BCN 2013: Montserrat, Spain

Yup, I am not done yet :)

My favorite part of our recent trip was the visit to Montserrat, Spain. Given that I am a wife to a man who hated being under the sun, I initially did not thought of including this in our itinerary because some of the reviews I bumped into says there will be a lot of walking outside. But in the afternoon of our second day, we took a risk and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain, one-hour North West from Barcelona by train (around 1 hour 15 minutes by bus). It is well known as the site of the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat.

The harrowing road up to (and down, too!!!) the Monastery really made me car sick but the hardships definitely paid off when we reached the top. We arrived at a perfect time, around 5pm when the sun is already hiding while the cold breeze creeps into my down coat. It could have been perfect if I was wise to check the weather that morning so I could have warmers and extra clothes to protect me from the weather.

The Monastery is home to the famous Basilica Boys Choir, in which performances can be heard daily at 1PM, and one of the black Madonnas of Europe -- the Virgin of Montserrat also called La Moreneta in Catalan.

The place is perfect for pilgrimage, hiking and climbing, meditation or if you just want to get in touch with your spirituality and/or nature. Our guide told us that students preparing/reviewing for a major exam also go here for some quiet place to study.

Our trip was a wonderful one with the assistance of Barcelona Guide Bureau -- a very professional travel company in Barcelona that will really make you comfortable in your trip. Aside from our guide (Monica) and our driver, there were only three of us who joined the tour that afternoon (me + hubby + new found friend - the articulate and kind-hearted Rita from Brazil) and we had a huge tourist bus with us! Despite having very few people on board, we proceeded with the trip as scheduled. It turned out to be a private tour and we all had snack together sipping hot chocolate in a cafeteria. Super fun!

Photo dumping now!

For more information about the Barcelona Guide Bureau Montserrat Tour and other activities, please visit their website here.