Montserrat, Spain

No blog last night as I was so tired After trekking around all day that I did a face plant about 9:00 pm. It was tough selecting photos for this blog as there were so many beautiful sights.

We took a day trip to the Monserrat monastery and were out from 7:00 am until around 6:30 pm. A big day using multiple modes of transportation including the metro, train, cable car, funicular & then lots of hiking.

 

Montserrat is a Benedictine monastery that has been there for centuries. It was rebuilt in the 1800's after Napoleon destroyed it in 1811. There is so much to see and do in Montserrat, it is much much more than just a monastery on a mountain. It seems to just hang off the mountainside making one wonder how it could ever have been built. Even though I read about it in advance, I did not anticipate the magnificence of this place.

Cable Car And then the view from the funicular we took to the top of the mountain To see Santa cova where the virgin appeared

There is lots of hiking to several different points with plenty of uphill treks - great workout in preparation for our upcoming ride. We also visited their incredible museum with works by world class artists including Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Caravaggio & others.

People leave items of importance in homage to the virgin

The basilica is beyond magnificent and we were surprised to find they have a boys choir not unlike the Vienna boys choir. We were treated to a standing room only performance in the cathedral. We wandered all over the area taking in the sites before heading back to the hotel where the staff left a very nice dessert in the room for Margaret's birthday. Today we are off to Gerona for a bit of touring at a much more relaxed pace.

Inside the Basilica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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