. Those shoes are great walking shoes, but I did not know we would be hiking ~ there is a difference! Can't wait for J to take you, I know he loves Barcelona ~ you will love it too! We found our September weather to be very accommodating, by the way.
ReplyDeleteI must say, your pictures are very crisp and clear! Indoors too! The inside of the cathedral shot is really quite spectacular! Nice camera and great skills on your part!
ReplyDeleteIt's all the camera, my dear! I love my new little Sony! It gives me lots of options if I want to get fancy, but it's also really excellent on plain ole' point & shoot. I particularly like the low-light settings for situations like the interior of these churches, as pictures are allowed but flash photography is not.
DeleteAnother breathtaking place I have been fortunate enough to visit! It is amazing how much you take for granted when you are younger. Thanks dad for all the great experiences! Glad you are enjoying yourselves!
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