(Brian)
For 21 euros per person, we got tickets that covered travel to and entrance fees for Montserrat. Montserrat, or “Serrated Mountains” are located east-north-east from Barcelona. It is Catalunya’s most important pilgrimage site for hundreds of years and contains a monastery with amazing views at 4,000 feet. You can read more about the history of the place online.
The tickets we bought included the metro ride to the train station, the train to the base of the cable car, the cable car up to Montserrat, and all funiculars (steep-track rail trains), which trucked people up and down the most difficult routes to the most significant parts of Montserrat.
Brian in the funicular
There were more expensive tickets, which included a museum and a meal (would have cost us about $15 more) but the museum was nothing to write home about and I thought we could get cheaper food en route. Turns out I was wrong about the food; I ended up paying about US$3 for one of Kirsten’s 16 oz. Coke Zeros. If you’re planning a trip here, bring your own food or pay dearly.
We did about a 2.5-hour, round trip hike to the highest point as soon as we got there. Since we caught one of the first trains in, we got to experience a less crowded trail. The views were great and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Brian and Kirsten doing Superman at a rest stop on the way to the peak. Wineries in the background.
We reached the peak; it took us a little over an hour.
(Kirsten)
Oh, hiking. Did you ever think you could do such great hiking in Barcelona, Spain? I sure didn’t. I remember reading about Montserrat (one of Rick Steve’s recommended ‘day trips’) in bed in our apartment in New York and being REALLY excited about it. I was NOT excited, however, when I found myself in the cable car climbing up the sides of successive rocky cliffs. The car held about 20 people, had open windows, and climbed probably about 3,000 feet in 5 minutes.
Yep, that small speck of a building down there was the starting point of the cable car climb. Yikes!
It was terrifying, and apparently I am afraid of heights.
The hiking was spectacular, really breathtaking, as you can see by the photos. It was fun just to be so ‘far up’ – everywhere you turned you had an incredible view of something. And the mountains – I’ve never seen anything like them! Plus, the monastery was really beautiful - tucked snugly into the mountains, as you can see.
The monastery complete with small, singing children (for 10 min. each day) which tourists go crazy about.
In front of the old monks' cloister. Note the 4 trees the monks plant, hoping to harvest only their symbolism:
(from left to right): palm = martydom, cypress = eternal life, olive = peace, laurel = victory
Brian is enjoying taking pictures of windows for some reason
Kirsten in the courtyard of the Basilica
These mosaics lined the walls for our viewing pleasure as we waited to get our hand on La Moreneta (in the next picture)
La Moreneta is the patroness of Catalunya; pilgrims touch her orb with one hand and make wishes or seek her blessings.
After we touched this we washed our hands.
Lunch was expensive. And we were hungry, so we didn’t use too much discretion – not a good combination.
After lunch we traveled to the ‘sacred cave’, listed as such in every publication we had read till that point BUT – don’t be fooled – it’s really not a cave at all. It probably used to be, and there was maybe one wall in there that looked cave-like, but it’s basically a house built into the side of a cliff.
(Brian): Although I am writing home about this, I shouldn't have. This is more of an indent in the mountain than a cave.
Now they have made it 5 percent natural, 95 percent man-made.
Oh, well, the walk to the cave was beautiful. Constructed by Gaudi and co., it featured a handful of striking statues and sculptures on the way to the cave, and it literally was built into the side of the cliff. With a low wall protecting you from falling (mom, try not to think about it too much!).
Holy lawsuit! Look at how low this wall is which lines the path to the sacred cave.
On the other side is vertical drop of about 50 meters. One could easily trip over this.
After dealing with the terror of the cable car one last time, we caught the 4:38 train and headed back to town. I totally slept on that train!!
Flamenco at Los Tarantos
(Brian)
Kirsten’s persistence to see Flamenco brought us to the Placa Reial to a club offering 30-minute Flamenco performances for 12 euros (for two people).
Brian enjoying cava in Plaza Reial before the performance
It featured an amazing Flamenco band of 6 men playing for 20 minutes before an amazing flamenco-dancer graced the stage. She wasn’t dressed up too stunning but the colors that she lacked in her dress were made up by the skill of her dancing; she was part metronome. She clacked her heels with nearly perfect timing and played the part of an instrument as well as a dancer.
Kirsten at the Flamenco venue - a great mosaic lined one of the walls!
(Kirsten)
She really was something. So beautiful, with her hair back in a bun at the nape of her neck and her hair combs perfectly placed….she was clacking all over the place but was the epitome of gracefulness. I also loved the venue – it was small and intimate, which meant that everyone who paid for entry got a good seat. Also, the band was amazing. They started with just the guitars playing, then a violinist and two vocalists entered the scene. The two vocalists were incredible, like nothing I’ve ever heard (live, anyway) – the way they sang sounded Arabic. Everything about the performance was great and I didn’t want it to end. One of the best parts of the performance was seeing how much Brian enjoyed it. I had seen flamenco before when I studied abroad in Madrid, but this was his first time. He was really impressed, which made me really happy.
