Montserrat

Our visit to Montserrat was one of the best days I have had so far in Barcelona.  The views were spectacular and the knowledge I gained about the history of Montserrat, Barcelona, and Catalonia was deep.

The bus that took us near the top of the mountain looked like it was going to tip over and kill everyone as we went around every corner, and the 80 degree angle we took on the trolley to the very top was more than frightening.  However, when we got to the top, the views and history was worth every second of terror.

We could see the Pyrenees Mountains, and overlooked the outskirts of Barcelona.  The weather was perfect and we were able to learn about the history of the hermits of Montserrat and the legend of the Black Virgin, which both surprised me, and was something I had never heard of before.

As we walked into the Monastery that held the original Black Virgin, I got an eerie feeling of importance and mystic.  I am not religious, but when I saw the Black Virgin and saw the way other people were looking at her, it made me feel a little different.  I realize that in order to believe the story you have to have faith, but even without it, there was something about it that gave me the chills.

The art gallery inside the monastery was interesting as well.  I normally am bored by art and hate going to art museums, but the one thing that caught my eye was the Picasso painting from when he was 13 years old and had had no prior training.  The painting was of an old man and the detail was unbelievable.  We weren't allowed to take pictures, but to see it in person was enough to understand how talented Pablo was.





The trip to Montserrat was great and I really enjoyed the views and the hiking.  I learned that "Montserrat" is a very common name for women of Catalonia and can see why.  The mountain is beautiful and although it is a little nerve racking to get there, it is truly a sight to see.