Montserrat

Leaving Barcelona was bittersweet. Bitter for those who love the excitement of the concrete jungle, and sweet for those of us who are country at heart. The drive was only about an hour northwest along a typical wide highway, passing Spanish suburbia amidst small, green, jagged mountains. Then suddenly you see this large singular brown mountain in the distance. It looks like a composite of brown fingers of rock, all pointing skywards. This is Montserrat Mountain.

Montserrat MountainWhen we reached the far side of its base our little Mini Cooper began it's long, sinuous climb. The Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, is nestled within the upper regions of this mountain of rock. The day was clear, the vistas enormous. To the north we could actually see the snow-capped summits of the Pyrenees Mountains; which span the border between Spain and France.

The Monastery, and its beautiful basilica church, are the host for the Virgin of Montserrat, a statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ. It is one of the Black Madonnas of Europe, and was sculpted from wood in the late 12th Century. The cathedral was built around this Holy Statue. Montserrat is also home to one of the oldest boy's choir in Europe, called the Escolania. Because it is a site with a huge amount of visitation, the Abbey also includes a hotel, public transport, shops, places to eat, and hiking paths which often culminate in an outdoor shrine. 

Our Lady of MontserratWe loved it here. It was quiet due to the season, the big church bells rang the hours, we stayed in a converted monks cell which was very pleasant and exceedingly clean. Especially nice was the heavy fog in the morning. The interior of the church was spectacular... and we've seen quite a few now. Marble, alabaster, gold, silver, wood, glass, candles, colors, and intricacies nearly on top of one another. I'm sure you will enjoy the little video I'm creating; but for now I hope you will enjoy the pictures.