Probably one of the most amazing experiences one could have in Europe is a trip to Montserrat in Catalunia, Spain. I am lost for words on how to describe it but our pictures below would tell you why. A Montserrat-experience, however, is most special to a Bedan like me. This is because the Our Lady of Montserrat found in the Benedictine Abbey in Montserrat is the Patroness of the Benedictine Monks who run our beloved San Beda College in Manila.
We reached Montserrat through a bus that was surprisingly unfamiliar to many people in Barcelona. It was unfamiliar to others I say because we were the only passengers throughout the trip. Manang Elaine said she came to know about it in an article in a travel magazine. The fare was also very cheap. We paid only 12 Euros compared to other bus companies that charge about 5 times as much. Barcelona-Montserrat was an hour drive, although I could have driven it in only half an hour (Philippine-style) because in Spain, vehicles are allowed only to run a maximum of 90 KPH.
According to Wikipedia, "Montserrat" literally means "jagged (serrated) mountain" in Catalan which describes the peculiar aspect of the rock formation visible from a great distance. The highest summit of the mountain is called Sant Jeroni (Saint Jerome) and stands at 1,236 meters (4,055 feet) above sea-level which we were not able to reach because we ran out of time as we were scheduled to complete our Barcelona tour in the afternoon. Instead of going to the peak through the Cremallera (zipper) de Montserrat, we heard a mass instead and paid visit to Our lady of Montserrat. Then we shopped for a few souvenirs before we headed back to Barcelona.
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No matter how strong the wind was, it had no chance in blowing off
from Mija her hat and especially that pack of junk food |
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| Overlooking part of Catalunia where we came from |
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A magnificent view of the west portion of the Montserreat mountain.
In the middle part you would see the Benedictine Abby. |
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| Picture perfect. Behind us are the rock formations on the peak of the mountain. They said these rock formations are alive and growing. |
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| With my warmest and kindest cousin, Manang Elaine, and cousin in law, Mang Jay. |
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Cremallera de Monserrat means zipper of Montserrat.
The railway to the peak looks like a zipper from afar thus the name Cremallera. |
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Station of the Cremallera. When I took this picture I didn't notice
there was an old lady sitting in the middle of the benches. |
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| The Our Lady of Montserrat |
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| Inside the church. Looks very much like our church in San Beda. |
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| On our way back to Barcelona |
Upon reaching Barcelona we had another long walk tour and had a mouth-watering meal at Restaurante Nuria at La Rambla before retiring from a long but fun day. These are the spots we visited:
1. Casa Batllo & Casa Amatler
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| Another great work by Gaudi |
2. Casa Mila
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| Perhaps Gaudi was the reincarnate of the god of art |
3. Torre Agbar
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The architect who made this said this work was inspired
by the rock formations in the mountains of montserrat. Cool. |
4. Park Guell
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When we saw this Mija & I remembered we used to make
paper/eggshell/sand mosaic like this back in our elementary days |
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| If I did not pursue law, I would have been an architect now like Gaudi |
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| Mija enjoying our brief rest at the beautiful Parc Guell |
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| View of the entire Barcelona from Gaudi's Parc Guell |
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| This incredible passageway was the highlight of our visit at Parc Guell. |
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| Lovers at Parc Guell |
5. Placa Catalunia
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| Low shutterspeed did the trick in making the fountain look dashing |
6. Barcelona Cathedral
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| At last, the interior of Barcelona Cathedral |
7. Restaurante Nuria
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| Mija & I enjoyed our short stopover at Barcelona because of these people close to our hearts |
