Passport Envy ~ Adventures For Life Well Lived
  • Home
  • Destinations
  • Accommodations
  • Culinary Adventures
  • Recipes
  • My Gear
  • About

Day Trip to Monestir de Montserrat

By Sherrie Cumming
/ in Barcelona Destinations Europe Hikes Religious
5 comments



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. 
















The path is rugged, but we are rewarded with stunning views of the valley below. 



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!






Related Posts

5 comments :

  1. Karen StollSeptember 22, 2014 at 8:08 PM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  2. Sherrie CummingSeptember 23, 2014 at 1:35 AM

    Thanks 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  3. Karen StollSeptember 23, 2014 at 10:41 PM

    I 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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherrie CummingSeptember 24, 2014 at 2:42 AM

      It'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.

      Delete
      Replies
        Reply
    2. Reply
  4. AnonymousSeptember 24, 2014 at 1:05 AM

    Another 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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
Add comment
Load more...

Join the conversation ... comment now!

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Other Categories

Accommodations Activities Adventures Africa Aguas Calientes Airports Akha Hill Tribe Alaska Amalfi Coast Amazon Ancient Animals Architecture Arequipa Argo Arizona Asia Athens Australia Ayutthaya Baltic Sea Bangkok Barcelona Beaches Belgium Big Island Birds Boats Bridge Brussels Budapest Camels Capitol Reef Capri Cars Castles Cathedrals Ceremonies Cherry Blossoms Chiang Mai Cities Cooking With Noni Copenhagen Cordoba Cruising Culinary Cultural Arts Cusco Czech Republic Denmark Destinations Dolphins Driving Eating Smart Ecuador Elephants England Estonia Europe Events Experiences Finland Fishing Flamenco Florence Foods France Frankfurt Galapagos Islands Gear Germany Golden Triangle Great Barrier Reef Greece Hawaii Helicopters Helsinki Hikes Historic Holidays Honolulu Houseboating Hungary Hurricanes Inca Ruins Island Hopping Islands Italy Ito Iwatayama Japan Jungle Kauai Ketchikan Ko Olina Koh Samui Kyoto Lake Powell Lake Titicaca Landmarks Laos Lifestyles Lighthouses Lima London Machu Picchu Madrid Marbella Markets Medical Medieval Mediterranean Melbourne Mille Miglia Morocco My Gear National Parks North Shore Oahu Ollantaytambo Palaces Parga Paris Penguins People Peru Phillip Island Pisac Pompeii Portofino Positano Prague Prehistoric Puerto Banus Puno Quito Rain Forest Ravello Recipes Religious Rivers Roman Romance Russia Ryokans Sacred Valley Salamanca Seattle Segovia Seville Shirakawago Shopping Signs and Wonders South America South Hampton Spain St. Petersburg Stockholm Stonehenge Sunsets Surfing Sushi Sweden Sydney Tallinn Tangier Taquile Temples Thailand Timeless Gifts Tortoises Traditions Transportation Travel Health Travel Tips Tuscany UK UNESCO World Heritage Sites USA Utah Venice Volcanoes Warnemunde Water Whales Wildlife Wine Tastings Yachts

Popular Posts

  • It's Urko
    We are in Quito, Ecuador, and we are hungry.   We want Andean food.  Ecuadorian, Peruvian, whatever.
  • A Little Christmas Cheer
    I started making Almond Rocha at Christmas time back when I was a new bride some 35 years ago.......  
  • I'm in Quarantine!???
    I'm trying to be a fan of cruising.  Truly, I am. There's all the beni's.   Luxury rooms, luxury dining, luxury servi...
  • Eating Smart with 3 Ingredients
    I'm having a dinner party at our beautiful  Hawaiian "open air" Owner's Lounge.   One of my fav recipies fo...

Passport Envy

Passport Envy is a personal selection of my favorite destinations and best experiences captured around the world. Inside you'll find my favorite stories of far-flung travels, delicious foods, a few travel tips,and some scrumptious recipes.

Also visit my TripAdvisor page for a full collection of reviews I've written on Restaurants | Locations | Pensiones


Curated by Sherrie Cumming

Curated by Sherrie Cumming

Follow Along Here...

Other Categories

Accommodations Activities Adventures Africa Aguas Calientes Airports Akha Hill Tribe Alaska Amalfi Coast Amazon Ancient Animals Architecture Arequipa Argo Arizona Asia Athens Australia Ayutthaya Baltic Sea Bangkok Barcelona Beaches Belgium Big Island Birds Boats Bridge Brussels Budapest Camels Capitol Reef Capri Cars Castles Cathedrals Ceremonies Cherry Blossoms Chiang Mai Cities Cooking With Noni Copenhagen Cordoba Cruising Culinary Cultural Arts Cusco Czech Republic Denmark Destinations Dolphins Driving Eating Smart Ecuador Elephants England Estonia Europe Events Experiences Finland Fishing Flamenco Florence Foods France Frankfurt Galapagos Islands Gear Germany Golden Triangle Great Barrier Reef Greece Hawaii Helicopters Helsinki Hikes Historic Holidays Honolulu Houseboating Hungary Hurricanes Inca Ruins Island Hopping Islands Italy Ito Iwatayama Japan Jungle Kauai Ketchikan Ko Olina Koh Samui Kyoto Lake Powell Lake Titicaca Landmarks Laos Lifestyles Lighthouses Lima London Machu Picchu Madrid Marbella Markets Medical Medieval Mediterranean Melbourne Mille Miglia Morocco My Gear National Parks North Shore Oahu Ollantaytambo Palaces Parga Paris Penguins People Peru Phillip Island Pisac Pompeii Portofino Positano Prague Prehistoric Puerto Banus Puno Quito Rain Forest Ravello Recipes Religious Rivers Roman Romance Russia Ryokans Sacred Valley Salamanca Seattle Segovia Seville Shirakawago Shopping Signs and Wonders South America South Hampton Spain St. Petersburg Stockholm Stonehenge Sunsets Surfing Sushi Sweden Sydney Tallinn Tangier Taquile Temples Thailand Timeless Gifts Tortoises Traditions Transportation Travel Health Travel Tips Tuscany UK UNESCO World Heritage Sites USA Utah Venice Volcanoes Warnemunde Water Whales Wildlife Wine Tastings Yachts

Popular Posts

  • It's Urko
    We are in Quito, Ecuador, and we are hungry.   We want Andean food.  Ecuadorian, Peruvian, whatever.
  • A Little Christmas Cheer
    I started making Almond Rocha at Christmas time back when I was a new bride some 35 years ago.......  
  • I'm in Quarantine!???
    I'm trying to be a fan of cruising.  Truly, I am. There's all the beni's.   Luxury rooms, luxury dining, luxury servi...
  • Eating Smart with 3 Ingredients
    I'm having a dinner party at our beautiful  Hawaiian "open air" Owner's Lounge.   One of my fav recipies fo...

Contact Me

Name

Email *

Message *

© Copyright 2014 Passport Envy Blog. All Rights Reserved.